Has anyone had a mini split installed in their master bedroom?

[GreggC69]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.

[CarlR33]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.No experience in this but when I look at homes for sale in the Villages and see a picture of a mini split in a main room it suggests there is an issue with cooling the home (when there is not)? Have you considered the extra noise it would create in the bedroom where you are used to total quiet to sleep? How much cooler do you want the room to make a mini split worth the cost over cooling the whole home? Lastly, have you tried a simple ceiling fan in the room first? Not against your idea just my random thoughts.

[GreggC69]

Thanks Carl. Just thinking through all the options. Great points to consider. Much appreciated.

[villagetinker]

CarlR33, we use the fan pointed down, and this works very well for us. Also, I had looked at some multizone mini-splits, there was a limit on the coolant line lengths, and it was not obvious that these could be run through the very hot attic, so depending on the layout of your house there may be some physical constraints.

[under55]

Yes we have a Mitsubishi Mini Split in the Master Bedroom. No more turning the thermostat for the whole house down every night. The temperature in the bedroom is a constant 68 degrees.
The cost is pennies a day for this comfort. We used Daniels AC out of Inverness. You're looking at about $2500 for the unit and install. You can barely hear it run inside and outside.

[GreggC69]

Thanks Under55. $2500 seems like a great price for a mini split! Curious, did you mount in the ceiling or on the wall?

[dewilson58]

Have you looked into Zoning your current system??

Cool sections/rooms individually, not the entire house.

:mornincoffee:

[under55]

Thanks Under55. $2500 seems like a great price for a mini split! Curious, did you mount in the ceiling or on the wall?

It is on the wall. This is the second home in The Villages we have done this and used Daniels both times. They handle all the permits. It is truly worth it if you like a cold room to sleep in. In our second home the electric was already in place so the price was $2480. It might have been more in the first home we had to run electric to the location of the outside unit. They will come and quote the project at no cost to you.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Yes we have a Mitsubishi Mini Split in the Master Bedroom. No more turning the thermostat for the whole house down every night. The temperature in the bedroom is a constant 68 degrees.
The cost is pennies a day for this comfort. We used Daniels AC out of Inverness. You're looking at about $2500 for the unit and install. You can barely hear it run inside and outside.

Agree. Mine is super quiet. So worth it for that price

[Topspinmo]

Let’s see no window units allowed but mini splits allowed? All about money:coolsmiley:

[Battlebasset]

Yes we have a Mitsubishi Mini Split in the Master Bedroom. No more turning the thermostat for the whole house down every night. The temperature in the bedroom is a constant 68 degrees.
The cost is pennies a day for this comfort. We used Daniels AC out of Inverness. You're looking at about $2500 for the unit and install. You can barely hear it run inside and outside.

Like others, not saying you shouldn't do this. But maybe do a test where you drop your temp for a month to 68 at night for your whole house, and compare it to what you pay per month when you don't drop it. Pick a couple of the hottest months for the max comparison.

Let's say the difference is $25 per month. That means 100 months, or 8.3 years you could do that for the $2500 you would spend on the split system. And if you are thinking "But that will kill my house AC quicker" well perhaps, but then you have $2500 in your pocket to put towards a new house AC,

Not perfect/apples to apples, but at least you would be going into the purchase with an idea of what your $2500 purchase gets you vs just turning down your existing AC a bit.

[Robnlaura]

I just put three in separate systems all 12000 btu all under 1000 all 22 seer.. these are super simple to install. Cost is super low they all on Alexa. There is o noise from these units.

[Retiring]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.

Is this new construction or your existing home? I built couple years ago and put in zones. I have three zones, the master, the main guest room and the remainder of the house. I can keep my bedroom and 70, or less, and at the same time keep my guest bedroom at 75 for the times my mom visits. I keep the rest of the house at 71. I recall buying a unit that can zone was extra, but worth every penny.

[GreggC69]

We definitely are planning to add one to the garage and still debating the master. Thanks for all the great thoughts and opinions.

[ithos]

No experience in this but when I look at homes for sale in the Villages and see a picture of a mini split in a main room it suggests there is an issue with cooling the home (when there is not)? Have you considered the extra noise it would create in the bedroom where you are used to total quiet to sleep? How much cooler do you want the room to make a mini split worth the cost over cooling the whole home? Lastly, have you tried a simple ceiling fan in the room first? Not against your idea just my random thoughts.

You perception that a mini split suggests an inadequate cooling system could not be more wrong. Most commercial properties have have zone controls to save energy. Installing a dedicated AC unit in the bedroom makes sense since you can keep the temperature at 68 degs for optimal sleep conditions without wasting energy cooling the rest of the house. The units are very quiet and if there is any noise it would probable serve as a sleep aid similar to playing brown noise in the background.

[ithos]

Here is a cheaper option for less than $400 if the window isn't seen by your neighbors.
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08677DCKN?linkCode=sl1&tag=mideaac-20&linkId=6ad62168e44dc52ed453f68afa54b4f0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1)

It is very low profile and lets you keep your window closed. And if you are ratted out you can always sale it on craigs list or similar.

[Robnlaura]

[QUOTE=ithos;2322852]Here is a cheaper option for less than $400 if the window isn't seen by your neighbors.
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08677DCKN?linkCode=sl1&tag=mideaac-20&linkId=6ad62168e44dc52ed453f68afa54b4f0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1)

This actually uses the same technology as a larger mini split (inverter) made by midea Midea Air Conditioning is the leading manufacturer for all major brands like Toshiba, Carrier, Goodman, Friedrich, Samsung, Kenmore, Trane, Lennox, LG, and many more private labels like Senville, Klimaire, AirCon, Century, Pridiom, Thermocore and much more.
]

[Rwirish]

To answer the question, no one in The Villages has ever done this.

[MandoMan]

You perception that a mini split suggests an inadequate cooling system could not be more wrong. Most commercial properties have have zone controls to save energy. Installing a dedicated AC unit in the bedroom makes sense since you can keep the temperature at 68 degs for optimal sleep conditions without wasting energy cooling the rest of the house. The units are very quiet and if there is any noise it would probable serve as a sleep aid similar to playing brown noise in the background.

I recommended to a girlfriend in New Jersey in a centuries-old house that she get a mini-split system to cool or heat her bedroom and sun room. She loves it. It’s very quiet, both inside and outside, and it’s certainly much cheaper and quieter than a window air conditioner (which she had in her living room and a guest bedroom). However, here in The Villages, in a courtyard villa, I have a new high end heat pump. I keep the temp at 71° to 73° 24/7 year round and rarely open a door or window. I also drive a Prius Prime with batteries I charge every night in my garage. Last month my electric bill was $68. At that price, it would be hard to justify a separate heat pump for one area. Turning the house down to 68° at night would cost nothing at all unless the night time temp were above 68°, which is only in the summer, and even in the summer, the sun doesn’t shine on the house at night, so it’s easy to cool the house down a little more.

[ithos]

I recommended to a girlfriend in New Jersey in a centuries-old house that she get a mini-split system to cool or heat her bedroom and sun room. She loves it. It’s very quiet, both inside and outside, and it’s certainly much cheaper and quieter than a window air conditioner (which she had in her living room and a guest bedroom). However, here in The Villages, in a courtyard villa, I have a new high end heat pump. I keep the temp at 71° to 73° 24/7 year round and rarely open a door or window. I also drive a Prius Prime with batteries I charge every night in my garage. Last month my electric bill was $68. At that price, it would be hard to justify a separate heat pump for one area. Turning the house down to 68° at night would cost nothing at all unless the night time temp were above 68°, which is only in the summer, and even in the summer, the sun doesn’t shine on the house at night, so it’s easy to cool the house down a little more.

It was your comment about inadequate cooling that I took exception to. You seemed to be painting with a broad brush and implying substandard construction. Maybe there alot of homes with inferior insulation. But I have not seen many complaints about it.

[Freehiker]

I had one in my TN house.

Mitsubishi, super quiet and worked perfectly.

[Linco]

Would those with quiet mini splits please share the brand names? Thank you!

[CosmicTrucker]

I had a Mitsubishi system installed last year. Ceiling cassette in the bedroom ceiling and a wall unit in the garage. It makes sense to me to cool the one room versus wasting energy and wear and tear on the main unit cooling the whole house. Both units are whisper quiet. The downside to the ceiling cassette unit is someone has to climb a step ladder to clean the filers a few times per year.

[sblb]

I didn’t think that it means inadequate heating. We put one in years ago, and asked our Realtor first what he thought for a resale of the house. He said its a good idea for resale. This way we keep the bedroom at 65 at night and keep the reat of the house at 80. It makes no noise at all. We have it mounted in the wall.

[sowilts]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.
Our HVAC, Carrier, is the best Unit installed in our home. Whisper quiet and cools even during the last hot summer. SECO power is so much more efficient than our Home in Maryland. Agree with ceiling fans. Cost of the units, assuming they are Mitsubishi, maybe a factor to consider.

[Road-Runner]

Added one to our garage and it is working marvelously. I will add that we insulated the garage door and had R-18 insulation blown over the garage, plus we had two solar powered roof vents installed. Helps the entire house stay cooler.

[Wondering]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.
Zone your home. It's probably cheaper. They can install a separate thermostat for each zone. I have three zones in my house and love it!

[Donegalkid]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.

We did the the research and numbers regarding furnace/AC replacement versus mini splits. Decided on 4 wall mounted minis throughout the house — 3 running off of 1 exterior unit; 1 off of another exterior unit. Mitsubishis. They are great. One year experience: we like the individual remote controls (e.g. different temps for different rooms); like the energy efficiency; liked the 2K tax credit; like having no furnance room (now a closet); like no exterior noise from AC compressor; like no crazy ductwork in attic (all ripped out — leaving space and neatness); like having no ductwork covers from which DUST flows from 20 year old ductwork (we had all the vents capped); like the ability to control fan speed and air flow on each unit; like the easy cleaning of unit filters. No downside — yet. We used Daniels from Inverness. A great small company. The owner is directly involved in doing estimates; supervising the work to be done. Highly recommend.

[Cybersprings]

Have you looked into Zoning your current system??

Cool sections/rooms individually, not the entire house.

:mornincoffee:

I agree 100% with the idea, but it doesn't work, unless you spend a ton of money.
First of all, you have to rerun all (almost all) of the ductwork in the attic. Then you have issues with closing off zones and the back pressure that causes, which can ruin your a/c. I tried doing this with Flair to make it more cost effective, but only 2 or 3 vents could be closed off before Flair kept the others open due to back pressure.
From my research, the best way, when done as a retrojob is the mini split.

[huge-pigeons]

I have the ceiling mini split. The wall units are ugly, the ceiling units are almost invisible. Also, our unit is very quiet. The guy told us that if we wanted to convert our existing whole house system to mini splits, they can do this multiple ways: zoning off a larger unit or getting multiple smaller units.
BTW: all of the piping is in the attic with no issues.
Plus you can get a tax rebate/credit on installing a new more efficient heat pump/mini split

[Cybersprings]

I recommended to a girlfriend in New Jersey in a centuries-old house that she get a mini-split system to cool or heat her bedroom and sun room. She loves it. It’s very quiet, both inside and outside, and it’s certainly much cheaper and quieter than a window air conditioner (which she had in her living room and a guest bedroom). However, here in The Villages, in a courtyard villa, I have a new high end heat pump. I keep the temp at 71° to 73° 24/7 year round and rarely open a door or window. I also drive a Prius Prime with batteries I charge every night in my garage. Last month my electric bill was $68. At that price, it would be hard to justify a separate heat pump for one area. Turning the house down to 68° at night would cost nothing at all unless the night time temp were above 68°, which is only in the summer, and even in the summer, the sun doesn’t shine on the house at night, so it’s easy to cool the house down a little more.
If cost was the only factor, you might be right.
I can't sleep well unless it is 68degrees or less in the bedroom.
I cannot survive the complaining unless I keep the rest of the house and the bedroom prior to bedtime at 72 or warmer . (My wife also spends a lot of time in the bedroom doing puzzles, devotions, etc.) To cool the whole house from 72 to 68 takes a few hours. So, it is either not cool when I go to bed, or there is lots of complaining about how cold the house is before bedtime. And in the morning, it does not warm in the house for several hours. So I end up having to heat the house to get it to 72 and then cool it. The whole thing is a nightmare.

So, I think being able to quickly cool one room to a sleep temp and not cooling and then heating the rest of the house in the morning makes a lot of sense.

I have been debating doing this for a long time, I would just never post on TOTV to get input.
I am glad someone else did so I could get the idea of the cost and results of those who have already done it.

[Romad]

If sleeping is the problem, there are a couple other products available. One that I can’t live without is a Chilipad that cools the mattress. The room doesn’t have to be quite so cool. The other is a Bedjet that blows air across the sheets. Just options that I have found helpful since I sleep warm without cooling the house more or using the ceiling fan.

[under55]

The original question was do you have one. Yes

[Dust Bunny]

Looking at getting a mini split for the garage and at the same time adding a head for the master. Figured I could cool that room as needed (like it cooler at night and other times) without having to drop the temp in the whole house unit. Have others done? If so, did you go with the ceiling mounted option and put in the outer portion of the ceiling without impacting the trey? Or did you do a wall mount? Appreciate in advance any thoughts and ideas.

I have a wall mount in my Lani with sweeping fins. It works fine. I also had a very large one in my solarium in my other house. It was an all-glass room, worked wonders for heating and cooling.

[dewilson58]

I agree 100% with the idea, but it doesn't work, unless you spend a ton of money.
First of all, you have to rerun all (almost all) of the ductwork in the attic. Then you have issues with closing off zones and the back pressure that causes, which can ruin your a/c. I tried doing this with Flair to make it more cost effective, but only 2 or 3 vents could be closed off before Flair kept the others open due to back pressure.
From my research, the best way, when done as a retrojob is the mini split.

Actually.................it works great.
You are wrong about rerunning ductwork.
No issues with back pressure.
Spent less money than a mini split.
& it doesn't look like I'm living in a hotel.

[ithos]

A major drawback with using minisplits in every zone is that you have many more potential points of failure. The upside is that when one fails it only affects one area and not the whole house. Another shortcoming is that there are fewer factory trained techs to work on them.
And the man hours required to fix a mini split cassette may be more than a standard condenser unit. Especially if it is a leak. Most techs don't like to work on them.

If buying new construction I would install a variable speed compressor and evap fan with a zoned system using static pressure. The fans shouldn't be much more but the outside unit will be. But it should pay for itself in the long run and last longer because there will no longer be thousands of hard starts over its lifetime. And the new ones may be able to be diagnosed remotely as well as providing more diagnostic data with trends. The downside is the more sophisticated the system the fewer companies you can call for service. That may change as more are installed.

(edit). Variable speed is much better for humidity control if that is an issue and you will avoid that big blast of hot air when the fan kicks on during the summer.

Variable-Capacity Heat Pumps - GreenBuildingAdvisor (https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/variable-capacity-heat-pumps)

[mrf0151]

We tried a mini in our large southwest facing room but it has issues. We went with 4 zone system which we absolutely love. At night the master bedroom runs at 70 degrees for cool sleeping and the rest of the house is at 79. It will take a few years for this zone system to pay for itself but it is the ticket for larger homes.

[Shipping up to Boston]

We tried a mini in our large southwest facing room but it has issues. We went with 4 zone system which we absolutely love. At night the master bedroom runs at 70 degrees for cool sleeping and the rest of the house is at 79. It will take a few years for this zone system to pay for itself but it is the ticket for larger homes.

This is a typo, right? ‘the rest of the house is 79’ Must be in the off position

[justjim]

Like others, not saying you shouldn't do this. But maybe do a test where you drop your temp for a month to 68 at night for your whole house, and compare it to what you pay per month when you don't drop it. Pick a couple of the hottest months for the max comparison.

Let's say the difference is $25 per month. That means 100 months, or 8.3 years you could do that for the $2500 you would spend on the split system. And if you are thinking "But that will kill my house AC quicker" well perhaps, but then you have $2500 in your pocket to put towards a new house AC,

Not perfect/apples to apples, but at least you would be going into the purchase with an idea of what your $2500 purchase gets you vs just turning down your existing AC a bit.

I like your thinking! I know in our case it would not be profitable because the difference is 75 in the day and 72 at night. 68 is just too cold for us at night! But to each his own.

[mrf0151]

This is a typo, right? ‘the rest of the house is 79’ Must be in the off position

Nope