Mitsubishi 110V. Vrs. 220V

KCA_2

Hi !
I’m looking at putting in a Mitsubishi #mszjp12wa indoor unit 115vac
And I’m told that the 110 V is comparable to the 220 V in electrical usage because of some component. What do you guys know about this unit and what it’s like to use a 110 unit versus a 220 unit. And if in fact the 110 units are good and worth their money.
Thanks

EBEBRATT-Ed

The voltage only affects 1 thing which is the wire size used. Electricity is paid for in wattage. Weather a unit uses 120 or 240 volts it costs the same to run that appliance on either voltage

If you run 240 volt you can use smaller wire which may save $$ with a large unit on a smaller unit it's peanuts

pecmsg

No difference at all.

mattmia2

240v will balance the load better on your service especially if there are a number of them. Technically there is slightly less energy lost as heat in the wiring too.

pecmsg

mattmia2 said:

240v will balance the load better on your service especially if there are a number of them. Technically there is slightly less energy lost as heat in the wiring too.

220 will balance the load but with just 110 that's the electricians job.

Can we actually measure the heat loss in a residence?

JUGHNE

Not only balance your electrical system it also gives you a better compressor starting if there is a voltage drop on the system.

mattmia2

pecmsg said:

mattmia2 said:

240v will balance the load better on your service especially if there are a number of them. Technically there is slightly less energy lost as heat in the wiring too.

220 will balance the load but with just 110 that's the electricians job.

Can we actually measure the heat loss in a residence?

The electrician can distribute the load between the 120v legs but depending on how those loads get used it will be more or less balanced. Either one is fine, 240v has some slight advantages.

PRR

The indoor unit is just a small fan. Seems to be 30 Watts. Like a light-bulb. "Load" and "Balance" are totally moot at this power level. Use what is already in the room. Most homes have 120V. Large office buildings might provide a separate 240V circuit for all the indoor blowers because if you have 50 units over 300 feet of building the line-loss and wire-cost does start to matter.

The major electric load is the OUTdoor unit with compressor. I have 18kBTU on 240V 10A, so 12kBTU at 120V would suck 13.3 Amps, which is acceptable on #12 wire. But most wire-guys would run a 240V line just in case someday it needs a bigger hungrier compressor. So 120V compressors are rare above window-unit coolers.

GW

Y’all serious? 110 v units aren’t as efficient as 220v systems. Just read the seer and eer ratings

KCA_2

The Seer rating is 17 and EER is 9.9..... apparently the inverter helps balance this all out but a 110V compressor would seem to pull more amps than a 220V
He wants to use a 110 outlet that happens to be in the deck...
so is it still pretty much the same?

ratio

No real issues, except that you want the power to the mini split to be dedicated. If the deck receptacle is like many others, the circuit will (should!) be GFCI protected & may run around the exterior of the house or garage for e.g. outdoor lighting. If that's the case, you'll want to remove the other receptacles, & possibly change out the GFCI breaker, if Code doesn't mandate it.

ratio

Oh, and, assuming you dedicate the circuit to the mini split, you can just swap out the breaker & make it a 220 volt feeder. Again, make sure there aren't any receptacles, or any other loads for that matter, on the circuit!

GW

Ahhh now I understand the general question. You’re not supposed to do what you’re suggesting, against code. Can’t you just hire an electrician and be a good steward of your property?

Amps are double for 115v when compared to 230v (if the watts consumed are the same). Simple math on that one

pecmsg

> @GW said:
> Ahhh now I understand the general question. You’re not supposed to do what you’re suggesting, against code. Can’t you just hire an electrician and be a good steward of your property?
>
> Amps are double for 115v when compared to 230v (if the watts consumed are the same). Simple math on that one
Add to that the unit Must be on a dedicated circuit.

Who’s installing this?
Are they allowed to run power in your jurisdiction?

Jamie Hall

KCA_2 said:

The Seer rating is 17 and EER is 9.9..... apparently the inverter helps balance this all out but a 110V compressor would seem to pull more amps than a 220V
He wants to use a 110 outlet that happens to be in the deck...
so is it still pretty much the same?

Yes, a 110 volt motor will pull more amps than a 220. Twice as many, in fact. But power is watts, and that's volts times amps -- so no difference.