In light of my previous post, Mother Nature responded with a resounding FREEZE HER OUT! battlecry. We've had bitterly cold temperatures, and our last storm was 8 inches of heavy snow followed by freezing rain. To add insult to injury, after the blizzard raged all morning, temperatures rose to nearly 40 degrees F by afternoon, then plummeted once again to below zero the next day.
Although that storm was hell on my snowblower, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how well my mini-split heating system is doing so far. It seemed like any time I told someone that was going to be my heat source, I was told it wasn't a good choice for the area, and I should really have an alternate heating method to aid in keeping my house warm. Instead, I soldiered on with my plan and I don't regret it yet.
One difference with the mini-split vs. a typical forced hot air furnace is that I've learned you don't fool with the settings, unless you plan to be gone for any length of time. I have 3 of the 4 heads set to 67 degrees, and it's keeping the house comfortable. The 4th head is in my bedroom, and I have that one turned off. During the day when the sun heats the upstairs, the units will run maybe every half hour to keep the temperature steady. At night, they seem to kick on every ten minutes or so, but they're so quiet you don't really notice it. I do hear the compressor unit turning on and off outside my bedroom wall, but it's not an irritatingly loud noise. I did find that in the basement the floors are very cold, and working down there all day wasn't comfortable. I moved my work from home setup to the upstairs, but I still go into the basement den to watch tv at night. Having a propane heater in the adjoining garage is definitely helping to keep the downstairs warmer, I believe. I have that set at 48 degrees, which is probably a little warmer than it needs to be. My propane consumption hasn't been nearly as much as I had anticipated, either.
My electric bill is only a little higher than it was in my big drafty farmhouse during the coldest part of winter. There, I was heating with a forced hot air furnace (oil), a wood stove (firewood and compressed wood blocks), and electric heaters to take the chill off in certain rooms. Even though I don't have exact numbers, I'm definitely spending less to heat this house. Of course, it helps that it's smaller and much better insulated, but it is wide open, too, with a vaulted ceiling in the main living area.
Would I recommend a mini-split as a main heating source? Yes, IF your house is well insulated. For new construction, absolutely. As an additional source of heat? Yes, absolutely. They are built to be energy efficient, and I can't lie; the added benefit of having air conditioning during the summer is a huge plus. I'm very, very happy with my choice.
