Minisplit: Wall or Ceiling?

[jyl]

Ok, it is time to start figuring out what minisplits to install in the bookstore-cafe. Electrician is working on the place so need to have her run circuits and figure loads.

I think I want
1. For front of house, which is three rooms totaling about 700 sf, I’m thinking a 27K BTU, 3 X 9K BTU heads, heat pump system for heating and cooling. Pretty temperate climate, winter lows usually 35F with the occasional week of 20F and I’ll want to keep it above 65F, summer highs usually 85F with occasional weeks of 95-100F and I’ll want to keep it below 72F. Wood frame with insulation in walls. Prefer an R32 system. I’m open to either wall mount or in ceiling for the indoor units, slight advantages to each but if one is more reliable or effective I’d choose it.
2. For back of house, which is the 200 sf kitchen and the 700 sf basement office/workroom, I’m thinking a similar system as above, maybe a bigger head for the kitchen and two smaller ones for the basement. Wall mount units here.

Any brand or other suggestions? Wall warts or ceiling cassettes?

[look 171]

Mitsubishi ( Fujitsu then Panasonic) is my go to but my installer seems to really like Carrier. Celling cassettes cost more but looks best. I would just get the wall mounted units and be done with it. Heck, I would even buy cheaper units. if it goes bed, install new. I think they are all pretty good now even some of the Chinese brands. They must use the over-seas so why not. Its for a business and have you ever look at what brands they install in restaurants and other commercial places? Again, if you like a quiet and good solid unit, get the Mitsubishi. LG is good also.

[jyl]

I’m happy with the Gree Livo units I installed in my house. They were pretty cheap too. Looks like I could get the units I need for about $11,000 plus linesets and covers.

[look 171]

I think they are all pretty good now. The gap between a great and cheap should be pretty narrow by now. Features maybe better in higher end units but they are much quieter. I have to really pay attention to tell the difference but in a coffee shop, it wouldn't make any difference

[dad911]

Last time I looked, ceiling units were for 24" o.c. joists, didn't fit 16", so we went with wall.

[jyl]

Looks like there are some ceiling cassettes for 16" centers. Hmm. The way the joists run, I could bring the lines up inside the exterior wall (that the outdoor units are on) and through the top plate, then between joists to rooms 1 and 2 (the ones nearest the outdoor units), then over interior wall and between more joists to rooms 3 and 4 (the ones on the opposite of the building from the outdoor units). I would have only two 90 deg bends. I think I'd buy rolls of bare copper tubing, then apply insulation after the lines are in place and tested. I learned at my house that you can't really "pull" pre-insulated linesets.

OTOH, with wall units I could simply bring lines up inside the exterior wall for rooms 1 and 2, and also between joists of rooms 1 and 2 to get to rooms 3 and 4. Rooms 1 and 2 are already gutted with ceillings and walls off, rooms 3 and 4 are intact and I wouldn't need to cut their ceilings up. Still need 90 bends. And of course in future, it would be easy to replace the indoor and outdoor units and use the same lines.

Hmmmmmmmmm

[Tim Hancock]

I went with wall style so condensate lines would run straight out thru the wall and then run downhill to the outdoor unit/units.

Cassette style or non outside wall mounted wall units require additional condensate pumps which can fail over time and if they do, the drywall will get wet and be damaged.

I have two Bosch 18k outdoor units.

One 18k powers (1) 12k wall unit for family room/kitchen large area and (1) 9k wall unit in a spare bedroom

Other 18k powers (1) 9k wall uniut for our bedroom and (1) 9k unit for additional spare bedroom

I bought these thru an old co-worker's employee discount he gets now that he works for Bosch. It was a steal at $2400 for all of it including line sets. I also bought a cheap vacuum pump from HF, a couple outdoor AC disconnect boxes, some pvc conduit, some 10ga wire, some additional circuit breakers for my main panel, some insulation tape, some thru wall sleeves and some vinyl downspouts to serve as line covers.
All in I was under $3k. I had been quoted previously by a local HVAC company $13k for a system... Screw that!

I did the install myself and it has been working perfectly ever since both for 100% AC and as heat most of the time. In real cold weather (zero to low teens and windy) my wife turns up our old electric heat thermostats in our family room as she likes it toasty.

[DavidI]

In my home, we have both a ceiling mounted cassette unit in our master bedroom on the second floor and a wall mounted one in our living room on the first floor.

Both are great, but the wall mounted unit provides more airflow.

I highly recommend both and the brand we selected are AC Pro.

[Deschodt]

Maybe unrelated... My experience on a home I bought a few years ago was to remove radiators and rely only on the existing minisplits already installed up high in all rooms.
That was a mistake...
The cooling is great because cold air comes down, but heating with mini splits located on the top of the wall produced heat.... to my waist, after which the hot air rises again.. I would sit down in winter and have seriously cold feet... I understand you need fans in those rooms to blow the hot air down, but just a heads up - I kinda regret getting rid of my radiators as far as uniform heat distribution... Maybe it's because that house has high ceilings but keep it in mind

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

All in I was under $3k. I had been quoted previously by a local HVAC company $13k for a system... Screw that!

I did the install myself

If I had it to do all over again, I'd be an HVAC tech and own an HVAC company.

My home install was a little complicated as lines had to be snaked through closets, but I worked out fine. I have yet to install the lineset covers. I had copper covers made and will get them up this spring.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Maybe unrelated... My experience on a home I bought a few years ago was to remove radiators and rely only on the existing minisplits already installed up high in all rooms.
That was a mistake...
The cooling is great because cold air comes down, but heating with mini splits located on the top of the wall produced heat.... to my waist, after which the hot air rises again.. I would sit down in winter and have seriously cold feet... I understand you need fans in those rooms to blow the hot air down, but just a heads up - I kinda regret getting rid of my radiators as far as uniform heat distribution... Maybe it's because that house has high ceilings but keep it in mind

Hmm, while I have walls open I wonder if there is an easy way to install air circulation from top of wall to bottom of wall. Maybe someone makes this.

[jyl]

There are plastic minisplit lines now - actually plastic inner and outer with an aluminum core. Made by Python, uses compression fittings.