Our clients, Nick and Monica, recently made the move from Baltimore to Philadelphia. This meant a new home, but certainly not a change in the Northeast weather they were used to! The couple purchased their new rowhome as an investment with plans to stay for a long period of time, so adding air conditioning was a must to increase both their comfort and the value of the home.
But as they renovated the property, they came across one major issue: their boiler no longer worked, leaving radiators that took up space and didn't heat their home. Pair this with no centralized cooling, and they were stuck with no immediate solution to add comfort during the chilly winters and humid summers to come.
First Discussions
One of Nick and Monica's favorite things to do together is cook dinner each night, meaning kitchen space was important to keep in mind when upgrading their home system. With Philadelphia rowhomes typically lacking extra space, adding a conventional ducted system and keeping the radiator wasn't the best option -- adding ductwork would require semi-major construction and a large bill to cover material costs and time, and the radiator would take away from cabinet space in the kitchen.
After having a few other contractors out, they were referred to ECI Comfort. Our original conversations surrounded a conventional ducted system, but as mentioned, this solution would take up a majority of their limited space. The best option came down to a Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat Ductless Mini-Split system, a solution that we provide in many Philadelphia rowhomes.
The Mitsubishi system not only provides them with heating and cooling, but also minimizes the space that is typically needed for installing other systems. We discussed the pros of a ductless system, highlighting that a high-wall ductless unit provides the ability to have individualized control of each area in the house.
Once we were able to provide Monica and Nick with a proposal, including zero percent interest and financing for 48 months, the decision to go ductless was a no-brainer! They loved that they could add an efficient heating and cooling system to their home while being able to use the extra funds to continue their own renovations.
Ductless Mini Split Installation in Philadelphia, Pa.
About a week before installation, Monica reached out regarding a small bump in the road: a leaky water heater. Luckily, we were able to replace the old heater right away and take care of the issue at the beginning of the install process.
Installing the Ductless Mini-Split system in this South Philly home was a bit of a tricky project with trying to make sure all lines were as hidden as possible. For the kitchen, it was important to keep everything out of the way. We were able to find a spot that kept the indoor high-wall unit out of Monica and Nick's way so they would be able to add extra cabinetry and have plenty of space to cook. Since it was close to an exterior wall, we were also able to run the lines and drain right out. This only left about six inches of exposed lines, which we covered in a white line hide as seen above!
The living room (left) was a bit easer. We placed the unit on the same wall, directly opposite to the one in the kitchen. This spot was on an exterior wall, so we were able to run all of the lines directly outside with nothing exposed inside.
The same can be said for the second floor office (right). Installing the unit on an exterior wall made it easy to take the line sets directly outside -- nothing exposed here either!
However, the master bedroom and middle bedroom on the second floor middle were where things got interesting. Due to the very poor looking radiator line sets that were currently in place, Nick and Monica were adamant about not having the new sets exposed in the home. The radiator line sets were boxed with wood and offset from the wall -- a look they both hated.
The middle bedroom was less of a concern, so it was not an issue to have the line sets ran and hidden with line hide. But in the master bedroom, our clients strongly preferred that they not be seen. So our install manager, Steve, came up with a great plan!
The line sets were run through the master bedroom wall and into the middle bedroom. Here, the line sets from each of the two units were ran and covered together to the floor and into the master bedroom. Nick was building a dresser-style closet in the corner which would sit right on top of the covered line sets, totally concealing them.
From here, we were able to run through the floor and tight to the chimney bump out. This gave Nick the ability to add a slight box out off of the chimney, keeping them entirely hidden from site without any major additions.
Finally, our team was able to find a place for the branch box (below), a central piece of equipment that's required with this model Hyper-Heat outdoor unit. The box has all line sets ran to and through it, then runs one line to the outdoor unit and distributes to each of the indoor units.
The Results
Monica and Nick loved the final product. In a text from Monica following the installation, she expressed their high satisfaction with the process and newfound comfort system. Check out her awesome review below!
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ECI was ecstatic to create the perfect comfort solution for these two homeowners. We are very grateful that Monica and Nick chose to work with us, and look forward to any opportunities to work together again in the future!
ECI Comfort specializes in the installation of Mitsubishi Ductless Mini-Split heating and air conditioning systems. If you are interested in having one installed, click the button below or give us a call today! 215 - 245 - 3200
