A Whole Home Ductless Installation In Woodbine, NJ
When this homeowner in Woodbine, NJ saw their electric bill skyrocketing, they were over it and knew they needed to change something. Their heat pump was 20 years old, was costing them a fortune to run, and wasn’t even making the home as comfortable as it should. They knew it was time for an upgrade, and decided to check out our website.
They submitted a form on the website to speak to someone about their HVAC system, and luckily Paul, one of our reliable salespeople, was around and available to go check out the situation. Within an hour, Paul was at the house talking to the homeowner about the heating and cooling challenges they were facing.
Contact Us About Your Heating & Cooling
What Was The Problem?
The first thing the client told Paul about was the high energy bills. The electric bill was averaging around $600 a month, which was far higher than they were paying in previous years. I took a look at the unit and it made some sense why it was becoming so expensive to operate. For one thing, the system was 20 years old. Over that amount of time, any machine will tend to become less efficient in its operation.
Another issue was that the system was only 13 SEER, which is a pretty low number when it comes to energy efficiency. SEER is the efficiency rating that an air conditioner is measured by. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the system. In recent years, 14 SEER has become the lowest SEER allowed in the northern states. In the southern states, 15 SEER is the minimum rating permitted.
Secondly, the home just wasn’t as cool as it should be. Last summer they had trouble cooling the bedrooms, and the house was just muggy, humid, and hot.
Replacing Their Heat Pump
After taking a look at the current system and hearing the problems they were having, Paul recommended that they replace the heat pump. They agreed that they wanted a new system, but they also wanted to make sure it was a high efficiency system.
The homeowner wanted to see a few options, and wanted to make sure that they could finance the project. A new HVAC system is a big investment, and financing is a great way to make sure you get the right system without having to worry about too much of the cost up front. Paul took some measurements and decided to do a few calculations for the capacity of heating and cooling that was required. He measured each room, and even took a look at the crawl space to see if it would be a good spot to run refrigerant lines and communication cables. This would help save space and money for the homeowner. After taking all the data down, Paul came back to the office to crunch the numbers.
Paul had the proposals out to her after doing a few calculations with a few different options. The first option was a whole home ductless mini split system. This would mean installing a few different mini split heads around the home that were connected to a condenser outside. This would allow them to heat and cool the different spaces around the house independently. This means you can have one zone at a certain temperature, while the others are at a different temperature. This helps everyone in the home stay happy, and also save energy by not treating unused spaces.
The second option was a similar ducted heat pump like they had before, but updated with a higher efficiency and better technology. Both systems have the ability to heat and cool, and both will help save energy.
Using Ductless To Fix A Hot Bedroom
Installing A Whole Home Ductless Mini Split System
After considering both options, they decided to go with the ductless mini split system. They loved the idea that everyone in the home could have their room at different temperatures, and they could save energy with the zoned heating and cooling. With a traditional HVAC system, you set the thermostat and the whole home is conditioned to the same temperature. With a ductless mini split system, you have a remote control for each unit that heats and cools separately.
They also enjoyed the idea of the energy this system would save through efficient operation. They installed a 3 zone Mitsubishi Ductless system with 18 SEER, 12.5 EER, and 11 HSPF efficiency ratings, a big improvement from their previous system. This system was able to cross off 2 of her goals with the new HVAC installation: Going green and saving money.
Saving Money With The New HVAC System
Now that they have the new ductless mini split system installed, the difference in energy bills was evident immediately. The bills the previous summer were around $600 a month. With the new system, they had cut that in half to around $300 a month.
They were also able to qualify for a $400 rebate on the high efficiency heating and cooling solution. The government and utility companies want to encourage homeowners to install energy efficient equipment, and offer rebates and tax credits to curb some of the initial installation costs.
They were also able to finance this system. When you factor in the $300 a month savings from the energy bills, the monthly payments are heavily offset.
Ductless Mini Splits Are Environmentally Friendly
Ductless mini splits are environmentally friendly. They are ENERGY STAR certified, and greatly help reduce the amount of energy homeowners consume. This homeowner wanted to make sure that when they made this upgrade, it wasn’t just helping their situation, but it was also good for the environment. Newer HVAC equipment is far better than any system that was installed 20 years ago, having fewer emissions and consuming less fuel/electricity.
Installing The New Ductless Mini Split System
We allotted a 3 day period installation for this project. When you install a ductless mini split, you have to attach a lineset that runs from an outside condenser to the ductless units inside. These units are referred to as heads or cassettes. There is no ductwork required, which makes the job a bit less messy and invasive.
Luckily, we were able to use the crawlspace to run some of the lines, and the installation went very smoothly. We installed one head in the living room that would treat the living room and the kitchen. We also installed a unit in each bedroom upstairs.
Thanks to the incredible work by our installation team, Don, Gerald, and Enri, the project was finished ahead of schedule. We tested the system and made sure everything worked perfectly. We showed the client and her family how to use and operate her new system. We showed her how to turn the system on, how to adjust the temperature, how to cycle through the different modes, and how to control the different vane movements. The entire family was amazed at how quickly the new system was cooling and they even said they have not felt this cool in their home, not once in years.
Installing Ductless Mini Splits At The Jersey Shore
We couldn’t be more pleased with how this project turned out. The homeowners felt an immediate improvement in their home comfort, and we were able to finish the installation ahead of schedule. These systems are perfect for homes and businesses in our area, being that they can provide heating and cooling with ease, and can help reduce energy consumption.
If you think this is something you’d like to invest in for your home, give us a call at (609) 390-3907, or contact us online to speak to an expert today!