Multi split heater/air conditioning

[TONE]

Okay, sorry for my ignorance.

I was looking thru the famous magazine the other day and was admiring all the cool garages.

There are two in the mag that show multi split heaters/air conditionings units.

They are electrical.

I dont know a damn thing about these, so Im sorry for seeming so clueless.

Can someone give me the skinny on em?

Id be interested in such a unit for my 3 car garage. Are they vented? Seperate circuit needed? Any special needs for installation? Cost effective?

Thanks

 

[ghnl]

Do you mean 'mini-split'? A search using that term should find plenty of threads with info.

I installed two mini-splits - one for the garage, the other for the room above. The inside unit is ~ 9" X 12" X 38", the outside unit ~ 12" X 24" X 30". A couple of insulated copper tubes connect the two units (plus some electrical wires). They are a fairly easy install but the lines need to be evacuated before opening the valves to fill with refrigerant (they come pre-filled). I hired an HVAC technician to handle that aspect.

You can also get one outside unit to run 2-3 inside units. But that is best if all the areas to be conditioned are to kept at the same temps. I wanted the two areas to be totally seperate.

 

[cw_racefan]

You may also find info searching for ductless mini-split, etc. Basically they're very similar to your typical house type split unit, you have an outside unit (compressor and condenser coils), and a small indoor unit (blower and evaporator). Difference is, you have no duct work. Operation is the same as a normal heat pump, it's just that the entire inside portion of a normal heat pump is contained in the small unit you see in the pictures.

For the specific questions...They are not vented, they simply pull the inside air in through vents on the top/front, and blow heated/cooled air out the bottom. There are refrigerant lines and a drain line that run through the wall to the outside unit. Mine is a 220V unit, and does require a separate 20 amp circuit. They can be just as efficient as a home split heat pump, 13 SEER is the minimum now, and they go up to 16-19 SEER.

Craig