The family living in this first-floor condo unit in North Brookline was tired of fighting to keep their home at the right temperature. The three-family house had a single pipe steam heat fired by oil for heating and poor insulation, which left the units chilly all winter. Additionally, the single window unit installed in the home during the summer was so inefficient that they rarely even turned it on.
Because of the lack of proper heating and air conditioning, this family was finding it harder and harder to enjoy their time together in the condo. Finally, they decided that there had to be a better way to get year-round comfort for their home, and they began researching options.
After finding multiple online reviews of N.E.T.R., Inc. from previous customers in the area, these condo owners decided to give us a call. They knew that we’d be able to design a system that would keep their home adequately heated and cooled all year long. Moreover, the family knew it was time to ditch the window AC unit, which was noisy, inefficient, and cost them a fortune to run.
The Problem: Three-family home in North Brookline, MA, needed heating and cooling solution for first-floor condo. An oil-fired heat pipe was the only source of heating for the home, and window ACs were used for cooling.
The Solution: N.E.T.R., Inc. designed a three-zone LG ductless system that offered both heating and air conditioning for the family. Now, they’d be able to enjoy every room of the condo all year long.
The Design
James Smithell met with the condo owners to learn more about their heating and cooling problems. Because of the home’s layout, the existing heating system left hot and cold spots all winter and was expensive to run. Additionally, the window AC unit was so inefficient and noisy that the family never even used it. Instead, they spent all summer with no air conditioning or humidity control.
James knew that he could solve all their heating and cooling problems with a single system. A three-zoned LG ductless system would provide top-of-the-line HVAC throughout the home without significant reconstruction to the condo. He proposed that three indoor LG wall ACs be installed in the kitchen, bedroom, and family room. This positioning would allow for optimal airflow throughout the home to eliminate any hot or cold spots.
The Installation
An outdoor condenser unit was needed to act as a heat pump for the LG ductless system. This unit was installed outside the home on a small, poured concrete pad. The Heat pump was placed out of sight, but within easy reach for maintenance and repair purposes.
After the outdoor unit is installed, the team began working on hooking up all three indoor wall ACs. These AC units are ideal for condos because they require no major construction. In fact, the only changes that are made to the home is a small hole drilled behind each unit. This hole allows the technician to snake the tubing through the walls to connect the wall AC to the outdoor heat pump.
The heat pump operates by transferring the heat in the outside air through the refrigerant piping, heating it to the ideal temperature, and then out the indoor air handler via the tubing. The tubes are snaked through the walls like electrical wires, which saves the family from needing to install expensive, invasive ductwork throughout the home.
Each of the units will operate independently from one another, allowing the family to have complete control over the three zones of their home. The touch of a button, on the remote control, will give the owners the power to cool off the kitchen a few degrees while cooking, or warm up the bedroom on a chilly morning.
Another problem that the family faced was the lack of insulation. After getting the condo inspected for an energy audit, the owners will be having blown insulation added soon. This will help lower their energy bills, as well as keep their house the right temperature all year.
The Benefits
Not only will this system provide high-quality heating and cooling throughout the year, but it will save these condo owners on their monthly energy bills. The LG ductless HVAC system is so efficient that organizations like Mass Save offer rebates to families who upgrade outdated systems to energy-efficient ones like this. This family was able to a $625 rebate from Mass Save to help offset the cost of installation.
These ductless ACs are so efficient that they often take only the same power as a lightbulb to run. Over the course of the year, that will make a huge dent in this family’s energy bills.
Another benefit to LG ductless is that the entire system works for both heating and cooling purposes. Instead of needing to install two separate systems for summer and winter, this family was able to get everything they need with a single installation. All it takes to switch from heating to cooling is the press of a button!
Additionally, the family was able to eliminate the need for the window AC, which also posed a security threat since they lived on the first floor. Burglars have been known to use window AC units as access points for homes by pushing the unit in and crawling through the window. Now, the family can rest easy all night long in a room that is the perfect temperature and knowing that their home is safe.
N.E.T.R., Inc. is proud to offer our customers a full year of labor on new installs for free, as well as a 12-year warranty. This guarantees that the family will be perfectly comfortable for years to come.
Is a Ductless System Right for You?
Are you tired of dealing with window ACs that run up your energy bills and leaves hot and cold spots throughout your home? Maybe your existing heating system just doesn’t cut it, and you find yourself resorting to dangerous space heaters! If this sounds like you, then it’s time to give N.E.T.R., Inc. a call!
Our experts are highly trained and have years of experience providing heating and cooling solutions in and around Boston, MA. Contact us today to get a ductless system designed for you home.
How does it work?
Want to know more about how ductless heating and cooling works? Visit How Ductless Works.