Last year we had 5 days of over 100°F temperatures. The tri-level house here does not have AC or ductwork and is heated with electric baseboards supplemented with a main fireplace.

House guests got sick from the stifling heat during the nights. Fans and open windows were ineffective. So while the last summer heat wave was a very unusual event, serious consideration is being given to remedying the situation.

Would appreciate any counsel, advice, and wisdom here.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bald1,

Following. House we're likely buying has an unfinished garage 'guest room' that will need a similar setup, and the separate shop possibly.

We looked at a house with dual ductless systems & it was comfortable inside on a hot/humid Houston day.
Interesting approach having essentially a dedicated unit per room, without needing a unit hanging out a window.

They work great, but will require regular cleanings. Depending on conditions, every couple years. Which is a complete PITA when you consider cleaning them while trying to protect the interior furnishings and wall.

Mitshubishi is the industries mini-split leader.

I've had a Carrier mini-split heat pump system since 2015. I'm very happy with it.
Cleaning it isn't much work and I do it every couple months.
I have yearly maintenance done on it to keep it in good shape.

We had a Bryant mini split installed in our master bed room last year. Large room with cathedral ceiling made for uncomfortable summer nights.

If I remember correctly it was about $3500 installed. Mitsubishi was about a grand more.

We should have done it years ago.

It’s too new for me to give any long term maintenance/ issues.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
I've had a Carrier mini-split heat pump system since 2015. I'm very happy with it.
Cleaning it isn't much work and I do it every couple months.
I have yearly maintenance done on it to keep it in good shape.

Curious if you have ever had to pull the blower wheel for cleaning?

Some units will get caked with fungus and shit, all while the air filters are clean.
On the variable units, it will ramp down to a trickle of airflow/capacity.

I just pulled the wheel in my Pioneer 18K BTU unit do diagnose a noise. This prompted an extensive cleaning but it wasn't too bad filth-wise, no mildew or anything.

Kind of a PITA removing the clamshell that houses the motor.

Pioneer is a budged brand with Gree compressor I believe. I've replaced the indoor blower motor once under warranty and it is now making an odd digital whining noise, it's a variable speed motor.

It's been installed (by me) for about 6 years but I'm starting to question its performance and don't have the tools to evacuate/recharge, which seems to be the only way to confirm the correct refrigerant charge.

If you don't have typically high humidity to deal with, you might consider a Whole House Fan. I installed one in the early fall last year, and though I never actually got the opportunity to test it during any serious temps, I'm 'almost' looking forward to the first heat blast.

I got the AirScape Sierra 5300 WHF and I installed it myself...I did a damn fine job in my humble opinion, and it's quite an impressive unit! I has an insulated AirLock with powered dampers and an ECM Fan Motor, which makes it HIGHLY efficient at lower speeds, and allows for 10 speeds.

https://airscapefans.com/products/airscape-sierra

You do need sufficient attic ventilation to use a WHF, and in my case, my ventilated soffits (vinyl) combined with a ridge veent was sufficient, so I didn't have any issues, nor did I need to add any venting.

https://airscapefans.com/blogs/airscaping-101

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
...you might consider a Whole House Fan.

Thanks but not an option for this house. It needs AC cooling not just air movement.

^^^It doesn't work everywhere, but you're not just providing air movement. You suck in the cooler air from the outside, and exhaust the heat load out of the house through the attic space...

ETA - A Whole House Fan doesn't really work to cool the house during the day. It's major benefit, is to take the heat load out of the house when you return in the late day, and make the evenings comfortable.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
^^^It doesn't work everywhere, but you're not just providing air movement. You suck in the cooler air from the outside, and exhaust the heat load out of the house through the attic space...

Undertood. But again not with this house. Tri-level with master bedroom up top. And the attic here wouldn't work with it.

I got a 9000BTU min split from amazon and installed it myself to cool my shop. Very quiet and efficient. I will probably replace my 25yo home HVAC with mini splits soon.

Swamp cooler with an 8000 btu window unit upstairs?

Since your house doesn't have central heat with ducting already run, a mini-split system is a no-brainer.

Just FYI - I considered Mini-Splits last year, but the lead time on the larger condenser/outside units (Qty. 2 @ 3 ton in my case) was 12 weeks, and the summer would've been over at that point! I was looking at Mitsubishi, as their ceiling cassette units are superior to everything else on the market and exactly what I'd want in my bedrooms. With a larger Sq. footage to cool, I'd get on this right away if I were you...Just Sayin'

Swamp coolers and window units are also non-starters here. The later due to window designs. As mod29 states, a mini-split appears to be a no brainer for this house.

Have a well regarded local plumbing - electric - HVAC contractor coming over in 12 days to give things a look see and estimate. Don't know what brands they install or anything to really watch out for which is why I started this thread. And yes having just gone through over 1.5 years to have major hail damage repairs completed, I'm well aware of supply chain problems nhracecraft but still appreciate your warning.

And FWIW at my age and with my infirmities, any DIY is way out of the question.

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
I've had a Carrier mini-split heat pump system since 2015. I'm very happy with it.
Cleaning it isn't much work and I do it every couple months.
I have yearly maintenance done on it to keep it in good shape.

Curious if you have ever had to pull the blower wheel for cleaning?

Some units will get caked with fungus and shit, all while the air filters are clean.
On the variable units, it will ramp down to a trickle of airflow/capacity.

No, I've not done that. That's why I have the maintenance done every year.

good luck Bald. Sounds like you have the funds and at this point you should be comfortable. So spend some of that retirement money to be happy and comfortable. Then there won't be as much of an issue of trying to figure out where to put money that is going to be chipped away by runaway inflation.

Bald 1: had the commercial version (Daikin) at our high school. We made the mistake of attempting to put too many classrooms on a large outside unit. The system was designed with two pipe (heat/ cool) only. Should have been 3 pipe, more outside equipment, fewer classrooms, nobody happy, and lots of gripes. Single offices were handled efficiently with a small split, an inside supply, under a single control. I was involved as Plant Manager from Day 1 and had to live with the mistakes.
Have your HVAC supplier do a detailed study on how system will be piped and controlled and what results to expect. Ask how many systems he has installed - residential or commercial- and call his references and visit if you can. Finally, warranty is important, trained service technicians even more so.
Equipment lead times are important and time is growing short.
Good luck.
Blackhorse4

I sized and installed units from highseer.com, and they’re FANTASTIC. We went with a 4-head condenser and three 9K BTU units in 3 of 4 bedrooms as well as an 18K unit on our main floor.

I had an HVAC guy come and trim my runs, vacuum the lines, pressure test, and then release the pre-loaded coolant.

I realize some guys can’t get on a ladder and run their own outside lines, or hang their own head units etc. Highseer took very good care of me though, and most HVAC shops look for easy jobs to squeeze into the schedule when they have down days or whatever.

We have hydronic heat and were using window units, and my mini-split system runs far cheaper power-wise.