Ductless home AC

[GrayStangGT]

We installed a Mitsubishi ductless for the office at the shop last year and it has been great. So much better than the window unit we used to have. Easy install and super quiet.

[Stephen]

I have a Mitsubishi ductless here at the restaurant and it sucks.. ive seen window units produce equal amounts of cold air.. Im ocd about clean coils on refrigeration units so its not a matter of keeping it clean either

[jluv]

I've got to do something ASAP. Virtually none of the homes have A/C where I live in CO, because we have a very short season where it gets out of the 70s. But, we have several large South-facing windows on the front part of our house, which is about 750 square feet with large, vaulted ceilings. Even with blinds closed, when it's 75 outside, it's 85 in that part of the house. And, it's already gotten well into the 80s outside this summer. I work from home, and just flat out cannot function like that. The bedrooms stay cooler, so it's really just that one large area that needs attention. I don't need heat at all, as we already have baseboard heaters and a wood stove that we don't use much.

My first thought was to get a window unit, but I wonder how effectively it would cool down that large of an area. I don't want it to run all day long, especially if it's noisy.

Having someone install it wouldn't really be an option, so I would need to do it myself. I have basic tools and am pretty handy, but I'm not a carpenter or electrician.

Is this ductless setup the way to go?

[Mach1]

I may also go ductless, just because of the sound diff between a window unit

[S_K]

The ductless systems are made for DIY. I am about to install a dual system in a lake cottage. It has two rooms each around 800 sq ft.
Electrical requirements are a 30 amp 220 volt connection for the outside compressor and a 20 amp 220 volt for each inside evap unit. (this one has heat as well, so an AC only unit may be less).
Plumbing requirements are a line set from the compressor to the inside unit. All parts - including the line sets - are pre-charged with Freon, you just screw the lines on.
One thing missing on my unit was a drain hose. I am going to have to add a 1/2 in. pex line to the line set to drain off condensation.

[lowthreeohz]

I've got to do something ASAP. Virtually none of the homes have A/C where I live in CO, because we have a very short season where it gets out of the 70s. But, we have several large South-facing windows on the front part of our house, which is about 750 square feet with large, vaulted ceilings. Even with blinds closed, when it's 75 outside, it's 85 in that part of the house. And, it's already gotten well into the 80s outside this summer. I work from home, and just flat out cannot function like that. The bedrooms stay cooler, so it's really just that one large area that needs attention. I don't need heat at all, as we already have baseboard heaters and a wood stove that we don't use much.

My first thought was to get a window unit, but I wonder how effectively it would cool down that large of an area. I don't want it to run all day long, especially if it's noisy.

Having someone install it wouldn't really be an option, so I would need to do it myself. I have basic tools and am pretty handy, but I'm not a carpenter or electrician.

Is this ductless setup the way to go?

Can you get away with a swamp cooler? When i lived in Utah that's all we had for cooling, and it was more than sufficient. Turn that sucker on and crack a window where you want cold air to flow and voila! I think they stop being efficient when the temperature + relative humidity is 130 or more, but i'm going from memory and we know how much damage i've done to mine... just a thought. they're super cheap to run, just needs water and enough power to spin a fan

[jluv]

Can you get away with a swamp cooler? When i lived in Utah that's all we had for cooling, and it was more than sufficient. Turn that sucker on and crack a window where you want cold air to flow and voila! I think they stop being efficient when the temperature + relative humidity is 130 or more, but i'm going from memory and we know how much damage i've done to mine... just a thought. they're super cheap to run, just needs water and enough power to spin a fan

Maybe. Aren't they huge and loud?

Our humidity last week was as low as 6%. Brutally dry.

[mustang1200]

They just completed the Daikin 1.5ton mini split install yesterday in the garage (1200sqft) and it's awesome. In about an hour it knocked most of the humidty out of the air and drop the temperature 15*.

[bcoop]

Maybe. Aren't they huge and loud?

Our humidity last week was as low as 6%. Brutally dry.

They make home versions of evaporative Coolers. You're thinking of a swamp cooler like a shop has.

I'd go with a ductless system if I were you though. Several of them come with quick disconnects and pre charged refrigerant lines. You're a handy guy, would be pretty easy to install yourself. My only concern would be having an open circuit. Surely y'all have an electrician in town.

[jluv]

They make home versions of evaporative Coolers. You're thinking of a swamp cooler like a shop has.

I'd go with a ductless system if I were you though. Several of them come with quick disconnects and pre charged refrigerant lines. You're a handy guy, would be pretty easy to install yourself. My only concern would be having an open circuit. Surely y'all have an electrician in town.

No licensed electrician in town. We have to bring in someone from Gunnison or Montrose, and they normally tack on a $500 trip fee just to come out. Then, they charge WAAAAAY more than they should, because they have so much work and they know there aren't any other options. It's like that with everything here - plumbers, deck builders, painters, etc. Heck, we have to drive an hour each way just to take Bo to the vet. It's all worth it, though.

We have to have someone come out anyway to run 220 for our hot tub, and do a few other electrical things, so I could have them set us up for that, too, if we have a unit picked out and know where it will go, etc. I just don't know where to start.

We're in Texas now, and have to do something by the time we go back next weekend, so we may just grab a window unit until we get something more permanent figured out.