Quote:
Originally Posted by Fargo
@thelake any updates on how your hp has been working in the frigid cold? I'm in the process of doing some weatherization and may update the heating system.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CL 240 LS
Any more updates for the heating performance of the heat pump units? We are considering installing this system in our ski condo in the White Mnts.
Thanks
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Run, don’t walk to get your Mitsubishi Hi2 Heat Pump(s).
We’ve had ours for one year now, and during hot or cold, they just work, exceptionally.
Fargo, during the time of your inquiry, we were in the midst of a serious cold snap. I was traveling on and off and so I relied on my propane while I was away, just because the Mitsu’s were new to us. But I did put them to the test when I returned, and they work just as promised. They’re working their butts off with the really cold weather (there’s a defrost function that kicks in as needed…you’re air conditioning the outside at 5 degrees…there’s some freezing to be expected!) This was a concern I brought up to my dealer, and he assured me, they’re built for this…and they appear to be…they’re hefty units with a 7 Year limited warrantee, when installed by a Diamond contractor.
We solicited 4 quotes, two were clowns, really didn’t know their product. One was the reseller through the Home Depot. He was excellent, but by the time the HD got their cut…forgettaboutit…we came back to him with a chance to match or better the offer we got from Steve Gorse from
Home Energy Products in Belmont, but just as out of pricing curiosity (and he couldn’t). If you’re in his service area, you’d be smart to give Steve a call. His quote was the lowest by far, he knew this product front/back/up/down, there wasn’t a question I had that sent him scrambling for the brochure (see earlier clowns), except to illustrate where my question was answered, and really worked with me to get what I wanted.
In the end, after working out several scenarios (with pricing, by the way…because price matters!) we picked the “Cadallac” Mitsu’s because my wife and I saw the value. My point is there was no hard sell. The other three had to mail me estimates, Steve’s was customized on site. (One contractor left his books, including sales techniques (they didn’t think very highly of customers when they created those sales strategies.) We mailed his binders back to him, four 3 ring binders as I recall, and that’s the last we heard from him, no quote, although one was promised, but the oral estimate for non Hi2 equipment was crazy high and all over the place with equipment. No offer of reimbursement for the shipping, either :-)
I have no connection to the reseller we used/recommend, other than being very satisfied customers, and we have not told them about this review.
Let me get back on track with the units. Their performance in hot weather is well known, they are fantastic. Quiet. Reliable. Controllable via the web, Android and iOS apps (all free/without monthly service charge), IR handheld remotes and RF wireless wall thermostats.
Their performance in the in-between months is equally awesome. October-December, March-May, they performed like champions. We’re moving our propane tanks now, so we wanted the tanks low/didn’t want to refill in January and have to deal with half full tanks now/summer, so we used the Mitsu’s exclusively from February on, without issue, or concern.
Their performance during the bitter cold days of January and February was also excellent, knowing their limitations. The BTU capacity is reduced as the temperature drops. Coming home from trip and expecting a 20 degree temperature rise is not something that will happen as quickly as with my
40,000 BTU Rinnai’s. (Those are sweet beasts, too. Highly recommend.)
There’s the defrost cycle, that kicks in as necessary. The internal blower stops, if you can hear/go out to see the outside unit, it operates on high in reverse for a couple minutes, defrosting the unit. I forget the total time lapse between hot blowing air, but it’s short, between 5 -7 minutes? Maybe quicker.
They operate like rock stars when given reasonable tasks at frigid temps. “Bring the temperature of this room up 5 degrees and maintain 71.” Ask them to do that and you’ll never even know they’re working.
We put one in the master bedroom and it’s been fantastic to have efficient heat where we previously had none. Plus, combined with the 2 Rinnai’s and the other 2 Mitsu’s, we have a nice distribution of heat throughout the house.
It’s hard to make a comparative savings estimate from last year for multiple reasons. We still have two homes and do some travel for work, so we’re not always here the same number of days. I can say this: we had the house insulated and have noticed a difference. Insulating issues weren’t noticeable bad before, but the home seems cozier, there’s less need for heat. I recommend having that done, money well spent.
Here’s our rough electric numbers for the last year:
June12 $85
July12 $105
Aug12 $110
Sept12 $90
Oct12 $95
Nov12 $80
Dec12 $105
Jan13 $125
Feb13 $90
Mar13 $170
Apr13 $90
May13 $70
June13 $95
As I mentioned, at some point in February ‘13 we started heating with the Mitsu’s exclusively. I think that February and April could share some of that bump, but still, less then 100 bucks to heat the house in March, not too bad. As for the summer, we’re heavy AC users, if it’s even a question (to use AC or not), we’d rather have it on.
We were told “you’ll hardly know they’re on, and the same applies when you see your bill.” I’d have to agree. These are the numbers for the past year, so every month represents Mitsu. usage. I don’t have older data easy accessible, but these numbers, with the exception of March13, seem very much in line with what we’ve been paying for years.
There’s always a cheaper option out there. I know several other manufacturers make similar units (at least for the AC side), but Mitsubishi has a great reputation with these heat pumps, and the other guys…not so much.
So I’d say run, don’t walk to get yours. I think, in combination with a traditional source of heat, the Mitsubishi Hi2 heat pumps make an exceptional supplementary and complimentary zoned heating and cooling resources for your home.
They’re a good value, especially if you don’t have existing ducting, or even if you do but want to supplement a weakness in your existing system. I would, without question, install these again, and highly recommend them.
I’ll gladly (although probably not timely :-) answer questions about our experiences with the Mitsubishi’s as their service life continues.
Did I mention I can adjust the Mitsu’s from my phone? Com’On! :-)