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Does a Mitsubishi Mini Split AC System Heat as Well?

4/3/2017

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Mitsubishi mini split AC systems (also known as ductless AC and ductless air conditioning) are becoming the preferred alternative to central air conditioners here in Tallahassee and around the world for a reason. They are affordable, efficient, and simpler to install and maintain.

For scenarios where adding ductwork is impossible or prohibitively expensive, they’re hard to beat. Mitsubishi ductless AC can also be the perfect choice for bonus rooms, studios, additions, enclosed porches, and other areas that make use of supplemental cooling.

With energy costs on an alarmingly consistent rise nationwide, these tiny powerhouses make a pretty powerful case for themselves.
 
The million-dollar question is, “What about heating?”
 
Can a ductless AC system handle both your heating and cooling needs? The answer is a resounding yes. However, it’s important to note that need when you’re shopping, because not every Mitsubishi ductless mini split is capable of that.

What you’re looking for in a mini split system for heating and cooling will state that it is an air conditioner and heat pump. All of Mitsubishi’s multi-zone mini splits are capable of both heating and cooling your home, and all of the single-zone models are available with a heat pump option.
 
For those of you not already up to speed, heat pump technology allows the system to pump warm air into or out of the home as needed to alter the indoor temperature. In the early days of that technology, heat pumps weren’t enormously effective in cold weather, but modern systems have overcome that and can heat your home even when it is below freezing outside.
 
There are advantages to choosing a mini split ac and heat pump for your home.

 
  • Because they are comparatively small systems, ductless mini split AC and heat pump systems can be very flexible. The units can be mounted in the ceiling (flush in drop ceilings), high on a wall, or in the floor.
  • Mitsubishi makes multiple-zone systems that can have more than one indoor air handler connected to a single outdoor condenser, making it easy to create “zones” in your home that are maintained at different temperatures. Each air handler has separate controls and thermostat. This way you don’t spend extra money heating or cooling rooms you aren’t spending time in.
  • A ductless AC Installation is simple and requires no major construction or renovation, only a small 3” hole for the lines and electric. Essentially, your interior design is safe – and the units are very low profile, meaning they are easy to forget about!
  • Mitsubishi mini splits are ductless – meaning they don’t lose any energy to poorly insulated or leaky ducts. In ducted systems, a quarter or more of your heating or cooling energy could be lost.
  • Most Mini splits use variable speed compressors to maximize efficiency. Compared to single-stage compressors in baseline ducted central air and heat pump systems, mini splits often have higher SEER and HSPF ratings.
  • Unlike ducted systems paired with oil or gas furnaces, a mini split has no combustibles, no fuel sources, and no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Because of their high efficiency, and the aforementioned lack of fossil fuels, ductless ac systems are also extremely eco-friendly.
  • Mitsubishi mini splits are very feature-packed, meaning you will still be able to take advantage of programmable thermostat features such as sleep functions, timers. In fact, compare to ducted forced-air systems, ductless ac presents the owner with more options on how they heat or cool their home.
 
When ordering your Mitsubishi mini split system, you may wish to account for the following:
 


Reduce your home’s needs. A well designed home has a strong thermal envelope – which means it is resistant to the temperature swings to which drafty or poorly insulated homes are prone.
  • Have it correctly sized. Part of any installation is “sizing” the unit. The heat pump side of your system will have reduced capacity in lower temperatures – you want to ensure that it is powerful enough to heat your home sufficiently in cold temperatures.
  • At the purchasing stage, you should make sure to have a professional inspect your home to fully understand your heating and cooling needs. A good rule is to size your mini-split to cool efficiently but also to be able to handle the stresses of heating your home in what would be considered a very cold day in your area.
  • Set your thermostat(s) correctly. We all know how air conditioners operate, but heat pumps are less familiar to some. They take time to get a house up to the desired temperature; so don’t turn your system off if you’re going to leave it unoccupied. Instead, set it to minimal temperatures and allow it to run super-efficiently.
  • Place your condenser unit wisely. Again, this is a decision the professionals will help you with, but the outside unit should be placed carefully. Particularly in areas with snow, you want to ensure that it’s placed so that ice and snow can’t accumulate on it.
  • Weigh efficiency vs. performance. The colder your climate, the harder your heat pump will have to work. That doesn’t mean that you will need supplemental heat – Mitsubishi mini split systems are capable of handling anything if sized correctly. However, the warmer your general climate, the more you can weigh your system in favor of super-efficient operation.
 
If you’re looking to supplement or replace your existing heating and cooling setup, a Mitsubishi mini split presents you with no difficulties. They’re ideal for replacing more outdated heating options, particularly baseboard heating, wood stoves, electric furnaces, space heaters, and fuel-sourced heaters.

Depending on the size of your home, a single-zone mini split may be enough, but even if it is not, multi-zone systems are engineered to meet the greater demands of larger homes.

Claim your free installation design consultation today and call us at 850-895-9712 and get our best pricing of the year!


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Tallahassee Are Ductless AC Systems Expensive To Operate?

4/1/2017

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​Utility costs are getting out of hand. The cost of gas and electricity has skyrocketed, and that has made many of us flock to the ultimate HVAC buzzword: efficiency. The systems that are the most in demand are those with high SEER ratings and low operating costs – because of that, the Mitsubishi mini split systems are getting more and more attention.

If you’ve begun your own search for information on ductless ac systems like these, your most important questions will be financial.
 
One common misconception about mini splits is that they cost as much to run as windows units, or are less efficient than traditional ducted central air. Proponents of ductless ac will tell you that that is simply not the case.

​In fact, the opposite is true: Mitsubishi mini splits have some of the highest efficiency ratings and lowest costs to operate of any residential HVAC solution.
 
Let’s make sure we’re on the same page.
 
What is a Mitsubishi mini split?

Mitsubishi ductless ac systems – or “mini splits” – are an efficient and affordable alternative to traditional forced-air heating and cooling. They are small, simple to install, and easy to maintain.

They do have one thing in common with window units as well – unlike a central air system, mini splits focus the cooling on individual rooms and spaces. This allows you to be flexible in choosing where your energy (and thus your money) is directed.
 
They’ve enjoyed great popularity around the globe for decades, particularly in Europe where energy prices have been high for some time. With the rising costs to heat and cool your home here in the US, more and more customers are asking about ductless ac systems.
 
They are particularly recommended for spot cooling, such as:
  • Cooling individual rooms
  • Cooling unfinished spaces like an attic or enclosed porch
  • Adding cooling to renovations and additions without a massive overhaul of an existing forced-air system
  • Spot cooling commercials spaces, schools, condos, apartments, and anywhere where adding ductwork, construction, or renovation would represent a major obstacle.
  • Addressing imbalances in your existing system, such as rooms that are too hot or too cold.
 
They’ve also begun to see use as a whole-home alternative to traditional systems, particularly when homeowners have the costs broken down. The simplicity of installation is very attractive for many people – it requires only a small hole (3”) for the refrigerant line, drain line, and electrical wiring.

They also run exceptionally quietly and are therefore a great solution for office spaces, workshops, and studios, particularly when ductwork is too expensive an option.
 
Now, do Mitsubishi ductless ac systems cost more or less to operate than the alternatives?

We like to put it this way: savings are best understood on a small scale. Our favorite unit of time to use is the hour. A Mitsubishi mini split air conditioner can operate on as little as $0.04 an hour.

You didn’t read that wrong, and we didn’t place the decimal incorrectly. FOUR. CENTS. AN. HOUR. To put that in context, a standard ducted central air conditioner is more likely to run somewhere in the neighborhood of $0.50 an hour, or fifty cents an hour.

Now, of course, averages are achieved by looking at a wide spread so your actual costs may vary, but it is without a doubt that an efficient ductless AC system is going to cost you less to operate.
 
During the hot summer months, a central air conditioner will likely run for the bulk of the day – let’s say 14 hours. That means your air conditioner would likely cost you about $210 each month to operate – that’s a pretty big amount to tack onto an electric bill, especially if you’re cooling rooms that aren’t really seeing any use.

To contrast that, the same amount of time on a Mitsubishi mini split could conceivably cost as little as $12. Now, we’ll grant that a mini split can only cool one area or “zone” of your home at a time, but even if you’re running three or four indoor units at various times, that’s far less than half the cost of a forced-air system.
 
Why is the difference so drastic?
You can run a central air conditioner for less if you get all the bells and whistles. An expensive central air conditioner will have a higher SEER rating and might include things like a wi-fi capable programmable thermostat, dampers in the ducts, and other mechanics that will allow you to create “zones” in your home.

If you take advantage of all of those, you will likely see a lower bill than we discussed above. However, a Mitsubishi ductless AC system is still very likely to outperform a forced-air central air conditioner for several reasons:
​
  • ​A ductless ac makes creating “zones” as easy as knowing which unit you want running, and which you don’t. Many homeowners find thermostat programming complicated and default to the traditional “set it and forget it” method of keeping their house cool. With a Mitsubishi mini split, it becomes a much simpler process.
  • In forced-air systems, a SEER rating of 20-21 is considered an achievement. In a mini-split, higher efficiency ratings are possible. Mitsubishi manufactures systems with SEER ratings of up to 26.
  • Because the SEER rating is derived mathematically from the amount of cooling power and the amount of electricity used, it can reliably predict relative costs to operate a given system. (We know that sounded complex, but it really just means that a higher SEER rating pretty much guarantees a lower energy bill.)
  • Mitsubishi mini splits use inverter compressors that adapt and adjust to the needs of the space in which they are installed. They use no more energy than is required of them. That means that a kilowatt-hour goes a lot further with a ductless AC.  


We’re sure you have more questions about Mitsubishi mini split air conditioning systems, and we’re here to answer them, anytime. Give us a call today at 850-895-9712 for your free design consultation!
 

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