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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.
Very impressed with this company. They show up on time , kept my place clean and after they left it looks like they were never there. Very professional team. Those people know what they doing . Their installation was on the highest standard. They are very knowledgeable especially they're worker Peter. I strongly recommend this company to everybody. After the installation I receive the call making sure I'm satisfied with their products and their job. Bravo!!!
Greg and his brother were referred to us by a friend. They arrived when they said they would, did an exceptional job and left the place as tidy or tidier then they found it. Their professionalism is only surpassed by their kind and friendly demeanor. Even after several calls to help me with my high tech thermostat I feel that I could always call with any concern (No one responds to my texts as quickly as Greg) and have a friendly helpful response. I found out their grandfather started the company and now as a 3rd generation company, they are doing their grandfather proud. I would highly recommend Twintech over any other hvac company out there.
Thanks to the guys at Twintech Heating for a great job installing a new hot water tank. They set a time and day to remove the old tank and install the new one. They were on time and had the work done quickly and cleaned up after they were finished. Excellent work and great value.
In November, we contacted Twintech for a quote on a high efficiency furnace plus installation. Dave, the sales representative for the company was very friendly and informative. Upon arrival at our home, he willingly showed us his company licenses, clearly explained the operation of a high efficiency furnace and answered all our questions to our satisfaction. As well, Dave was the only sales representative that we contacted that was willing to make the arrangements for an energy audit. For us, this was a big plus as we found the government rebate program somewhat confusing to navigate. The furnace was installed on the date that was arranged in an efficient and professional manner by Greg (the owner) and Peter. Both men worked diligently, throughout a long day to complete the job and upon finishing, left the job site immaculate. When a neighbour raised concerns about the furnace venting location, Greg located an alternative location and resolved the situation with diplomacy. We chose the Napoleon furnace for its excellent warrant;y on the heat exchanger and because it was made in Canada! In addition, to the furnace warranty, Twintech offered us a 5 year warranty on labour which speaks to the quality and pride this team has in their workmanship. It has been over a month now (with some of the coldest January days on record) since we have had the furnace installed. The furnace runs quietly and distributes heat more evenly throughout our 90 year old Toronto home. We can't speak highly enough of the Twintech team and are very satisfied with their workmanship and job ethics. We have no hesitation about recommending them.
What more could you ask for! Grant and Greg Dainty provided a professional,diligent and thorough approach to the installation of my furnace. I would highly recommend there services.
Last week our Furnace failed overnight. We called Twintech to help us get it running again. They did a really thorough check on it, and got it running in less than an hour. Given that it was an old Furnace (+20 years old), we were giving two options: repair it or replace it. Instead of doing a repair on it that could break in a week or two, they recommended us to change it. I like that they were honest on the recommendation, not forcing a new furnace on us. At the end we went with a new Furnace. Twintech solutions service & salesman gave us recommendation on the size of the unit and many options that could work for our home. They ended up doing an excellent work in our furnace, replacing the filter to a better option and replacing some pieces that had water damage. They cleaned after themselves and leave everything even better than what they found. They even went far and beyond tiding up the hose connections that we had on the basement.
I am in the process of finishing my basement and wanted to make sure I got the low hanging duct work fixed in advance. After reviewing 5 quotes I selected Twintech to award the contract to. The price was competitive however what won me over was Grant's (co-owner) attention to detail and his ability to focus on what my goals and priorities were for the project. His team completed the job over 3 days as there was significant duct work changes and the relocation of all of the equipment. They also completed the job with little downtime so we weren't left overnight without heat during freezing winter temperatures.
My father woke up to no heat one Saturday morning. We had a few names that friends had recommended but while checking out the companies' ratings on HomeStars, we found Twintech with great ratings too. The other companies either didn't get back to us or didn't have time to come at such short notice. TwinTech made the time in their schedule for what they judged to be an emergency: no heat in the home of an elderly person. At no extra fee for a short notice, weekend visit. They recommended an upgraded furnace unit and explained that we would qualify for a rebate that would bring the price down to that of a lower model. They set us up with the rep from the MNR that covers the rebate so that we didn't have to deal with the paperwork & phone calls ourselves. Installation was quick, efficient, & smooth. We were so pleased with their service we ordered a new water heater too. Both are working great (efficient & quiet!) & my father is safe & comfortable. We can't say enough about how pleased we are with their service. We have already recommended them to others.
Twintech Heating & Cooling. I just want to say thanks for helping me . My Furnace stopped working. And l phone Dave Getgley he set me up with Greg. What an amazing team they did a great job in setting me up with a new Furnace. Anyone that needed a new Furnace these are the guys to call. Thanks again for a job well done.
Our home has had poor heating and air conditioning the past couple of years. Dave recommended a Goodman solution with more power than we had. Grant and Greg installed the units in late November. Heating is better than ever. We have a warm home again and look forward to the winter. Can't wait to see how the AC runs in 2018. Job was super clean and professionally done. Highly recommended.
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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.
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!
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.
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!
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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