One of the most common problems in home comfort is the difference in temperature from floor to floor. Between basements and top floor bedrooms, it’s not always easy to achieve the same consistent temperature throughout every room in your home.
Often, bedrooms will be too hot, or basements will be too cool. But, the temperature is set correctly and the living room is fine. That was the case for this Llanerch, PA homeowner.
Their second floor, the one with all the bedrooms, was too hot in the summer, but also too cold in the winter. It was almost unbearable upstairs during the summertime. They lived in a 2-story Cape Cod-style home.
This type of home has roof lines visible on the second floor, and has knee walls in each room as well. When they called us, they knew they were going to need some new equipment to fix the situation.
Problem: Bedrooms were too hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
Solution: Install a new Carrier System for the basement and first floor, while adding Mitsubishi Ductless Hyper Heat Units to the bedrooms.
Second-Floor Rooms Always Too Hot Or Too Cold
Our homeowners told us that the second-floor bedrooms never felt properly heated or cooled. It was roughly 10 to 15 degrees hotter in the summertime. And, about 10 degrees cooler in the winter. This is a common situation. But, we knew that with such a large difference in temperatures, simply replacing the old system wasn’t going to fix this problem.
Instead of installing one system, we eliminated the bedroom air ducts going to the 2nd floor and sized the basement system for the 1st floor and 2nd-floor bathroom only. Clearly, the ducts weren’t delivering the proper amount of air to these bedrooms, and trying the same system over wasn’t going to work.
Two-Stage Carrier Performance Heating And Cooling Installation
We put in a two-stage Carrier Performance system heater with a one-stage AC system.
This way, we also got rid of an old air conditioner that would need replacement soon anyway. We also made some simpler airflow changes to help air move more freely by using 45 degree turns rather than 90-degree turns.
Mitsubishi Hyper Heat Mini Split
The two 2nd floor bedrooms were supplemented with a Hyper-Heat Mitsubishi system. The outdoor unit was an MXZ-2C20NAHZ with two MSZ-FH09 wall hung units in the bedrooms. This system requires no ductwork, and each unit is In the bedroom, making sure they are feeling comfortable no matter what time of year it is.
These ductless systems are a perfect fit for a situation like this for several reasons.
Ductless Systems Solve Uneven Heating And Cooling Problems
First of all, they will keep the bedrooms comfortable. The main system and design wasn’t cutting it, so adding these to the bedrooms will ensure that they are comfortable all year long.
Secondly, they work independently of each other, and the normal system. This means that if no one is in the bedroom, they can shut them off. Or, they can turn them to a more moderate setting, allowing them to use less energy than if they were cranking up the main system to compensate for the lack of comfort upstairs.
This also means that the bedrooms can be different temperatures according to what they prefer. If one person wants their room at 70, while the other likes it a little warmer at 73, there is no fight over the thermostat anymore, because everyone can have it their way.
Energy Rebates And Lower Bills With A Mini Split
This decrease in energy use will also help with the electric bills. Ductless systems are extremely efficient and use far less energy than a traditional system. This will be a huge benefit when the electric bill is due.
Lastly, because of the energy efficient design of these systems, the homeowners qualified for three rebates. $350 cool cash, $350 PECO rebate, and a $400 Routine Maintenance rebate. They knocked $1100 off their system, and were able to finance the rest, meaning that they have new equipment, discounted, and only have to make a modest monthly payment for all of this!
Now, this home will be cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and it won’t cost an arm and a leg to make it happen!