Home Energy Products / Mitsubishi Mini Split

[ishoot308]

Looking for info good or bad anyone has on Home Energy Products in Belmont or on Mitsubishi Mini Split heat / AC unit. Possibly having them install one of these units in our camp. Have an appointment with them this week.

Any info on either installer or the unit is appreciated!

Thanks!

Dan

[BroadHopper]

Excellent installation and product.
Many were installed at Wildwood Village.

[ishoot308]

Excellent installation and product.
Many were installed at Wildwood Village.

Thanks for the feedback BH!

Are the units quiet when in AC mode? We really are sick of the noise from portable type units.

Thanks!

Dan

[TheProfessor]

These units are used quite extensively in the rest of the world.
I have been in many homes in other parts of the world and they work quite fine.
Central Air conditioning is used extensively in the US.
I don't see the need to cool the whole house (here) when most of the time folks spend their time in basically 3 rooms.
Some of the fancier homes are zoned so not necessarily cooling the whole house.

The same place sells Monitor and Toyotomi kerosene home heaters. I wish I had installed these when my place was constructed.

[winnipiseogee]

Just used a different installer to have 2 put in at my house. They ROCK!! Very quiet and super effective! Make sure you check with the co-op about rebates. I got $2200 back but you have to have them in BEFORE you have the units installed.

[CL 240 LS]

I just saw a White Mountain Oil ad in the Conway Sun for Daikin AC units. I would like to hear any coments on these units as well as Mitsubishi.

http://www.daikinac.com/commercial/solutionsResidentialHomes.asp?sec=ressolutions

[welchislandman]

We have a Mitsubishi Split in our bedroom at the house. very quiet and cools a 15x20 room quickly. Hardly know its running

[dt5150]

i had home energy install a mitsubishi mini split system in my old house about 5 years ago. best thing i ever did. they work beautifully. their install was done well too, clean and professional. i did save some $ by running all the electrical myself instead of hiring an electrician to do it. at the time, home energy didn't do the elec. part. they may now, i don't know. very pleased all around though. definitely worth the money.

[Blue Thunder]

I will throw in my two cents worth and say that I have heard excellent reviews of the Mitsubishi/Mr Slim ductless units.

I had a Sanyo, which is now Panasonic system installed in my island cottage about 4 years ago. It worked great for the first year and then I had nothing but trouble with it. I had to replace a $700 PCM board only to have it fry again within ten minutes. No returns on electrical parts...of course. I now have a $4000 boat anchor attached to the side of my cottage. Any takers??

Stay away from Sanyo/Panasonic. NO Customer service at all.

BT

[JMR]

ishoot I have been thinking of same unit for house and camp. I would love to know what you decide and what you think if you install.

[ishoot308]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Sounds like it's a real good unit and Home Energy sounds like a quality installer.

JMR, Home Energy is coming to my camp tomorrow so I will most likely be making a decision then. I'll let you know what I find out.

Thanks again everyone!!

Dan

[ishoot308]

After meeting with the owner of Home Energy at my Camp this morning, I have decided to have them install the Mitsubishi system.

I have spoken to a few people who have similar heat pump systems and all say they are cooling their entire house thoroughly for $10.00 per month! I am having three interior units installed (33,000 BTU) and the gentleman from Home Energy said it would cost between $5.00 - $10.00 per month during the summer to cool.

A couple people I have talked to who winter in Florida say they keep their heat pump AC system running all summer long while they are not there to keep mold from forming and it's only costing around $15.00 a month.

While I am doing this for more of a convenience and quietness issue the savings will be nice. Payback will take about 7 - 10 years because I am seasonal. Payback in non seasonal homes who are heating and cooling is approximately 2-4 years!! Well worth doing in my opinion!

Warranty on the Mitsubishi system is 7 years parts by Mitsubishi and 7 years labor by Home Energy. Great Warranty!

Thanks again for all your input!

Dan

[Lakesrider]

I'm a bit late to this thread but figured I wold let you know I have the 29,000 btu unit in my house. A small cape. Cools the whole house but I do keep a fan to blow it into the bedroom as it does not push the cold air into every room upstairs. Not a big deal but you might find you need a fan in some spots to deliver the heat/cooling. We use the same vendor and they usually have a service special that you can pay for each spring. Ours is $179.00 I think. They will come out and clean everything and tune it up. We have had ours for over 6 years now and you will be surprised how much dust builds on the drum fan even with cleaning the two front filters. Having two cats does not help with that....:D
I always tip the guys when they come as they have to climb under my deck to get to the condensor, plus I figure if I take care of them.....They will take care of me should the need arise. But they do a great job any way. And everyone that has shown up to my house for the install and cleaning were very nice and always polite. (Nice to see that in a company now days.) Great crew. Great company. We are thinking about getting another small system to do the upstairs bedrooms on their own.
If you get it....you will love it.

[ishoot308]

Home Energy installed the mini splits today and thought I would report back.

Let me first say that the entire experience with Home Energy has been a joy!! They are complete professionals! The owner came out to take measurements, give me a brief explanation on how the units work and how they would be installed. Once I accepted the quote, a date was set for install which was one week later. No down payment was required and I was told pay in full when job was complete.

The installers and their electrician showed up together this morning with everything they needed. They loaded my boat and off we went. The job was completed in 7 hours. They were very professional in their work and the install was neat and clean. The units work great and boy are they QUIET!!

I am a very happy customer and highly recommend Home Energy in Belmont, NH

Dan

[ishoot308]

One of the big benefits of this system was realized this weekend when we lost power on the island for a day. It takes such little electricity to run, my portable Honda generator was easily able to run the entire system with ease. I could of never run my previous three portable AC units with the generator!

Loving it so far!!!

Dan

[OleSmokey]

Dan, I am presently looking at Mitsubishi system. How are things going with your installation. Now that it has been a month plus of time and usage, any words of what to watch for or what you "wish you did". Thanks
OS

[ishoot308]

Hi OleSmokey;

I am VERY pleased with the Mitsubishi Mini-Split and my experience with Home Energy who did the install. The AC portion is unbelievably quiet and works like a champ! We have seen a huge difference in our first months bill as compared to previous months using standard portable AC units.

We only used the heat portion a few times but so far it's been fantastic. From what I was told, the heat portion is only good to about 30 degrees outside temp before it becomes inefficient to use. I really did not care about this since I will be rarely using it in the winter and have other heat sources to supplement.

From what I understand, Mitsubishi now makes a heat pump that works to well below zero. If I was installing this in my home, I might look at one of those units. Not sure if these units also cool in the summer however.

I still highly recommend both Mitsubishi Mini Splits and Home Energy Products! Great product and great installer!! 7 year warranty parts and labor!!

Good Luck!

Dan

[SIKSUKR]

If its a heat pump then it will work both ways.I can only guess that for a hp to work at zero it would have to have an enormous set of coils.Your actually taking "heat" out of the outside air and injecting inside.Can't imagine much heat there is at that temp.

[ishoot308]

If its a heat pump then it will work both ways.I can only guess that for a hp to work at zero it would have to have an enormous set of coils.Your actually taking "heat" out of the outside air and injecting inside.Can't imagine much heat there is at that temp.

From what I understand they use an outside condenser for every indoor air handler instead of one condenser for multiple indoor air handlers like I have. From what I have read this new system delivers 100 percent of rated heating capacity at 5 Degrees and 80 percent at -13 degrees outdoor ambient temperatures. Pretty incredible!

[OleSmokey]

Thanks folks...yes, the unit I am looking at has a shut off point of minus 13 with an autorestart. Hope I don't have to witness the minus 13! Hopefully our Rinnai propane unit will act as backup/interim until the Mitsubishi turns back on. Will give an update at end of month after the install!
Regards
OS

[@thelake]

I’m a little late here, but wanted to add my comments as I know these posts are used by others as reference and research for years to come.

We had 3 Mitsubishi heat pumps installed this summer, the Hi2 (HyperHeat Pumps that, as described above), heat @ 100% efficiency all the way down to 5 degrees, and continue to work (at diminished capacity) down to -13, where the heat produced is still 100 degrees.

The cooling side of these machines is well known, they kick butt in a serious way. We used them all summer and couldn’t be happier. Our large unit has a turbo mode (get ready for the cold!), standard and eco modes. They also have a drying/dehumidification mode, very convenient.

They’re all controlled by handheld remote controls and wireless wall thermostats. We also control them online, via a browser and iPod/iPhone app! 7 year warrantee, spotless reputation in the industry, there’s so many reasons to get a Mitsubishi!

We got 4 quotes from different authorized installers. All were nice, some were competent. Two stood out as people we’d like to work with. Steve Gorse from Home Energy Products in Belmont was fantastic in every way. Very knowledgably, easy to work with.

We were initially looking at a cooling solution, with the mild heat supplement (the standard heat pumps work at 100% through about 45 degrees, continuing to function below zero at a reduced efficiency.)

The more we talked with Steve, the more obvious the Hi2 solution became, but we got there on our own…there was no hard sell, “here’s what you really should get.” Steve was uber patient as we discussed this and that, and came up with new numbers at every turn, there was no black magic…here’s what this would cost, here’s what this would cost. In the end, after speaking with each vendor about new quotes, Steve from Home Energy Products had the lowest price, but here’s the kicker: he’s the only vendor that told us about the 35%/up-to $2,000 rebate from the NHEC. Done deal, thank you for saving us a boatload of cash! More about this rebate later.

We scheduled the work, the crew was awesome, very professional, clean, this wasn’t their first heat pump :-) I threw one of the guys a loop when I asked, what if we run the drainage line inside the wall? We talked for a few minutes and agreed it wasn’t optimal. Later, he came over to find me, said he was running out the local hardware store to get a couple things and a length of pvc, and that would enable us to not have the drain visible/along the outside wall. The wife was so happy :-)

Home Energy Products contracts with an electrician they use regularly, he and his apprentice did nice work.

A deposit was not required of us, either, which was nice. We paid the installation afternoon, by check.

Steve went out of his way to make sure we were happy, even showing up on install day to make sure everything worked as expected. We highly recommend Steve Gorse from Home Energy Products and Mitsubishi.


The NHEC 35%/up-to $2000 rebate.
http://www.nhec.com/residential_heatpump_rebates.php

The NHEC asks for some paperwork, mostly your historical heating usage, then does a site survey. Then, depending on your home’s energy usage you may or may not need to have an efficiency expert come out and to do a home energy audit.

We were OK, but went ahead with the audit, it costs you $100, the NHEC picks up the balance, well worth it. He came out and hooks the whole house blower the door, measuring air leaks, optionally he can replace shower heads, light bulbs, install a carbon monoxide detector and more. If you’re interested, he’ll prepare a report with work that can be done to improve the efficiency of your home, the cost, and how much it will save you each year/how long it will take to pay for itself.

For us, it was mostly adding additional insulation in attic, sealing up air entry points. Here’s the best part, the NHEC subsidizes that work TOO, at 50%! We just had our work done yesterday, great crew, did some top notch work.

After the heat pumps were installed, there was a free inspection by the NHEC, and shortly after, the two thousand dollar check arrived. WOW. That was sweet.

It’s hard to compare usage between years, but our power bill was lower than last year’s, and we had the A/C on most of the summer. We used window units last year. We’re just starting to use the heat (40’s overnights in late September) but I am very impressed. It’s nice to have zone heat were there wasn’t any before. I’ll let anybody who’s interested know how these hold up during the most bitter days of February, just post here or PM me.

The units are very quiet, inside and out. You can control the fan speed inside(low, med, hi, auto), that’s really the only inside noise. You can control where it blows (up, down, left right, oscillating, not in the center, it gets nuts, but you get the idea.) Only regret, that we didn’t do it sooner.

[ishoot308]

Nice report @thelake!!

Dan

[Formula]

I’m a little late here, but wanted to add my comments as I know these posts are used by others as reference and research for years to come.

We had 3 Mitsubishi heat pumps installed this summer, the Hi2 (HyperHeat Pumps that, as described above), heat @ 100% efficiency all the way down to 5 degrees, and continue to work (at diminished capacity) down to -13, where the heat produced is still 100 degrees.

The cooling side of these machines is well known, they kick butt in a serious way. We used them all summer and couldn’t be happier. Our large unit has a turbo mode (get ready for the cold!), standard and eco modes. They also have a drying/dehumidification mode, very convenient.

They’re all controlled by handheld remote controls and wireless wall thermostats. We also control them online, via a browser and iPod/iPhone app! 7 year warrantee, spotless reputation in the industry, there’s so many reasons to get a Mitsubishi!

We got 4 quotes from different authorized installers. All were nice, some were competent. Two stood out as people we’d like to work with. Steve Gorse from Home Energy Products in Belmont was fantastic in every way. Very knowledgably, easy to work with.

We were initially looking at a cooling solution, with the mild heat supplement (the standard heat pumps work at 100% through about 45 degrees, continuing to function below zero at a reduced efficiency.)

The more we talked with Steve, the more obvious the Hi2 solution became, but we got there on our own…there was no hard sell, “here’s what you really should get.” Steve was uber patient as we discussed this and that, and came up with new numbers at every turn, there was no black magic…here’s what this would cost, here’s what this would cost. In the end, after speaking with each vendor about new quotes, Steve from Home Energy Products had the lowest price, but here’s the kicker: he’s the only vendor that told us about the 35%/up-to $2,000 rebate from the NHEC. Done deal, thank you for saving us a boatload of cash! More about this rebate later.

We scheduled the work, the crew was awesome, very professional, clean, this wasn’t their first heat pump :-) I threw one of the guys a loop when I asked, what if we run the drainage line inside the wall? We talked for a few minutes and agreed it wasn’t optimal. Later, he came over to find me, said he was running out the local hardware store to get a couple things and a length of pvc, and that would enable us to not have the drain visible/along the outside wall. The wife was so happy :-)

Home Energy Products contracts with an electrician they use regularly, he and his apprentice did nice work.

A deposit was not required of us, either, which was nice. We paid the installation afternoon, by check.

Steve went out of his way to make sure we were happy, even showing up on install day to make sure everything worked as expected. We highly recommend Steve Gorse from Home Energy Products and Mitsubishi.


The NHEC 35%/up-to $2000 rebate.
http://www.nhec.com/residential_heatpump_rebates.php

The NHEC asks for some paperwork, mostly your historical heating usage, then does a site survey. Then, depending on your home’s energy usage you may or may not need to have an efficiency expert come out and to do a home energy audit.

We were OK, but went ahead with the audit, it costs you $100, the NHEC picks up the balance, well worth it. He came out and hooks the whole house blower the door, measuring air leaks, optionally he can replace shower heads, light bulbs, install a carbon monoxide detector and more. If you’re interested, he’ll prepare a report with work that can be done to improve the efficiency of your home, the cost, and how much it will save you each year/how long it will take to pay for itself.

For us, it was mostly adding additional insulation in attic, sealing up air entry points. Here’s the best part, the NHEC subsidizes that work TOO, at 50%! We just had our work done yesterday, great crew, did some top notch work.

After the heat pumps were installed, there was a free inspection by the NHEC, and shortly after, the two thousand dollar check arrived. WOW. That was sweet.

It’s hard to compare usage between years, but our power bill was lower than last year’s, and we had the A/C on most of the summer. We used window units last year. We’re just starting to use the heat (40’s overnights in late September) but I am very impressed. It’s nice to have zone heat were there wasn’t any before. I’ll let anybody who’s interested know how these hold up during the most bitter days of February, just post here or PM me.

The units are very quiet, inside and out. You can control the fan speed inside(low, med, hi, auto), that’s really the only inside noise. You can control where it blows (up, down, left right, oscillating, not in the center, it gets nuts, but you get the idea.) Only regret, that we didn’t do it sooner.

I have been thinking about this for some time. I have a single zone heating and cooling trying to keep up with a three floors of living with not much success.
I was womdering what should i plan for in my budget.
Thanks

[Fargo]

@thelake any updates on how your hp has been working in the frigid cold? I'm in the process of doing some weatherization and may update the heating system.

[CL 240 LS]

@thelake any updates on how your hp has been working in the frigid cold? I'm in the process of doing some weatherization and may update the heating system.

Any more updates for the heating performance of the heat pump units? We are considering installing this system in our ski condo in the White Mnts.

Thanks

[ishoot308]

Any more updates for the heating performance of the heat pump units? We are considering installing this system in our ski condo in the White Mnts.

Thanks

Since your looking for heating performance during ski season in the white mountains, make sure you get the "Hyper Heat Pump" from Mitsibishi. They function at 100% efficiency down to 5 degrees. In the summer, using AC mode you can get your condo as cold as a meat locker!! :)

I have the standard Mitsubishi mini split heat pump at my island camp and absolutely love it!

Dan

[kauriel]

Mini splits are also great for your primary residence, especially if you lack forced air in your home. I work with many mini-split vendors/installers in MA & CT, including Mitsubishi distributors, so feel free to private message me if you want any info for CT or MA options.

[Irrigation Guy]

Mini splits are also great for your primary residence, especially if you lack forced air in your home. I work with many mini-split vendors/installers in MA & CT, including Mitsubishi distributors, so feel free to private message me if you want any info for CT or MA options.

Only 9 inches above my windows. Any options other that the picture frame thing from LG(doesn't meet efficiency guidelines from NHEC rebate)?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[kauriel]

Only 9 inches above my windows. Any options other that the picture frame thing from LG(doesn't meet efficiency guidelines from NHEC rebate)?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
I'm not familiar with NHEC specifications but you should be able to find a system that can be installed in another part of wall (assuming you don't have floor to ceiling windows).

[@thelake]

@thelake any updates on how your hp has been working in the frigid cold? I'm in the process of doing some weatherization and may update the heating system.

Any more updates for the heating performance of the heat pump units? We are considering installing this system in our ski condo in the White Mnts.

Thanks


Run, don’t walk to get your Mitsubishi Hi2 Heat Pump(s).


We’ve had ours for one year now, and during hot or cold, they just work, exceptionally.

Fargo, during the time of your inquiry, we were in the midst of a serious cold snap. I was traveling on and off and so I relied on my propane while I was away, just because the Mitsu’s were new to us. But I did put them to the test when I returned, and they work just as promised. They’re working their butts off with the really cold weather (there’s a defrost function that kicks in as needed…you’re air conditioning the outside at 5 degrees…there’s some freezing to be expected!) This was a concern I brought up to my dealer, and he assured me, they’re built for this…and they appear to be…they’re hefty units with a 7 Year limited warrantee, when installed by a Diamond contractor.

We solicited 4 quotes, two were clowns, really didn’t know their product. One was the reseller through the Home Depot. He was excellent, but by the time the HD got their cut…forgettaboutit…we came back to him with a chance to match or better the offer we got from Steve Gorse from Home Energy Products (http://homeenergyproducts.net/) in Belmont, but just as out of pricing curiosity (and he couldn’t). If you’re in his service area, you’d be smart to give Steve a call. His quote was the lowest by far, he knew this product front/back/up/down, there wasn’t a question I had that sent him scrambling for the brochure (see earlier clowns), except to illustrate where my question was answered, and really worked with me to get what I wanted.

In the end, after working out several scenarios (with pricing, by the way…because price matters!) we picked the “Cadallac” Mitsu’s because my wife and I saw the value. My point is there was no hard sell. The other three had to mail me estimates, Steve’s was customized on site. (One contractor left his books, including sales techniques (they didn’t think very highly of customers when they created those sales strategies.) We mailed his binders back to him, four 3 ring binders as I recall, and that’s the last we heard from him, no quote, although one was promised, but the oral estimate for non Hi2 equipment was crazy high and all over the place with equipment. No offer of reimbursement for the shipping, either :-)
I have no connection to the reseller we used/recommend, other than being very satisfied customers, and we have not told them about this review.

Let me get back on track with the units. Their performance in hot weather is well known, they are fantastic. Quiet. Reliable. Controllable via the web, Android and iOS apps (all free/without monthly service charge), IR handheld remotes and RF wireless wall thermostats.

Their performance in the in-between months is equally awesome. October-December, March-May, they performed like champions. We’re moving our propane tanks now, so we wanted the tanks low/didn’t want to refill in January and have to deal with half full tanks now/summer, so we used the Mitsu’s exclusively from February on, without issue, or concern.

Their performance during the bitter cold days of January and February was also excellent, knowing their limitations. The BTU capacity is reduced as the temperature drops. Coming home from trip and expecting a 20 degree temperature rise is not something that will happen as quickly as with my 40,000 BTU Rinnai’s (http://www.rinnai.us/direct-vent-wall-furnace). (Those are sweet beasts, too. Highly recommend.)

There’s the defrost cycle, that kicks in as necessary. The internal blower stops, if you can hear/go out to see the outside unit, it operates on high in reverse for a couple minutes, defrosting the unit. I forget the total time lapse between hot blowing air, but it’s short, between 5 -7 minutes? Maybe quicker.

They operate like rock stars when given reasonable tasks at frigid temps. “Bring the temperature of this room up 5 degrees and maintain 71.” Ask them to do that and you’ll never even know they’re working.

We put one in the master bedroom and it’s been fantastic to have efficient heat where we previously had none. Plus, combined with the 2 Rinnai’s and the other 2 Mitsu’s, we have a nice distribution of heat throughout the house.

It’s hard to make a comparative savings estimate from last year for multiple reasons. We still have two homes and do some travel for work, so we’re not always here the same number of days. I can say this: we had the house insulated and have noticed a difference. Insulating issues weren’t noticeable bad before, but the home seems cozier, there’s less need for heat. I recommend having that done, money well spent.

Here’s our rough electric numbers for the last year:
http://centralwalpole.org/power.jpg
June12 $85
July12 $105
Aug12 $110
Sept12 $90
Oct12 $95
Nov12 $80
Dec12 $105
Jan13 $125
Feb13 $90
Mar13 $170
Apr13 $90
May13 $70
June13 $95

As I mentioned, at some point in February ‘13 we started heating with the Mitsu’s exclusively. I think that February and April could share some of that bump, but still, less then 100 bucks to heat the house in March, not too bad. As for the summer, we’re heavy AC users, if it’s even a question (to use AC or not), we’d rather have it on.

We were told “you’ll hardly know they’re on, and the same applies when you see your bill.” I’d have to agree. These are the numbers for the past year, so every month represents Mitsu. usage. I don’t have older data easy accessible, but these numbers, with the exception of March13, seem very much in line with what we’ve been paying for years.

There’s always a cheaper option out there. I know several other manufacturers make similar units (at least for the AC side), but Mitsubishi has a great reputation with these heat pumps, and the other guys…not so much.

So I’d say run, don’t walk to get yours. I think, in combination with a traditional source of heat, the Mitsubishi Hi2 heat pumps make an exceptional supplementary and complimentary zoned heating and cooling resources for your home.

They’re a good value, especially if you don’t have existing ducting, or even if you do but want to supplement a weakness in your existing system. I would, without question, install these again, and highly recommend them.

I’ll gladly (although probably not timely :-) answer questions about our experiences with the Mitsubishi’s as their service life continues.

Did I mention I can adjust the Mitsu’s from my phone? Com’On! :-)

[pjard]

I just had 3 of the Mitsubishi split units installed. Granted it's only been a few days but so far I am thrilled with them. Home Energy Products did the installation the guys were great. The units are amazingly quiet, you don't even know they are running!

[ishoot308]

Nice followup post @thelake!

We have had our three Mitsubishi units just about a year now and still love them!!

The last couple of weeks we have lost power on the island a few times. The Mini Splits take such little power to operate my small portable Honda generator easily ran all three units plus whatever else was on on the house with ease.

Dan

[ITD]

Nice followup post @thelake!

We have had our three Mitsubishi units just about a year now and still love them!!

The last couple of weeks we have lost power on the island a few times. The Mini Splits take such little power to operate my small portable Honda generator easily ran all three units plus whatever else was on on the house with ease.

Dan

Dan, I don't want to insult you here, but I find this hard to believe. Even small ACs use a lot of power, trying to run one with a generator that is too small will severely shorten its life if you get it to start. You need to make sure your generator is large enough to start the compressor and keep it running, if you want to run 3 of them, then you need even more capacity. The smallest mini I could find required 9 amps to run, at 115 volts this is over 1,000 watts, just for the outside unit. To run 3 of these units at the same time requires a large generator. Again, under powering these units can burn them out. I would hate to see you with a large replacement bill.....

[ishoot308]

Dan, I don't want to insult you here, but I find this hard to believe. Even small ACs use a lot of power, trying to run one with a generator that is too small will severely shorten its life if you get it to start. You need to make sure your generator is large enough to start the compressor and keep it running, if you want to run 3 of them, then you need even more capacity. The smallest mini I could find required 9 amps to run, at 115 volts this is over 1,000 watts, just for the outside unit. To run 3 of these units at the same time requires a large generator. Again, under powering these units can burn them out. I would hate to see you with a large replacement bill.....

Believe it! I think what you are missing is the fact that all three indoor units work off ONE condenser you are not running three condensers for three indoor units. The three indoor units draw very little power, 1 amp or less if I remember correctly as it is basically just a small fan motor. The outdoor unit runs on 220 volts but I do not remember the amp draw.

My Honda generator has a wattage use meter and with all three indoor units running on high AC and whatever else I had on in the house like misc lights, large screen TV, two refrigerators, etc, etc. I was drawing 3300 watts off my 6000 watt portable generator. Hardly under powered. The other thing you must remember there is no huge start up surge of power required like most AC condenser units. Mini-splits are run with an inverter driven, frequency controlled compressor motor, that allows the compressor to soft start and also to run at reduced output instead of cycling on and off.

As an fyi, the electrician for Home Energy looked at my generator and confirmed that it would easily run all three units and have plenty of left over capacity and told me not to worry about it at all.

Dan

[Slickcraft]

Home Energy Products is scheduled to install a 15,000 BTU unit at our camp on July 10th. It sounds like we will be happy with it.

[ITD]

Believe it! I think what you are missing is the fact that all three indoor units work off ONE condenser you are not running three condensers for three indoor units. The three indoor units draw very little power, 1 amp or less if I remember correctly as it is basically just a small fan motor. The outdoor unit runs on 220 volts but I do not remember the amp draw.

My Honda generator has a wattage use meter and with all three indoor units running on high AC and whatever else I had on in the house like misc lights, large screen TV, two refrigerators, etc, etc. I was drawing 3300 watts off my 6000 watt portable generator. Hardly under powered. The other thing you must remember there is no huge start up surge of power required like most AC condenser units. Mini-splits are run with an inverter driven, frequency controlled compressor motor, that allows the compressor to soft start and also to run at reduced output instead of cycling on and off.

As an fyi, the electrician for Home Energy looked at my generator and confirmed that it would easily run all three units and have plenty of left over capacity and told me not to worry about it at all.

Dan

Ah, 6000W generator, sorry, I don't think of that as portable, I was thinking one of the 1000 w units. Sorry I doubted you.

[SIKSUKR]

Dan,doesn't the condensor run on dc,which gives it the ability to lower the compressor speed according to demand?If so it would explain to me why these units are so efficient.

[ishoot308]

Dan,doesn't the condensor run on dc,which gives it the ability to lower the compressor speed according to demand?If so it would explain to me why these units are so efficient.

Siksukr;

Yes the compressor motor is direct current. I don't know enough about electricity to tell you "why" they are so efficient only can tell you that my monthly electrical bill is a lot lower with these units over my previous three portable "room rattlers"!!

Dan

[Blue Thunder]

I will throw in my two cents worth and say that I have heard excellent reviews of the Mitsubishi/Mr Slim ductless units.

I had a Sanyo, which is now Panasonic system installed in my island cottage about 4 years ago. It worked great for the first year and then I had nothing but trouble with it. I had to replace a $700 PCM board only to have it fry again within ten minutes. No returns on electrical parts...of course. I now have a $4000 boat anchor attached to the side of my cottage. Any takers??

Stay away from Sanyo/Panasonic. NO Customer service at all.

BT

Since this thread is approaching a year old, I thought I would throw my update in as well. I finally bit the bullet and replaced my entire system changing it from the Sanyo/Panasonic POS to a Fujitsu system. My original installer who felt really bad about the whole thing got me the system at his cost and didn't charge me any labor to completely remove the old system and install the new one. The suction and refrigeration lines were compatible.
It works like a champ and with all of this humid weather we are having and will have for the next week or so, I am a happy camper.

I disposed of the outside unit since it was junk but if anyone knows of someone with a Sanyo system, I have an 18K btu and a 9K btu wall unit that worked perfectly that I'm looking to dump.

BT

[HellRaZoR004]

Since this thread is approaching a year old, I thought I would throw my update in as well. I finally bit the bullet and replaced my entire system changing it from the Sanyo/Panasonic POS to a Fujitsu system. My original installer who felt really bad about the whole thing got me the system at his cost and didn't charge me any labor to completely remove the old system and install the new one. The suction and refrigeration lines were compatible.
It works like a champ and with all of this humid weather we are having and will have for the next week or so, I am a happy camper.

I disposed of the outside unit since it was junk but if anyone knows of someone with a Sanyo system, I have an 18K btu and a 9K btu wall unit that worked perfectly that I'm looking to dump.

BT

What was wrong with your previous install?

[Blue Thunder]

What was wrong with your previous install?

Its in the quotes of my previous post.

[HellRaZoR004]

I see...any idea what was causing the board to fry? I'm assuming you were using line power and not a generator?

[SIKSUKR]

I had one of my hvac units in my property fry 3 boards in succesion until we found the culprit.Condensate was getting blown around near the controls and apparently reached the board.By the time my hvac guy showd up to diagnose the problem,there wasn't any water present.Finally figured it out the last time as we inspected the unit right after it failed and saw the water.The culprit?The condensate line was slighty plugged and the pan wouldn't drain as fast as usual.After and hour the pan would be dry and this wasn't something that would be obvious to look at.Blow those condensate lines out.

[Blue Thunder]

I see...any idea what was causing the board to fry? I'm assuming you were using line power and not a generator?
The system was a lemon from the start. My installer installed about 30 of them before the gremlins showed up. He really did all that he could but had zero support from Sanyo in Atlanta. I'm no HVAC guy but I learned what I could and troubleshot the system several times. Once Panasonic took over I was screwed. Even though my inside wall units were fine I just couldn't bring myself to give the company more money for a new outside condensing inverter. I went with a different brand new system from a different manufacturer.

[DRH]

Dan,doesn't the condensor run on dc,which gives it the ability to lower the compressor speed according to demand?If so it would explain to me why these units are so efficient.SIKSUKR, we just signed a contract with Steve Gorse at Home Energy Products today to install two Mitsubishi heat pump heat/cool units in our home. The answer to your question is ''yes", the main compressor unit adjusts its speed according to the demand and it uses the least amount of electrical power possible to maintain the desired temperature in the controlled area.

A number of our neighbors have installed these units, all of which were installed by Home Energy Products in Belmont, and each neighbor is totally satisfied with the results.

[Lakesrider]

I'll throw my udate in as well. Mine is going on 6 troubnle free years now....Still running strong. Still getting the yearly checkup/cleaning. well worth it to keep the unit running efficiently. Matter of fact I think my split has been running non-stop for about 2-3 weeks now. A nice cool 69 degrees in my house right now. My wife actually put a blanket on the bed last night....LOL. I don't like it too cold but the key is keeping the humidity down which also keeps any mold from all this humid weather and rain from rearing it's ugly head. Gotta love my 29,000btu Mitsubishi. Especially this week....:D

[Fargo]

@thelake thanks for the update and performance info. There's a great article in the Sept issue of Fine Home Building about minisplits. They list the pros and cons, appear to be many more pros. I'm in the process of improving my insulation.

[DickR]

...A nice cool 69 degrees in my house right now. My wife actually put a blanket on the bed last night....LOL. I don't like it too cold but the key is keeping the humidity down which also keeps any mold from all this humid weather and rain from rearing it's ugly head.

Keep an eye on the outside air dew point. It isn't a good idea to run the inside air at a temperature below that dew point. You don't want that humidity condensing/absorbing behind the sheetrock, particularly if you have a sheet of poly as a vapor barrier or vinyl wallpaper.

[Slickcraft]

We had the 15,000 BTU mini split installed by Home Energy last week at the island camp. It has been pretty nice having the cottage cool and dry inside this past week.:D

The install went well as they had done their homework based on the initial site survey.

[BroadHopper]

Keep an eye on the outside air dew point. It isn't a good idea to run the inside air at a temperature below that dew point. You don't want that humidity condensing/absorbing behind the sheetrock, particularly if you have a sheet of poly as a vapor barrier or vinyl wallpaper.

My Mitsubishi split has the inteligent microprocessor that takes into consideration the outside temperature as well as the inside temperature and adjust the unit accordingly. I'm not sure about the humidity although the thermostat housing shows inside and outside humidity.

You would think the processor will adjust according to the dew point.