Fujitsu ductless HVAC systems (window, Air Conditioner, heating, ceilings)

[509er]

Does anyone have one? What's your experience been with it? If you had one installed, what was the cost? Are your electric bills lower? How is the performance compared to other systems you've used? Thanks for any info.

[totallyfrazzled]

I had a Mitsubishi 'Mr. Slim' in my last house and was very impressed. It did just as good or better a job of cooling and/or dehumidifying as the big expensive central air system did in the other parts of the house.

Had to use the Mr. Slim in one section because there was no way to run a/c ductwork into that room from the rest of the attic/house. It was a fairly large area too, about 750 square feet IIRC.

We are seriously considering putting a couple of ductless units in the next house we buy, rather than the traditional central air. It will depend on the house's layout of course.

Sorry that I can't tell you what the cost was for the Mr Slim because it was included in the overall price for the central air that was installed in the rest of the house at the same time. But logic would say that it must use less electricity because instead of an air handler, a media allergen filter, and a big outside condenser it had a suitcase-sized condenser and a single wall unit.

The lack of ductwork not only eliminates the loss of your closet/wall space but is great for anyone who has allergies (no ducts to collect 'stuff', no need for expensive filtration, etc).

[windtimber]

We've got a 1/2 dozen split/ductless units in commercial applications. Several are Fujitsu manufactured and they've worked fine since installation - 3 years. The other units have been installed for 15 years with no problems. Can't recollect the manufacturer...sorry. Cost to operate is comparable to any a/c system.

[509er]

Thank you very kindly for the information. One other question I have is regarding noise level.

[totallyfrazzled]

Originally Posted by 509er

One other question I have is regarding noise level.

It's true that the Mr Slim's operational noise was more noticeable than the central air (which was virtually silent other than actually at the returns; also, the central air registers were all in the ceilings).

However, the Mr Slim was not as loud as a typical window air conditioner.

I would rate it, noisewise, as midway between a typical window a/c and a typical central air system.

If you are a very light sleeper you might be somewhat bothered by a ductless unit actually located in your bedroom, but definitely less bothered than if you had a window unit there.

[lumbollo]

My sister had 3 of these in her apartment in Tokyo where these seem to be the only kind of AC sold there for residential buildings. Her building was designed for this kind of unit. It gets ungodly hot there in the summer but these units did a good job keeping the place cool. They are not silent like central air as the blower is right in the room, but they are not that noticeable, certainly quieter than a window type unit. Most of the ones I saw had remotes where you could adjust temp speed louver action, etc.

There was also one in a small hotel that I stayed in while there. It was greatly appreciated because of the heat and the white noise it generated was good for sleeping.

Their biggest advantage is you can cut them off in the unused parts of the home during the day or night which is where the savings comes from.

[509er]

Good to know. Thank you!

[f_m]

On their website, it gives the noise levels in the different specifications charts. The other thing I found interesting is that you can get a heatpump version, which would provide heating and cooling (for mild climates).

Fujitsu Ductless Mini-Splits

[BigJon3475]

Mitsubishi, Carrier, Goodman, Sanyo.. etc many brands to choose from. If you set the system up right you can have one outdoor unit and 1-5 (depending on brand) indoor units. The capacity is variable so you can heat 1 room or you can heat 5 and the compressor adjust to your needs. 1 Ton or 4 Tons. Of course those systems are expensive up front. If you have a fairly small space these help save on room needed for duct work and they can be very efficient. If you just had a studio apt. and needed to replace the a/c something like this with a ceiling/oscillating fan would be perfect.

[BigJon3475]

Originally Posted by BigJon3475

Mitsubishi, Carrier, Goodman, Sanyo.. etc many brands to choose from. If you set the system up right you can have one outdoor unit and 1-5 (depending on brand) indoor units. The capacity is variable so you can heat 1 room or you can heat 5 and the compressor adjust to your needs. 1 Ton or 4 Tons. Of course those systems are expensive up front. If you have a fairly small space these help save on room needed for duct work and they can be very efficient. If you just had a studio apt. and needed to replace the a/c something like this with a ceiling/oscillating fan would be perfect.

The capacity is variable so you can heat/cool 1 room or you can heat/cool 5 and the compressor adjust to your needs.

correction