As one of ECI's comfort specialists, I had the pleasure of meeting Eileen and Tom to discuss their home comfort issues -- specifically, when it comes to air conditioning and unbearable Summer heat. This beautiful home in Bensalem is heated by an oil-fired boiler with a baseboard radiator system. With that said, heating the home has never been an issue. But now this newly installed three-zone Mitsubishi Heat Pump system, with a combination of ducted and ductless units, finally adds air conditioning, solving Summer woes. Even better, the heat pump system allows for a supplemental heat source, letting our homeowner's use this as an efficient heat source through most of the colder climate months. This prevents short-cycling the boiler, creating a highly efficient one-two punch!
Initial Discussions, Designing, and Planning
On my initial visit, we primarily looked over Mitsubishi Ductless Mini-Split options. The home has two second floor bedrooms and a bathroom, and a first floor containing a guest room, living room, dining room, and kitchen. The second floor has a tight attic above it, as well as a knee-wall along the front of the house.
While walking through the home and discussing options with Eileen and Tom, the thought of placing a ductless mini-split in each room began to seem a bit impractical due to the distance from one end of the home to the other. Although this seemed like quite the dilemma, I brought the Mitsubishi SEZ horizontal ducted unit to their attention.
The SEZ features a compact, "suitcase" design that is great for smaller spaces. It functions using high-static pressure, which limits the amount of ductwork and supply registers that may be ran from it. In our homeowners' situation, using two SEZ units presented a fantastic solution.
After the homeowners came to a decision that this route was best, we met a second time with our Install Manager, Steve, for a pre-install walkthrough. In this phase of the project, we generate a game plan for the installation. Steve maps out the home, specifying locations for equipment, ductwork, and supply/return spots. In coordination with the homeowners' preferences, we get everything laid out and ready for our install crew!
The Install
Mike and Tom, our install crew, arrived Monday morning to get started. Steve and Matt met them there to walkthrough the project and get them prepared for the week ahead.
We installed one SEZ in the attic to service both second floor bedrooms and the bathroom. Each room received one four-way diffuser supply register, providing plenty of airflow to cool and heat each space. After placing a central return in the hallway, our first setup was complete!
For the first floor space, we created a similar setup -- even though the space was a little tighter in the knee-wall. Again, the compact design of the SEZ unit allows for such installs. Using this limited space, we were able to run our supply trunk along the knee-wall, dropping our supply registers into the living room and kitchen.
Here is a picture of the unit inside the knee-wall (left). Talk about a tight squeeze! Also, take a look at two of the supply registers in the living room (right)!
The final indoor piece to this installation is a single ductless mini-split in the back bedroom. Our homeowners use this room as a playroom for their granddaughter, so it was important to keep it cool. Placing a smaller ductless unit back here allows for not only a third zone, but perfected comfort in a priority area.
Lastly was the outdoor heat pump. Location was important to Eileen and Tom, as they did not want to take away from the outdoor aesthetic of their home. They have lots of plants and trees, as well as the driveway on either side and back of their home. A mutual decision was to place the unit in front of the chimney -- away from all of the plants and opposite the side with the driveway.
These heat pumps are incredibly quiet, which won't cause any bother when spending time outside! Also, we covered our line sets with an ivory color line hide to provide a clean finish with no messy-looking exposed lines.
The Results
ECI ensures an efficient and tidy install every time. We provide drop cloths, boot covers, gloves, and anything else needed to ensure a clean visit. We even vacuum and wipe down our finished work area, leaving no mess behind!
I visited on the final day of the install to see how things were going, and our install crew of Mike and Tom did an amazing job. Clean, functioning, and everything in order. I walked through with our homeowner, Tom, one last time, and he expressed how happy he was with both the work and our employees. He told me that "they worked so hard, I don't think we even heard them talk to each other! That's how I know they know exactly what they are doing." What kind words!
With it being a long week of work for our crew in a hot attic and knee-wall, I decided to bring them lunch on Friday! This Bensalem home is close to one of my family member's pizza shops, Vincenzo's Pizza, so I popped in to grab some pizzas for them. I grabbed one for the crew and one for Eileen and Tom. Of course, I did steal a slice or two for myself 😀
For every problem, there is always a solution! ECI Comfort specializes in installing Mitsubishi Ductless and Ducted heating and air conditioning. To learn more or schedule your free consultation, click below or give us a call at 215 - 245 - 3200.
