Minisplit wall mount vs floor mount
Looking for some minisplit location feedback. We’re in Zone 5, so have many more heating days than cooling days. We have a well insulated (including slab on grade fully insulated concrete floor), less than 1 ACH50 envelope. Using a single minisplit to heat and cool the first floor. ERV supplies and returns located to promote cross flow across the spaces.
I have read where some recommend floor minisplit units in heating applications. However, the prices of the wall mount units are significantly lower.
In the attached image I have highlighted a location for a wall mounted unit as well as a floor mounted unit that would be tucked under the stairs. I’m curious if folks with more experience with the different types of units have feedback pro and con for either location.
Thanks!
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Replies
It's pretty common to use minisplits in a wall mounted configuration. The only issue I can see with your propose mounting location is that it's not very central to the space -- it's off towards a corner. Ideally you want the unit mounted more centrally, but it doens't look like you have a lot of options here.
Minisplits are usually pretty good at blowing air around. I think you'd be OK here. Your room is a little longer (in terms of distance from the minisplit to the opposite wall) than I'd like to see, but probably still acceptable. If you have any way to install a second minisplit near the stairs so that you could split the capacity between the two, that might help get you more even coverage of the space.
Bill
Given how open the space is and that you have conditioned space above I would consider using a ceiling cassette and put it in the center of the space and some units will allow you to use that joist bay as a return duct and put grills by both exterior walls.
I think the difference in efficiency in heating mode is so small it is almost unmeasurable for the floor units. I do think the floor units do look better and I might pay more for how they look.
Walta
The original plan was to do a central ceiling cassette. We're considering shifting from that both because the engineer wants to do 16" oc floor joists and because the ceiling cassettes are more expensive. There are some narrower cassette options but at a cost, or we could do a section of wider floor joist. Agreed on the floor unit, we could just do a little alcove for it under the stairs and it would be pretty innocuous.
We're located in Maine- so our units are used predominantly for heating. I can't speak to the wall mount units, but we love our floor mount units. We were not fans of the wall mount aesthetic, and were able to locate floor mount (technically low wall mount) units in unobtrusive, yet central locations. Very pleased with the look and even heating of these units. I also spent some time planning the location of the outside unit and lineset routes so that everything remained accessible and the exterior was not cluttered.
Steve
One issue with many mini-splits is the crud that gets on the blower wheels necessitating cleaning using sprayer/bib-kit or by removing the wheel to clean. I am thinking of adding a low-wall (or floor) model like yours but I am concerned how easy/difficult would it be to clean the blower wheel and/or the coil in these. Would be grateful for your insights/experience on this aspect. Thanks in advance.
You might get better coverage with the wall unit if you placed it centered on the right wall above the windows over the deck but I assume you didn't place it there for a reason.
I have one of each. I prefer my floor mount, aesthetically, but I think this is largely because I'm accustomed to this house having floor mount radiators and therefore it's not odd to have such an object where it is.
As you can see in the photo, I positioned this one exactly where I wanted it and had it integrated into the rest of the trim. This can be difficult to do if you are not installing the unit yourself, as the typical installer is not likely to care about these details.
Love this unit overall, however. (As well as my Fujitsu wall mount and especially my Fujitsu mid-static ducted unit.)
As noted in my comment above to Steve41's post showing a universal ceiling/floor mounted unit: one issue with many mini-splits is the crud that gets on the blower wheels necessitating cleaning using sprayer/bib-kit or by removing the wheel to clean. I am thinking of adding a low-wall (or floor) console model like yours but I am concerned how easy/difficult would it be to clean the blower wheel and/or the coil in these. Would be grateful for your insights/experience on this aspect. Thanks in advance.