Our homeowners in Andover, MA were ready to finally get some better cooling options in their colonial home. For years, their TV room, living room and master bedroom all got too hot in the summertime.
However, the house did not have central air conditioning. And the homeowners never wanted window ac’s. They were too bulky, too noisy and too expensive.
Other parts of the house stayed cool with fans and open windows. But, these rooms were always warmer.
Years ago, the best solution would have been a central ac unit. But that would be very expensive here. Since the home had forced water heat, there was no ductwork. It would cost thousands more for a company to design, build and install ductwork throughout the house.
Fortunately, we had a better solution: A Mitsubishi ductless HVAC system. It would offer the climate control they wanted at a fraction of the cost of other options
Problem: The tv room, living room and master bedroom in an Andover, MA colonial home were too hot in the summer. The house had forced hot water oil heat and no air conditioning.
Solution: Installed three Mitsubishi ductless units, one in each room, with a matching outdoor condenser unit.
Ductless units vs. retrofitting central air conditioning
For decades, central air conditioning was the best way to cool an entire home. It offered cooling throughout the house.
And, it is more efficient than window units and much more powerful than fans. However ductless units provide all that and more. And, they do it for less money each month than the older ac systems.
This system starts with an outdoor condenser. This unit generates the cold air that circulates through the house. From there, however, the cooled air travels through flexible plastic tubing instead of vents.
That tubing connects to the units in the home, which distribute the cooled air. This setup is more efficient than ductwork for a few reasons. First, the tubes are sealed tight. Ducts, on the other hand, are not. Cooled air can escape throughout the system.
Older hvac systems use more energy to make up for that loss. Our system doesn’t have to do that.
And, in a home with no central ac, indoor HVAC units are a better option than retrofitting. That’s especially so in a house like this.
Many times, hvac installers can connect an air conditioner to existing ductwork. But, this home uses forced water heat with pipes and radiators. There are no ducts in the house.
That would easily double the cost and time to put a full-home air conditioning system. And, those ducts would have to go somewhere. That means using up closet space and building out sections of ceilings to run the ducts.
That won’t happen with the Mitsubishi units, however. Instead, our installers just run the tubing through the walls. We can connect to units virtually anywhere in the house. And, it takes less than a day to put it all in.
Zoned HVAC offers better climate control
Ductless units offer what’s called “zoned” hvac. Here, each one handles the climate control for a different room, or zone, in the house. They are more efficient and create even temperatures throughout the home.
Each unit has a thermostat on it. That’s contrasted with a single thermostat that controls the entire home. Instead, each unit measures the temperature for its zone. Then, it works accordingly.
This setup means each room gets cooled separately from the others. Let’s say the bedroom is always warmer than the other rooms in the summer. That unit simply keeps working until it reaches the desired temperature.
Meanwhile, the units in the other rooms will shut off before that one. This way, each room keeps the same temperature.
That’s not the case with just one thermostat in the home. With that setup, the household unit works until that thermostat shows the temperature you want. But, the temp may be different in other rooms. That’s not accounted for with one thermostat.
Now, with zoned cooling, hot and cold spots are a thing of the past. Each room is precisely the temperature you want.
This setup also offers more flexibility. For instance, our homeowners can use different settings on each unit. Now, the tv room can be a little warmer than the master bedroom, if that’s what they prefer.
Or, they can turn off the unit in a room when they aren’t using it for a while. Sometimes, it makes more sense to not treat a bedroom during the day when you’re not using it. The same goes for a TV room when you’re sleeping.
In these ways, zoned HVAC give our homeowners many more options than just one unit for the whole house. Now, they can set each room to any temperature they want.
Low-cost air conditioning with Mitsubishi ductless units
For all its benefits, an indoor HVAC system comes with a relatively low price tag. Of course, there’s a substantial upfront investment just like any significant hvac installation. But, the system costs much less than other options to run each month. And, in this case, we helped our homeowners defray the installation cost.
The Mitsubishi units we installed are Energy Star-certified. They meet federal standards showing they use less energy than other systems that provide the same level of climate control.
Today, there’s a big push for more energy-efficient systems like this. They are better for the environment and use less natural resources. And, to make them more attractive, organizations around the country offer incentives for people to choose them.
We knew of two groups near our homeowners that offered cash rebates to anyone who chose these units over others. And, we made sure they applied for the refunds.
As a result, our homeowners saved more than $2,500 on their installation costs. One group, Mass Save, gave them a $300 rebate. Another, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, offered $2,343 in cashback.
Then, our homeowners took advantage of our financing package. They’ll pay off the remainder of the cost over seven years. And, those payments are interest-free.
That’s the big picture. Month to month, the Mitsubishi units continue saving our homeowners money. Since they’re so efficient, they much less to run than many other options. And, the zoned feature lets them save even more money. Our homeowners can program each unit only to run when they’re needed.
That all amounts to, well, not much at all in payments every month for state-of-the-art cooling. Now, when the summer hits, they’re getting excellent climate control. And, they’re paying much less than they would have with just about any other option out there.
Do you want a better and more cost-effective and efficient option for heating and cooling your home? Contact us, and we’ll design the perfect solution for you!
