John Fezzuoglio, owner and founder of OwowCow Creamery, has always cherished all things "design." So when it came to his home in Bucks County, Pa., he and his family were not going to sacrifice their dream aesthetics for comfort.
The Fezzuoglio family home was originally very closed off and dark -- not the style that John dreamed of when he imagined what the house could be. In addition to that, the upper floors were almost unlivable in the summers due to the oppressive heat. John knew that he wanted to redesign the home and install a new HVAC system that wouldn't compromise the feel or aesthetic. His plans came to fruition when a flood hit the home, causing the need for repairs. John decided this was the perfect opportunity to completely reimagine the layout of the home and their overall comfort.
Want to watch an overview of this project? Click below.
Initial Conversations
A few years after buying the home, John began the renovations. John started by expanding the attic space with dormers to create two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a loft that was initially unusable space. He also opened the floor plan and added several large windows to make the home feel more open and bright and allow the outdoor beauty to shine through. Not wanting to take away from this, ECI was challenged to find a solution that provides even temperatures throughout the home without installing intrusive traditional ducting. 
The ECI team worked with the family and their contractor to find a solution. After several visits, we came up with a plan and price. We decided that using a combination of Mitsubishi SEZ Mini-Splits and a Unico High-Velocity air conditioning system was the perfect blend for unobtrusive ducting and multi-zone cooling to keep each area as comfortable as the last.
"From initially looking at the project and engineering it, we went through a couple different system designs to finally come up with one that was within my budget and also dealt acutely with the microclimates within the three floors," John explained in a follow-up interview.
"You guys made that commitment before you had the project, and that speaks to commitment to the system itself. But [also] finding a solution that's specific to this property, to this situation, without any guarantee that you were gonna get the project, speaks to me about the integrity of the company. And that's invaluable to me. I want to be able to trust and like the people I'm doing business with, and that's hard to come by."
Like all of our projects, we made sure that the final solution was tailored to John's home and his family's comfort needs. While we have installed many Mitsubishi SEZ units and Unico High Velocity systems, each home is different and every homeowner has unique expectations.
The Installation & John's Feedback
Mitsubishi SEZ Ducted System
ECI Comfort installed a dual-zone Mitsubishi ducted system and a Unico high velocity system in the Fezzuoglio home to increase their overall comfort and maintain their design dreams.
One area with comfort issues that we focused on was the loft. The loft area was a challenge because its the highest point of the home and open to the lower levels, with the ceiling right up to the roof. The area is also small and does not have attic space above, leaving a small area to work with, and John didn't want to take up valuable real estate with large traditional ductwork and equipment. He planned to utilize this space as an office to work on financials and graphics for OwowCow, or just a place to relax and read a book. That’s why John wanted the system to be quiet, too. To provide even cooling without sacrificing the space, style, and serenity, ECI took advantage of the Mitsubishi SEZ model, a compact air handler for small areas that could fit within the upstairs knee walls.
"That's one of the areas that you guys were able to install the mini-split system." It was typically really hot up there, but as John explained, "now you go upstairs to the third level and it's identical to the middle level and lower level."
During the remodel, John transformed the previously unusable attic space into two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the loft. In getting John's feedback, we were able to see just how well the system solved his comfort needs. The space was "absolutely unusable and the heat was absolutely oppressive" for three-and-a-half years before the install, he told us. "When you have oppressive heats...there's this discomfort. Ya know, you're unsettled. That's gone."
Not only this, but the air conditioning unit lived up to its expectations of being hardly audible. "That's the other thing I haven't spoken about, is how quiet the entire system is. It's non-intrusive on every level," John said. As we mentioned, this was an important factor so that John and his family get can work done or relax in peace.
We can thank the Inverter technology for this system's comfortable cooling and quiet operation. The inverter-driven compressors steadily provide cool air to maintain precise cooling in each room, whereas other units waste power by turning on each time you need AC and back off when you don’t. The constant on-and-off is usually accompanied by loud sounds, too. Check out the clip below.
Moreover, John exclaimed that the vents were hardly visible, pointing out how he couldn't even see them right away. With design on his mind, he admired that they're almost another "décor element," as opposed to a "mechanical presence" in the home.
Unico High Velocity Small Duct System
Using a high velocity cooling system for the lower floors was ideal for many reasons. For one, the small ducts take up much less room than traditional ductwork. This is beneficial for older homes and for homeowners that do not want to take up extra room inside.
It also mixes the air well through a process called aspiration, and removes 30 percent more humidity than a conventional system. This was perfect for John's home, where the windows in the vestibule bring an abundance of natural light in. "That light shines up the staircase...and we're going to have shades that'll offset some of that direct heat," John said. "But even without the shades, the system somehow neutralizes that heat [from the] direct sunlight coming through maybe eight, 12 windows on that side."
Ron from ECI explains the process of aspiration a little more: "that's one of the unknown aspects of a high velocity...the air is moving so quickly around the perimeter that is sweeping any heat and mixing it quickly so it can balance that temperature so you don't feel those hot and cold spots. And that's how it comes off, where you can be closer to a window -- whether you're in the middle of the room or on the edge of a room by a window, it's uniform temperatures all the way around." Check out the video below for a visual of the airflow.
Third, like the Mitsubishi SEZ, high velocity systems are known to be extremely quiet. This fits in with the goal of the entire home -- creating a natural, serene environment.
OwowCow Creamery
From his training at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, to his years of graphic design work in the city, to creating his charming, industrial-like ice cream shops, design is more than a talent for John -- it's a passion. Pair that with a commitment to supporting local agriculture and using uncompromised ingredients, and you have the unique and delicious flavors that make up OwowCow Creamery.
The outside of John's home is just as important as the inside. In congruence with OwowCow's mission to source local and organic ingredients, John plans to possibly farm the property -- where nothing has been grown for the last 20 to 30 years -- and grow food for his business. The land has "no chemicals, nothing artificial," John told us. "So it's a new beginning for raising livestock on a really small scale, an orchard, berries, vegetables, you name it."
When it comes to OwowCow ice cream, you can always expect organic cream, local cage-free eggs, local raw honey, and more deliciously clean ingredients. Learn more here.
Part of John's vision for the home and property was to create a parallel between the outdoors and indoors. He explained it best when he said there is "a sense of nature being preserved, and I wanted that to come into the house." That's why designing and installing a system that created a quiet, comfortable environment inside the home was important to us.
Want to watch our visit to OwowCow and learn more about the business? Click below.
Final Thoughts
In getting John's final thoughts on the system, he told talked about how much work really went in to setting up the systems. He summarized the entire process by saying "The fact of the matter is that it's a good system and you guys did a great job. The guys were respectable, knowledgeable. It was a pleasure from beginning to end. It's always a surprise when you get what you paid for, number one. But then, you know, professionalism, courtesy, finishing on time, in budget," John went on to say. "Honestly speaking, I would refer you guys to anyone."
It was a pleasure for us as well! We appreciate a good challenge and strive to find unique solutions that make every customer comfortable in their homes.
John left us with this: "The end result was absolutely remarkable."
ECI Comfort specializes in installing Mitsubishi Mini-Splits and Unico High Velocity systems in the Delaware Valley. If you are interested or would like to know more, click the button above or reach us at (215) 245-3200 or info@ecicomfort.com!
