All About Ducted Mini Splits

This session is a follow up to "Introduction to Fully Ducted Heat Pumps for All Electric Heating & Cooling." It reviews different types of ducted indoor units, the special design considerations associated with them and how to effectively design for cold climate installations. We will delve deeper into cold climate heat pump performance and backup heat options & applications. We will also discuss the type of preventative maintenance that is required for ductless & ducted mini-split heat pump systems as well as tips for optimizing system performance. Lastly, we will discuss how the systems fit into LEED and Passive House standards.
Continuing Education Units (CEUS) 1 hour in
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
• Building Performance Institute (BPI) NonWholeHouse
• American Institute of Architects - AIA (HSW) (PENDING)
• Passive House US Institute (PHIUS) CPHC
• Certified Green Professional (NARI & CGP)
• Certified GreenHome Professional (CGHP)
• AIBD
• State Architect / Builder License may be applicable
Lesson Learned:
1. Review the definition & description of mini-split systems, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) & Inverter technology.
2. Explain the different types of ducted indoor units and backup heat options for cold climate applications and how they apply LEED BD+C V4 Homes EA Annual Energy Performance
3. Identify the heating needs for cold climates and how ducted mini-split can meet these requirements by adding points for LEED BD+C V4 Homes EA Annual Energy Performance
4. Discuss preventative maintenance requirements for ducted & ductless mini-split systems as well as tips for optimizing system performance. Where does this connect with LEED BD+C V4 EQ Ventilation & Filtration?
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Speaker: Mike Schaefer, Regional Sales Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC
Mike has been in the HVAC Industry since 2005 where he has worked on all levels including contracting, distribution and manufacturing. Mike joined Mitsubishi Electric in 2014 and has held multiple roles including Commercial Area Manager, Residential Area Manager and was most recently part of Mitsubishi Electric’s Performance Construction Team which is focused on providing healthy, efficient and reliable mechanical solutions to the high performance building market. He is currently the Regional Sales Manager for the Chicago market.

[@nyrangerfan100]

EXTREMELY informative video. Exactly what I was looking for (multi-zone, ducted mini-split as primary heat source in NJ for second floor of very old house). Thanks!

[@charliexu1099]

Was searching this topic information for a while , glad I find this great video. !

[@1drlnd]

Excellent, informative video. I bought an old home at the beginning of the pandemic and have been slowly making upgrades to it to improve its efficiency. I currently have forced air, and while it's better than nothing and definitely not the worst system in the world, it could be a lot better. Even after I had an HVAC technician tune up my system and help me figure out the bevels, not a whole lot of air makes it upstairs. I wasn't aware of all the mini-split options there were before. I really like the ducted mini-split option and will be planning to have that installed in the future (so long as something better doesn't come along in the meantime). It's a long video folks, but definitely worth the time if you're trying to figure out what system is best for your home and budget.

[@General_reader]

3:18 start

[@ductworkpro360]

Awesome video. Very well done Thanks for doing this Brett. Cool to see my two projects I installed in MN are being shared by CEE and Mitsubishi ! Those were very fun projects.

[@sriramachandran]

Excellent presentation and material for someone like me researching HVAC for a new install. Can you pl. point me to someone in San Francisco/Bay Area installing Medium Static, ducted units ?

[@ThisMightHurt]

Great information, thanks so much!

[@GreenHomeInstitute]

Great! Tell us one new thing you learned please.

[@GeeDeeBird]

Thanks for this. I'm in the process of replacing a forced air gas furnace in a single level 2600 sf home with the ductwork in the slab. The home has a flat roof, with between 18 and 30 inches of space between the ceiling and the roof. After watching your presentation, I would really like to know if a VFR system could be installed on top of the home with the refrigerant lines on the roof and intrusions in each zone for indoor ceiling units. Thank you again.

[@OriginalJetForMe]

How do I express my customer demand for a heat pump that can also do radiant floor heating? I just bought a house and this is exactly what I’m looking for.

[@matsudakodo]

This all sounds great until you mention to your home builder that you want a high efficiency heat pump and ERV and they give you a blank stare

[@GreenHomeInstitute]

You may need to hire a new builder or your builder may need to hire a new HVAC really. However anyone can be trained on it. Easy. Don't give up.

[@silverbackag9790]

Yeah, we all don’t live where such contractors exist. And then we are down to DIY.

[@joe800096]

I have a question please on your Horizontal ducted units. Please define Low static pressure and medium static pressure. in terms of inches of water column. Is for example 0.16 External static pressure in wc considered as low static pressure? Thanking in advance

[@howardlenow]

Thank you. I’ve had six proposals and only one company suggested placing an inverter in the attic to handle all three bedrooms on the second floor with ducted registers and returns. Ours is a small three bedroom house, about 1500 total square feet. It sounds like the most elegant solution rather than putting three mini split inverters in all three bedrooms (two are small 10 X 14 and the contractor said that even the smallest wall mini splits are too big for such small rooms. So, does this proposal, one outside compressor with one mini split downstairs (open floor plan) and the ducted inverter in the attic?

[@JOIHIINI]

hey plz respond if you see this!!! im planning to do 2 of these medium static ducted systems in my house but cant find any information on whether or not there is a downside of putting them in a basement vs an attic, does it effect it at all? ideally my plan is to have one on one side of the basement that services the living room on the main floor and 2 bedrooms on the 2nd storey and then a second unit that services the kitchen on the main floor and the master bedroom on the opposite side of the house. this is a much easier install than doing it in my attic as i live in canada and my attic is not insulated. i just dont know if the mid static units are good for pushing heat up or if the reason everyone does these in attics is because of their ability to move air is insufficient for pushing heat up to a second storey vs that of a traditional forced air system. its also advantageous to do it this way because my home is a century home with a stone foundation wall between the larger living area (the living room and 2 bedrooms) and the back side of the house where the kitchen and 3rd bedroom are located. it would make running the ductwork very difficult. I also see an advantage to it being in the basement because if it were to leak it could do so in an area near a drain. it seems like a far more ideal solution than in an attic but i cant seem to find anything on the internet about people doing it this way. Plz help me!

[@joshuarayborn]

I have an old GFA furnace. Can I replace the furnace wit ha concealed duct minisplit and use the same ducting?

[@afbigfish1]

Im in south florida and had a new ducted system installed 8 years ago and the air handler is in an unconditioned garage. Worst decision I ever made. I have had nothing but problems the unit sweats so bad I tried covering it with 2inch foam. it sweats so bad its rotted out the wood it sits on and rusted the case it looks 50 years old. These old Florida homes are a real challenge between the low slope roofs with very little to no attic space, air handlers in unconditioned spaces such as the garage and high cooling demands. wall mounted mini splits are an issue too. However when my current system dies im going to go with the ducted mini split. I already had my roof spray foamed so my tiny attic is now conditioned so locating the ducted unit into the attic will do away with my biggest issue of having my air handler in the garage....

[@drummerboy6178]

Im building a two storey home with open web floor joists.....home is 32x32...two floor...I have no basement, so that rules out any space in the basement, main floor has no storage space , one bdrm per floor, two open floor designs with one washroom per floor, so my only storage space would be in the attic for one of these ducted systems, but then how do i reach the main floor, Im thinking my best solution, is one 18,000 BTU system for the main floor open room LIV/Kitchen. approx 450 sq ft, then same layout on the second floor with another 18,000Btu system, maybe a 18,000 is too large, maybe a 12,000 BTU unit, the bedrooms are above each other so thinking of a 18,000 multi unit, placing a 9,000 BTU in each bdrm...any thought on this....thanks

[@GreenHomeInstitute]

Hello and thank you for your inquiry. What city are you located in? Prior to do anything work we always recommend hiring a home energy score assessor to do an audit on your home (could be worth $150 tax credit) and then find a local diamond contractor to evaluate your system choice www.mitsubishicomfort.com/find-a-contractor

[@cindystokes8347]

I’m sad they are jumping straight to cold climate applications. Do I assume that the balance of the presentation is geared towards places like Texas where i am?

[@austinisfullpleasedontmove653]

So I am assuming that manufacturing is going to up it's game? Otherwise the evaporator coil/blowers are not designed to be taken apart for routine maintenance like a regular split system is. For instance if you take a Daikin blower wheel off the clean it, about 75 percent of the time the blower will no longer be balanced unless you replace a rubber bushing and often times we have ended up just replacing the entire unit.

[@michaelschaefer5744]

Ductless systems should be maintained by qualified contractors. Even if it is easy to remove a blower wheel, this is not something that is recommended to be done by a homeowner. A regular annual maintenance by a qualified contractor for ductless unit cleaning is highly recommended. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2LNpa2KZ7p5nMk A regular split system A-Coil is not designed to be serviced by a homeowner.

[@dianevessels2632]

How can I find the pdf handout? I’m an energy consultant in California and am new to ducted mini split. Can you direct me to your ducted mini split data sheets?

[@katycline3106]

did you ever learn where to get the pdf? I am a homeowner struggling with local hvac companies who know nothing about this application

[@jpparker19]

Living in a 3,000 sqft house in the Carolinas, is there a cost-saving in converting from a traditional two-zone heat pump system to a multizone ducted system?

[@austinisfullpleasedontmove653]

I think they just did the presentation to practice trying to convince real people that this is a good idea.

[@micah864]

@@austinisfullpleasedontmove653 what do you mean ? Why do you think its a bad idea

[@khandam7709]

too many un answered variables. only econmic time to replace hvac is when the exsisting one dies most of the time. get a quote from a local vendor is you are serous about it.

[@nebson]

Why is it so laughable that your kids might need individual temperature control? Kids have individual preferences and like to be comfortable too.

[@armandomartinez4152]

😂 🤣🤣🤣

[@deelarry2137]

Kids are not sensitive like adults. At least my kids. Couldn't care if it's 70 or 80. I like 74

[@badawesome3047]

The U.S. has an 86 year supply of natural gas. It would be insane not to use it. Where is all the electricity going to come from?. Where is all the copper coming from to expand the grid? Liberals believe in the Walt Disney postulate. Wish it and it will be so.

[@Jasperi]

dude 86 years is not much of anything to brag about considering that ideally has to last America or whatever societies end up being there physically the rest of that area's existence. how do you not see that? You're saying we have one human lifetime before society would collapse entirely should we not find and implement solutions.