HVAC - complemplating a split ductless

[MiamiCuse]

I have two AC zones in my house one for the west wing and one for the east wing. The west wing is a 4 ton cooling the living room, dinning room, kitchen, laundry room, utility room, pantry, one bath and a hallway. The east side is a 3.5 ton cooling 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a long hallway. In the middle connecting the east and west wing is a family room which is about

32'x16' with the ceiling varying from 9' to 16' tall. This room has a fireplace and lots of glass doors and windows that leads to the pool and it's never cool enough and it's at the end of the AC supply for the east wing.

So I am thinking of capping off the supply for the family room and let the other rooms get cooler and install a split ductless unit (like a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Series MXZ-2A20NA for example). I have calculated I need 20,000 BTU. I don't think I will need a heat pump since I am in Miami and I do have a fireplace in that room if I ever need it.

Questions are:

(1) What are other brands I should consider? (2) These unit needs an outside condenser too do they need to be floor mounted on a concrete pad or they need to be wall mounted? (3) Where should I place this unit on the inside? I assume it has to be placed in the middle and as high as possible) but I have a tied beam and a row of windows and glass door and the only spot is the corner, but I am concerned putting it in the corner will cause uneven distribution of the cooling, the AC guy who quoted me says it does not matter air will flow evenly...really? Seems illogical to me if the room is 32' long it will not cool evenly if it's mounted on one side right?

Thanks,

MC

[ransley]

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[Paul M. Eldridge]

Hi MC,

(1) I'd add Fujitsu and Friedrich to the list as well. Fujitsu's inverter models have SEER ratings in the low 20's.

(2) The outdoor compressor can be installed either at grade level or wall mounted. Bear in mind that wall installations can potentially result in noise transmission through the building structure and that at grade level you can use landscaping and other architectural elements to visually hide the hardware and help dampen any operating noise.

(3) Ideally, the indoor air handler should be placed where it would have the greatest projection/throw. Nonetheless, they're equipped with air vanes that can be easily adjusted via the remote control to shift the direction of the conditioned to one side or the other as required.

Cheers, Paul

[Red Green]

"MiamiCuse" wrote in news:OpadnRFBIJQyWwDVnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Something to keep in mind. I have a 25yrs in the business HVAC company owner do work on any of these HUD wrecks I rebuild. In this particular place now, a totally new system was installed. Told him I'd be shutting vents in unused areas. Right away he said to be careful because the coil is designed to have x number of cubic of air passing over it in a given time, Anything less is not good. I failed to ask him if it was bad for the unit and/or if it was an efficiency unit. My GUESS is both.

This particular 2-1/2t gas pack has 12 floor/low wall ducts. Ten are 6" and two are 8" The two 8" plus a 6" were put in the room with a vaulted

15' ceiling. I believe he said I could close three 6" ducts but it may have been only two. Anyway, I have two closed in one room I only use for storage right now.

[MiamiCuse]

Good points, thanks.