This beautiful Victorian home in Somerville was converted into a multi-family complex for three families. It has a gas, central HVAC system without any ductwork, which forced all the families to use window air conditioners to try to keep the home cool during hot and humid summers. Like many older homes, this Victorian is not well insulated and the old wooden windows were not designed with window AC units in mind.
The homeowners had to worry about installing the heavy units, trying to adequately insulate the edges, and preventing any water from leaking into the walls just to stay comfortable in the summer. Then they would have to plan a weekend in the fall to remove the AC units and hope we won’t get a surprise heat wave after they have been stowed for the winter. These three families knew there had to be a better solution.
After some research, they gave us a call here at N.E.T.R., Inc. to learn more about Mitsubishi Electric ductless cooling systems and to see if it would be a good fit for their home. We have plenty of experience in the area and with similar homes, so we knew that we could get each family the comfort they craved and ensure they would not break the bank for a more efficient cooling system.
Problem: An old Victorian home, converted to serve three families had no cooling and needed a more permanent solution than window units to keep the homes comfortable.
Solution: By adding three zones of Mitsubishi ductless cooling, each family will have the relief they need and be able to be customize it to their needs, rather than having one unit control the temperature for all three families.
The main concern for each family was to find a cost-effective, efficient cooling system for their individual homes in the building. We needed to create a system where each unit could control their individual temperature and energy bills independent of the other families.
We were able to use an outdoor condenser and an indoor “cassette” wall unit in each area so that each home could individually control the comfort of their space. This also means they would be billed individually to avoid any problems with dividing bills.
You can see in the picture that the outdoor piping into the building matches the trim, preventing it from taking away from the outside beauty of this home. You can also see that each indoor unit is mounted on the wall to keep it out of the way. This wall mounted air conditioner solution means the families no longer have to give up their windows for half the year or deal with bulky and noisy window units.
One of the most amazing features of Mitsubishi ductless is that it can act as both a heating and cooling system. So, the families, especially on the upper floor, can use this system as supplemental heating in the winter. The ductless heat pumps easily take the chill out of a room with the touch of a button and are more efficient and less dangerous than standard space heaters. This gives each family the perfect comfort they want without affecting families in other parts of the building. Whether they want it warm or cold, the power in in their hand!
The ductless heating and cooling systems are also incredibly quiet, which is excellent for a three-family home like this one. Everyone will be able to sleep peacefully without hearing a large window unit rumble to life. Because the ductless units distribute air throughout a space while monitoring the humidity and temperature, the units will allow the bulk of the condo unit to be effectively cooled with just one wall cassette. However, the system is designed to be expandable so if one of the families decide to add additional cooling to the master bedroom at a later date, it can easily be done.
We were happy to be able to help all three families get the comfort they wanted and save them money on energy bills. They will now get the efficient, cooling comfort they need during the summer and be able to add a touch of heat when they need it in the winter, without turning on the gas heating system for the building. This will make every family in the house happy and independent.
