Emergency Mini Split AC Buying

XtraGood

Well-Known Member
The drying room here is not doing a steady 62-65F as it gets warmer outside. Having a 10,000btu Vermi portable was doing OK until the start of summer. Summer seems to want me to immediately buy a mini split for drying... I am also interested in adding CO2 to at least one flower room in the future and might buy the mini split for that now too.

Bit of an emergency buy situation because I will need to chop a room soon, day 72 today:

I have read that Mitsubishi makes the nice ones and Midea makes cheaper ones that work. I am mostly shopping www.minisplitwarehouse.com because I saw @Renfro post that he got his there, anywhere else that is good to shop these for US delivery? The AirCon brand is a bit cheaper for what I am thinking about getting (10x10 drying room and another for ~3000 watts of LED room), but I should probably spend a bit more if the Mideas/Mitsubishis are better quality? Looking at getting a 12000btu and a 24000btu split. It can get to -10F here and I don't know a ton about picking models based on that. Anybody have brands or models that they have used for a while and liked?:

AirCon 12000 22 Seer
$870
AirCon 24000 21 Seer
$1300

Midea 12000 21.5 Seer
$1,270
Midea 24000 20 Seer
$1,770

Mitsubishi 12000 23.1 Seer
$1430
Mitsubishi 24000 18 Seer
$2040

I also looked at units that share BTU power across multiple registers, but don't know much about whether it would work better?
Midea Multi Zone 21.4 Seer
~$3100
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Midea is not quality lol It is cheap, I wish that when I bought them I had the money for mitsubishi.

The midea's that I am running have loud motors on the fans, I can hear them thru the floor upstairs. Its because the speed control isn't producing a sine wave.

I have also had the squirrel cages (plastic blue jobs) inside the indoor unit break a couple times, I have a few spares on the shelf now.

Multi zone units can help spread the cooling more evenly in a large room but aside from that they have more linesets to run and leak.
 

Ebenezer Kong

Active Member
I’ve been looking into a possible upgrade of my 12,000 btu Fujitsu halycon and was checking out the Mitsubishi offerings as well. I was comparing prices hvacdirect.com and Sylvane . Sylvane seemed to have the better prices between the two. I’m going to have to check out minisplitwarehouse now that it’s on my radar. Thank you!
 

XtraGood

Well-Known Member
I am in for the Mitsubishis with that advice.

They don't stock them at minisplitwarehouse, but I will check Sylvane, thanks @Ebenezer Kong

Anything else on Mitsubishi's quality level brand wise?
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
I am in for the Mitsubishis with that advice.

They don't stock them at minisplitwarehouse, but I will check Sylvane, thanks @Ebenezer Kong

Anything else on Mitsubishi's quality level brand wise?
I installed mini splits for people who thought they will work as a dehumidifier as well.
Be aware if you are in the right humidity range but not the correct temp range it will drop your humidity to satisfy the temperature set point

Mitsubishi and Fujitsu are great units . In my opinion the best in the market right now especially with technical support. things do go wrong with any unit so it is nice to have a warrantied install

If your temperature set point is satisfied the mini split unit will not work for dehumidification
 

XtraGood

Well-Known Member
I installed mini splits for people who thought they will work as a dehumidifier as well.
Be aware if you are in the right humidity range but not the correct temp range it will drop your humidity to satisfy the temperature set point

Mitsubishi and Fujitsu are great units . In my opinion the best in the market right now especially with technical support. things do go wrong with any unit so it is nice to have a warrantied install

If your temperature set point is satisfied the mini split unit will not work for dehumidification
Some mini-split registers seem to have more functions and controls than others, I think I just need the cooling power

Outdoor humidity is all over the place across the year here. I have a bunch of cheap dehumidifiers at the moment but might give/trade a couple away and get a nicer one here soon. 15 gallon fabric pots fed by blumats add a fair amount of humidity for me and I'm getting better at using pond foggers and auto top offs to add humidity where needed.

I will look at those Fujitsu as well.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
Some mini-split registers seem to have more functions and controls than others, I think I just need the cooling power

Outdoor humidity is all over the place across the year here. I have a bunch of cheap dehumidifiers at the moment but might give/trade a couple away and get a nicer one here soon. 15 gallon fabric pots fed by blumats add a fair amount of humidity for me and I'm getting better at using pond foggers and auto top offs to add humidity where needed.

I will look at those Fujitsu as well.
I would set the dehumidifier set point a little lower Than the average humidity. It will add heat then kick on the mini split to cool the gained heat. It would also maybe be a good idea if having big heat issues to add a humidifier if it is getting too dry. Set the humidifier to 45-50% , and the dehumidifier a little less than the average humidity while ac is running at a maximum of 60% in heavy flower

I just wanted to mention how AC will affect drying especially in a drying room
 

ebcrew

Well-Known Member
Mitsubishi are the best IMO. But do they let non licensed people buy them? You could always go with MR COOL. (thats a joke)
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member

To have warranty on the unit you will need to have a licensed HVAC tech sign off on the install with their license # and send those docs to the seller.
 

XtraGood

Well-Known Member
I should have a legit AC guy through a friend that's been around for years, pretty sure he is licensed and up for whatever. Same friend, not the ac guy, did a couple installs himself with cheap ones, those went well enough but I'll look to get/pay the licensed guy to do these.

Yeah as the AC fights the heat creeping in it will dehumidify the mostly trapped in air I am hoping 4-5 or more pond foggers and a fan pushing them will be enough to keep up? Otherwise I'll need to change plans.
 

ebcrew

Well-Known Member

To have warranty on the unit you will need to have a licensed HVAC tech sign off on the install with their license # and send those docs to the seller.
Better get that warranty, those inverter boards are expensive.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Yeah as the AC fights the heat creeping in it will dehumidify the mostly trapped in air I am hoping 4-5 or more pond foggers and a fan pushing them will be enough to keep up? Otherwise I'll need to change plans.
To keep humidity up grab a swamp cooler and hook it to a humidistat like an inkbird.
 

XtraGood

Well-Known Member
Edit: Bought a 12000btu Mitsubishi mini split, got an open box open box one of these for $1025. In case I need a bit of extra cooling to get to ~60F I'll leave the Vermi in place to assist and put the dehumidifier near the mini split's register.
 
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Digger47

Well-Known Member
Bought a 12k Mitsubishi with complete install kit from hvacdirectonline for $1400. They also have a ebay store. Excellent customer service. The unit I ordered was backordered and they upgraded it the next best unit so I didn't have to wait.
 

Osulax2131

Active Member
Bought a 12k Mitsubishi with complete install kit from hvacdirectonline for $1400. They also have a ebay store. Excellent customer service. The unit I ordered was backordered and they upgraded it the next best unit so I didn't have to wait.
How hard was the install ?
 

Digger47

Well-Known Member
Paid $200 for installation. It's pretty straightforward. If I didn't have someone to do it, I wouldn't be scared to do it myself.
 

nurrgle

Well-Known Member
Going to cost 1000-1500 for the install through a licensed HVaC pro. At least that what I have been paying for an install. Folks around here are booked out two three weeks currently as well
 
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