It was time for an hvac upgrade in this Andover, MA colonial home. The homeowners were paying way too much on their electric bills to heat and cool their home. And, the system they had didn’t even work that well.
The house had electric heaters for the winter and window air conditioning units for the summer. Neither are very effective. They take a while to take effect, and they don’t treat the whole house properly. Meanwhile, however, they cost a lot to run.
Our homeowners were ready for a change. They knew it would be a big investment. But, they couldn’t see going through another year of high energy bills and sub-par climate control.
So, our homeowners called NETR after reading our outstanding customer reviews. They felt comfortable that we could create just the right system for their home. And, we did
The main problem this home had was an outdated hvac system. Maybe a few decades ago, electric heat and window air conditioners were sound choices. Now, however, there are much better products available.
First of all, electric furnaces take a while to heat up. That creates a lag from when it kicks on to when you actually feel your home warm up. Meanwhile, a one-zone hvac setup just isn’t the best option anymore.
In most homes, there's only one thermostat controlling the furnace. The thermostat is usually on the first floor of the home. But, there’s a problem here: The whole house does not warm up the same way at the same time.
Many times, the upstairs rooms are much colder than downstairs. But, the thermostat will shut off the system once the first floor reaches the desired temperature. This leads to hot and cold spots in the house.
Meanwhile, the window air conditioners in the summer posed different problems. These units are not very efficient. They use a lot of electricity to cool a room. That causes electric bills to skyrocket during the hottest months.
They also waste a lot of energy. That’s because they are never permanently installed. The homeowners need to drag them out of storage and put them in the windows every spring.
This process becomes a hassle over time. And, since the window ac's are never fully installed, they aren’t sealed in. As a result, a lot of the air conditioning escapes around the unit and goes outside.
And, if that wasn’t enough, the air conditioning they do provide comes with a dull roar all day long. Window units are notoriously loud. Some people prefer that sort of white noise when they sleep. But, others don’t. And, just about no one enjoys that noise when they’re trying to talk, watch TV or listen to music.
So, it was time for an upgrade. And, the solutions to all these problems was a Mitsubishi mini-split system. It costs less to run and provides “zoned” heating and cooling for better, customized comfort.
Zoned heating, is when a home has multiple hvac units. It's different from having one centralized heater or ac. With zoned, each unit handles a different “zone” in the house. Now, the homeowner to create more even heat or air conditioning. It can also save money on energy bills.
Here’s how it works with ductless mini-splits: Here’s how it works: An outdoor heat pump generates the warm air or ac. That treated air works its way through the home through small, flexible tubing. The tubing much smaller, and more efficient than old-fashioned ductwork.
At the other end are the indoor units themselves. Each one handles a different room, or zone, in the home. And, each one has its own thermostat. It makes the system much more flexible than a regular one-zone system.
Now, every indoor air handler works on its own. If one room takes longer than others to warm up, that unit stays on longer than others. And, in the summer, they cool the home just as evenly.
This eliminates all those hot and cold spots in the house. Now, each indoor unit ensures every room is just the right temperature.
Do ductless mini-splits save money on heating and cooling costs?Compared to other hvac sources, a ductless mini-split system with a heat pump costs less to run. This is due to the technology they use and the way they are set up. They use less energy than gas, electric, or oil. And, the system doesn’t waste as much of that energy as other options.
The savings start outside, with the heat pump. These use electricity to run, but not to generate the hot or cold air. They need a little to get the system working. The actual climate control takes place thanks to a heat transfer process.
Without getting too technical, the system draws what little warmth there is outside in the winter. It uses a condenser to magnify it, and then send the heat into the house. In the summer, it draws warm air from the home, cools it, and sends it back in.
It works in a closed system where all it’s actually doing is transferring heat, not generating it. Therefore, it costs a lot less than a furnace to run. Inside the home, the treated air travels through tubing that is more secure than ductwork. This setup means less hot or cold air gets lost along the way.
Meanwhile, the minis-splits use less energy than other options. This is partly because they all won’t run as much. Remember, each one shuts off when its zone reaches the right temperature. As a result, the system doesn’t stay on longer than it should, as it would with a one-zone system.
For these reasons, the mini-split system our homeowners chose is Energy Star-certified. It meets government standards showing it uses less energy than similar units.
That also amounts to upfront savings. In the Bay State, two energy conservation groups offer cash incentives for people to install energy-efficient units. We made sure our homeowners applied for these.
As a result, they received a $2,500 rebate from Mass Save and another $625 from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. That money put a huge dent in their installation costs. And, now they are paying less every month on their electric bill.
It’s rare that spending less money gets you better results. But, with mini-splits, that’s precisely what happens.
Do you want a better and more cost-effective and efficient option for heating and cooling your home? Contact us, and we'll design the perfect solution for you!
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