Mini Split A/C Power Consumption?

[OzSolar]

Yes, unless you do hvac for a living, split hp systems above 16 SEER can be very expensive up front and to repair, even under the 10 yr part warranty.

I often wondered where that line was. My anecdotal experience is that it's very difficult to get the total life cycle cost to pencil out favorably for the most efficient "thing" on today's market. Our first front loading clothes washer taught us several expensive lessons.

I recently heard about a split heat pump system with a SEER of around 30 that if I remember correctly had language that led me to believe it was sending DC to it's variable speed outdoor compressor. I could be totally wrong about that but regardless my first thought was "they are really going regret that purchase when it breaks".

 

[Ozark Tinkering]

As a master auto tech and therefore one form of highly trained diagnostician, i think it's more accurate to say all MISDIAGNOSIS is expensive.

But it's hard to tell who is least likely to misdiagnose because 'if you have to ask' someone to come do something for you, it often means you don't know enough about the subject to judge the competency of the people you hire. It's a bit of a crapshoot unless you've got a strong referral to an individual human being. Even when you call a 'good company' you don't know which of their technicians is going to pull your job and show up.....................................................

Well said and very true. As the head electrician and troubleshooter in a geothermal power generating station back in the 80s, I was also tasked with the maintenance and repair of every a/c unit in the facility. The company made the very wise decision to put several of us through Kepner Trego's Analytical Troubleshooting course. When it got down to the point of replacing compressors I would call out the local refrigeration contractor to do the swap. When my own folks needed anything including replacing a compressor, I performed the work myself. When we bought the shack I'm in now 30 years ago back here in Arkansas, it had a single small window unit for cooling. I commented one day to one of my cousins back here who was an hvac contractor that if he ever came across a 2-3 ton package unit they were replacing for someone, I'd be happy to take it off their hands.
Well about 2 months later I made a trip back to the west coast and when I returned there in the driveway was a used 2-1/2 ton package unit sitting there. For the last 29 years I have kept that dinosaur running with used parts I pulled from their junk pile before they hauled it off for scrap. That was my warranty parts pile.
Back in Dec. of 2020 the solar contractor that installed my grid-tied system wanted to give me a smart thermostat for my 50 year old a/c unit. I laughed til I almost cried.
Those 2 DIY mini-splits my wife and I installed have already saved us $300 in the first 3 months of service. That's 10% of the initial cost. 22 SEER is fine with me.

 

[RV10flyer]

Well said and very true. As the head electrician and troubleshooter in a geothermal power generating station back in the 80s, I was also tasked with the maintenance and repair of every a/c unit in the facility. The company made the very wise decision to put several of us through Kepner Trego's Analytical Troubleshooting course. When it got down to the point of replacing compressors I would call out the local refrigeration contractor to do the swap. When my own folks needed anything including replacing a compressor, I performed the work myself. When we bought the shack I'm in now 30 years ago back here in Arkansas, it had a single small window unit for cooling. I commented one day to one of my cousins back here who was an hvac contractor that if he ever came across a 2-3 ton package unit they were replacing for someone, I'd be happy to take it off their hands.
Well about 2 months later I made a trip back to the west coast and when I returned there in the driveway was a used 2-1/2 ton package unit sitting there. For the last 29 years I have kept that dinosaur running with used parts I pulled from their junk pile before they hauled it off for scrap. That was my warranty parts pile.
Back in Dec. of 2020 the solar contractor that installed my grid-tied system wanted to give me a smart thermostat for my 50 year old a/c unit. I laughed til I almost cried.
Those 2 DIY mini-splits my wife and I installed have already saved us $300 in the first 3 months of service. That's 10% of the initial cost. 22 SEER is fine with me.

I have a Fujitsu 9000 BTU 33 SEER keeping my SA12k's nice and cool. Mini splits are great for small areas, for us DIY'ers and especially inverter models for being gentle on out hf inverters....until they break or need cleaning. We can go out and buy a new one every five years with no warranty and spend the same amount of money as a central hp system with a 10 yr part warranty and a 15-20 year typical lifespan.

 

[Shimmy]

As a master auto tech and therefore one form of highly trained diagnostician, i think it's more accurate to say all MISDIAGNOSIS is expensive.

I think proper troubleshooting is a lost art today. I had a water hammer problem in my house and had three plumbers and a plumbing engineer friend take a look at it. They all gave different bad advice. (We have a fairly high temperature solar hot water system.)

The plumber that finally did the repair didn't even know what pressure to charge the expansion tanks to.

Something tells me there is a profit motive for the misdiagnosis.

 

[Danke]

I have a Fujitsu 9000 BTU 33 SEER keeping my SA12k's nice and cool. Mini splits are great for small areas, for us DIY'ers and especially inverter models for being gentle on out hf inverters....until they break or need cleaning. We can go out and buy a new one every five years with no warranty and spend the same amount of money as a central hp system with a 10 yr part warranty and a 15-20 year typical lifespan.

Just curious. I’m interested in that model. How much energy does it consume at highest cooling setting? Also, does it heat down to low temperatures well?

 

[RV10flyer]

Just curious. I’m interested in that model. How much energy does it consume at highest cooling setting? Also, does it heat down to low temperatures well?

FYI: I'm only cooling/heating 140 sq ft with R-10 walls, 6' x 6' double doors, no windows, two 12K's, 10 batteries/bms's. My typical current draw in the summertime midday is 2.9A at 240VAC, 90F outside, 70F inside. Occassionally it will max out at 3.7A. I've only ran it down to 40F in the spring and it maxxed out at a whopping 7A! with a large amount of heat. I would say it will heat very well without any supplemental down to 0F. Not one glitch. 10 yr warr on pro installation.

 

[Danke]

Where have people been getting the best deals on mini splits?

Also, anyone know anything about this brand: ACiQ?

12,000 BTU 25 SEER ACiQ Platinum Single Zone Wall Mount Mini Split System w/ WiFi

The ACiQ Platinum series makes ultra-high efficiency heating and cooling affordable for everyone. With SEER as high as 25 and HSPF as high as 13 you can experience the high performance and maximum efficiency that usually costs much more.

hvacdirect.com

 

[badatfarming]

If you are off-grid, a hydronic system (air to water or water to water, heat pump with a buffer tank), rather than a mini-split setup, can offer some very attractive energy saving profiles. This is very common in commercial settings (though more often with cooling towers and compressor split than with single unit heat pump).

If you are in a very small area (say 500sqft or less) the window type unit with the physical slot in it for the window to close into -- rather than the old-school type window "cube" -- is insanely efficient.

 

[Ozark Tinkering]

If you are off-grid, a hydronic system (air to water or water to water, heat pump with a buffer tank), rather than a mini-split setup, can offer some very attractive energy saving profiles. This is very common in commercial settings (though more often with cooling towers and compressor split than with single unit heat pump).

Growing up in the desert back in the 50s, my folks bought a brand new tract home in town. The contractor installed the duct work but not an a/c system in the houses and the proud new owners could install whatever they could afford. Like many, they chose a system that employed the use of a cooling tower placed in the back yard. They were extremely efficient and little kids loved floating stuff in the reservoir in the concrete basin at the bottom. Every yard had one. By the late 60s, most of them were falling down due to water damage an lack of maintenance and people began replacing them with package air to air units that used twice the power. Power was king back then, just like with muscle cars. Who needs efficiency when you have high octane leaded gasoline? They weren't near as efficient but you only had to change a filter occasionally. I haven't seen a residential cooling tower in 50 years.