npalen
Elite Member
I'm seeing mini-split and ducting in the same sentences a couple places above, I think. I was under the impression that all mini-splits were ductless.
Mini split questions?
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Mtsoxfan
Platinum Member
Mini splits are ductless. They fo use the same condenser unit. Mini splits are great gor retro fitting, getting heat/ac in areas that would be tough to run ducts to.
ericm979
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I'd at least get quotes for improving the ducting. It might be less than you think.
We had an energy audit done for our house which cost $600 but told us what improvements would be the most cost effective. Sometimes there are programs for free or low cost audits. We ended up getting a bunch of ducts resealed and re-insulated, and a new return added, for a quite reasonable (for California) price.
If the unheated side of the basement is well ventilated then the air in it won't be all that much warmer than outside.
We had an energy audit done for our house which cost $600 but told us what improvements would be the most cost effective. Sometimes there are programs for free or low cost audits. We ended up getting a bunch of ducts resealed and re-insulated, and a new return added, for a quite reasonable (for California) price.
If the unheated side of the basement is well ventilated then the air in it won't be all that much warmer than outside.
PEJ5
Gold Member
If I understand, you are thinking of placing the 'outdoor' unit inside the unheated side of your basement rather than outdoors. In my opinion, that would not be wise. A 12000 BTU heat pump can provide 3500watts of heat but it gets it from where the outdoor unit is. You would be removing 3500w of heat from your basement and it would get very very cold.
Place the outside unit outside. My heat pump ran just fine the other night when it dropped to -12°F (-23°C) so they can handle cold weather.
If you heat with electricity then a heat pump is a no brainer. Down to 0°F, I get 4000W of heat for 1000W of electricity consumption.
Whoa, I missed the part of the question where it was asked if you can mount the condenser indoors! I think there's a reason why they've been mounting condensers outdoors forever. There's even clearances to mount it outside to allow adequate ventilation. I'm not an HVAC guy but Im pretty sure your condenser needs lots of airflow, a fresh air supply and needs to dissipate heat the bigger the unit the more heat it makes etc.
Sigarms
Super Member
The term "mini split" at best, is a American made term for "new" technology that has been around as long as I can remember.
The rest of the world doesn't use ductwork to move air like the North Americans, so the rest of the world doesn't need "ducted mini splits".
However, pretty much all the big hitters in the market have mini splits that connect to ductwork. Yes, a mini split can either be ductless or ducted.
It's better to think of mini splits as leading the way for inverter technology (compressor) in the conventional high end "conventional split"systems now on the market.
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Sigarms
Super Member
Not certain what a CCHP is (cold climate heat pump?), but if the OP were to use a Mitsubishi multi zone hyper-heat system, once you hit 4 zones, you're required to use a branch box. For myself, for residential applications branch boxes are a pain in the butt. Also, once you get over a couple of indoor units for a multi zone, no one ever wants to spend the money for refrigeration ball valves for service work so if one indoor unit goes down, you can service the equipment while the system is still running and still pull a vacuum.
Overall just not a fan of one large multi zone system to cover all the zones due to Mr. Murphy and not having a backup.
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Sigarms
Super Member
FYI, pretty much every mini split is "low ambient" LOLMini Split Challenges in Frigid Cold Weather - Keeping Your Mini Split Working Through the Winter
Keep your mini split working through the winter. The experts at eComfort.com tell you how extremely cold winter weather affects the efficiency and performance of mini split systems, and the importance of drain pan heaters and wind baffles.www.ecomfort.com
"Low ambient mini splits are specially-designed to operate at very low temperatures. Many can run at 100 percent efficiency down to 0°F and at decreased efficiency down into the negatives. As a result, these can work in many cold climates for much of the year with needing any supplemental heat."
The term you're looking for is "low ambient cooling" (which refers to generally cooling for commercial applications at lower outdoor temperatures for say computer rooms or commercial kitchens) or "high heating capacity" (which refers to heating at low ambient temps).
npalen
Elite Member
What does a "ducted mini-split" system look like? I'm just asking as I've not heard the term previously.
In other words, what is the difference between a conventional HVAC ducted system and a mini-split ducted system?
I believe it only means indoor components like the evaporator is concealed in the wall or ceiling vs hanging on the wall, on a convetional ducted system the evaporator etc is in your furnace. I posted some pics of both types of minisplits on pg 2 of this. In my case I had no ductwork just used electric baseboards for supplemental heat keep the place heated at 40 degrees when not there, which I found you cannot run a modern HE furnace set at that temp its really bad for it.