Mini Split or Conventional

[davidlee]

I am getting quotes on an AC/Heat system for the shop. Its roughly 1400 sq ft .with 10 ft. ceilings. Regular construction,2x4 walls plywood with vinyl siding and 5/8 sheetrock inside. I did not insulate when the sheetrock went up( did not plan to heat and cool at that time) my bad. It does have an up stairs room which is not finished at all but I am not going to worry about that. This is a converted horse barn with a hay loft up top.
Anyway if the prices come back close which would you choose, mini split or conventional. The A/C guy said it would probably take 3 tons to do the job.

 

[whatuusay1]

If 3Ton is accurate - and it certainly sounds right given your Florida location (no insulation) and size. I doubt you'll find a single Minisplit unit at that capacity so you'll be looking at multi-head units (single outside unit with multiple indoor heads). The benefits of the ductless units are efficiency (no ducts and the outdoor compressor/invertor is usually more efficient). You also get a space saving indoors (units are wall mounted). Cost wise it'll probably be a toss up... I dont know... I like the Minisplits (I have an LG 2T unit for my 3 car garage).

 

[pseudorealityx]

First question... what do you do in your shop?

 

[davidlee]

Its just a hobby shop. I work on my cars, a little welding and any other projects that come around. I don't plan on trying to maintain a home comfort level. Just a place to hang out and get out of the house.

 

[bazar01]

If you don't generate a lot of dusts, the mini split is a good unit. I put a cheap one ton heat pump in my rec room.
It just needs frequent evaporator coil cleaning compared to the ducted split units because of the absence of a better air filter section.

 

[JohnX14]

3 ton - go conventional split system.

 

[Chris05gto]

I have a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim mini split in my garage and it does a great job.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Mini split, but with no insulation I don't know if 3 tons will keep you cool in FL ! At least insulate the roof !! 6" minimum, 12" better.

You will be much more comfortable with 2 interior air handlers. If you are going to use the upstairs for anything more than storage, you will need another.

 

[davidlee]

I got the quotes back yesterday, 4k for the conventional and almost 6k for the mini split. Both excluding electrical. I don't think I can justify the price on the mini split.

 

[pseudorealityx]

I got the quotes back yesterday, 4k for the conventional and almost 6k for the mini split. Both excluding electrical. I don't think I can justify the price on the mini split.

Without additional information on what was included in each quote, it's hard to comment.

Manufacturer? Model? Number of evap heads for mini-split? conventional include duct work? Is the conventional a heat pump or only electric strip heat? etc etc etc.

 

[davidlee]

my bad. Daikin mini split with one evap or Goodman with necessary duct work which is minimal, vertical out of air handler in bathroom closet with three registers into shop area.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I got the quotes back yesterday, 4k for the conventional and almost 6k for the mini split. Both excluding electrical. I don't think I can justify the price on the mini split.

Sounds like roughly 2x what the minisplit should be. Can't say without more inof about the systems...

Tommy

 

[rid76]

I bought a thermocore 24000btu 2 head unit off ebay brand new for $1900 and hvac buddy installed for $100 "installs pretty easy"
im in illinois and my shop is 1200sqft and so far its been doing good it runs alot whens its real cold out but keeps it 62 last month i keep it on the entire month 24/7 and my power bill was only 70 higher than normal. Last year i was going through $100 a month in smelly kerosene so im cool with the increase

 

[Jolie-Rouge]

How much of that $6K is labor? I installed my Mitsubishi mini-split consisting of one 2 ton head and one 1 ton head. Have you considered installing yourself? Also - price shop[ online - you can get them much cheaper online. The mini-split technology is also much more efficient than conventional and therefore reaps a respectable monthly discount against your electric bill. The hardest part of the install is running the copper tubing.

 

[Paladin306]

Howdy David,

For a large open area, I'd go with a mini-split every time. However, currently the largest mini-split is 2.5 tons. So, you'll probably need 2 units, especially considering your insulation or lack thereof. And, mini-splits are a little more expensive than conventional units. Those are the downsides.

But, due to their technology mini-splits are typically much more efficientt than anything else available. I'd be sure I got one with the inverter technology to get the most out of that efficiency. Here's a good site that compares some of the more common brands:

http://www.dulley.com/search.shtml/ From that webpage you can download his full report for free.

Personally, I just installed two 2.5 ton units for my 40 x 60 shop. You can see more on my renovation page: My Shop Renovation http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=256595

Mark

 

[pseudorealityx]

The ceiling hung and ceiling cassette style units go up to 3.5 tons, and the wall mounts are up to 3 tons. The ducted versions go up to ~7.5 tons, depending. The airflows vs. capacity are 'odd' for people versed in traditional systems.

The biggest downsides to me are:

Very little filtration capacity and poor air distribution

 

[alberto]

You could put two 1.5 ton mini split units, that's what I'm doing. Advantage is that you can just turn one on when you only need to knock off the edge off the heat or cold, and turn them both on if you need the full effect. Also, if one unit were to go bad, you should have the other to get you by. On the other hand, you have a bit more maintenance. One remote should work on both indoor units.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You could put two 1.5 ton mini split units, that's what I'm doing. Advantage is that you can just turn one on when you only need to knock off the edge off the heat or cold, and turn them both on if you need the full effect. Also, if one unit were to go bad, you should have the other to get you by. On the other hand, you have a bit more maintenance. One remote should work on both indoor units.

That is a lot of money, especially if you are installing them in one large room ! I don't think the operational cost savings is worth it, nor is the "backup".

Now 2 air handlers, that is a different story.

 

[cexualcensations]

gree make a 3 ton mini split single zone 16 seer for around 2k. i plan on using this in my garage which is 1350 sq ft. 6k sound extremly high.

 

[Kogashuko]

They make many 3 ton multisplits. They make very nice affordable LG units that are 21seer. Of course you will have two heads but with a 3 ton load and no insulation you will need to spread it out a bit.

However, consider your savings if you get the sheetrock redone and insulated first. You are bound to have problems with moisture with 100deg humid Florida weather coming in direct contact with 68deg sheetrock. I think my father had a contractor redo the basement and first floor of his old river house after a pipe burst and paid around $1200 for the whole job. Might be worth it if you are looking at dropping 6k-8k on HVAC. Remember you have to pay for the electricity in there. At 1400 sft with just R13, code minimum, you are probably still looking at around 1.5 tons. If your winters get colder than 30deg outside you will also be using strip heat with a traditional system. This will eat you alive without insulation. So, at the end of the day you would probably be looking at $2000 for insulation and sheet rock then another $2000 for a minisplit. Not to mention the savings that will last for a lifetime.