Experience with ductless heat pump systems?

[Colleen]

I am considering getting one, but have heard they do not work will when it gets cold. Can someone tell me how they work from actual experience. Thanks

Share This

[ghar72]

We had one installed in the fall. It’s currently our only heat source in a 2bdrm, 775 sq ft house. We previously had baseboards in the living room and wall heaters in the bdrms. We never ran the wall heaters b/c of small kids, noise level, safety, etc. We have insulation in our attic and crawl space, but didn’t have any in the walls. Before the heat pump, the house always felt damp and cold. Our bedrms were freezing and ran a space heater in the kids’ room at night b/c it was so cold.

*

We were told different things about the ability of the heat pump to effectively heat when it drops below 32. Some said it worked great, no problem, others said we’d need supplemental heat. We decided to go with it b/c we figured it couldn’t be any worse than the baseboards, which we were supplementing anyway.

*

We keep the house around 72 (cooler at night, but not by much) and the bedrooms are warm now. But we did also blow in insulation into our walls. So I’m sure that helps a bit. Our house is very comfortable. Our bill didn’t drop much though. I didn’t really expect it to since we’ve been keeping it so warm. We decided we’d be okay with that since at least we’re warm!

*

That’s a lot of backstory. Now to your question.

During the snow/ice storm, we had the heater cranked to 80 some days. It felt like the house was never really warm, at least compared to what we’d gotten used to. I tend to run cold though. We never had to supplement with space heaters, just cranked the heater. We’ve yet to get the bill from that storm, so I don’t know how much of a price we’ll be paying for it.

*

We had three estimates, two were around $6000 and the third was around $3500. These were for the same systems. We went with the $3500 bid from MJA Mechanical. It included a 5 year warranty from the business for any problems at all. Over and above anything other businesses offered. It’s a small business; the owner installed it. Felt really good about purchasing through them.

*

We’re super happy we switched over. Not sure if City Light is still offering the rebate? They had a $1200 rebate last year. I’d check into it if you haven’t already. It was really easy to do, and we got our refund in about four weeks. The heater we got is Mitsubishi Mr Slim 12,000 BTU. Also, not sure if you need financing, but I found out that Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union offers energy efficiency loans, starting at 4.74%. They were very easy to work with. Good luck!

Share This

[DBP]

For most of the winter in Seattle, heat pumps work VERY efficiently, but whenever the outside temp dips below the 25-30 degree range they lose efficiency rapidly, since the outside air (from which the pump extracts heat) doesn’t have any heat left in it for the pump to pull out.

So get the heat pump, and get a couple of small space heaters as back-ups.

Share This

[Genesee Hill]

As DBP states, they are well suited to Seattle winters AND Seattle summers. Super efficient heating and the rarely needed cooling. I have a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim, also. One outside compressor feeding two indoor units. They kept the house warm even during the ice storm. As DBP states, the efficiency drops when temps drop to 27 degrees Fahrenheit or so. How often does that happen in Seattle?

They are the greatest invention since sliced bread, in my opinion.

Share This

[Talaki34]

I have the same system that ghar72 has and it also was installed by MJA Mechanical. All I can say about making the switch from baseboard heat to the amazing “Duck” is YIPPEE!!!!

My home is 740 sq ft. There is no insulation in the walls and the heat has been set at 70 degrees since it was first turned on. My home is all electric and I never lost power during the snow storm.

The full bill (with the Duck continuously working) arrived shortly after the beginning of February. Billing dates cover Nov 17 – Jan 25, 69 days. Yup! That includes the storm. My bill was a whopping $101.92.

During the icing part of the storm, my unit became partially covered in ice. I called MJA and was assured it would be ok and it was. The venting areas remained clear and it continued to do its job. In fact throughout the snow storm I wore only a T-shirt and sweatpants around the house.

I am happy to recommend both MJA Mechanical and the Ductless Heat Pump.

Share This

[Genesee Hill]

Yes Talaki,

I was worried about the freezing rain as well. The Mr. Slim would shut down, go in defrost mode, and kick right back in gear. Amazing.

And, not to be understated is the ultra-efficient cooling for those rare hot days in the summer. Simply amazing. Bang. The room was instantly cool. All by remote control…

Mr. Slim: You are sooo hot and sooo cool.

Share This

[redblack]

colleen: have you researched boilers, which heat a house with hot water pipes? no duct work, and the heat can be distributed in-floor or through wall-mounted radiators, depending on your home’s construction.

probably about the same price, cost, and efficiency as a heat pump, but boilers aren’t subject to weather conditions.

newer high-efficiency boilers are about the size of a small suitcase and can be wall-mounted.

Share This

[Colleen]

Thank you all for your input. You have alleviated my concerns. The boiler is cost prohibitive in our house. We are getting a $1,700 rebate. We did an energy audit thru Batt & Lear AIA. The city covered all but $95 dollars. I happened to be at home depot and the guy who sells the Mr. Slim scared us by saying we should keep our old furnace and duct work as a back up for temps below 28 degrees. And besides the heat pump we’ll get a big closet.

Share This

[Talaki34]

Genesee Hill;

I am looking forward to summer as I cannot wait to see how the “Duck” will cool my house.

Supplemental heat: I don’t think I will need it, but I like to keep my options open so some of the ideas I am kicking around is a heat lamp in the bathroom or what I would prefer is a wall mounted heated towel rack like they use in Germany. I stayed in a Guesthouse that had one and it worked perfectly to take the chill off and my towels were very cozy. I like warm towels and this might be the perfect excuse to get the towel rack.

I have a fireplace if it gets really cold. For you Colleen, maybe along with your new closet there might be room for an electric or gas wall mounted fireplace w/fan that could be used instead of a space heater. It would provide that extra added warmth if you need it and some ambiance to boot.

If you would like to see the unit in operation, it could be arranged on a weekend.

Share This

[Genesee Hill]

Talaki34;

I believe that you will be amazed to see Mr. Slim cool your house. Mine was installed in the late spring, so cooling was the first chore I saw Mr. Slim perform. The architect and builder were impressed. As was I.

Share This

[Talaki34]

I told my realtor about the system. It is good info to have especially if someone wants to buy but is put off by baseboard heat and the prospect of changing it out. Quick fix for the homeowner or the buyer and it would not break the bank for either.

I see you are running one compressor outside and two units inside. Do you mind me asking what the footage of your house is and where you located units inside? I had one 12,000 BTU unit installed on the side wall in the living room. I went with the larger BTU because airflow in the house is not straight from or to the unit itself.

Share This

[Author]

Posts