Question for mini split users

[Biggd]

I just had a 5 head, 48000btu, heat pump install and I noticed that some of the heads keep throwing heat even though the room has reached the temperature setting. We have a 3-bedroom Cape, and the two bedrooms upstairs aren't being used so I have those heads turned off. The one in the basement is set at 60 degrees but the thermometer reads 68 degrees and it's still putting out heat.
My tech told me that if I don't have all the heads on, excess heat could be released through the other smaller heads. I just figured I'm saving electricity by not heating these two rooms that aren't being used. Has anyone experienced this?
This is all new to me, still playing around with it, trying to figure out the best temperature settings on all the heads. So today I have them all on but set the 3 smaller 6000btu heads at minimum temperature, which is 60 degrees.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I just had a 5 head, 48000btu, heat pump install and I noticed that some of the heads keep throwing heat even though the room has reached the temperature setting. We have a 3-bedroom Cape, and the two bedrooms upstairs aren't being used so I have those heads turned off. The one in the basement is set at 60 degrees but the thermometer reads 68 degrees and it's still putting out heat.
My tech told me that if I don't have all the heads on, excess heat could be released through the other smaller heads. I just figured I'm saving electricity by not heating these two rooms that aren't being used. Has anyone experienced this?
This is all new to me, still playing around with it, trying to figure out the best temperature settings on all the heads. So today I have them all on but set the 3 smaller 6000btu heads at minimum temperature, which is 60 degrees.

Couple things...First off make sure your fan is on Auto mode...

On mine (Mitsubishi), the temperature reading shown on the thermostat comes from the actual blower unit on the wall and not the physical thermostat itself so depending on where the blower unit is mounted can vary to what the actual temp is at the thermostat.

Your tech is correct about excess heat being bled through other units. If that is the case simply turn your thermostat down more to where you feel comfortable.

There are other more serious reasons for this occurring such as condenser freezing up and that drastic of a difference does not seem quite right. I would definitely have it double checked by your tech.

Dan

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I just had a 5 head, 48000btu, heat pump install and I noticed that some of the heads keep throwing heat even though the room has reached the temperature setting. We have a 3-bedroom Cape, and the two bedrooms upstairs aren't being used so I have those heads turned off. The one in the basement is set at 60 degrees but the thermometer reads 68 degrees and it's still putting out heat.
My tech told me that if I don't have all the heads on, excess heat could be released through the other smaller heads. I just figured I'm saving electricity by not heating these two rooms that aren't being used. Has anyone experienced this?
This is all new to me, still playing around with it, trying to figure out the best temperature settings on all the heads. So today I have them all on but set the 3 smaller 6000btu heads at minimum temperature, which is 60 degrees.

That is a huge temperature differential. We have 2 multi head 60k btu Samsungs and only see a 2 degree difference from set point to temp reading. There are some zones on each condenser that we almost never run based on location. One of the bedrooms is on the 3rd floor and has barn doors that open up to a loft above the great room. Between heat rising and solar gain it gets warm up there, we usually dont have to run that head at all.

[WinnisquamZ]

Agree with ishoot308. I have a four head system and I set mine at 64 to be comfortable at 68. It’s the location of the wall unit and fan setting. I use the night time quiet fan setting and leave it


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Biggd]

So, after running all the units all day with the 3 smaller 6000btu units set at 60 degrees, the heat does seem to be more evenly distributed.
On the main floor I have an 18000btu and a 12000btu at each end of the house. A 6000btu in the basement and a 6000btu unit in each one of the upstairs bedrooms.
The kids are grown and gone so we don't use the upstairs bedrooms unless we have guests, but I guess I'm going to have to leave them on even though the rooms are empty.
I turned on the basement unit last night because it was cold down there and it was extremely hot down there this morning. It seems to be much better now that I have them all running. I've just set all the smaller units at the lowest temperature, 60 degrees, with the fans on automatic.
Like I said, I'm still trying to get use to this system after having oil boiler systems all my life. The system was just finished up on Tuesday, so I'm interested in seeing how much my electric bill is going to go up for the month of November.
My oil boiler is still hooked up and heats my hot water, but I have the house thermostat turned down to 60 degrees.
This is a Hyper unit so it's supposed to throw heat all the way down to -15, we'll see?

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Biggd

This is a Hyper unit so it's supposed to throw heat all the way down to -15, we'll see?

It will through heat even below -15 degrees.... it just will not be as efficient.

As I think you have found out, figure out where you want to set the units to keep the entire house comfortable. Don't be like my inlaws, and try and control each zone by itself.... it is a fools earned and ends up costing you money....

As for cost, you electric bill will increase, but likely not as much as you think..... I like the fact that you have kept your exsisting system oil fired, and will still use it for hotwater.... it is good to have a back-up, and on the coldest days can help you as the mini-split may not keep you warm enough with out running full out all day long.

I used a heat pump for many years and found the set it and forget it technique the bast avenue to keep the house comfortable, and keep electric usage minimal.

[Biggd]

I'm realizing the "set it and forget it" method is the way to go. Unfortunately, my wife is still playing around with the remotes.
My boiler is 28 years old but my hot water heater was just replaced a couple years ago.
It's nice not hearing my boiler come on every 20 minutes. Hopefully this will extend its life. My oil tech says it's still working fine, 87% efficiency.
The only thing I worry about is, I have a two-car garage under the house with no heat. I'm worried about the heating pipes that run through the garage freezing if there is no water circulating through them.
I will probably turn my oil heat on in extreme cold streaks like the one we had last year.

[FlyingScot]

Yes, on set it and forget it. Minisplits are best when there is a consistent draw. They do not have the "torque" of traditional HVAC, so it's harder for them to go up and down in temperature. Nevertheless, the savings are still great.

I disagree on the empty bedroom. You should be able to turn that unit off without ill effects elsewhere. That is one of the advantages of minisplits.

One other trick--the thermometer for a minisplit is up in the unit (7-8' off the floor!). This can create temp control problems. If it does, you can buy a separate thermostat. It's pricey, but it was worth it for one of our rooms.

Stay toasty!

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Yes, on set it and forget it. Minisplits are best when there is a consistent draw. They do not have the "torque" of traditional HVAC, so it's harder for them to go up and down in temperature. Nevertheless, the savings are still great.

I disagree on the empty bedroom. You should be able to turn that unit off without ill effects elsewhere. That is one of the advantages of minisplits.

One other trick--the thermometer for a minisplit is up in the unit (7-8' off the floor!). This can create temp control problems. If it does, you can buy a separate thermostat. It's pricey, but it was worth it for one of our rooms.

Stay toasty!

So far, I've found the heat to work much better when all the units are on. I just leave the smaller heads on the lowest settings.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Biggd

The only thing I worry about is, I have a two-car garage under the house with no heat. I'm worried about the heating pipes that run through the garage freezing if there is no water circulating through them.
I will probably turn my oil heat on in extreme cold streaks like the one we had last year.

Another thought or two to help with that concern....
1. stick a thermometer in the Garage so you can monitor the temperature....
2. if your a do it yourself kind of person you might be able to rig up a way to turn the circulating pump on once in a while on colder nights to keep the water flowing......

But yes I agree that is something to keep in the back of your mind....

[dpg]

I believe "mini splits" are also heat pump technology. A year ago I replaced an old propane furnace with traditional "forced hot air" (heat pump technology) both for ac and heat. It works ok, not 100% impressed in real extremes either hot or cold the system seems to run, run, run.. Also mine (most I believe if not all) do not go below 50 degrees in the winter. For 30+ years the cottage has always been kept at 46(ish) all winter without an issue I ever recall. At the end of the day I guess that's not a huge difference, just sayin... We did finally incorporate a wifi thermostat which is great for adjustments on the road so the place is ready (warm/cool) when we arrive.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by dpg

I believe "mini splits" are also heat pump technology. A year ago I replaced an old propane furnace with traditional "forced hot air" (heat pump technology) both for ac and heat. It works ok, not 100% impressed in real extremes either hot or cold the system seems to run, run, run.. Also mine (most I believe if not all) do not go below 50 degrees in the winter. For 30+ years the cottage has always been kept at 46(ish) all winter without an issue I ever recall. At the end of the day I guess that's not a huge difference, just sayin... We did finally incorporate a wifi thermostat which is great for adjustments on the road so the place is ready (warm/cool) when we arrive.

Yes Mini splits are basically heat pumps.... The provide a easier way to install a system with out the need for all the duct work etc....

Not sure why you wouldn't be able to set the thermostat lower then 50 degrees....but there could be some reason, I always used 50 or 55 as my threshold when leave my places for periods of time in the winter....

All heat and cooling source of the good and bad qualities, I have always take the stance that I replace what was there when I need to.... With that said my current situation is one where that might change, when I decided to upgrade in the next year... The place is Forced air, with Propane for heat with an A/C addition... I have contemplated, going to a heat pump with propane for a secondary heat source, when the weather is colder... I think 9 months out of the year we would be just fine using the heat pump, but think that for mid. Dec to Mid. March it might be nice to have Propane, so the heat pump isn't in constant use.....

Sorry for the ramble.....

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by dpg

I believe "mini splits" are also heat pump technology. A year ago I replaced an old propane furnace with traditional "forced hot air" (heat pump technology) both for ac and heat. It works ok, not 100% impressed in real extremes either hot or cold the system seems to run, run, run.. Also mine (most I believe if not all) do not go below 50 degrees in the winter. For 30+ years the cottage has always been kept at 46(ish) all winter without an issue I ever recall. At the end of the day I guess that's not a huge difference, just sayin... We did finally incorporate a wifi thermostat which is great for adjustments on the road so the place is ready (warm/cool) when we arrive.

My mini split heads won't go below 60 degrees. I'm assuming because they do a good job of maintaining temperature, but they are very slow to heat up a home if set too low.
I turned 2 of my heads down to 60 degrees and the other 3 I turn off one weekend when I went away. The morning I was going home I turned them up to 68 and when I got home that afternoon the house was still cold.
What I've learned, and it's only been a few weeks, is it's best to set it and forget it. If you do change the temperature, you don't want to change it more than a couple degrees. I'm still learning as the temperature outside starts to drop more every day.
So far, I'm very happy with the system but I also kept my oil boiler system as back up. We'll see how long I can go before resorting to turning up the oil heat. We are generally happy if we can keep the indoor temperature at least 65 degrees.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Yes Mini splits are basically heat pumps.... The provide a easier way to install a system with out the need for all the duct work etc....

Not sure why you wouldn't be able to set the thermostat lower then 50 degrees....but there could be some reason, I always used 50 or 55 as my threshold when leave my places for periods of time in the winter....

All heat and cooling source of the good and bad qualities, I have always take the stance that I replace what was there when I need to.... With that said my current situation is one where that might change, when I decided to upgrade in the next year... The place is Forced air, with Propane for heat with an A/C addition... I have contemplated, going to a heat pump with propane for a secondary heat source, when the weather is colder... I think 9 months out of the year we would be just fine using the heat pump, but think that for mid. Dec to Mid. March it might be nice to have Propane, so the heat pump isn't in constant use.....

Sorry for the ramble.....

This system I just installed is in my house in Mass. I mainly did it for air conditioning as I'm just getting too old to be dealing with window units.
I'm pleasantly surprised at how well the heat works but time will tell if I need to turn on my oil heat when temps get colder.
I'm hoping my wife likes them enough to let me install them at the lake house. I'm waiting for the shock of the electric bill!

[The Real BigGuy]

There won’t be a shock, especially if you used window AC. Remember to consider the reduction in other fuel costs when looking at electricity.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

There won’t be a shock, especially if you used window AC. Remember to consider the reduction in other fuel costs when looking at electricity.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Unfortunately, my next electric bill coincides with a sizable electric company increase so there will be a price shock. It will require a little math to convince my wife, not exactly her strong suit.
We had an incredible city negotiated rate lock for the past year and a half of 11 cents per KW which ended with our last bill, It's jumping 33%.

[8gv]

All the more reason to do so.

[The Real BigGuy]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Unfortunately, my next electric bill coincides with a sizable electric company increase so there will be a price shock. It will require a little math to convince my wife, not exactly her strong suit.
We had an incredible city negotiated rate lock for the past year and a half of 11 cents per KW which ended with our last bill, It's jumping 33%.

What you might find is no increase from your last bill (if it was pre mini) but more comfort.

My wife wasn’t sure either but, it was a lot more comfortable house wide and more cost effective after the install. She quickly changed her mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

What you might find is no increase from your last bill (if it was pre mini) but more comfort.

My wife wasn’t sure either but, it was a lot more comfortable house wide and more cost effective after the install. She quickly changed her mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

I've been going over my electric bills and Oct & Nov are the lowest KW usage. I use almost as much in the winter as I use when I'm running the window AC's in the summer. The only thing I can think of is water circulators for the heat must use a lot of electricity?
There is no way my bill is not going up, my last bill was the lowest of the year, $112.

[Biggd]

So, I just got an oil delivery today, 35 gallons for 2 months, just for hot water.
I will update when I get my next electric bill. That will represent a full month of heating solely with the heat pump.
I'm still skeptical that the heat pump alone will keep us warm in January?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Biggd

So, I just got an oil delivery today, 35 gallons for 2 months, just for hot water.
I will update when I get my next electric bill. That will represent a full month of heating solely with the heat pump.
I'm still skeptical that the heat pump alone will keep us warm in January?

I'm not sure why you would be skeptical especially with all the positive reviews this site has given in the past on mini splits.

If your unit is the "Hyper Heat" model, which is what you want and need in NH, your unit at -2 degrees, you will get around 87% of the unit's output efficiency, this is better than most oil burners...and at -13 degrees, you will get around 76% of the unit's output...That's pretty dam good!

I have a 40' x 36' well insulated space that I heat all winter with one inside / outside unit. During the coldest of days I have never had issues heating to 72 degrees or warmer if I wanted. On a couple of back to back -10 degree days the unit heated flawlessly! The air conditioning (cooling) during the summer is beyond belief how well it cools!!

Now if you didn't purchase a hyper heat model....your in trouble!!

Good luck!!

Dan

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I'm not sure why you would be skeptical especially with all the positive reviews this site has given in the past on mini splits.

If your unit is the "Hyper Heat" model, which is what you want and need in NH, your unit at -2 degrees, you will get around 87% of the unit's output efficiency, this is better than most oil burners...and at -13 degrees, you will get around 76% of the unit's output...That's pretty dam good!

I have a 40' x 36' well insulated space that I heat all winter with one inside / outside unit. During the coldest of days I have never had issues heating to 72 degrees or warmer if I wanted. On a couple of back to back -10 degree days the unit heated flawlessly! The air conditioning (cooling) during the summer is beyond belief how well it cools!!

Now if you didn't purchase a hyper heat model....your in trouble!!

Good luck!!

Dan

I have Hyper heat and this is in my home in Ma.
Yesterday was the coldest day so far 37 during the day and 24 last night. I had to turn the two heads on my main level up real high to get a comfortable temperature of 67 degrees throughout the house, is that normal?
I have an 18K head at one end of the main floor and a 12K at the other with my thermostat right in the middle, The 18K unit I turned up to 76 and the 12K unit I turned up to 72. This main level is 1400 sq ft.
I'm thinking I should have put another head in the middle of the house but that would have required a bigger unit with 6 head capacity.
I installed a 48K unit with 5 heads for a 2000 sq ft home. The house is a 26x52 Cape, two bedrooms on the top floor have 6K heads each and one 6K head in the basement. It's not super insulated but it is well insulated as I had an energy assessment performed.
I have my oil heat set a 60 so it's hasn't got that low in the house.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I have Hyper heat and this is in my home in Ma.
Yesterday was the coldest day so far 37 during the day and 24 last night. I had to turn the two heads on my main level up real high to get a comfortable temperature of 67 degrees throughout the house, is that normal?
I have an 18K head at one end of the main floor and a 12K at the other with my thermostat right in the middle, The 18K unit I turned up to 76 and the 12K unit I turned up to 72. This main level is 1400 sq ft.
I'm thinking I should have put another head in the middle of the house but that would have required a bigger unit with 6 head capacity.
I installed a 48K unit with 5 heads for a 2000 sq ft home. The house is a 26x52 Cape, two bedrooms on the top floor have 6K heads each and one 6K head in the basement.

I can't tell you if you have the proper amount "heads" or BTU's required for your home but a qualified installer certainly should have done that before the install. Obviously sizing and placement of indoor air handlers are crucial!

One thing to remember...the temperature on your thermostat comes from wherever you mounted the indoor air handler (head) and has nothing to do with where you mounted the thermostat. The head simply tells the thermostat what the temp is at it's location...

If your having any kind of issues now whatsoever with the temps still well above freezing, I would highly recommend you call your installer and have him confirm your system is installed, setup and working properly.

Dan

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I can't tell you if you have the proper amount "heads" or BTU's required for your home but a qualified installer certainly should have done that before the install. Obviously sizing and placement of indoor air handlers are crucial!

One thing to remember...the temperature on your thermostat comes from wherever you mounted the indoor air handler (head) and has nothing to do with where you mounted the thermostat. The head simply tells the thermostat what the temp is at it's location...

If your having any kind of issues now whatsoever with the temps still well above freezing, I would highly recommend you call your installer and have him confirm your system is installed, setup and working properly.

Dan

I'm in no way complaining. I mainly installed this system for AC since I'm getting too old to be lugging window units in and out now and I couldn't have installed central air for anything close to what this system cost me after the state rebate and federal tax credit.
I still have my oil system as I heat my hot water with oil. If I have to turn the oil up a few times during the extreme cold I'm fine with that.
I will see how it performs when we get a really cold streak. I'm more concerned about how much my electricity is going to cost and if it's saving me money?

[John Mercier]

Probably not the best you could.

In the winter time, our boilers need to kick on for standby... even when no heat or hot water is being called for... but the excess heat is usually lost at least partially to the house.

The same thing happens in the summer time, but that excess heat lost to the house then needs to be pumped out by the mini-split.

A hybrid water heater solves the problem in the summer; but then could be working against the mini-split in the winter as it pulls the warms out of the ambient air that the mini just pumped into the house.

There are some engineers looking to other items, like retaining warm water from the shower and letting it release heat into internal ambient air. But everything I have seen on this so far looks quirky from a cost/benefit standpoint.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Probably not the best you could.

In the winter time, our boilers need to kick on for standby... even when no heat or hot water is being called for... but the excess heat is usually lost at least partially to the house.

The same thing happens in the summer time, but that excess heat lost to the house then needs to be pumped out by the mini-split.

A hybrid water heater solves the problem in the summer; but then could be working against the mini-split in the winter as it pulls the warms out of the ambient air that the mini just pumped into the house.

There are some engineers looking to other items, like retaining warm water from the shower and letting it release heat into internal ambient air. But everything I have seen on this so far looks quirky from a cost/benefit standpoint.

Yes my boiler runs for my hot water, It's low temp is set at 90 degrees so it doesn't run very often. I have a brand new hot water tank so I won't be changing that anytime soon.
As I said, I just got an oil delivery after 2 months and only used 35 gallons for hot water. Looking back at my oil bills I averaged about 125 gallons a month during the winter months last season.

[John Mercier]

So you can shut the boiler off in the summer (check with others that clean/service boilers to see if that is prudent over longer periods) and just use the electric water heater for the time being.

One of the things to look at are the PGH discussions...
they really debate this to the point that the information helps everyone.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

So you can shut the boiler off in the summer (check with others that clean/service boilers to see if that is prudent over longer periods) and just use the electric water heater for the time being.

One of the things to look at are the PGH discussions...
they really debate this to the point that the information helps everyone.

I can't shut the boiler off, it heats the indirect water heater tank. Anyway, it's much cheaper to heat the hot water with oil than a resistance type electric water heater.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

One thing to remember...the temperature on your thermostat comes from wherever you mounted the indoor air handler (head) and has nothing to do with where you mounted the thermostat. The head simply tells the thermostat what the temp is at it's location...


Dan

This is a really important point--if your head is up near the ceiling (as it should be), your temperature setting needs to be higher than if your thermostat is 5' off the floor.

Mitsubishi makes a remote thermostat add-on. It's pricey, but sometimes worth it if you have really tall ceilings.

[8gv]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I have Hyper heat and this is in my home in Ma.
Yesterday was the coldest day so far 37 during the day and 24 last night. I had to turn the two heads on my main level up real high to get a comfortable temperature of 67 degrees throughout the house, is that normal?
I have an 18K head at one end of the main floor and a 12K at the other with my thermostat right in the middle, The 18K unit I turned up to 76 and the 12K unit I turned up to 72. This main level is 1400 sq ft.
I'm thinking I should have put another head in the middle of the house but that would have required a bigger unit with 6 head capacity.
I installed a 48K unit with 5 heads for a 2000 sq ft home. The house is a 26x52 Cape, two bedrooms on the top floor have 6K heads each and one 6K head in the basement. It's not super insulated but it is well insulated as I had an energy assessment performed.
I have my oil heat set a 60 so it's hasn't got that low in the house.

When I was arranging the purchase and installation of my Mitsubishi mini split system the sales person asked me how much heat I wanted. The units were going into a seasonal cottage so I chose not to get extra heating capability.

When you reference "Hyper heat", is that provided by a resistance type heating coil in each evaporator unit?

If so, it may be cheaper to burn oil when it's really cold.

Not having any experience with that capability I stand ready to be educated.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I can't shut the boiler off, it heats the indirect water heater tank. Anyway, it's much cheaper to heat the hot water with oil than a resistance type electric water heater.

I didn't realize it was an indirect tank.
Because that insulated tank holds so many therms, the boiler needs to run much less than a tankless. I thought the extra tank was some sort of electric unit.

I was looking to go that way... but add a open solar option for the warmer months. Just haven't costed it out yet.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by 8gv

When I was arranging the purchase and installation of my Mitsubishi mini split system the sales person asked me how much heat I wanted. The units were going into a seasonal cottage so I chose not to get extra heating capability.

When you reference "Hyper heat", is that provided by a resistance type heating coil in each evaporator unit?

If so, it may be cheaper to burn oil when it's really cold.

Not having any experience with that capability I stand ready to be educated.

No, there is no resistance heating coil. It is supposed produce heat down to -22 degrees but the lower the temp goes the less efficient it is.
In Ma they will give you a 10K rebate if you remove your old fossil fuel heating system but I would have had to do more insulation work and add a water heater which would have ate up the extra 5K. So, I kept my oil boiler and went with the 5K rebate.
I'm going to keep running the mini splits as long as they can keep a comfortable temperature even if I have to turn them up.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I didn't realize it was an indirect tank.
Because that insulated tank holds so many therms, the boiler needs to run much less than a tankless. I thought the extra tank was some sort of electric unit.

I was looking to go that way... but add a open solar option for the warmer months. Just haven't costed it out yet.

I mainly added the mini splits for the AC but the heat is an added bonus even if I have to use the oil heat during the coldest months.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

This is a really important point--if your head is up near the ceiling (as it should be), your temperature setting needs to be higher than if your thermostat is 5' off the floor.

Mitsubishi makes a remote thermostat add-on. It's pricey, but sometimes worth it if you have really tall ceilings.

There is an option on my remotes that will allow the head temperature to follow the remote, I haven't tried that yet.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Biggd

There is an option on my remotes that will allow the head temperature to follow the remote, I haven't tried that yet.

That’s a great option and would use that if I were you.

Your heads are most likely up high on your wall mounted near a ceiling and hopefully NOT on an exterior wall. This means the temp it is reading will be much higher since heat rises. Depending on the height of your ceiling, insulating value of your house and location of head, there could as much as a 10 degree difference in readings (just a guess).

Dan

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

That’s a great option and would use that if I were you.

Your heads are most likely up high on your wall mounted near a ceiling and hopefully NOT on an exterior wall. This means the temp it is reading will be much higher since heat rises. Depending on the height of your ceiling, insulating value of your house and location of head, there could as much as a 10 degree difference in readings (just a guess).

Dan

The heads are all on exterior walls.
The reason I haven't tried the remote temp option is I have little grandkids over quite often and the remotes magically disappear!
Right now I have them Vel-crowed to the sides of the heads.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by Biggd

There is an option on my remotes that will allow the head temperature to follow the remote, I haven't tried that yet.

Interesting, could be a new feature. But are you sure the head will read the temperature at the remote? If yes, that would be ideal (at least until your grandkids take the remote home...)

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Biggd

The heads are all on exterior walls.

This surprises me….They will usually only do this if there absolutely no other place to put it.

When Home Energy installed mine, BART the owner was adamant about not mounting any of them on exterior walls due to the possibility of drain lines leaking or freezing as well as hiding the lines to and from the evaporator. Also exterior walls are always colder and will give your thermostat a lower reading than what the actual temp really is. It certainly makes an easier install on an exterior wall but should be avoided at all costs whenever possible…

Dan

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

This surprises me….They will usually only do this if there absolutely no other place to put it.

When Home Energy installed mine, BART the owner was adamant about not mounting any of them on exterior walls due to the possibility of drain lines leaking or freezing as well as hiding the lines to and from the evaporator. Also exterior walls are always colder and will give your thermostat a lower reading than what the actual temp really is. It certainly makes an easier install on an exterior wall but should be avoided at all costs whenever possible…

Dan

The heads only drain water when the AC is on so there is really no threat of them freezing, not sure why he would have told you that? As far as leaking, I would rather have them leak outside of the house rather than inside.
Home Energy installed a unit for a friend of mine in Rumney and they put it on an outside wall. He's on the top of Stinson Mountain where it's 10 degrees colder than the Lakes region in the winter.
Last February when my temp in Meredith was -17, it was -27 at his house but he wasn't using his mini split.
Most of the installs I see around here in mass have the covers going up the sides of the house. Out of the 5 heads I do have 2 technically on inside walls but the backside of those walls aren't heated.
My wife requested as few visual covers on the outside of the house as possible. They aren't that bad, just looks like another gutter downspout.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Interesting, could be a new feature. But are you sure the head will read the temperature at the remote? If yes, that would be ideal (at least until your grandkids take the remote home...)

That's what is says in the manual. It's called the "follow the remote" feature. I'm going to give it a try during the next real cold snap.
There may be a problem if the remote is in between the couch cushions or in the dog crate. You would be amazed at the places I find remotes after they leave. My 5-year-old grandson loves pushing all the buttons.

[John Mercier]

Mr Cool has that.
They usually have the customer either mount it on a wall were they would a standard thermostat or set it in a stand on an end table next to the seating area.

We are all still working on the phone settings; that way someone can change the setting when they are on their way to the weekend home and have it comfortably at temp before they arrive... or if need be change the temp when they leave and forgot to set it before being half way home.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Mr Cool has that.
They usually have the customer either mount it on a wall were they would a standard thermostat or set it in a stand on an end table next to the seating area.

We are all still working on the phone settings; that way someone can change the setting when they are on their way to the weekend home and have it comfortably at temp before they arrive... or if need be change the temp when they leave and forgot to set it before being half way home.

I didn't want to mount it on the wall until I make sure it works but that's the plan, right next to my oil heat thermostat.
I have all my heads on my phone and the thermostat to my oil heat also. It's much easier to control everything from my phone rather than go to each unit and use the remotes. My phone is my universal remote.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Yes Mini splits are basically heat pumps.... The provide a easier way to install a system with out the need for all the duct work etc....

Not sure why you wouldn't be able to set the thermostat lower then 50 degrees....but there could be some reason, I always used 50 or 55 as my threshold when leave my places for periods of time in the winter....

All heat and cooling source of the good and bad qualities, I have always take the stance that I replace what was there when I need to.... With that said my current situation is one where that might change, when I decided to upgrade in the next year... The place is Forced air, with Propane for heat with an A/C addition... I have contemplated, going to a heat pump with propane for a secondary heat source, when the weather is colder... I think 9 months out of the year we would be just fine using the heat pump, but think that for mid. Dec to Mid. March it might be nice to have Propane, so the heat pump isn't in constant use.....

Sorry for the ramble.....

The system won't physically go below 50 that's the lowest it goes. Believe all heat pumps have a higher lower end setting they bottom out at than traditional types of furnaces which can be set at anything. I have to do more reading on the furnace, the paperwork's currently "up there." I believe the person who installed it told me it can jump back and forth between heat pump mode or switch to traditional propane when it senses extreme cold. I need to see if I can find that in the manual when I'm up again.

[The Real BigGuy]

If you know the manufacturer you can probably find the manual on the internet.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by dpg

The system won't physically go below 50 that's the lowest it goes. Believe all heat pumps have a higher lower end setting they bottom out at than traditional types of furnaces which can be set at anything. I have to do more reading on the furnace, the paperwork's currently "up there." I believe the person who installed it told me it can jump back and forth between heat pump mode or switch to traditional propane when it senses extreme cold. I need to see if I can find that in the manual when I'm up again.

My mini splits won't go below 60.

[John Mercier]

Is it a MR COOL?
Because I believe that is the lowest those go.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Is it a MR COOL?
Because I believe that is the lowest those go.

Mine is a Cooper & Hunter Hyper unit.

[Biggd]

So, I got my first full month electric bill heating with the mini splits. I was not expecting such an increase, my bill went from $150 to $365, from Nov 10th to Dec 12th. So, it basically cost me $215 to heat my house for that time. That didn't even reflect the large rate increase we will be getting on the next bill.
It's cheaper than heating with oil but not quite the savings I was expecting. December is usually one of the biggest electrical usage months with holiday lights, shortest daylight, and a rate increase so I'm expecting the next bill to be much bigger.