As a Japanese architect, glad to see a bit of Japanese house tech taking off in the US. Hope to see both countries working toward Passive house. Btw Matt’s new home looks fantastic!
I have 2 mini splits in the main room of my house, 2 cassettes in the kids' rooms and a head in our master. Ran off of 2 outside units. They cut my electric bill in half during the summer in az. 9800 installed diy. Old bill with the 13seer 5 ton 458.00 a month in hot months. New bill with 6.5tons and 2 outdoor units. 254 a month. Totally worth it.
My wife and I bought a tract house that was built in 1976. We had it remodeled and it is now the most comfortable house we have ever lived in. The previous owner had replaced the windows with modern dual-pane sealed. Our contractors improved the insulation in the attic crawl space. (They said the attic crawl space had six inches of sawdust and two inches of insulation... they got that stuff out and put in 18 inches of modern insulation.) The big win was installing a ground-source heat pump with 800 feet of pipes buried in our back yard, plus a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV). The heat pump has no trouble heating our house in the winter and is _amazing_ at cooling on hot days. It takes less energy than a space heater when heating the whole house and consumes no more than 20 kWh in one day for heating; for cooling it consumes less than 4 kWh. And it's quiet and trouble-free. The HRV keeps the air fresh. The heat pump has a big filter... the manual says it can support up to MERV 13 so that's what I use. The intake for the HRV also has a MERV 13 filter. I replace these every four months. They have been a real blessing during "forest-fire season"... it seems that every year now there is a forest fire within a few hundred miles of our house (we live in the Pacific Northwest so we have lots of forest here) and smoke can travel hundreds of miles so we get it. Those MERV 13 filters take the smoke out of the air. I have indoor and outdoor air quality monitors... below 50 is good air quality, 100 and above is considered bad. We had air quality above 300 last fall, and at the same time the indoor quality was 30. The expense of installing the ground-source heat pump was high enough that it may not ever pencil out as a money savings, but the quality-of-life improvement was well worth it. The heat pump itself is in our garage, where the old natural gas furnace used to be. It's amazingly quiet. It's a Waterfurnace 7-series and has variable-speed blower motor and variable-speed compressor; everything is variable-speed and it only runs as hard as it needs to. And it doesn't need a soft-starter as soft starts are a side-effect of the variable speed. By the way, our 1970's era tract house has an extremely simple duct system. The house has two floors, and all the ducts are in a soffit running on the ceiling of the ground floor. All the upstairs rooms have their ducts in the floor, and all the downstairs rooms have their ducts in the ceiling. This has the effect that our ducts are within the conditioned space. (When the contractors installed the heat pump, they upgraded our ducts by adding some additional air returns, and the returns are partly up in the attic crawl space.)
15:08 Matt has the freaking space shuttle's retractable stairway in his house... Meanwhile Matt casually talks while his robo-stairs keep flexin' hard on people. 15:37 The eagle has landed. Cracked me up dude. Update: 17:30 we've arrived inside the Space Shuttle
I was at a party around 7 years ago where the house A/C was one of those basic central air ones where the A/C is either running or not running. Due to the number of people in the house, the A/C was just running non-stop because it wasn't powerful enough to cool that many warm bodies. My brother-in-law decided to lower to the temperature on the thermostat, but he couldn't understand why the temperature in the house was still going up. I kept telling him that it wasn't going to make a difference because it was already running and unable to keep up, but he still didn't get it.
When my AC burned out I went from a 3 ton to a 4 ton for this reason and during summer parties it still does not keep up. I love the idea of a party load mini split
It’s a concept so many people just do not get. They think setting the thermostat lower means it blows colder air instead of understanding that the number means that’s when it will shut off. As you said, it won’t matter because it’s going to keep running to meet that temperature setting, if it didn’t hit the set point at 70 then it’s not going to hit a set point of 65 any better lol
@@chadhowell1328 effectively yes but an inverter unit will actually blow colder air the larger the diff between the set temp and the room temp by about 3c. If the gap is wider the compressor will run harder to blow colder air and deliver more cooling to cool the space. Best to set thermostat a few degrees below the usual temp before guests arrive so it has more chance. Also run the fan speed higher to deliver more cooling.
@@titulaernd doesnt keep up because youre not suppose to upsize a unit just because you want to. it has to be sized properly. because you oversized it, it will short cycle and not have enough run time. if you a/c only runs for 5 or 10 minutes is oversized. you run into humidty issues and mold problems
Lol I tell my wife this all the time. She often turns the thermostat way down when it's a little warm in the house because she thinks it will cool it off faster, but in reality I find myself shivering in thirty minutes.
Absolutely using hvac design company or designing my own from now on. Learned a hard lesson this year with a new to me but 5 star/diamond or whatever Trane contractor. It is no guarantee they know what they are doing. Six months after install and finding the right contractor finally, helped me fix the problem I actually removed on unit entirely and zoned the other to do my whole house. Crazy how bad this actually was. Anyhow it’s worth getting a design or learning enough yourself to be confident enough I’ll bet after a few months most people could design a better system than most “hvac contractors” who are really just equipment dealers and service techs playing at contracting.
MATT, you were instrumental in all aspects when I engineered, designed and installed my mini split systems.. I have 3 seperate 1 to 1 Mitsubishi Hyper Heat units, 15K,18K,6K... I also have a 3 to 1 LG Red system for the bedrooms on the main level. I took everything I learned on your channel and elsewhere and ran with it. I spent about $12,000 on all the hardware, electrical was about another $1800 for material... I did the entire installation, everything...only thing is i had an HVAC guy do the evacuation add correct amount of refrigerant (when applicable) and startup. Im an electrician by trade with a ton of temperature control experience for commercial applications. I do have a moisture issue now in the house because its so tight since we did new windows and sprayfoam around them..So im looking at an HRV or ERV not sure yet but its in the works.. I need to do more research, Im in Connecticut and it gets hella cold up here and the house is a bit high on the humidity level... so it's something i have to look into.. BUT THANKS for all your great videos... It really helped me. its been 3 years and all the systems are running perfectly with proper maintenance of course.
I live in Japan right now and I love the convenience of the split head units but the drawback is having to add an air purifier to every room because the split heads have terrible filtration.
Honestly...I dont think that every room needs purified air. If you do the main spaces and have air moving...and cleaned an it comes inside...the whole house will have clean air.
As an air duct cleaner and indoor air quality specialist this has been a big concern of mine for a long time. As well as them not getting the required maintenance to prevent mold and mildew growth in the traps and trays.
Gotta take ‘Em out and wash them with soap and water every 3 weeks. Wipe the blower section with soap and have a technician flush the condensate line every 6 months if running AC.
Another option for the ERV is to duct directly into the back of the fan coil unit "pizza box" since the fan coil ducts are already air balanced into each individual room that you want fresh air in already. This would reduce some ducting required for this build.
I agree that there is just way too much redundant ductwork. Matt has stated that he wants that fresh air surgically supplied to specific rooms like bedrooms, but I believe that effort is problematic. For one thing, the ERV supply air is not the ideal temperature since the device is not 100% efficient. IMO if you have a decent circulation system installed, then you can really put that air anywhere you want.
After watching Matt's original videos on VRF systems, I went with Mitsubishi for my new home. Main floor is ducted, and upper floor has 5 mini split heads for bedrooms and bonus room. I LOVE the VRF system! I HATE Kumo Cloud. Kumo Cloud is so bad that if I could do it over I wouldn't use Mitsubishi. The remote modules are hundreds of dollars each, and you need one for every mini split and air handler to get WiFi access. The system routinely can't connect, even though all the units are in solid WiFi signal strength. If you do go with Mitsubishi, make sure an expert sizes it. I assumed the Mitsubishi authorized installer could do it, but in the end I had to call the engineers at Mitsubishi (great tech support) and ran the Manual J calcs myself.
I didn't know Mitsubishi and Carrier had wifi connections. Is it required? I hate "smart" appliances I will skip Mitsubishi in the house I'm about to build if they require it
The attic needs to cover and encapsulate the Rockwall insulation. The insulation adds particulates into the air. Perhaps in the future, experts will identify those particulates contributing to respiratory disease.
The biopersistence of mineral wool is pretty low, but I still wouldn't want to breathe it. With his filtration system, I'd expect him to be fairly safe (and the air in the house is probably better than in most of ours - I live 'down the street' from his house and our air quality outside is shite).
This comment has been independently fact checked by a member of our staff, and your comment may be #TRUE and #ACCURATE! Thank you for sharing the #FACTS 👍🏻. (However if it were my home I would have gone spray foam 100%…)
Vojo, pozdrav iz Srbije gledam slučajno ovaj Video jer se bavim montazom split sistema a nikada nisam radio veće sisteme poput kanalskih jedinica i kamoli multi 5zone 😉, slušam i ako mi Englisch nije na nekom nivou i uzivam da čujem našeg čoveka u Americi, ziv i zdrav bio
Could the additional dehumidifier go on the fresh air system rather than the HVAC ducts? It seems like the fresh air system is in more places in the house and since it’s always running anyway you don’t need to start up the HVAC blower just for dehumidification when you might not need heating or cooling.
You have a beautiful house. It was great getting the informative tour of your HVAC and dehumidification system. Voya had great insights too. Thank you and God bless you.
A better insulated souse works both ways, good during winter and easy to cool during summer. When i was in Florida many years ago the AC went on and off all the time...the building standard was subpar.
@9:47, I know quite a few Japanese people who would rather have our central HVAC systems. A central HVAC system with zoning and coupled with a variable load inverter condenser is the best of both.
I have always wondered about possibly adding a mini-split into a nice home. Thank you so much for doing this. Because now, I know to avoid this. ( Sorry Matt! ) I know you already said you are aware of the naysayers... BUT, I have to say, I am not excited about the appearance of the mini-splits in the house. I feel like it cheapens the interior decor substantially. You might want to consider some concealing techniques, such as "Picture Frame" concealment. You can "normalize" it if you want, but if you ask me, I think it is just "out of place" considering the interior decorating in your house.
Agreed 1,000%. He has an attic right behind that wall he could have had a dedicated small ducted vrf system installed. The extra vents on that wall would have looked a million times better.
They always ugly, but there are ways to minimize how obvious they are. Since in Matt's case, it would cool downstairs it probably made sense to put it up higher so the cool air can 'fall own' and spread where people are. It also matters how the pipe and power is routed, of course. If you wanted to conceal it, you'd probably move it somewhere past the bottom of the stairs, near the entry to the master bedroom, or possibly in the living room, 'aimed' at the kitchen. Where it's mounted right now is out in the open on a large open wall. That makes it stand out a little more than usual. My brother had his mounted above the front door and you'd barely even notice it when you left his house. Mostly because you're looking at the floor, putting your shoes on, grabbing your coat. Not looking above the door.
Matt love the house, I recommend your channel to all these tradesmen at the embassy I work at in the Middle East, I would be so grateful if you could tell me where you got your dining table and dining chairs. It’s exactly what I’m looking for my new home in Houston.
This week I will be functionally testing a 30 unit vrf system in an office complex. It’s a daikin system and it has branch control boxes. This allows one room to be heating while the other room could be cooling. This is in Minnesota so it’s very interesting to see how it works. We do have hot water baseboard heat as an emergency back up on the skin load of the building just to make sure we have heat when it’s -30f. Cool stuff, nice setup you have there.
I’m sure it will be fine when it’s +30f out but the engineer is obviously aware that vrf does not work when it’s -30f. That’s why they added the hydronic fin tube radiation. I feel these systems have their place. For Minnesota climate I feel they are not the answer as a primary system for heating. They loose all efficiency as the temperature drops and I’m not sure it will even run when we get those 3-4 days below zero snaps that seem to be more and more common now.
@@scha0786 I think it depends on the extent of the building's insulation and sealing. The article "Can a Heat Pump Work in Minnesota?" on Energy Vanguard about Gary Nelson's home was an interesting read about a high-performance home (older home to boot). About once per year the home fell 5-10 degrees below the desired temp of 72F (!) during a particularly cold time in the winter. Having a space heater as backup, or just using the oven, seems like a fine option for those very rare events for a regular home because the overall heating requirement is so low.
Commercial systems are the same concept just way bigger and usually have more features. The commercial one I am testing this week has 3 giant condensers outside. Each condenser feeds one or more branch distribution boxes that send either liquid or vapor refrigerant to the space cassette. Lots of refer piping and lots of brazed joints. Maybe I should do a little you tube video on the system this week?
17 min mark what's the blue halo fixture above his head? Also can you do a tour of all the Ethernet cables and smart features? Or do you just have RJ45 ports in each room?
I must confess I also don't like the slats on the ceiling. I understand it's a design choice, and if it works for you, that's great! But I would LOVE to learn more about that powered ceiling stair unit!
These ads are getting really impressive. No but if you're gonna do a paid ad, at least you're doing an actually far supier product than the competition. Can't wait till my wife and I start building our forever home so we can get a nice VRF system installed.
We debated a minisplit downstairs instead of replacing the almost-never-used AC, but then it turns out that come winter, we rely on the downstairs furnace (summer - rely on upstairs AC), and the 'split just couldn't provide enough heat on its own. Due to the layout, I could get away with two 'splits downstairs, but then we were up to the cost of just replacing the existing forced air system, so we did that.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel nothing beats a gas furnace, but a mini split can easily support central systems. Mini splits are great for AC, but need a running start maybe 24 hours in advance for heat on its own.
Thanks a-million for all the great tips! Seriously. Good. Advise. Im about to build a 1500sf home in Blue Ridge, GA on a tight budget in this market. I am an owner-builder with some experience, some good subs, and I can bake into my home plan some/many of the products and/or techniques you preach: air-tightness, waterproof redundancy, great insulation, high quality windows/doors, ect. I will prioritize the envelope highest, and it will be tight. Question 1: how do I ventilate on a budget. I’m not sure I can justify the extra money for a whole-home HRV/ERV. Do I use a couple of spot-HRVs or just an intake with a baffle? Question 2: where and what product do I use for vapor barrier? We are like Austin in that we get lots of heat yet even MORE humidity. I do plan to have a whole house dehumidifier. However, unlike Austin, we have very cold winters at this elevation. Zone 4. Where do I put the vapor barrier? Not sue I can afford exterior insulation. Walls will be 2x6 in most places, maybe 2x4 upstairs (shed roof, upstairs is one bedroom and a den) with Rock-wool if I can afford it. I’ll use zip sheathing, zip-r, if I can.
Incredible system, Matt. So you have input and output vents in your non-vented attic space? I put in Closed foam in my unvented attic 15 years ago, but never actually air conditioned the space, and actually never removed the blown in Insullation above the ceiling. It has been gradually getting hotter and hotter in the attic, and recently added a Santa Fe Dehumidifier. I have been told that I should remove the blown Insullation. I am wondering if I should add the attic to my AC space. How can I tell if I have developed any leaks in my closed cell foam insulation done 15 years ago? Is your Dehumidifier also pulling air from the attic space? Thanks so much.
I wish production builders would put this much thought and effort into the developments they call "luxury"...Keeping bugz out is worth the effort to me let alone all of the other benefits....consumers need to demand better!
How is servicing a well mount unit on a staircase working out? This was always a struggle to be able to get to all sides and accesses when servicing on a staircase.
They do have ducted mini splits that hide behind the walls with a modern grill. They look way better obviously. The cassettes in the ceiling are bulky as well.
So, I've been wondering - if the attic is conditioned space, then why are the central air ducts insulated? And do you really need a return air duct system? Why not just put in transfer grills (properly treated to prevent cross talk between rooms) into the attic and let the ERV dump air into the attic and allow the air handler to gather and condition the air and deliver to each zone through uninsulated ductwork? What am I missing? Oh and just put a standard room dehumidifier in the attic with a dedicated drain to dump into and set it to 45%. Chances are it will cycle on and off and do a great job if your blower door test is reasonable.
Beautiful home. Great designs. What do you know about crystalline waterproofing for concrete? I recently came across the technology and I'm learning more about it. Thanks in advance.
I have 3 mini splits. I loved them at first. But the reason I bought them is I have a SEVERE allergy to mold and our hvac system kept getting contaminated. Anaphylactic type of allergy. So I realized that there was mold on ours and was told it would a crazy Amt to take the evaporator coil out and wash it. My allergy is so severe I can’t just leave it in there and spray something in it. Any ideas??? How do u maintain them without getting mold? I thought we could just remove the evap coil and wash it down with hose but the ones I’ve found requires a professional to remove it. I’ve in La and it’s so humid. Help plz🙏🙏🙏
Same question. From Grandma’s house with a split system to my parents with a geothermal hvac system: basically only comfortable in radiant heated houses at the moment.
Question on ductwork from garage, most homes in my area have the furnace in the garage and the duct work starts from there, why is that bad? And what’s a better way to do it? Framing out a utility room in the garage?
I am 50yrs years old and in my lifetime we had to convert or replace units, because the refridgerant has change at least 4 times. Are you worried about having to change out your system, because of a new a new coolent?
Matt, I wish I would have seen your videos before I started building my house. It was my Builder that shared one of your videos with me and I have shared a few with him. I loved the one about MUA. Can you tell me what brand of interior doors you have? Thanks
I love mini splits, very efficient, nearly silent. I do wish they had better air filter options. Most of them have basically a merv 1 filter for equipment protection instead of something to treat air for people.
They're not really meant to filter anything but the biggest crud out of the coils of the unit. For filtering air for dust/allergy reasons, there are air filtration systems. It would be more expensive (but much slicker) to have the air conditioner do both, like you could in a full HVAC system.
What I've been told (though I'm not an HVAC person, so take with unhealthy amounts of salt) is the ones with the units are basically just for compliance. Instead doing something like a large filter box on the return (such as right behind the return grille) is supposed to work much better.
@@kevharv By what measure do you need 4x the equipment to achieve the same level of functionality and efficiency? If you compare all the equipment required to do the same thing with a distributed air system (central air handler/coil, zone dampers, duct,etc.) the mini split would be less volume or "bloat" as you term it.
I think $400 of the $500/month in electricity I spend is on my heating and air conditioning. A 5 ton unit on 2000 sq ft house. Something seems really messed up. Trying to figure out if ductless systems and heat pump (i have heating coils) is the way to go. I have natural gas line that runs to air exchanger but it's capped off because I guess someone thought electricity was cheaper.
Hey Matt. Great video. I’m in Houston - considering ditching my 20 year central system and going strictly ductless - 12k BTU in the master 7k in the guest bed (3rd floor), and 18k in an 800 sq ft living/kitchen open floor plan (2nd floor) Most contractors think I’m crazy to do this, am I?!
A question regarding the mini split head on your vertical shiplap wall: Would it not have been feasible to mount that mini split directly across from where it is in the video? You know, on that small wall directly above the handrail of your steps? Seems like mounting it there would keep it out of sight until you head up the steps. Just a thought.
they can be mounted anywhere, but in that specific case it would be more difficult. split heads need space behind to run the refrigerant lines and condensate drain, along with electrical. also the way the head blows air, and has the ability to wave or direct the airflow, you want to point it into the open space rather than against the stair wall
He might shed a tear or two over the $11000/year tax bill though. I'm also curious about the noise levels from Mopac - it's basically a freeway, and it's elevated, so I'd fear the noise travels. Of course, since we don't open windows here in Texas, it won't be a problem INSIDE the house for sure.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel I think he can afford it ;-) This is a very nice house, but really a bit small for six people, especially in Texas. I feel for those boys not getting any privacy.
First of all, this system is amazing - truly innovative. Second, that dude in the one-size-too-small bright blue suit is not a realtor?? That is a realtor uniform right there. Engineers are supposed to wear Dockers.
I would love it if they would compare or disclose cost for this type of system compared to a traditional split system with zoning and modulating dampers
I think a properly designed duct system and the same insulation as this house has, it would be just as comfortable and more cost friendly initially and long term. People don’t realize that these mini split systems cost much more to service and you can’t get parts readily.
What thermostat & app are you using? I have a Mitsubishi ducted, 2 zone unit on my recent remodel, and I have a honeywell 8000 thermostat. What are the pros/cons of the honeywall vs. the mitsubishi vs. Ecobee or other thermstat?
Can you convert an attic space from a vented to a non vented, I am considering upgrading my HVAC in my home and that is on the list. Im also considering adding a dual zone mini split for the rooms which are not cooling and heating properly
Another stellar video!!! Keep them coming. Side note: the ceiling fan in your master bedroom. Where can I find one of those and how, if any does that contribute to your circulation system?
I'm planning on heating and cooling a 40x40 house in MN with two Mitsubishi 9k h2i units. Mitsubishi has best specs (turndown ratio) and I like the wireless thermostat.
Just curious, why wouldnt you put the dehumidifier on the zehnder unit? Does the air handler turn on just for dehumidification if no heating or cooling is called for? It would be more efficient to put the dehumidification on the zehnder side since its always running.
My house is 111 years old and was heated with a 45 year old oil boiler, cooling was provided by 8 window units. Talk about inefficient. Last spring I had a Mitsubishi H2i condenser and two-zone split ducting. It’s saving us a boatload, but now I have to do windows and doors. The humidity gets unbearable in the summer.
matt is figuring out what most people have known for a long time: ditch ducted systems. the mini-split is an amazing device and they're just better at delivering comfort to your specific space.
Matt's videos are great- but one thing I don't want to hear about ugly mechanical equipment is that we just have to get used to them. Why is it so hard for Mitsubishi to make the mini-split units attractive?
He sold the old house even before he moved into the new one. Have you seen the Austin real estate market? Houses are selling for $100k above asking the same week they are listed
There are 2 different Mitsubishi aircon manufacturers which are independent companies and strong rivals. One is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the other is Mitsubishi Electric. Both have a good reputation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries considered by many in Australia as more durable.
Is it ok to design the summer load to cool at 75 on a hotter day than the 1%? In my area its 94 degrees. Using a variable system can we design it for 98 to 100 degrees?
Well, a bit different than mine. My garage with upstairs apartment has two pancake (pizza box) units of 1.25 and 1.5 tons covering about 1200 sq ft (including the stairwell and downstairs landing) and a wall-mount 1.25 ton (15k btu) in the garage downstairs covering about 900 sq ft. All of it is connected to a single 4-ton outside condenser. Because I air sealed the building, have conditioned attic space for the pancake units, and have 2x6 exterior walls with R-23 Rockwool, and a R-60 ceiling assembly (multilayer sandwich including R30 Rockwool under the roof deck, with 4 inches of foam above the roof deck, with another roof deck and shingles on top of that.... my units are way oversized. I seriously could have done the whole thing with a 3-ton outdoor condenser and downsized each indoor unit by a quarter to a half a ton. Mine's also Mitsubishi, BTW. P.S., they do fine with pulling enough humidity without any need for additional dehumidification. Humidity is consistently between 30-55%.
Also most mini split have dehumidifying mode that use half the power and can still cool a space to 74F without problem. Most users they are not even aware of it, likely also most of the installers...
Surprised you didn't use another in-wall cassette vs. the wall wart for your party load. Yes, other countries have been using head-units for awhile, but I wouldn't want to normalize, what I would consider is a less than desirable design characteristic, i.e. the head unit. You could have dropped in a P-Series Concealed Duct Unit from Mitsu that would have been a more easy on the eyes design, IMO.
Thanks for the video - would love a little more info on the dehumidifier and how it hooks into the rest of the system. Also how many protrusions your system requires for the roof as more people get solar roofs (not solar panels but entire solar roofs).
No roof protrusions for the hvac system, all electric, no combustion. ERV system has two wall penetrations, fresh air in and exhaust out. Only roof penetrations are plumbing vents.
@@mitchdenner9743 Do plumbing vents NEED to go through the roof? Can they angle out the side of the house and then point up? I'd love to have a roof with NO penetrations at all.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel I'm not sure, never saw one out a side wall. I hear you, i don't like roof penetrations either due to possible leaks, or penetrations in the house anywhere for that matter.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel after a quick search it looks like they don't have to go through the roof. Most through the roof are done that way out of convenience. Certain distances must be kept from windows, doors, and air intakes though. Check you local codes of course.
Great episode. We all love the build show sign-off in my house, but the addition of the dotcom is not great. It makes sense that you are getting the word out about the new url, so hopefully it's just temporary.
Matt - I get the party load idea - but honestly the mini split mounted on the wall is very ugly. Even a builder I respect like you is not going to get me to normalize ugly. You had an attic right behind that wall your party load could have been designed into. An extra return and couple of ducts on that wall would have looked a millions times better than what you did. As for the kitchen cassette - I get the framing challenges you had - but having that ugly box cut into those beautiful wood ceilings is a crime. Your house comes off looking like an add for Mitsubishi than anything else. Now aside from those two things - I love everything else about your system. Very impressive performance. How many kwh are you using and what did all those systems cost. Or better said - what would they cost someone that wasn’t being sponsored by the manufacturer?
Yea it’s ugly lol. I love Matt’s work overall, it definitely appears it was put there for advertisement….but I could be wrong. The fact that the attic space behind it could have easily allowed a unit with minimal ductwork is what makes me think this….Also yea my wife would kill me if I put that unit in the kitchen ceiling…
This is a very subjective thing. In my opinion, there is a healthy balance that can be reached between aesthetics, efficiency and cost. I think Matt's comment about mini split systems not being normalized in the USA is a good point. We're just not use to seeing them so they don't look right to our eye. That said, I'm considering using ONLY several mini split units when I remodel my house in a few years. The cost will be a fraction of a complex ducted system and the efficiency will be outstanding.
say you pay for a higher ton unit, wouldn't it still run slower than it needs to near peak load? meaning lower amp draw. also, it's like four months of 100+ degree weather in texas. it's not a short amount of time. but main question is the higher tonnage for lower amp draws. would that make sense? say the variable speed condenser and split system costs near the same from 2 to 4 tons.
As a Japanese architect, glad to see a bit of Japanese house tech taking off in the US. Hope to see both countries working toward Passive house. Btw Matt’s new home looks fantastic!
I have 2 mini splits in the main room of my house, 2 cassettes in the kids' rooms and a head in our master. Ran off of 2 outside units. They cut my electric bill in half during the summer in az. 9800 installed diy. Old bill with the 13seer 5 ton 458.00 a month in hot months. New bill with 6.5tons and 2 outdoor units. 254 a month. Totally worth it.
My wife and I bought a tract house that was built in 1976. We had it remodeled and it is now the most comfortable house we have ever lived in.
The previous owner had replaced the windows with modern dual-pane sealed. Our contractors improved the insulation in the attic crawl space. (They said the attic crawl space had six inches of sawdust and two inches of insulation... they got that stuff out and put in 18 inches of modern insulation.)
The big win was installing a ground-source heat pump with 800 feet of pipes buried in our back yard, plus a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV). The heat pump has no trouble heating our house in the winter and is _amazing_ at cooling on hot days. It takes less energy than a space heater when heating the whole house and consumes no more than 20 kWh in one day for heating; for cooling it consumes less than 4 kWh. And it's quiet and trouble-free. The HRV keeps the air fresh.
The heat pump has a big filter... the manual says it can support up to MERV 13 so that's what I use. The intake for the HRV also has a MERV 13 filter. I replace these every four months. They have been a real blessing during "forest-fire season"... it seems that every year now there is a forest fire within a few hundred miles of our house (we live in the Pacific Northwest so we have lots of forest here) and smoke can travel hundreds of miles so we get it. Those MERV 13 filters take the smoke out of the air. I have indoor and outdoor air quality monitors... below 50 is good air quality, 100 and above is considered bad. We had air quality above 300 last fall, and at the same time the indoor quality was 30.
The expense of installing the ground-source heat pump was high enough that it may not ever pencil out as a money savings, but the quality-of-life improvement was well worth it. The heat pump itself is in our garage, where the old natural gas furnace used to be. It's amazingly quiet. It's a Waterfurnace 7-series and has variable-speed blower motor and variable-speed compressor; everything is variable-speed and it only runs as hard as it needs to. And it doesn't need a soft-starter as soft starts are a side-effect of the variable speed.
By the way, our 1970's era tract house has an extremely simple duct system. The house has two floors, and all the ducts are in a soffit running on the ceiling of the ground floor. All the upstairs rooms have their ducts in the floor, and all the downstairs rooms have their ducts in the ceiling. This has the effect that our ducts are within the conditioned space. (When the contractors installed the heat pump, they upgraded our ducts by adding some additional air returns, and the returns are partly up in the attic crawl space.)
15:08 Matt has the freaking space shuttle's retractable stairway in his house...
Meanwhile Matt casually talks while his robo-stairs keep flexin' hard on people.
15:37 The eagle has landed.
Cracked me up dude.
Update: 17:30 we've arrived inside the Space Shuttle
I was at a party around 7 years ago where the house A/C was one of those basic central air ones where the A/C is either running or not running. Due to the number of people in the house, the A/C was just running non-stop because it wasn't powerful enough to cool that many warm bodies. My brother-in-law decided to lower to the temperature on the thermostat, but he couldn't understand why the temperature in the house was still going up. I kept telling him that it wasn't going to make a difference because it was already running and unable to keep up, but he still didn't get it.
When my AC burned out I went from a 3 ton to a 4 ton for this reason and during summer parties it still does not keep up. I love the idea of a party load mini split
It’s a concept so many people just do not get. They think setting the thermostat lower means it blows colder air instead of understanding that the number means that’s when it will shut off. As you said, it won’t matter because it’s going to keep running to meet that temperature setting, if it didn’t hit the set point at 70 then it’s not going to hit a set point of 65 any better lol
@@chadhowell1328 effectively yes but an inverter unit will actually blow colder air the larger the diff between the set temp and the room temp by about 3c. If the gap is wider the compressor will run harder to blow colder air and deliver more cooling to cool the space. Best to set thermostat a few degrees below the usual temp before guests arrive so it has more chance. Also run the fan speed higher to deliver more cooling.
@@titulaernd doesnt keep up because youre not suppose to upsize a unit just because you want to. it has to be sized properly. because you oversized it, it will short cycle and not have enough run time. if you a/c only runs for 5 or 10 minutes is oversized. you run into humidty issues and mold problems
Lol I tell my wife this all the time. She often turns the thermostat way down when it's a little warm in the house because she thinks it will cool it off faster, but in reality I find myself shivering in thirty minutes.
Absolutely using hvac design company or designing my own from now on. Learned a hard lesson this year with a new to me but 5 star/diamond or whatever Trane contractor. It is no guarantee they know what they are doing. Six months after install and finding the right contractor finally, helped me fix the problem I actually removed on unit entirely and zoned the other to do my whole house. Crazy how bad this actually was. Anyhow it’s worth getting a design or learning enough yourself to be confident enough I’ll bet after a few months most people could design a better system than most “hvac contractors” who are really just equipment dealers and service techs playing at contracting.
MATT, you were instrumental in all aspects when I engineered, designed and installed my mini split systems.. I have 3 seperate 1 to 1 Mitsubishi Hyper Heat units, 15K,18K,6K... I also have a 3 to 1 LG Red system for the bedrooms on the main level. I took everything I learned on your channel and elsewhere and ran with it. I spent about $12,000 on all the hardware, electrical was about another $1800 for material... I did the entire installation, everything...only thing is i had an HVAC guy do the evacuation add correct amount of refrigerant (when applicable) and startup. Im an electrician by trade with a ton of temperature control experience for commercial applications. I do have a moisture issue now in the house because its so tight since we did new windows and sprayfoam around them..So im looking at an HRV or ERV not sure yet but its in the works.. I need to do more research, Im in Connecticut and it gets hella cold up here and the house is a bit high on the humidity level... so it's something i have to look into.. BUT THANKS for all your great videos... It really helped me. its been 3 years and all the systems are running perfectly with proper maintenance of course.
Amazing system, and those interior finishes are on point. I love Matt just casually opening the attic stairs by remote.
Congratulations on keeping the bugs out. When I lived in Austin I could never get rid of those nasty wood roaches - they are everywhere!
I live in Japan right now and I love the convenience of the split head units but the drawback is having to add an air purifier to every room because the split heads have terrible filtration.
Honestly...I dont think that every room needs purified air. If you do the main spaces and have air moving...and cleaned an it comes inside...the whole house will have clean air.
As an air duct cleaner and indoor air quality specialist this has been a big concern of mine for a long time. As well as them not getting the required maintenance to prevent mold and mildew growth in the traps and trays.
Gotta take ‘Em out and wash them with soap and water every 3 weeks. Wipe the blower section with soap and have a technician flush the condensate line every 6 months if running AC.
Some air conditioner have best purifier system like Fujitsu. Can take korean as well like LG
It’s air conditioning not air purification
Another option for the ERV is to duct directly into the back of the fan coil unit "pizza box" since the fan coil ducts are already air balanced into each individual room that you want fresh air in already. This would reduce some ducting required for this build.
I agree that there is just way too much redundant ductwork. Matt has stated that he wants that fresh air surgically supplied to specific rooms like bedrooms, but I believe that effort is problematic. For one thing, the ERV supply air is not the ideal temperature since the device is not 100% efficient. IMO if you have a decent circulation system installed, then you can really put that air anywhere you want.
After watching Matt's original videos on VRF systems, I went with Mitsubishi for my new home. Main floor is ducted, and upper floor has 5 mini split heads for bedrooms and bonus room. I LOVE the VRF system! I HATE Kumo Cloud. Kumo Cloud is so bad that if I could do it over I wouldn't use Mitsubishi. The remote modules are hundreds of dollars each, and you need one for every mini split and air handler to get WiFi access. The system routinely can't connect, even though all the units are in solid WiFi signal strength. If you do go with Mitsubishi, make sure an expert sizes it. I assumed the Mitsubishi authorized installer could do it, but in the end I had to call the engineers at Mitsubishi (great tech support) and ran the Manual J calcs myself.
Proper sizing is key with any system.
Carrier's mini remote system and app are both just as bad.
@@bhylton86 I'd agree with you, but I never could get the app to work in the first place.
I didn't know Mitsubishi and Carrier had wifi connections. Is it required? I hate "smart" appliances I will skip Mitsubishi in the house I'm about to build if they require it
@@Eric998765 I don't think it's required, just an option
The attic needs to cover and encapsulate the Rockwall insulation. The insulation adds particulates into the air. Perhaps in the future, experts will identify those particulates contributing to respiratory disease.
The biopersistence of mineral wool is pretty low, but I still wouldn't want to breathe it.
With his filtration system, I'd expect him to be fairly safe (and the air in the house is probably better than in most of ours - I live 'down the street' from his house and our air quality outside is shite).
This comment has been independently fact checked by a member of our staff, and your comment may be #TRUE and #ACCURATE! Thank you for sharing the #FACTS 👍🏻. (However if it were my home I would have gone spray foam 100%…)
Thanks Matt. Keep those nerdy videos coming. I love them.
I installed Mitsu mini splits in my last house. Absolutely loved them.
This is the nicest most thoughtfully laid out house I’ve ever seen. It looks super classy but very cosy. Congratulations sir!
Fantastic tour of your HVAC systems. You mentioned your electricity bill is, perhaps, less than your neighbors.
What is your average kW Hr/mo use?
Who cares about electric bill when upfront cost so much like a Ferrari owner worried about cost of oil change?
This house isn’t a Ferrari- it is a Tesla, and it would be nice to know how much he is saving on gasoline every month with a low kWh home.
Lol, nice @ Stephen … and Tesla’s don’t need oil changes!
A reminder why I invested in Mitsubishi, great stuff. Now i just need to build next level Enerphit style home like Matt to put these systems in.
Vojo, pozdrav iz Srbije gledam slučajno ovaj Video jer se bavim montazom split sistema a nikada nisam radio veće sisteme poput kanalskih jedinica i kamoli multi 5zone 😉, slušam i ako mi Englisch nije na nekom nivou i uzivam da čujem našeg čoveka u Americi, ziv i zdrav bio
Could the additional dehumidifier go on the fresh air system rather than the HVAC ducts? It seems like the fresh air system is in more places in the house and since it’s always running anyway you don’t need to start up the HVAC blower just for dehumidification when you might not need heating or cooling.
You have a beautiful house. It was great getting the informative tour of your HVAC and dehumidification system. Voya had great insights too. Thank you and God bless you.
A better insulated souse works both ways, good during winter and easy to cool during summer.
When i was in Florida many years ago the AC went on and off all the time...the building standard was subpar.
Matt’s awesome. But aren’t you missing a HEPA level filter for the house??
Comments on fantech HS300 with its own fan?
Cold snap in Texas is a warm winter day here in Canada
@9:47, I know quite a few Japanese people who would rather have our central HVAC systems. A central HVAC system with zoning and coupled with a variable load inverter condenser is the best of both.
I have always wondered about possibly adding a mini-split into a nice home. Thank you so much for doing this.
Because now, I know to avoid this. ( Sorry Matt! )
I know you already said you are aware of the naysayers... BUT, I have to say, I am not excited about the appearance of the mini-splits in the house. I feel like it cheapens the interior decor substantially.
You might want to consider some concealing techniques, such as "Picture Frame" concealment.
You can "normalize" it if you want, but if you ask me, I think it is just "out of place" considering the interior decorating in your house.
Agreed 1,000%. He has an attic right behind that wall he could have had a dedicated small ducted vrf system installed. The extra vents on that wall would have looked a million times better.
They always ugly, but there are ways to minimize how obvious they are. Since in Matt's case, it would cool downstairs it probably made sense to put it up higher so the cool air can 'fall own' and spread where people are.
It also matters how the pipe and power is routed, of course.
If you wanted to conceal it, you'd probably move it somewhere past the bottom of the stairs, near the entry to the master bedroom, or possibly in the living room, 'aimed' at the kitchen.
Where it's mounted right now is out in the open on a large open wall. That makes it stand out a little more than usual.
My brother had his mounted above the front door and you'd barely even notice it when you left his house. Mostly because you're looking at the floor, putting your shoes on, grabbing your coat. Not looking above the door.
Totally agree. The picture frame option and the flush ceiling unit are the only ones I would consider.
Picture frame mini splits exist. They also come in other varieties and even "ducted" ones.
Matt love the house, I recommend your channel to all these tradesmen at the embassy I work at in the Middle East, I would be so grateful if you could tell me where you got your dining table and dining chairs. It’s exactly what I’m looking for my new home in Houston.
This week I will be functionally testing a 30 unit vrf system in an office complex. It’s a daikin system and it has branch control boxes. This allows one room to be heating while the other room could be cooling. This is in Minnesota so it’s very interesting to see how it works. We do have hot water baseboard heat as an emergency back up on the skin load of the building just to make sure we have heat when it’s -30f. Cool stuff, nice setup you have there.
I am in North Dakota and curious how it works out for you.
I’m sure it will be fine when it’s +30f out but the engineer is obviously aware that vrf does not work when it’s -30f. That’s why they added the hydronic fin tube radiation. I feel these systems have their place. For Minnesota climate I feel they are not the answer as a primary system for heating. They loose all efficiency as the temperature drops and I’m not sure it will even run when we get those 3-4 days below zero snaps that seem to be more and more common now.
@@scha0786 I think it depends on the extent of the building's insulation and sealing. The article "Can a Heat Pump Work in Minnesota?" on Energy Vanguard about Gary Nelson's home was an interesting read about a high-performance home (older home to boot). About once per year the home fell 5-10 degrees below the desired temp of 72F (!) during a particularly cold time in the winter. Having a space heater as backup, or just using the oven, seems like a fine option for those very rare events for a regular home because the overall heating requirement is so low.
Daikin VRV doesn't use branch boxes like Mitsubishi? They use piping manifolds or wyes and hard close EEV at each indoor unit?
Commercial systems are the same concept just way bigger and usually have more features. The commercial one I am testing this week has 3 giant condensers outside. Each condenser feeds one or more branch distribution boxes that send either liquid or vapor refrigerant to the space cassette. Lots of refer piping and lots of brazed joints. Maybe I should do a little you tube video on the system this week?
Thanks Matt for sharing, enjoyed the break down.
Okay, the ladder coming from the attic was a total pimp move.
Perfect application
Ok Matt, what did this system cost? Is it crippling, or just crutches for a little while??
I live in Hawaii. We have heat pumps. It works great. No ducts to leak or waste energy. High ser. Less natural gas use in future.
We can heat/cool any room we want vs heating cooling whole house
17 min mark what's the blue halo fixture above his head? Also can you do a tour of all the Ethernet cables and smart features? Or do you just have RJ45 ports in each room?
I must confess I also don't like the slats on the ceiling. I understand it's a design choice, and if it works for you, that's great!
But I would LOVE to learn more about that powered ceiling stair unit!
He has a video on just the stair install. Very slick system.
Not as nerdy as I thought it was gonna be! Or I’m just a building science nerd now & this is just normal!!
I like your commit about your small 9k unit in my kitchen. How many square foot is your house? We have a 5K for my house is 1250sq/ft.
These ads are getting really impressive. No but if you're gonna do a paid ad, at least you're doing an actually far supier product than the competition. Can't wait till my wife and I start building our forever home so we can get a nice VRF system installed.
There's a diff between vrf and multi split. Vrf is much more advanced allowing simultaneous heating and cooling at the same time.
Installed mini split in my addition remodel and it’s more efficient than main system 2 ton unit. The air handler is very slim and efficient.
We debated a minisplit downstairs instead of replacing the almost-never-used AC, but then it turns out that come winter, we rely on the downstairs furnace (summer - rely on upstairs AC), and the 'split just couldn't provide enough heat on its own. Due to the layout, I could get away with two 'splits downstairs, but then we were up to the cost of just replacing the existing forced air system, so we did that.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel nothing beats a gas furnace, but a mini split can easily support central systems. Mini splits are great for AC, but need a running start maybe 24 hours in advance for heat on its own.
Thanks a-million for all the great tips! Seriously. Good. Advise. Im about to build a 1500sf home in Blue Ridge, GA on a tight budget in this market. I am an owner-builder with some experience, some good subs, and I can bake into my home plan some/many of the products and/or techniques you preach: air-tightness, waterproof redundancy, great insulation, high quality windows/doors, ect. I will prioritize the envelope highest, and it will be tight.
Question 1: how do I ventilate on a budget. I’m not sure I can justify the extra money for a whole-home HRV/ERV. Do I use a couple of spot-HRVs or just an intake with a baffle?
Question 2: where and what product do I use for vapor barrier? We are like Austin in that we get lots of heat yet even MORE humidity. I do plan to have a whole house dehumidifier. However, unlike Austin, we have very cold winters at this elevation. Zone 4. Where do I put the vapor barrier?
Not sue I can afford exterior insulation. Walls will be 2x6 in most places, maybe 2x4 upstairs (shed roof, upstairs is one bedroom and a den) with Rock-wool if I can afford it. I’ll use zip sheathing, zip-r, if I can.
Incredible system, Matt. So you have input and output vents in your non-vented attic space? I put in Closed foam in my unvented attic 15 years ago, but never actually air conditioned the space, and actually never removed the blown in Insullation above the ceiling. It has been gradually getting hotter and hotter in the attic, and recently added a Santa Fe Dehumidifier. I have been told that I should remove the blown Insullation. I am wondering if I should add the attic to my AC space.
How can I tell if I have developed any leaks in my closed cell foam insulation done 15 years ago?
Is your Dehumidifier also pulling air from the attic space?
Thanks so much.
I wish production builders would put this much thought and effort into the developments they call "luxury"...Keeping bugz out is worth the effort to me let alone all of the other benefits....consumers need to demand better!
Yes! 100% agree
Old school AC electric motors on or off. With DC VARIABLE electric motors able to be way more precise with less energy use.
How is servicing a well mount unit on a staircase working out? This was always a struggle to be able to get to all sides and accesses when servicing on a staircase.
They do have ducted mini splits that hide behind the walls with a modern grill. They look way better obviously. The cassettes in the ceiling are bulky as well.
So, I've been wondering - if the attic is conditioned space, then why are the central air ducts insulated? And do you really need a return air duct system? Why not just put in transfer grills (properly treated to prevent cross talk between rooms) into the attic and let the ERV dump air into the attic and allow the air handler to gather and condition the air and deliver to each zone through uninsulated ductwork? What am I missing? Oh and just put a standard room dehumidifier in the attic with a dedicated drain to dump into and set it to 45%. Chances are it will cycle on and off and do a great job if your blower door test is reasonable.
Beautiful home. Great designs. What do you know about crystalline waterproofing for concrete? I recently came across the technology and I'm learning more about it. Thanks in advance.
I have 3 mini splits. I loved them at first. But the reason I bought them is I have a SEVERE allergy to mold and our hvac system kept getting contaminated. Anaphylactic type of allergy. So I realized that there was mold on ours and was told it would a crazy Amt to take the evaporator coil out and wash it. My allergy is so severe I can’t just leave it in there and spray something in it. Any ideas??? How do u maintain them without getting mold? I thought we could just remove the evap coil and wash it down with hose but the ones I’ve found requires a professional to remove it. I’ve in La and it’s so humid. Help plz🙏🙏🙏
Same question. From Grandma’s house with a split system to my parents with a geothermal hvac system: basically only comfortable in radiant heated houses at the moment.
If it were me, I'd cover that rockwool. Terrible to breathe. Beautiful house!
I would have installed along the upper wall over the windows. I’ve done it. Is so fresh because the airflow.
I'm trying to convert my 1960's home to be as energy efficient as possible. You make me spend my money... I'm a sucker for IAQ
Question on ductwork from garage, most homes in my area have the furnace in the garage and the duct work starts from there, why is that bad? And what’s a better way to do it? Framing out a utility room in the garage?
I am 50yrs years old and in my lifetime we had to convert or replace units, because the refridgerant has change at least 4 times. Are you worried about having to change out your system, because of a new a new coolent?
Matt, I wish I would have seen your videos before I started building my house. It was my Builder that shared one of your videos with me and I have shared a few with him. I loved the one about MUA. Can you tell me what brand of interior doors you have? Thanks
I love mini splits, very efficient, nearly silent. I do wish they had better air filter options. Most of them have basically a merv 1 filter for equipment protection instead of something to treat air for people.
They're not really meant to filter anything but the biggest crud out of the coils of the unit. For filtering air for dust/allergy reasons, there are air filtration systems. It would be more expensive (but much slicker) to have the air conditioner do both, like you could in a full HVAC system.
That's what the Zhender unit is for.
What I've been told (though I'm not an HVAC person, so take with unhealthy amounts of salt) is the ones with the units are basically just for compliance. Instead doing something like a large filter box on the return (such as right behind the return grille) is supposed to work much better.
@@kevharv in old houses they are amazing. A 2 head mitsubishi system made my upstairs in my cape cod comfortable. In the summer
@@kevharv By what measure do you need 4x the equipment to achieve the same level of functionality and efficiency? If you compare all the equipment required to do the same thing with a distributed air system (central air handler/coil, zone dampers, duct,etc.) the mini split would be less volume or "bloat" as you term it.
I’m a huge Mitsubishi fan, years ago it was the Lancer Evolution now it’s the home products!
Love the video. On a side note, where did you get your front door? Would love to install that same one in my house.
I think $400 of the $500/month in electricity I spend is on my heating and air conditioning. A 5 ton unit on 2000 sq ft house. Something seems really messed up. Trying to figure out if ductless systems and heat pump (i have heating coils) is the way to go. I have natural gas line that runs to air exchanger but it's capped off because I guess someone thought electricity was cheaper.
Hey Matt. Great video. I’m in Houston - considering ditching my 20 year central system and going strictly ductless - 12k BTU in the master 7k in the guest bed (3rd floor), and 18k in an 800 sq ft living/kitchen open floor plan (2nd floor)
Most contractors think I’m crazy to do this, am I?!
A question regarding the mini split head on your vertical shiplap wall: Would it not have been feasible to mount that mini split directly across from where it is in the video? You know, on that small wall directly above the handrail of your steps? Seems like mounting it there would keep it out of sight until you head up the steps. Just a thought.
they can be mounted anywhere, but in that specific case it would be more difficult. split heads need space behind to run the refrigerant lines and condensate drain, along with electrical.
also the way the head blows air, and has the ability to wave or direct the airflow, you want to point it into the open space rather than against the stair wall
Matt, beautifully built home you deserve it!
He might shed a tear or two over the $11000/year tax bill though. I'm also curious about the noise levels from Mopac - it's basically a freeway, and it's elevated, so I'd fear the noise travels. Of course, since we don't open windows here in Texas, it won't be a problem INSIDE the house for sure.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel I think he can afford it ;-) This is a very nice house, but really a bit small for six people, especially in Texas. I feel for those boys not getting any privacy.
quite the upgrade from the rat hotel
Those mini split systems are great, sooooo much better than or central duct system and the added bonus of lower energy cost
First of all, this system is amazing - truly innovative.
Second, that dude in the one-size-too-small bright blue suit is not a realtor?? That is a realtor uniform right there. Engineers are supposed to wear Dockers.
I would love it if they would compare or disclose cost for this type of system compared to a traditional split system with zoning and modulating dampers
Probably 75% less if you went with single stage equipment. 50% less if you used conventional VRF
I think a properly designed duct system and the same insulation as this house has, it would be just as comfortable and more cost friendly initially and long term. People don’t realize that these mini split systems cost much more to service and you can’t get parts readily.
Hey Matt! Are your floors and ceilings the same material in the kitchen and master bedroom? If so, what is the name of it? Thank you!
I think I might be the only person in existence with a longer kitchen island than Matt. :) I think I will go smaller next time but it's nice.
What thermostat & app are you using? I have a Mitsubishi ducted, 2 zone unit on my recent remodel, and I have a honeywell 8000 thermostat. What are the pros/cons of the honeywall vs. the mitsubishi vs. Ecobee or other thermstat?
Can you convert an attic space from a vented to a non vented, I am considering upgrading my HVAC in my home and that is on the list. Im also considering adding a dual zone mini split for the rooms which are not cooling and heating properly
It's possible. Talk with a HVAC contractor and a roofing contractor to make sure you won't cause problems.
Matt made a video about attic conversion on this channel!
Isnt the SEER way different with multiple one head per one condenser systems than one comdenser and lots of heads?
Another stellar video!!! Keep them coming. Side note: the ceiling fan in your master bedroom. Where can I find one of those and how, if any does that contribute to your circulation system?
I'm planning on heating and cooling a 40x40 house in MN with two Mitsubishi 9k h2i units. Mitsubishi has best specs (turndown ratio) and I like the wireless thermostat.
Just curious, why wouldnt you put the dehumidifier on the zehnder unit? Does the air handler turn on just for dehumidification if no heating or cooling is called for? It would be more efficient to put the dehumidification on the zehnder side since its always running.
My house is 111 years old and was heated with a 45 year old oil boiler, cooling was provided by 8 window units. Talk about inefficient. Last spring I had a Mitsubishi H2i condenser and two-zone split ducting. It’s saving us a boatload, but now I have to do windows and doors. The humidity gets unbearable in the summer.
Magnificent house and systems, but what would it cost for a mere mortal to get that built?
Voya is the man!!
matt is figuring out what most people have known for a long time: ditch ducted systems. the mini-split is an amazing device and they're just better at delivering comfort to your specific space.
Matt - there is so much ductwork...i thought these were ductless systems... what's up?
Is it annoying to clean the stairs mini split filter each month?
Well....the mini split in the garage looks ok!
Matt's videos are great- but one thing I don't want to hear about ugly mechanical equipment is that we just have to get used to them. Why is it so hard for Mitsubishi to make the mini-split units attractive?
Really cool Matt! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
Hi Matt so since your moved in, when are we going to see videos of the old house remodel that might turn into the old house rebuild?
He sold the old house even before he moved into the new one. Have you seen the Austin real estate market? Houses are selling for $100k above asking the same week they are listed
@@AbRa285 nice ok was not aware
There are 2 different Mitsubishi aircon manufacturers which are independent companies and strong rivals. One is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the other is Mitsubishi Electric. Both have a good reputation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries considered by many in Australia as more durable.
I love the dining room light fixture!!! I'm curious where you got it.
Is it ok to design the summer load to cool at 75 on a hotter day than the 1%? In my area its 94 degrees. Using a variable system can we design it for 98 to 100 degrees?
Better keep up on those mini-split filters!
I have a question, why do the ducts in the attic need to be in a conditioned space? Isn’t it wasteful to condition the unoccupied attic?
Well, a bit different than mine. My garage with upstairs apartment has two pancake (pizza box) units of 1.25 and 1.5 tons covering about 1200 sq ft (including the stairwell and downstairs landing) and a wall-mount 1.25 ton (15k btu) in the garage downstairs covering about 900 sq ft. All of it is connected to a single 4-ton outside condenser.
Because I air sealed the building, have conditioned attic space for the pancake units, and have 2x6 exterior walls with R-23 Rockwool, and a R-60 ceiling assembly (multilayer sandwich including R30 Rockwool under the roof deck, with 4 inches of foam above the roof deck, with another roof deck and shingles on top of that.... my units are way oversized. I seriously could have done the whole thing with a 3-ton outdoor condenser and downsized each indoor unit by a quarter to a half a ton.
Mine's also Mitsubishi, BTW. P.S., they do fine with pulling enough humidity without any need for additional dehumidification. Humidity is consistently between 30-55%.
Also most mini split have dehumidifying mode that use half the power and can still cool a space to 74F without problem. Most users they are not even aware of it, likely also most of the installers...
Surprised you didn't use another in-wall cassette vs. the wall wart for your party load. Yes, other countries have been using head-units for awhile, but I wouldn't want to normalize, what I would consider is a less than desirable design characteristic, i.e. the head unit. You could have dropped in a P-Series Concealed Duct Unit from Mitsu that would have been a more easy on the eyes design, IMO.
Being the nerd he is, Matt being asked "what is that?" at every party is probably a plus:)
Thanks for the video - would love a little more info on the dehumidifier and how it hooks into the rest of the system. Also how many protrusions your system requires for the roof as more people get solar roofs (not solar panels but entire solar roofs).
No roof protrusions for the hvac system, all electric, no combustion. ERV system has two wall penetrations, fresh air in and exhaust out. Only roof penetrations are plumbing vents.
@@mitchdenner9743 Do plumbing vents NEED to go through the roof? Can they angle out the side of the house and then point up? I'd love to have a roof with NO penetrations at all.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel I'm not sure, never saw one out a side wall. I hear you, i don't like roof penetrations either due to possible leaks, or penetrations in the house anywhere for that matter.
@@TheReverendRobDiesel after a quick search it looks like they don't have to go through the roof. Most through the roof are done that way out of convenience. Certain distances must be kept from windows, doors, and air intakes though. Check you local codes of course.
I’ve heard that with mini splits you get a lot more condensation on the windows. Anyone know more about this ?
Wondering why you didn't just put your "party load" head on the opposite facing wall??
Great episode. We all love the build show sign-off in my house, but the addition of the dotcom is not great. It makes sense that you are getting the word out about the new url, so hopefully it's just temporary.
Oy! Fancy system but I wouldn’t want to look at that ceiling unit and the party unit. I would want it to be a little “prettier”.
had no idea their heat pumps could operate down to ~0F ! got electrical strips in our heat pumps in NC, that need to fire up at ~35F!
Matt - I get the party load idea - but honestly the mini split mounted on the wall is very ugly. Even a builder I respect like you is not going to get me to normalize ugly. You had an attic right behind that wall your party load could have been designed into. An extra return and couple of ducts on that wall would have looked a millions times better than what you did. As for the kitchen cassette - I get the framing challenges you had - but having that ugly box cut into those beautiful wood ceilings is a crime. Your house comes off looking like an add for Mitsubishi than anything else. Now aside from those two things - I love everything else about your system. Very impressive performance. How many kwh are you using and what did all those systems cost. Or better said - what would they cost someone that wasn’t being sponsored by the manufacturer?
Yup
Yea it’s ugly lol. I love Matt’s work overall, it definitely appears it was put there for advertisement….but I could be wrong. The fact that the attic space behind it could have easily allowed a unit with minimal ductwork is what makes me think this….Also yea my wife would kill me if I put that unit in the kitchen ceiling…
Yep....about what it would cost - too much
This is a very subjective thing. In my opinion, there is a healthy balance that can be reached between aesthetics, efficiency and cost. I think Matt's comment about mini split systems not being normalized in the USA is a good point. We're just not use to seeing them so they don't look right to our eye. That said, I'm considering using ONLY several mini split units when I remodel my house in a few years. The cost will be a fraction of a complex ducted system and the efficiency will be outstanding.
These units really aren’t that expensive imo. The install isn’t cheap but the equipment is no more than a central unit from what I’ve seen
say you pay for a higher ton unit, wouldn't it still run slower than it needs to near peak load? meaning lower amp draw. also, it's like four months of 100+ degree weather in texas. it's not a short amount of time. but main question is the higher tonnage for lower amp draws. would that make sense? say the variable speed condenser and split system costs near the same from 2 to 4 tons.
What was the total cost for this system. Looks crazy expensive. Impressive - but crazy expensive.
It is extremely expensive. Work on them daily, the cost to maintain them is beyond stupid
5 zone system with 2 outdoor units
Zehder hrv and filtration.
Ball park $60,000.
Is this sustainable, are we imagining all houses like this or only for the very very wealthy?
@@maslowpavlov most people building houses have to have money now a days.
I got a quote for a Zehnder ERV for my 2200 Square Foot home. Just in parts it’s right at 10k..
Have you done a video on the recessed fixtures you've used?