Air Conditioning!

[pheoxs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Could I see some details of the install of your mini split? Are you in a two story or bungalow.

1960's 3-level split, I just have the indoor unit on my main floor and run the furnace fan to circulate the air. For installation I just ran the lines straight up into the attic then out the side of the house. The outdoor unit is so quiet the location of it is a lot less of a concern than the big 2-3 tonne central air units. There's only 2 connections, one between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit consisting of 2 copper lines and 1 power cable. And then a 220V line from the outdoor unit to my fuse panel (with a disconnect required by the outdoor unit for code).

I installed one of the 18k BTU kits from: https://senville.ca/

Most of the central air ones have a SEER rating of 15 for efficiency whereas the mini split is SEER 22. So roughly 50% more cooling air for the same electricity.

[CarlLester]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

For anyone looking this year, I got a lot of quotes.

Prices were generally consistent regardless of brand. For a 1900 sq.ft above ground using either a 2.5/3 tonne unit, installed was $5,000-$5,800.

Unfortunately our house is attached and have only one walkway to the back, so we'll need to go with a slim unit which bumps the price closer to $8,000. The front is possible but ugly.

Thinking we'll have to sweat it out this year and do it next. Settled on a company and Daikin unit (12 year parts/labour), slimmest and quietest at 56dB!

We had a slim unit installed last fall. It was nowhere near $8k. The first number was 6, maybe even 5.

[msommers]

Who installed it and what model? How long is the warranty? Thanks.

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Most of the central air ones have a SEER rating of 15 for efficiency whereas the mini split is SEER 22. So roughly 50% more cooling air for the same electricity.

Isn't it crazy they can be so different? Like totally mad insane wacky nutso.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Isn't it crazy they can be so different? Like totally mad insane wacky nutso.

In the end, you can buy the cheapest unit and spend X dollars per month in power. Or you can pay double the money for an uber efficient one that saves $1 a month, then breaks down the second year. My central a/c is 10 SEER and the only times I’ve looked at it in 20 years is when the kids put sticks into the outdoor unit and use it as a wood chipper. Lots and lots of marketing wank out there.

[msommers]

I think most people realize a SEER number in Alberta is completely pointless. Unfortunately if you want a quieter unit, they go hand in hand, and exponentially go up in price (and complexity).

Get a good warranty with a company that doesn't charge a service fee to do warranty work even if they cover the labour.

[CarlLester]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Who installed it and what model? How long is the warranty? Thanks.

Carrier Performance Slim. No idea how it compares to your unit. Installed by Chestermere Heating and Cooling. 10 year warranty. Was $5700.

[ThePenIsMightier]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

In the end, you can buy the cheapest unit and spend X dollars per month in power. Or you can pay double the money for an uber efficient one that saves $1 a month, then breaks down the second year. My central a/c is 10 SEER and the only times I’ve looked at it in 20 years is when the kids put sticks into the outdoor unit and use it as a wood chipper. Lots and lots of marketing wank out there.

LoL!! I used to work at a food warehouse where Beavis and Butt-Head would hurl mushrooms and tomatoes into the fans of the coolers. Honestly, it was pretty cool because they were spinning so fricking fast they would just turn the solids into vapor.
But prolly not ideal for the longevity.

[pheoxs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Isn't it crazy they can be so different? Like totally mad insane wacky nutso.

It’s just so much more efficient to directly cool a room versus blowing through ducting I think. Added bonus is the mini-split can also heat even in -30C so if the furnace or gas ever goes out it’s always a backup heater even if it loses efficiency as it gets cold out.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It’s just so much more efficient to directly cool a room versus blowing through ducting I think. Added bonus is the mini-split can also heat even in -30C so if the furnace or gas ever goes out it’s always a backup heater even if it loses efficiency as it gets cold out.

The energy savings comes from having an inverter driven compressor and both indoor / outdoor fans. The unit can continually adjust the speeds of all the electric motors to perfectly match each other for every condition. Central a/c is like cooling with a sledgehammer.

I like big hammers, they don’t break down as easily.

[msommers]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Carrier Performance Slim. No idea how it compares to your unit. Installed by Chestermere Heating and Cooling. 10 year warranty. Was $5700.

Cheers thank you! I've heard Carrier is a bit picky with the warranty if it's needed, particularly with the annual servicing (or not).

[holden]

I had a 2-ton slim unit installed last year for $4290 by the Beyond guy whose name was thrown around in earlier pages. I think Chestermere quoted me $6500.

[msommers]

Gavin. I never did get a quote from him, I needed to answer a million questions and provide all these photos so he didn't need to come over. Sorry but no thanks.

[tha_bandit]

yea he sends an email with some questions but it wasn’t that bad, i went with him for a 3ton slimline for $4600 last spring.

[nagooro]

A bit off topic, but for those with an Ecobee, what do you set your fan to for the summer months? Always on? Auto? Minimum time per hr?

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

A bit off topic, but for those with an Ecobee, what do you set your fan to for the summer months? Always on? Auto? Minimum time per hr?

No Ecobee here, but I keep the fan on Auto and run 100% between 8pm and 6am. Both for white noise and not having the a/c start and stop waking everybody up.

[Pacman]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

A bit off topic, but for those with an Ecobee, what do you set your fan to for the summer months? Always on? Auto? Minimum time per hr?

I have an Ecobee and have it set to "Auto"

[ExtraSlow]

I have a dumb furnace with a medium smart fan motor and an ecobee and so I set it to "always on" but the fan runs at a much reduced speed when AC is not active.

Temeratire delta gets too large with fan off.

[mr2mike]

What does a/c cost per month? All the new installs must see a bump or change in the data.

[killramos]

I find my summer electricity bills are comparable to my winter electricity bills.

Basically the AC offsets winter lighting usage. I don’t really see a definitive or material pattern in my electricity bill, and I have 2 AC units and 2 furnaces as well as hydronic heat.