It makes perfect sense that this barn-style home in Boxford, MA had oil heat. With a higher burning point than gas or electric heat, oil keeps this homeowner warm during the cold New England winters. But, the home has a unique layout. That left the oil heat lacking in one way. Fortunately, we had just the solution.
Problem: Oil heat was not properly heating the master bedroom. Home had no cooling system.
Solution: Installed a Mitsubishi outdoor heat pump under the deck with a matching ductless unit in the master bedroom over the garage.
Pros and Cons of Oil Heat
A common HVAC problem in many homes is uneven heating. This occurs when it takes more heat to bring one area of a house up to the same temperature as another part.
When this happens, you have two options: Overheat some areas to make every area is at least at a base temperature you want. Or, set your thermostat to the setting you want and just deal with some parts of the house being colder than others.
This problem gets a little trickier with oil heat. Oil burns hotter than other energy sources. This means it’s more efficient at driving up temperatures. You could end up with a few really balmy rooms if you try to get the heat up everywhere.
And, in this case, letting some parts of the house stay chilly wasn’t that great. In this case, the master bedroom stayed very cold. That could make for some uncomfortable nights, especially in the dead of winter.
Other than that, however, oil heat was a good bet for this Boxford, MA barn-style home. Again, the higher burning point made it more efficient than other sources. And, since this semi-rural home is out of the way, getting fuel delivered by truck rather than pipes worked out well.
Reworking the vents and ducts would cost a lot and be a hassle. A space heater or two could do the trick. But, that’s not energy efficient day after day. It’s also not very safe at night when people are sleeping.
The solution was to supplement the oil heat with another source.
Mitsubishi Ductless HVAC Units to Supplement Oil Heat
Ductless HVAC units were the way to go. They’re easy to install any where and give you great control over temperature. That’s because they’re much different than traditional HVAC systems.
A ductless system provides heat or cool air through units that easily mount on any wall. The forced heat or air conditioned air comes from an outdoor heat pump unit. It travels through small, flexible tubes less than an inch thick.
This means it doesn’t need to be hooked up to a furnace or existing ductwork. A ductless HVAC system also doesn’t require new vents or ducts. All you have to do is drill a tiny hole behind the unit and run the tubing to the outdoor unit.
As a result, a ductless HVAC system could cover a whole house with multiple units. Or, in this case, you could use just one unit to take care of a small area, or zone, in a home.
That’s what made a Mitsubishi ductless HVAC unit the best way to supplement oil heat in this barn-style house.
All it took was one HVAC unit in one room to adjust the heat in the one area that needed it. And, as an added bonus, the unit also provides air conditioning. Now, the master bedroom stays cool in the summer, too.
More heat for less money
Another advantage of a ductless HVAC system is that it’s energy-efficient. This is good for the environment. It’s also very good for your wallet.
In many places now, energy companies offer cash incentives for people who install energy-efficient HVAC systems. Massachusetts is one of them.
Our Boxford, MA homeowners received rebates from two sources. The first was Mass Save, a group of local utility companies. This group gave them a $300 rebate for installing an Energy Star-certified unit. Energy Star means the system meets government standards of efficiency.
Next was the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. This is a group dedicated to accelerating clean energy technologies. Our Mitsubishi ductless HVAC units fit the bill — to the tune of a $625 rebate.
So, if you’re keeping score: Our homeowners in Boxford, MA got better heating for their barn-style home. The home also has a cooling system now for the first time. And, they got nearly a grand in rebates to install it all.
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 Mitsubishi ductless HVAC solution for you!