A/C Lanai's

[MrGolf]

I seem to remember there were several postings about adding air conditioners to existing closed in lanai' shut can't seem to find them. Does anyone remember this that can point me in the right direction.

[villagetinker]

At this point, I am thoroughly confused with the requirements, permits, etc associated with this. Recently one of the 'split' AC installers has had ads in the paper stating the building codes changed recently (again) and that these can be installed.
IMHO, I would call or stop by the Sumter County Building dept, and ask them. In this manner, you will know exactly what needs to be done, then you can get 3 or more quotes for the work.
Hope this helps.

[photo1902]

I seem to remember there were several postings about adding air conditioners to existing closed in lanai' shut can't seem to find them. Does anyone remember this that can point me in the right direction.

Try Sunshine AC. 352-748-9329. They do excellent work and can advise what if any permit is required (depends on the county in which you reside) for your ductless or mini-split system. I highly recommend Sunshine.

[jnieman]

I seem to remember there were several postings about adding air conditioners to existing closed in lanai' shut can't seem to find them. Does anyone remember this that can point me in the right direction.

We had our 15x20 lanai enclosed 6 months ago. It added 230 sq ft of living space. I wanted to add air right away but we waited. I'm glad we did. Although the heating company told us our house AC couldn't handle the new space, they wanted to sell us the Mitsubicci unit for $2800. So far we have no issues heating or cooling the space and all we did is open the slider. We might put in some ducts from our current unit but you might want to wait and see if you really need the unit before spending the money. Once the heat turns up to 94 every day we might change our minds but so far, so good. We do have the low-E tinted windows.

[MrGolf]

Thank you for your feedback. The house we just purchased as a vent installed into the enclosed lanai. Not sure if the existing unit has the power to handle it or whether we need to add something like a Mitsubishi unit. On top of that the regulations. All very confusing. Happy Easter.

[jimbo2012]

A Mitsubishi unit is so cheap now $1100, if you search Utube they can be installed with one hand tied behind your back, they come pre-charged.

These A/C guys want $3,000+

Talk about a margin of profit :(





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[MrGolf]

Thanks Jim. Great suggestion

[RickeyD]

A Mitsubishi unit is so cheap now $1100, if you search Utube they can be installed with one hand tied behind your back, they come pre-charged.



These A/C guys want $3,000+



Talk about a margin of profit :(











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As long as a person has a superior mindset with electro-mechanical experience & tools, otherwise best left to the pros.

[photo1902]

As long as a person has a superior mindset with electro-mechanical experience & tools, otherwise best left to the pros.

Not to mention they need a dedicated circuit. So unless a homeowner is fully capable of handling that on their own, it's best left to pro's.

[jimbo2012]

It's your money, but if you can't handle the electrical, hire an electrician for that (maybe $150)

then install the unit, on a scale of 1-10 in difficulty I give it a 5, plug it in take the $2,000 in savings go on a cruise :ohdear:





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[photo1902]

It's your money, but if you can't handle the electrical, hire an electrician for that (maybe $150)

then install the unit, on a scale of 1-10 in difficulty I give it a 5, plug it in take the $2,000 in savings go on a cruise :ohdear:





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Absolutely true, unless you want to void the warranty.

F. PROPER INSTALLATION. This Limited Warranty applies only to Systems that are installed by contractors who are licensed for HVAC installation under applicable local and state law, and who install the Systems in accordance with (i) all applicable building codes and permits: (ii) MEUS’s installation and operation instructions: and (iii) good trade practices.

[RickeyD]

It's your money, but if you can't handle the electrical, hire an electrician for that (maybe $150)



then install the unit, on a scale of 1-10 in difficulty I give it a 5, plug it in take the $2,000 in savings go on a cruise :ohdear:











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I'll bet your wife was nervous when you drilled a 1" hole through the wall [emoji15]

[jimbo2012]

Absolutely true, unless you want to void the warranty.

F. PROPER INSTALLATION. This Limited Warranty applies only to Systems that are installed by contractors who are licensed for HVAC installation under applicable local and state law, and who install the Systems in accordance with (i) all applicable building codes and permits: (ii) MEUS’s installation and operation instructions: and (iii) good trade practices.

Correct
Who cares about the warranty, I can buy 4 of them and still be ahead, those units are bullet proof, and only one end goes bad if ever and that's $600.

I'll bet your wife was nervous when you drilled a 1" hole through the wall [emoji15]

If you knew of what I did as a DIY, you wouldn't ask :1rotfl:



.

[photo1902]

Correct
Who cares about the warranty, I can buy 4 of them and still be ahead, those units are bullet proof, and only one end goes bad if ever and that's $600.



If you knew of what I did as a DIY, you wouldn't ask :1rotfl:



.

Like most people would, I care about a warranty.

[Carla B]

But Jimbo can do anything. I seem to remember he installed his own cypress floor and built his own swimming pool. Putting in an AC unit wouldn't be any challenge for him.

[RickeyD]

Correct
Who cares about the warranty, I can buy 4 of them and still be ahead, those units are bullet proof, and only one end goes bad if ever and that's $600.



If you knew of what I did as a DIY, you wouldn't ask :1rotfl:



.



I would agree with that. Although if there is a problem an error code will pop up indicating an air handler or condensing unit issue, typically a bad sensor or whatever. Parts aren't that expensive. The tech support line can also help out and give you the P/N of the failed device. Lot cheaper then replacing the entire unit.

[VillagerNut]

We had our 15x20 lanai enclosed 6 months ago. It added 230 sq ft of living space. I wanted to add air right away but we waited. I'm glad we did. Although the heating company told us our house AC couldn't handle the new space, they wanted to sell us the Mitsubicci unit for $2800. So far we have no issues heating or cooling the space and all we did is open the slider. We might put in some ducts from our current unit but you might want to wait and see if you really need the unit before spending the money. Once the heat turns up to 94 every day we might change our minds but so far, so good. We do have the low-E tinted windows.

You may figure out why you needed to separate air conditioner unit when you kill your existing air conditioner unit. Opening the door after adding that much square footage is overworking your unit and will decrease its life. That's why it is highly advised to have a split system or a stand on the ground air-conditioner unit instead of opening the door and letting your existing air handler and air conditioner handle the extra square footage. When you replace your air conditioner then you can size it larger to handle the additional square footage and drop the extra ductwork in to the room. But it is your choice!

[RickeyD]

You may figure out why you needed to separate air conditioner unit when you kill your existing air conditioner unit. Opening the door after adding that much square footage is overworking your unit and will decrease its life. That's why it is highly advised to have a split system or a stand on the ground air-conditioner unit instead of opening the door and letting your existing air handler and air conditioner handle the extra square footage. When you replace your air conditioner then you can size it larger to handle the additional square footage and drop the extra ductwork in to the room. But it is your choice!



A mechanical device is not human or animal. It has no sense of self or knowledge of being overworked. It will either bring the space temperature down or up or not. It will not die prematurely, it will simply do work.

[jimbo2012]

perfect answer

[tuccillo]

All square footage is not the same. The heat load on the additional space is a function of the orientation of the space (east, west, north, south), the amount of window area, the types of windows, whether you have shade from trees, insulation values of the walls and celiing, etc. Also, if the net effect of opening the sliders is longer runtimes for the AC this is not necessarily a bad thing. ACs work more efficiently when they have longer runtimes during the hottest part of the day instead of cycling on and off multiple times per hour. It is possible that your system is oversized enough to handle the additional space despite that the fact that is was sized by the required heat load calculation (aka Manual J).

If you only see longer runtimes during the hottest part of the summer then you might be OK. If the new space faces to the northeast this is more likely than if it faces to the southwest. If you see continuous running and the AC can not maintain the temperature you have set on the thermostat (say it is several degrees warmer than you want), then you may want to consider adding a minisplit system as you don't have enough capacity to handle the new space.

You may figure out why you needed to separate air conditioner unit when you kill your existing air conditioner unit. Opening the door after adding that much square footage is overworking your unit and will decrease its life. That's why it is highly advised to have a split system or a stand on the ground air-conditioner unit instead of opening the door and letting your existing air handler and air conditioner handle the extra square footage. When you replace your air conditioner then you can size it larger to handle the additional square footage and drop the extra ductwork in to the room. But it is your choice!

[RickeyD]

All square footage is not the same. The heat load on the additional space is a function of the orientation of the space (east, west, north, south), the amount of window area, the types of windows, whether you have shade from trees, insulation values of the walls and celiing, etc. Also, if the net effect of opening the sliders is longer runtimes for the AC this is not necessarily a bad thing. ACs work more efficiently when they have longer runtimes during the hottest part of the day instead of cycling on and off multiple times per hour. It is possible that your system is oversized enough to handle the additional space despite that the fact that is was sized by the required heat load calculation (aka Manual J).

If you only see longer runtimes during the hottest part of the summer then you might be OK. If the new space faces to the northeast this is more likely than if it faces to the southwest. If you see continuous running and the AC can not maintain the temperature you have set on the thermostat (say it is several degrees warmer than you want), then you may want to consider adding a minisplit system as you don't have enough capacity to handle the new space.



We all get it. Point is this. Lanai gets inclosed, sliders get opened. If it works, great, you beat the system, money saved. If not, add a ton or so of Mitsubishi, won't disturb the new work, all is now good.

[tuccillo]

Actually I don't think everyone does, which is why some explanation is usually worthwhile. If you understood it previously then good for you. In that case, the post wasn't targeted for you.

We all get it. Point is this. Lanai gets inclosed, sliders get opened. If it works, great, you beat the system, money saved. If not, add a ton or so of Mitsubishi, won't disturb the new work, all is now good.

[RickeyD]

Actually I don't think everyone does, which is why some explanation is usually worthwhile. If you understood it previously then good for you. In that case, the post wasn't targeted for you.



Brevity is the soul of wit.

[tuccillo]

Silence is golden.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

[RickeyD]

Silence is golden.



[emoji851]