[wayneman]

Also used Munn’s with insulation and mitsubishi mini split. Our lanai faces east, dual pane glass with motorized blinds. Works well with one caveat. The condensation pump is the achilles heal. Munn’s offers a 10yr warranty on the pump. Ours failed after 5yrs. Had to push Munn’s to replace it. They wanted to charge me $250 to clean it out. I said no way Jose it’s warranted for 10yrs replace it.

[Glowfromminnesota]

I don’t know about the mini split since I was grandfathered in and had a vent in the lanai ceiling (older section) using heat/air from the house, but I replaced the plexiglass windows with double pane from Window World and it was amazing a complete game changer. Now I live in the newer section with single pane and absolutely hate these windows. I consider them one step above the old plexiglass that I had. Just saying…

[retiredguy123]

I would never try to heat and cool a space with single pane glass windows. Replace the windows with double pane glass. That is the standard way to construct conditioned living space. Also, install insulation above the ceiling.

[CosmicTrucker]

My advice comes from having a three-car garage and a main bedroom with a ceiling cassette installed in a vinyl-sided home three years ago.
We hired M&S for the installation, using Mitsubishi equipment.
Side note: M&S has been sold and is no longer owned or run by the brothers who started the company. Service has declined, and maintenance pricing has doubled!
I believe the Mitsubishi system is superior, but finding a qualified contractor—especially on the day of installation—is critical. Good luck with that.
I looked up the quoted unit models and was happy to see that Mitsubishi has addressed some design issues since my installation by including built-in Wi-Fi and some type of coating on the interior components to reduce mold buildup.
My system cools the garage with ease. The garage was insulated with blown-in insulation by a different contractor after the mini-split installation.
The main bedroom has a ceiling cassette unit. It looks great and blends in well enough not to be an eyesore, BUT the ongoing maintenance is a wallet buster. Local contractors are now asking $700 or more to disassemble the unit to clean the fan wheel. If I’d known this was the case, I would have looked into other options.
Thankfully, your installation is using the wall-hung unit.
I would go with the extra capacity because these units work in a highly efficient way, but sometimes seem a little lazy.

Set the desired temperature, then leave it running 24/7 to allow the unit to perform at its best.

[JRcorvette]

Originally Posted by idlewild

We're looking to install a mini-split heat pump in our enclosed lanai here in The Villages and would appreciate input, especially from current/former HVAC professionals or homeowners with experience with these brands.

Our Lanai:
* Approximately 309 sq. ft., south-facing, with considerable direct afternoon sun.
* Enclosed with single-pane glass (not insulated or low-E).
* Currently no meaningful ceiling insulation; planning to add **R-30 blown-in insulation** as part of the project.
* Gets extremely hot and muggy, particularly from April through October, with August being brutal.
* We want reliable cooling and, equally importantly, good humidity control without excessive cycling or energy consumption.

We've received two substantially different recommendations from established local HVAC contractors.

Contractor A — Mitsubishi 12K
Recommended a 12,000 BTU Mitsubishi mini-split with two equipment options:

-Mitsubishi WX12 (MSZ-WX12NL / MUZ-WX12NL): 18 SEER2 — $6,705 installed
-Mitsubishi GX12 (MSZ-GX12NL / MUZ-GX12NL): 25.6 SEER2 — $8,005 installed

Both prices include approximately $415 for R-30 blown-in ceiling insulation, the mini-split installation, and a new dedicated electrical circuit. I still need to confirm permitting and clarify some conflicting warranty details in the written estimate.

Their load calculations:
The salesperson provided two screenshots from a load-calculation tool labeled "EDS Load Calculator," showing:

- Existing ceiling (R-1): 27,295 BTU/h cooling load (25,911 sensible + 1,385 latent)
- After R-30 insulation: 10,210 BTU/h cooling load (8,825 sensible + 1,385 latent)

Based on the insulated calculation, they recommended a 12K unit.

I don't know whether this represents a complete Manual J calculation or a simplified estimate. A reduction of approximately 17,085 BTU/h from ceiling insulation alone seems a bit too...substantial. Does that seem reasonable, particularly with our south-facing single-pane glass? I'm curious whether the calculation adequately accounts for the glass area, solar heat gain, and other conditions.

Contractor B — Lennox/Samsung 18K
Recommended an 18,000 BTU Lennox mini-split powered by Samsung:

- Indoor model: MWHD018S6-1P
- Outdoor model: MWHD018S6S-1P
- 21.5 SEER2 / 12.85 EER2
- Inverter-driven, R-32 refrigerant, built-in Wi-Fi and Dry mode
- 10-year parts warranty, 10-year compressor warranty, and 2-year service agreement (labor warranty coverage still needs clarification)

Quote: $5,745 installed, including electrical work, permit, taxes, new condenser pad, hurricane tie-downs, surge protector, condensate drain, and safety float switch. R-30 ceiling insulation is not included and is estimated separately at approximately $900.

* Total with insulation: approximately $6,645. *

This representative felt that 18K was necessary, primarily because of the single-pane glass, southern exposure, and heat/humidity conditions. He also inspected the electrical routing, condenser placement, and possible code/egress issues involving nearby windows. He offered to quote Mitsubishi as well, but estimated a comparable GX system would cost approximately $1,500 more and didn't feel the additional expense was justified.

Here's Our Dilemma

We have two established local contractors recommending **12K versus 18K** for the same 309-square-foot room, at almost identical overall project prices when insulation is included.

I'm particularly interested in feedback on:

1. Sizing and humidity control: Is 18K excessive for a 309-square-foot enclosed lanai, even with substantial south-facing single-pane glass? Or would 12K struggle on a sunny August afternoon? Since these are inverter systems, how important is their minimum cooling capacity in controlling humidity without short-cycling? Would a 15K unit be a better compromise?

2. Load calculations: Does a drop from approximately 27,300 to 10,200 BTU/h simply by adding R-30 ceiling insulation seem plausible? Would you recommend a more detailed Manual J calculation before selecting equipment?

3. Long-term reliability and brand value: Mitsubishi has an established reputation in mini-splits, and I understand The Villages has used Mitsubishi equipment extensively. Does anyone have experience with the newer Lennox/Samsung mini-splits, especially their longevity, compressor or control-board failures, parts availability, and local service support? I realize Samsung's somewhat poor reputation in other appliance categories isn't necessarily representative of its HVAC equipment, so I'm particularly interested in firsthand experiences rather than assumptions.

I like features such as built-in Wi-Fi, adjustable airflow, and intelligent humidity-control modes, but reliability and serviceability are much more important to me than extra features.

Is Mitsubishi worth the premium? If the equipment is correctly sized and installed, would you pay approximately $1,500 more for Mitsubishi GX over the Lennox/Samsung? Why or why not?

4. Other manufacturers: Should we also consider Daikin, Fujitsu, Carrier, or another brand with good local service and parts support?

5. Installation considerations: Any advice on condenser placement, proper refrigerant-line installation, condensate drainage, warranty coverage (especially labor), or permitting issues specific to enclosed lanais in The Villages? The second contractor seemed particularly attentive to the electrical routing, outdoor unit location, and potential egress issues.

We're less interested in saving $2,000 today than in getting a system that cools effectively in August, controls humidity during milder weather, and provides 10–15+ years of dependable service.

I'd especially appreciate feedback from anyone who has installed, serviced, or owned these particular Mitsubishi or Samsung/Lennox systems.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Mitsubishi is the Gold Standard in the mini split world. 12,000 BTU would be fine.
Two things I would do is if at all possible mount on an outside wall so the drain does not need a pump. Pumps fail or clog frequently. The next thing you might want to consider if you feel the glass is letting in too much heat is to have ceramic tint installed on the glass. It works very well. We had a similar situation.

[bingo613]

Who was contractor B with the Lennox/Samsung I'm interested in calling them

[Glewellen]

We had lanai enclosed a yr ago with single pane windows. 327 ft sq. faces south. Started out w/ a 12,000 BTU portable A/C; turned out to be under sized. It was a $250 experiment.

Got 4 quotes for a mini-split. Two contractors suggested 12,000, so we walked away from them. Very pleased with the 18,000 BTU Mitisbishi that we purchased. Understand how your bidders are making the size (BTU) determination.

Make sure your contractor makes all the arrangements for permits & required inspections. One of our quoters said the permits were our problem; walked away from them.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by CosmicTrucker

I would go with the extra capacity because these units work in a highly efficient way, but sometimes seem a little lazy.

Set the desired temperature, then leave it running 24/7 to allow the unit to perform at its best.

Quickest way to guaranty problems with the unit ... over-sizing.

That's a lot like buying a Ferrari and using it for slow trips to the grocery store. It's not designed to handle that usage.

[LoisR]

Call Daniel's Heating/AC. Did our lanai with a Mitsu and was about $2k cheaper than others. Great unit.

[zuidemab]

Yes. You are controlling the humidity, NOT installing AC. BTW - a nice benefit is the room will cool nicely as it lowers the humidity.