Quote:
Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr
You can justify it to yourself anyway you want-But I know you don't need 8TONS for 2600sq/ft- PERIOD!
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I think you're looking at it in terms of a central system. If that were the case, then yes, 8 tons would be absurd. A central ducted system with eight tons of cooling would be an all-or-nothing affair and would freeze us out most of the time. However, since I can control each unit individually, I'll be able to run with as little 1 ton of cooling with that particular variable speed compressor throttled way down to boot, if desired based on ambient temperatures, or I can run full-out with 8 tons on the days when we see high 90s and sauna-like humidity. Its also worth noting that only 75% of our second floor (about 975 of the 1300SF) is an addition that was done in the late '90s. The rest of the house (about 1625SF) is 1880s construction and, despite ours and the previous owners best efforts, is leaky and poorly insulated. However, mini-splits are very efficient and electricity in New Jersey is quite cheap, so to me, its worth it. Our heat and DHW is supplied by a super efficient Buderus oil boiler, clothes drying/cooking gas is supplied by propane, and we've converted the entire house to LED lighting. Currently, an electric bill over $40 a month is rare.
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