Every wholesales sells the wall mount brackets, cheap too. With the proper bolts and isolation dampers you should be able to do it. Or you could have a stand made up, probably easier.

That would take care of the snow drifts, but the opening behind the HX would be
open to snow coming down vertically and blowing snow coming in on all sides.

If it was up on the wall, It would still need to shield the input from the blowing snow.
http://ablecanvas.ca/ablecanvaswp/wp...77217306_n.jpg http://ablecanvas.ca/ablecanvaswp/wp...08200053_n.jpg

Like they do in Canada..

Heat Pump Shelters | Able Canvas

Those are nice. Not too far from you either.

They are pretty neat looking, but can they stand up to 300 pounds of snow and ice sliding off the roof on top of them?

After I finished removing a few tons of snow off my north side roof, I had to dig out the Sanyo.

I won't climb up there, so I'm using a snow rake.. It makes a mess around the house.
But, if we don't get the snow off the roof, it might visit us, while we sleep.

I've been reading about people who have had large ice falls drop into their top vented heat pumps.. It breaks things.

Those are nice looking shelters but they have a serious problems as the restrict the air flow. With the ground plane and wall plane so close, the primary inlet is open air above now restricted by the roof.

I wouldn't worry about isolators when mounting to the home, although it can't hurt. You already have two hard copper pipes mounted directly between the compressor and indoor unit.

@Xringer One note about the fan keeping out snow. The fan doesn't run during defrost cycles, which can add up if a lot of blowing snow makes it towards the coil. So at just the time you need the fan running to keep out the snow, it may not be running.
I experienced a freak occurrence during freezing rain; it blew icicles into the front and forming on the front as the fan didn't run full time as outdoor temps were not low and then the frequent defrost cycles.

Probably the best solution is a snow roof higher up and extending out over the unit, and then some vegetation or fencing serving as a snow fence several feet from the sides. It won't prevent everything, but will handle the big events. As you noticed, your side lattice is a snow fence that is just too close. Of course this solution has some eye sore problems.

When I look at a wind baffle, I wonder if the spec writers saw that one coming.. :)

http://www.kingersons.com/images/pro...ind-baffle.jpg

Anyways, I'm thinking about dumping the lattice soon anyways.
I don't think it does very much.. Just the 'looks' maybe.
For one thing, it makes it harder to clean around the unit..

If I could center these things under a low 12x12 foot car port shelter,
that would insure that less snow would get in.. for sure!

I'm starting to wonder if installing these things in out in the open air, in this climate was such a good idea.. Should have gone with a GSHP.. :rolleyes:

That baffle would meet spec; looks about 8". The unit is 10" deep. Mits offered their own for the commercial models.

One of those curved tarp roofs, curving to the ground, with a 2 foot peak above the unit, a giant semicircle would work, but it would be big. These things were never really intended for our environment - the heating capability is pretty recent. The fact it extracts heat at -10 almost seems magical.

One could mount the outdoor unit on the wall, 2 feet below a roof overhang of a good size and avoid most falling snow and any 6 foot pile ups from the ground. Not super attractive unless it's behind the house; but no worse than a window air conditioner. Pretty common look for multi-story buildings overseas.

While sucking in snow is an issue, air humidity is at its peak then too, so the coils are gonna ice quickly anyhow with the amount of air its moving. Overall it probably doesn't change the defrosting behavior much except in extreme circumstances.

FYI: I don't know what they altered as the spec guide doesn't detail it, but the new Fujitsu model 3's coming out with an outdoor pan heater have solved the efficiency issues.
The HSPF use to drop nearly 4 points with a pan heater, now it drops 0.4. The physical pictures don't look radically different so it's likely logic based.
The 9RLS3 is 33.0 SEER and 14.2 HSPF / 13.8 with pan heater. The indoor coil is significantly larger and 50% heavier form 20 to 30lbs. Interesting is the dehumidifying rate goes down.

Xringer-

Been a month since any updates ...anything to add about the season? All the snow gone now? Looks like it really turns warm next week around here, hopefully out east too. I'd love to turn my furnace off for the season.

I'm still trying to figure out the mini split system to buy. I'm positive i want one, just need to narrow it down. These shoulder seasons (when we have days and days of 40Fs and 50s and 20s and 30s at night) still require plenty of heating. I also would like to dump the window shaker and have quiet AC in the summer.

Figure out your budget . Figure out the size / capacity . Buy the " best " one you can with in that budget .

God bless
Wyr

Pretty rough weather there.
 

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There are a lot of factors to be considered.
The amount of BTUh needed, your insulation/tightness and your backup heat & etc.

I think you might need one of the better systems.
Something that works well down to near 1deg F.
But, if you aren't adverse to using your backup heat on extra cold days,
you can buy a less costly system.


We are still seeing a little snow each week and still have slowly melting snow mounds in the yard.

If I have to replace one or both my Sanyos, I'm going to get the best I can find. I'm leery about the colder trend we are seeing in this area, so I want to get the best ASHP I can find.
I've got a 'feeling' the NE is going to be seeing a lot more of the Polar Vortex in the next few years. My guess anyways. Hope I'm wrong.

Looks like we might be turning off the Sanyos in May..
Woburn April Weather 2015 - AccuWeather Forecast for MA 01801