Any experiences with the LG Red / Multi F Max?
Since my house had a lot of small rooms upstairs, so I’d like to use some ducted mini splits run through my attic.
I’m interested in the LG Red / Multi F Max systems. They appear cheaper than the competition but are also the only non-VRF ducted systems that qualify for a $2K state rebate in New Jersey. It appears that adding ducts kills some of the SEER, EER, and HSPF ratings of the Mitsubishi, Daikin, and Fujitsu multi splits. I also like the look of the ‘Art Cool’ heads.
My concern is I’ve read about reliability issues with LG. I have quite a few LG contractors within my vicinity so I’m hoping maybe that would alleviate my concerns? Any advice?
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>"My concern is I’ve read about reliability issues with LG. I have quite a few LG contractors within my vicinity so I’m hoping maybe that would alleviate my concerns? Any advice?"
Get a qualified third party load calculation performed by somebody who makes their living on the quality of their numbers, not an LG installer.
The Art Cool heads are fairly popular in single zone mini-splits in southern New England, but won't have the same modulation range when married to a Multi-F MAX (due to the range limitations of the compressor in the outdoor unit) so size them accordingly. Most rooms won't have enough load for a ductless head.
Reports of reliability issues with LG from a decade ago seem to have been reduced to a trickle. If LG is well supported in your area it's a reasonable way to go. With any vendor going with the more commonly used heads & cassettes is going to be a safer bet than a model only rarely installed, and that discussion needs to happen with the contractors.
Thanks so much, Dana! Who would I go to for a load calculation? Is there like a service or type of contractor that does that besides HVAC contractors? My other concern is my home is over a hundred years old. I’ve done some basic insulation and sealing, but I’m not sure how good the calculations are on homes like this.
I’m not an expert, but I’m kind of thinking I need a 3 or 3.5 ton system with 2 9K Art Cool Gallery heads in the open downstairs, and a ducted air handler handling my upstairs bedrooms. That tonnage would be slightly smaller or on-par with the BTU of the window units I currently use.
>"Who would I go to for a load calculation?"
Funny you should ask: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/who-can-perform-my-load-calculations
Certified professional engineers will often perform Manual-J calculations as a service, as do some RESNET raters. There are too many reasons (including human nature) for HVAC installers to trend to the oversizing end of the scale even when using standard load calculation tools.