The Macalester-Groveland area has many homes that were built in the 1920’s- great homes with all the architectural details we all love.
However, they were also built before central air conditioning was common, and most of the heating systems, like the one for this great single family home, use forced hot water and radiators. While this does a great job providing heat throughout a home, in order to keep cool, these homes typically rely on window air conditioners in the hot and humid summers.
Our homeowner was tired of window a/c units. They can be noisy, and they don’t do a great job of evenly distributing the cold air throughout a room. They are inefficient, and you really notice the jump in your energy bills when they’re on. And worst of all, they are bulky and heavy- a pain to install and then store. And then there’s trying to guess the right weekend to put them in, or take them out- not only does it chew up a day or a whole weekend to accomplish, but if you guess wrong, you end up hot and sweaty by early season warm-ups or those last warmer autumn days that come by surprise.
The homeowners gave us a call here at Freedom Heating and Air Conditioning to see what we might suggest. We knew right away that a multi-zone ductless “mini-split” system would provide the family with the comfort they craved, while taking a bite out of their energy bills at the same time.
Problem: Our homeowner in the Macalester-Groveland area in St. Paul was tired of spending summer nights hot and sweaty, and wanted a better air conditioning system for his 1920’s home.
Solution: A Mitsubishi Ductless heat pump system with five zones of cooling will keep all areas of the home comfortable and ensure a quiet, peaceful night sleep for the entire family.
When we saw the home in Groveland, we knew what needed to be done. Mitsubishi’s ductless systems allow you to add air conditioning without having to install ductwork, like that in newer homes. As a result, a ductless system just requires the installation of an outdoor heat pump condenser, that can serve multiple indoor wall-mounted “cassettes”. The wall units sit up on the wall, out of the way, and distribute the air evenly throughout the room. The units are easily controlled by a handheld remote, and can be adjusted to suit your comfort needs.
Mitsubishi uses inverter technology which allows these units to use the least amount of energy necessary to keep the room a perfect temperature, giving them all the efficiency you might see in high-end HVAC systems for homes with central heat and air. They monitor both temperature and humidity, which is also a real blessing- no more sitting down at the kitchen table in the summer and having to peel yourself off the sticky chairs due to the humidity!
Our homeowners opted to create five zones of comfort- in the Master bedroom, child’s bedroom and nursery, and in the family room and living room. Each of these units can be controlled individually, so you can have the comfort where you want, when you want it, and even turn off the units in rooms when they’re not in use. On top of the Mitsubishi system’s already efficient operation, the use of zones can also lead to significant savings in energy bills- music to every homeowner’s ears. But best of all, these units are super quiet. They run at about 22 decibels, which is about as quiet as a whisper. And for a family like this one, that quiet has a real benefit. Not only will the parents be able to hear the children if they get up at night, they’ll get a better night’s sleep themselves, without all that racket from window units. Waking up rested – and comfortable- will help everyone start they day in a good mood.
Similarly, the units in the living room and family room will keep the family comfortable, without creating all that extra noise- no one will have to turn up the volume on the TV to hear it over the air conditioner anymore!
In addition, these Mitsubishi mini-split systems are heat pumps- so they can also be used as heaters. This means that on those chilly Fall days and Winter mornings, all the family will need to do is turn on the unit- and they can add that perfect touch of heat where they want it most, without adjusting the thermostat for the entire house. That means everyone can have the perfect comfort they want, right where they want it, every day of the year. Mom and Dad may want their bedroom a bit cooler, but the kids can have it a little warmer, and everyone is happy.
Because these units are so efficient, our homeowners even qualified for a $200 rebate! And as Mitsubishi diamond dealers, these units come with a full 12 year parts and labor warranty!
Here at Freedom Heating and Air Conditioning, we go the extra mile for our customers and add little things like one way drain mechanisms to help keep bugs and critters out of the house after installation. We use “line hides” as well- paintable covers that help cover the refrigeration and electric lines to the systems, to make them as attractive and well integrated into your home as possible. The small things are important to us, and it’s what really helps differentiate us from other contractors. We want you to be happy and comfortable- every day of the year!
If your older home is making you hot under the collar, give us a call here at Freedom- we can’t wait to help you like we helped the owners of this home in Macalester-Groveland in St. Paul.