Anyone had Mini Spilt AC's installed?

[DuneShoot]

Looking to add mini splits in 3 rooms. 2 bedrooms and the livingroom/kitchen (large room). Would use them to keep cost down (and a back up) with the house AC's.
Install in the bed rooms would be pretty straight forward on an exterior wall above the bed. Not enough room between the window and ceiling. Both would be a single system.

Livingroom/kitchen is a big room and there is really no where to mount the traditional wall mounted system. Was thinking the cassette type (I think that's what they are called?). Looks like a standard air vent in the ceiling. Anyone have experience with these style?
2 exterior walls in this large room both have windows or doors and there is not enough room to mount the traditional style in this room above the window or anywhere on these walls. This could be a dual zone system.

Anyone have a recommendation for a company well qualified to install these?
I do have 2 companies coning for an estimate next week.

Have watched videos of the installs but I think it'd be best to have someone qualified to install and run the power lines (some will be long runs).

I read roughly 6K per system which seems crazy considering the costs of these are $1-3K for the hardware. I glanced at the Gree brand.

 

[jrleen]

In you checking into mini splits did you see that you can have 2-5 cassetts or wall packs off of one outside condensor? So one unit and 3-4 may do the trick for you. Each zone can have its own seperate controls.

I put some in my RV garage to use when I have projects and maintain a constant resonable temp during the summer when not in use. Glad my builder fully insulated both the RV and garages. At the time my simple configuration with (2)- 2 ton units was $5500 installed.

Did not use these but gives idea of multiple types you can get.
https://www.alpinehomeair.com/category/air-conditioning-cooling/ductless-mini-splits/five-zone-mini-split-systems

 

[knockonit]

big issue is getting proper power to the condensing units, (unit outside) and running return lines to them.
I used Alpine on most of our projects, we installed, but had an ac tech fire them up and tune them correctly to meet warranty issues,
i presently have the std wall mt units in my wood shop main shop is a dual head system and the office is a single head system, they function well and do job intended.
wished i had someone to refer, i've used absolute heating and cooling in glendale for normal installs, of typical units, they have the skill and knowledge to accomplish it,
good luck
Rj

 

[Azgunlover69]

I used a mr cool unit from Costco and installed myself for my garage. Pretty easy to do honestly.
Check your breaker panel for open slots. If you do 3 separate you'll likely need 3 dedicated breakers. If you run 1 larger 220v unit with 3 handlers like jrleen recommended you'll need 2 slots.
I too do not have a recommendation for installers as I used the Mr cool unit that comes precharged so you don't need to vacuum lines or anything. It was great and keeps my garage at 85 during the summer and I can get it down to 70-75 if I absolutely need to. I have found that my 85 degree garage seems cooler than my 78 degree house and I think it's due to pulling the humidity out of the air better than my house units do.

 

[DuneShoot]

Thanks for the replies.
Four cassetts may be an option if they run the lines through the attic, but they are far.
We'll see what they say when I get an estimate.

 

[XJThrottle]

I did a single 18k unit in my front room. Sounds kinda like yours. Big front living/kitchen/dining room area. Near a 1ksft. 40'+ of west facing wall that was nearly all glass with zero shade in that room. I did a traditional evap unit inside, but it basically disappears on the wall...if it didn't have an LED telling you what you set it at...lol.

Luckily I have a buddy in the biz so I got a hook up on a unit at his warehouse, and he installed it for a steak dinner.

My bill went down a bit, whole house is WAY cooler, and I can nearly hang meat in the main part of the house when we entertain.

One of the best things I've done.

 

[XJThrottle]

I'll add...

That the blower in my main unit went down after I installed this. Cranked the mini all the way down, and had a fan blowing down the hallway.

Kept the house cool enough in the heat of the summer to not need to get a hotel. Single level about 1900sqf.

I have a single 5ton unit for the rest of the house. One odd thing I fight with is the placement of my main t-stat. It gets the cold air from the mini in the front room. That can make it sometimes warm in the back half. I bought a "smart t-stat" with a remote thermo-sensor, but it needs the c-wire adapter wire into the air handler in the attic. Even when it's not a billion degrees up there I hate walking around it..

 

[Ballistic Therapy]

Mini splits are the way to go.
One thing to think about though if you install them yourself.
They are easy to install if you have any skills.
The problem with installing them yourself , is that most of the makers will not warranty them unless a licensed AC contractor installs them.

 

[AZNOKAOI]

Whatever you do, make sure if you use a contractor that they are licensed, bonded, and insured.

Do not use these guys - https://arizonaminisplits.com/ - they are not licensed, bonded, and insured.

 

[Doc]

Whatever you do, make sure if you use a contractor that they are licensed, bonded, and insured.

Do not use these guys - https://arizonaminisplits.com/ - they are not licensed, bonded, and insured.

They bought the right email address.

 

[Azgunlover69]

Mini splits are the way to go.
One thing to think about though if you install them yourself.
They are easy to install if you have any skills.
The problem with installing them yourself , is that most of the makers will not warranty them unless a licensed AC contractor installs them.

Precisely why I went with the Mr Cool DIY