split A/C - two indoor units? Heat pump?

[Nate Nagel]

Apparently NOBODY makes a good one these days, if you read the reviews on Amazon or elsewhere online. Every single brand had what I considered a high rate of negative reviews. Either there's a LOT of dehumidifiers being sold and the number of people reviewing them is biased towards those with serious problems (which is possible) or else they're all crap.

I know that I bought a (fairly expensive, cost me $200) Frigidaire unit and ended up taking it back because it wouldn't shut off. Of course, that too was made in China... I just got my money back because a) I found that the fan was supposed to run all the time, which I didn't want and b) the display unit at the store worked the same way mine did - appeared to run constantly regardless of humidity selection and wouldn't shut off when you removed the bucket. And this was the brand that seemed not to get so many negative reviews.

That's part of the reason for this thread; if I can't get a good quality dehumidifier (and others seem to be noticing that the new ones suck as well; used ones are impossible to buy on my local Craigslist. I've responded to ads within minutes of their posting, and have been told that I'm second or third in line) I might as well air condition the place. I did search and there are some higher end light industrial dehumidifiers but their cost is on the same order of magnitude as an A/C system and I don't really have any assurance other than price and gut feeling that they'd be better than the consumer models.

nate

[Pete C.]

I have two cheap dehumidifiers I bought at Depot probably 5 and 6 years ago, one is the Hampton Bay brand and another Maytag brand, I believe both are made in China. One is in my shop and the other is stationed in the house where it runs to help dry things after I do a carpet cleaning, and runs in the spring and fall when I'm between heating and cooling seasons to control humidity. Both work just fine.

Well, that doesn't sound like a quality issues to me, it sounds like a design issue that you just don't like. There is good reason for continuous fan operation since it increases efficiency by taking advantage of the remaining cold in the coils when the compressor shuts off, as well as maintaining airflow past the humidistat so it's more responsive and the room air is more consistent. Might be needed to get an Energy Star rating too.

Certainly if the shop is well insulated and you have bonus room type office space above it, there is adequate justification for fully conditioning the space. I have a small window A/C unit in my shop now and at some point when I finish upgrading and insulating I will likely install a larger mini split heat pump so it's comfy year round and I don't get rust films on my machines.

[N8N]

I believe you, and I'm not 100% opposed to buying a LG dehumidifier, I just haven't been able to determine of they properly recover from a power failure yet as that is important to me. LG/Zenith (HD) and Frigidaire (Lowe's) are the only units I've seen for sale around here.

Sure, but if you don't need badass dehumidification, if the unit doesn't automatically restart after a power failure, you also can't put it on a timer. So it's pretty much useless to me.

Yup, that's what I'm thinking too.

BTW I was back at the Despot this AM looking for a thermostat switch for the attic vent fan in the garage, and ended up walking by a display of air conditioners. Most of them were also branded LG or Zenith (which again, appears to be a rebrand of LG) and all were made in China. Now all of these were either portables or window/wall units, so maybe the splits *are* made in Korea, but you never know.

nate

[Paul M. Eldridge]

Hi Nate,

My Friedrich ductless heat pump is a rebranded Fujitsu. For me, Fujitsu is the one to beat (up to 21 SEER / 11.0 HSPF).

Cheers, Paul

[Nate Nagel]

Thanks Paul,

how long have you had this unit? Anything I ought to be aware of if I'm considering one?

nate

[Paul M. Eldridge]

Hi Nate,

It was installed in August 2005 and has been an excellent performer -- no problems to report thus far. At current fuel oil prices, I estimate my net savings over oil heat are just over $1,100.00/year.

My unit is rated at 10.5 SEER and has a HSPF of 7.2. New inverter drive models such as the Fujitsu 12RLQ are rated at 21 SEER/10.55 HSPF, so their heating and cooling costs are one-third and one-half of mine respectively. In addition, my Friedrich basically calls it a day at -10C/14F whereas the 12RLQ can continue to provide a good amount of heat down to -15C/5F; depending upon the severity of your winters, the ability to operate at these lower temperatures is a big plus.

These ductless heat pumps are, quite frankly, amazing products and I recommend them without reservation.

Cheers, Paul

[J. Clarke]

Bear in mind that Mitsubishi makes better F-15s than McDonnell-Douglas. Or so say the MACDAC engineers I've talked to when they've got enough beer in them to be honest.

[J. Clarke]

The keyword you want is "dual zone mini split heat pump". There are a number of manufacturers. As to which ones are good, personally I've had nothing but good experience with LG, but I've never used one of their appliances. I do have one Friedrich window air conditioner that is a piece of crap.

Depending on the capacity you need it might be cheaper to use two single zone mini-splits than one dual-zone.