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Thinking about Switching from a Ducted HVAC System to Ductless Mini Splits

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Thinking about Switching from a Ducted HVAC System to Ductless Mini Splits

Posted On: August 11, 2023

Thinking about Switching from a Ducted HVAC System to Ductless Mini Splits

I have been looking into purchasing a heat pump for the last few months.


I love DIY, but for this project, I had always assumed I would have an HVAC company do the installation.


My initial impression was that I would replace my existing AC/gas furnace with a Mitsubishi Hyper Heat ducted system.


Recently, I've been reconsidering a ducted system and have been thinking about going entirely ductless with a DIY install.


With the money saved, I could use it for other projects.


I would still use Mitsubishi Hyper Heat units and would implement a combination of ductless wall mounts and ceiling cassettes where practical.


I know Mitsubishi isn't generally considered a DIY install due to the vacuuming required and the loss of warranty, but I feel comfortable enough to do it.


I wanted to see if I could get some general ideas/input, as I'm still at the point where I have a lot of questions.


I feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the options, and any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.


I know that I could save some money by going with cheaper units, but I've been very drawn to the Mitsubishi systems.


I am in southern New Jersey (Climate Zone 4A) and have a 2 story house built in 1984.


It's only about 2200 square feet.


All of the insulation is original, and it seems like it's pretty leaky/drafty.


The upstairs is always so hot, and we end up setting the AC to 68 at night, so that it's somewhat bearable to sleep.


I definitely want to have air sealing done along with blown-in cellulose to make it more comfortable.


What attracted me to using ductless mini splits is that we could target specific rooms depending on use.


When we're downstairs, we pretty much only use the kitchen and family room.


I have Mitsubishi dealers in my area, but I haven't actually had anyone out yet.


I feel kind of guilty wasting their time, if I'm not likely to use them for the installation.


I am on a concrete slab with no basement, so I envision the install costs will be extremely high.


If I do the work, I know I can route the linesets through the ceiling/attic and make it look very clean.


The electrical is no issue.


It will be a lot of work, but I don't mind putting in the effort.


My issue is that I'm not quite sure at the moment on the planning and design (specifically placement, number of units, and sizing).


I was thinking that maybe I could hire some type of energy/HVAC consultant to figure this out, rather than an HVAC installer.


Any guidance in this area would be a huge help.


I would like to use single-zone units as much as possible for efficiency reasons and redundancy, but with 3 rooms upstairs and 6 downstairs, I will probably have to use a multi-split for a few them.


I was thinking that maybe this would be a good idea for the rooms that are rarely used.


Another reason for going ductless is that I have no idea if my existing ducts are appropriately sized for a modern heat pump.


Since I have no basement, the main trunk runs through a soffit in the living room of my house.


All of the ductwork is in the ceilings, and one room has a flex duct running through my garage attic.


The accessibility is very poor and would require extensive drywall removal.


I also have a two room addition in the back, and the HVAC has never been great in those rooms.


My only hesitation is that when reading and watching YouTube, it seems that HVAC tradespeople and those in the building science/green industry are obsessed with ducted systems.


They spend a lot of time on the ventilation aspect, and many of the designs include an ERV/HRV.


I watch Matt Risinger's channel, and he always has these elaborate systems that seem somewhat unnecessary for most people.


On the HVAC installer side, I constantly hear them saying how you'll humidity issues and that nothing beats a "properly" ducted system.


Most of the central systems seem poorly designed, and if possible, I wouldn't mind ripping out my air handler to free up space in my small laundry room.


I know this post was long, and I apologize.


Any advice, suggestions, or input are greatly appreciated!.


TL;DR - I currently have a ducted AC/natural gas system.


I had planned to replace this with a ducted Mitsubishi Hyper Heat air handler.


I'm now considering going fully ductless to give me better individual control and make my upstairs more tolerable.


I would do all the work myself to save money.


My preference is to use mostly single-zone units for efficiency and redundancy purposes, but I probably would use a multi-split for lesser used zones (to reduce the number of condensers outside).


I do plan to air seal and replace the insulation in the second floor attic, so that my house is tighter.


I'm unsure if I would be making a mistake as most of the building science and HVAC people are obsessed with ductwork (ie.


you need clean air and good ventilation, you'll have humidity issues, nothing beats a ducted system, etc.


).


Question from user cai24 at heatpumps at reddit.


Answer:


It will take a long time before you recoup costs necessary to have an installation that you will be satisfied with.


Answer from user Sweatycamel at heatpumps at reddit.



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See What Our Customers Are Saying:

by Dorothy on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Had furnace and air conditioning unit put in. They did an excellent job great price and everything clean as can be, I was very pleased

by Barry on Twintech Heating and Cooling

All winter I have had an issue with very little heat reaching the 2nd floor of our home. After this past winter ended I decided to look into this. I found Twintech Heating and Cooling on line and started the process. After explaining my problem I had a call form Twintech and the tech came out and walked through things with me. The problem was the heating vent pipe had been dropped down in size by someone years ago causing little heat reaching the 2nd floor. Further into checking out the older furnace and AC they found a few things not properly installed by the last install of the old furnace and also that the AC was on it's last legs. I asked for a quote and waited a few days and we decided to go ahead with Twintech. They called a few days before to set up an installation time and date. The day of the install the guys were a half hour early which was a plus. The day of the install was great, the guys worked away removing the old furnace and AC.After which they installed the new furnace and AC. After they cleaned up the basement with all their tools and scrap metal etc. they came back inside to walk thru what they did. They also tested both the furnace and cooling systems to make sure everything worked and I the customer was happy. I now have heat on the 2nd floor for next winter. The guys from Twin tech were very professional. Their work habits and knowledge of the job was excellent. Their workmanship was just excellent, it was just up there with my standards as a homeowner. I am very pleased to have chosen Twintech for my new furnace and AC.. If I had to rate this experience with Twintech this company is a 10 in my books.Product,workmanship and customer care says it all.

by Craig in Whitby on Twintech Heating and Cooling

I called Twintech during the Covid 19 crisis because our furnace was broken and it was still very cold during the nights. Dave answered all of my questions by phone but wanted to come have a look but only if our family felt comfortable having someone visit during the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and was able to attend that very same affternoon.

He was very courteous and informative but most importantly he respected his and our safety by wearing medical gloves in our home and maintaining proper physical distancing. He reviewed the various options of the products that suited our needs going over not only price but quality of workmanship, warrantees and where the product was manufactured which were all important factors in making such a large purchase. You could tell that Dave had been in this industry for a very long time.

The installation was done by a fine young gentleman the very next day and we now have a toasty warm home to ride out this crisis in while humming along at 96% efficiency!

I would recommend this very professional, small family business for anyone in need of HVAC equipment or maintenance.

by Lucy in Markham on Twintech Heating and Cooling

My special thanks to Twintech teams! They had replaced my furnace and A/C, and installed a new humidifier for me 2 weeks ago. Dave, the sales manager, not only provided me with an honest quote on the best HVAC products with best quality and warranties, he also arranged portable heaters for me and sent supporting docs to energy company for energy audit. Above and beyond service!

Greg, Grant, Mitch had worked tirelessly and professionally to perform the HVAC installation. They worked with professional tools, and performed proper measurement readings after installation. They are very patient with all my questions, and very pleasant to communicate.

Great work guys! This company sure knows their products and they stand behind their services. My home comfort level has improved! I am glad that I can support an ethical and honest local family business.

by ddame on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Professional, flexible on price and delivered on time...well done. All you can ask for when getting a new furnace.

by nicole.el.thorn on Twintech Heating and Cooling

The work was done quickly and professionally. Workers were really polite and easy to work with.
Product works great!

by Gary in London on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Furnace broke down on a Wednesday, shopped around for prices and Friday Twintechs name came up from a referral from my wife's work. Called Dave 11 am, he came over around 1 pm. Gave me a very good price, I accepted. The guys were there two hours later to take the old furnace out and install the new one. All finished by 6:30pm. Finally heat.
They were very pleasant and helpful. As a result we are doing our A/C later this year with this company.

by Shawn L in Whitby on Twintech Heating and Cooling

After some extensive research, we settled on Twintech for our new furnace. The service - from Dave's initial visit - through to the installation was absolutely fantastic.

Dave was super-patient with our many questions, did not try to "up-sell" us into buying things we don't need, knowledgeable, friendly and all-around an excellent Advisor.

I've forgotten the names of the installers but they were superb as well. They showed up on-time, did all the work with no mess or intrusion, removed the old furnace and installed the new one in one day; all with no impacts to our day-to-day life.

I cannot recommend Twintech enough, especially over any of 'bigger guys' who tried to sell us a bunch of thing we don't need. Twintech were fantastic and my wife and I are very pleased with our purchase.

by Stephen from Pickering on Twintech Heating and Cooling

From the minute I met Dave and discussed my new furnace needs I knew I was in good hands. He was patient, knowledgeable and very professional through the quotation process.

Grant and Greg did an outstanding job on the install. They did a great job of explaining the defects with my old furnace. The quality of the installation was excellent and the attention to detail was on another level. The old adage “You get what you pay for” couldn’t be more true as I feel I received great value, skilled expertise and high quality customer service. I highly recommend Twintech for all your heating and cooling needs.

by Arthur on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Glad to have found a not-too-big local firm that provided the needed expertise, quality workmanship, and competitive pricing as well. In and out in one day, removed the old units, did a nice job installing all of the new units, and left no debris. Even have a service contract that far outshined the big company offerings. Would definitely recommend them.

Related Links:
ductwork installation, ductless ac system, ductless ac unit,


See What Our Customers Are Saying:

by Aaron on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We are very happy to recommend this company to everyone. Our furnace broke down on Sunday morning. We phoned them and before noon Grant the owner showed up. He worked on the furnace for about a hour not wanting to give up to fix the problem. The furnace was 17 years old. I was the one talking about replacing it. End result was the next day it was all done. On the Sunday Bob came over with heaters to warm up the house. We decided to replace the water heater at the same time. Thanks Grant for the excellent work. Thumbs up.

by Linda on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Right on time. Explained how to work the HRV in a different way so the house would not be so dry. Changed my whole house water filter for me as well. Friendly, helpful, caring service!

by Robert Rogers on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Very pleased with the professional service that TwinTech Heating and Cooling provided in replacing my furnace. I got several quotes from different service providers. Their price was excellent and they explained the features very well. We are very glad we went with TwinTech and highly recommend their services.

by Robert Mizuno on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We were new homeowners in need of a second opinion. TwinTech Heating & Cooling were Amazing and professional. Very knowledgeable and great service all around. Recommend to anyone looking for honest and reliable services. Treated with respect and care. Thank you Greg, Mitch and Bob!

by Ruth on Twintech Heating and Cooling

TwinTech is an excellent and honest company! I called them for a second opinion after being told by another company that I needed to replace my furnace. Turns out this was not the case at all! I did not need a new furnace. TwinTech did not push to make an unnecessary sale and saved me from a huge expense. Bob and Mitch were extremely professional and above all honest! I definitely recommend TwinTech!

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