EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Owner Building installing Mini Splits in New Construction, Help Please.

MaryS · 11-22-11, 06:46 PM

Hello All,
This is a great site you have here and I hope I'll be able to discuss my planned mini-split adventure with you a bit. My husband and I are fulfilling a dream we worked on for many, many years and finally broke ground this past July; owner-building our home. I've been the lead person on planning, budgeting, procurement, hiring subs and on-site general contractor. On his days off from work and on weekends, we both work on the house. A long ways back in our design decisions I choose to go with a mini split for heat/AC (zone 6, south central PA) ... and then I stumbled on to this site and got the idea that we could also do the install ourselves. I paid someone to do a Manual J for me and had planned to buy the mini split on-line. My husband is an experienced and skilled machinist with pretty much every tool known to man and a willingness to aquire more

and has assured me he feels comfortable doing the install. It is my job to select and purchase the system.

And here in lies the problem. I should have purchased already, but I'm having a pretty hard time deciding. And it isn't even the money, so much. Its the idea that I want to "get it right" and have a comfortable home (or at least a reasonably conditioned one) and I'm just scared about making a big mistake. I've tried to read as much as I can on-line, but I would really like to bounce some ideas around ... and this seemed the right place.

I guess the order of my priorities is something like this:
- comfortable home (heat/ac) for our zone 6 climate
- efficient operation
- decent install documentation and/or tech support
- cost

House Stats:
1600 sq ft 1st floor (main living area, master bed/bath, office). The kitchen/dining/living area is all open on the south side of the house. The master bed/bath, the laundry/mud rm, the office, the 1/2 bath are all separate rooms (not very good air distribution) and are not nearly as sunny.

600 sq ft 2nd floor (two bedrms, full bath, small sitting area) for short and/or long term family guests

We are building the house very tight and will have mechanical ventilation (that we're also installing).

The best location (really the only location) for the outdoor equipment is on the windy north side of the house, next to the garage. I'll put in a temporary wind break this winter and then a better fence for it after final grading, but I am concerned about operation given this location, and the distance to the indoor heads (about 44' 1st floor and 55' 2nd floor).

FIRST FLOOR Manual J calc (in BTU)
heat load, entire 1st floor 18,292
cool load, entire 1st floor 13,696

1st floor: one head in main living area
heat: kitchen, dining, living area: 3712 + 3744 + 2140 = 9,596 heat
cool: kitchen, dining, living area: 3838 + 1287 + 2408 = 7,533 cool

1st flor: one head in master suit area
heat: master bed/bath/closet: 2218 + 1518 + 665 = 4,401 heat
cool: master bed/bath/closet: 820 + 449 + 305 = 1,574 cool

The 1st floor rooms of office, 1/2 bath, laundry/mud would rely on passive air circulation, or possibly some supplemental heat source.
heat: office, 1/2 bath, laundry/mud: 2272 + 74 + 402 = 2,748
cool: office, 1/2 bath, lundry/mud: 1297 + 25 + 695 = 2,017

SECOND FLOOR Manual J calc (in BTU)
heat load, 2nd floor 10,912
cool load, 2nd floor 5,729

2nd floor: one hd in open sitting area, just outside two bedroom doors and about 3 ft from bathroom door

I like the hyper heat mini splits for my peace of mind (in cold weather) and their efficiency. But if I understand correctly, they're only for one indoor head, is that right?

I welcome any comments, suggestions, advice, or words of encouragement.

Thanks!

11-22-11, 06:46 PM	#1
MaryS Lurking Renovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: south central PA Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Owner Building installing Mini Splits in New Construction, Help Please. Hello All, This is a great site you have here and I hope I'll be able to discuss my planned mini-split adventure with you a bit. My husband and I are fulfilling a dream we worked on for many, many years and finally broke ground this past July; owner-building our home. I've been the lead person on planning, budgeting, procurement, hiring subs and on-site general contractor. On his days off from work and on weekends, we both work on the house. A long ways back in our design decisions I choose to go with a mini split for heat/AC (zone 6, south central PA) ... and then I stumbled on to this site and got the idea that we could also do the install ourselves. I paid someone to do a Manual J for me and had planned to buy the mini split on-line. My husband is an experienced and skilled machinist with pretty much every tool known to man and a willingness to aquire more and has assured me he feels comfortable doing the install. It is my job to select and purchase the system. And here in lies the problem. I should have purchased already, but I'm having a pretty hard time deciding. And it isn't even the money, so much. Its the idea that I want to "get it right" and have a comfortable home (or at least a reasonably conditioned one) and I'm just scared about making a big mistake. I've tried to read as much as I can on-line, but I would really like to bounce some ideas around ... and this seemed the right place. I guess the order of my priorities is something like this: - comfortable home (heat/ac) for our zone 6 climate - efficient operation - decent install documentation and/or tech support - cost House Stats: 1600 sq ft 1st floor (main living area, master bed/bath, office). The kitchen/dining/living area is all open on the south side of the house. The master bed/bath, the laundry/mud rm, the office, the 1/2 bath are all separate rooms (not very good air distribution) and are not nearly as sunny. 600 sq ft 2nd floor (two bedrms, full bath, small sitting area) for short and/or long term family guests We are building the house very tight and will have mechanical ventilation (that we're also installing). The best location (really the only location) for the outdoor equipment is on the windy north side of the house, next to the garage. I'll put in a temporary wind break this winter and then a better fence for it after final grading, but I am concerned about operation given this location, and the distance to the indoor heads (about 44' 1st floor and 55' 2nd floor). FIRST FLOOR Manual J calc (in BTU) heat load, entire 1st floor 18,292 cool load, entire 1st floor 13,696 1st floor: one head in main living area heat: kitchen, dining, living area: 3712 + 3744 + 2140 = 9,596 heat cool: kitchen, dining, living area: 3838 + 1287 + 2408 = 7,533 cool 1st flor: one head in master suit area heat: master bed/bath/closet: 2218 + 1518 + 665 = 4,401 heat cool: master bed/bath/closet: 820 + 449 + 305 = 1,574 cool The 1st floor rooms of office, 1/2 bath, laundry/mud would rely on passive air circulation, or possibly some supplemental heat source. heat: office, 1/2 bath, laundry/mud: 2272 + 74 + 402 = 2,748 cool: office, 1/2 bath, lundry/mud: 1297 + 25 + 695 = 2,017 SECOND FLOOR Manual J calc (in BTU) heat load, 2nd floor 10,912 cool load, 2nd floor 5,729 2nd floor: one hd in open sitting area, just outside two bedroom doors and about 3 ft from bathroom door I like the hyper heat mini splits for my peace of mind (in cold weather) and their efficiency. But if I understand correctly, they're only for one indoor head, is that right? I welcome any comments, suggestions, advice, or words of encouragement. Thanks!