Electric Air Handler vs. electric ductless mini splits

ke9782

To convert gas heating to electric I have 2 choices both including AC. A Bryant attic mounted air handler ducted to vents in all rooms with outside heat pump vs a Bryant or Fugitsu electric ductless mini split system with 4 wall or floor mount heads. I prefer the aesthetics of the air handler but was told the technology of the minisplits was better. I was also told the technology of the Fugitsu was better than the technology of Bryant especially for the mini split configuration. I recently added solar panels for this job and currently have 185% of current electrical usage. Your opinions please.

Hot_water_fan

The ducted system is better - it's quieter, easier to incorporate backup heat, offers better filtration, is more reliable in regards to refrigerant leaks, and offers better dehumidification. It'll be easier to replace when the time comes too. Perhaps surprising, but it should be more efficient too when compared to a system with 4 heads connected to 1 outdoor unit, since it'll be sized more appropriately. I have both would choose ducted every time if I could.

The choice between Bryant and Fujitsu doesn't make sense to me: Fujitsu also makes ducted air handlers and your contractor needs to know that. In that regard, the technology is the same.

Here's one they make: https://www.fujitsu-general.com/us/products/split/mp-ah-unit/amug30lmas.html

The true choices in my mind are the following:
1. Cold climate vs. non-cold climate heat pump. The cold climate units offer better cold weather performance but are usually less efficient and more expensive. If you are incorporating backup (of the fossil kind), then cold climate performance might not matter much. However, if you are incorporating electric resistance backup, then cold climate performance is important. It'll also mean lower electric panel requirements.
2. Variable speed vs. fixed speed - Variable speed is more expensive but more comfortable and efficient - this is true for both air handler and outdoor unit.

WMno57

ke9782 said:

To convert gas heating to electric

Since you don't currently seem to have ductwork, does that mean you currently have gas hot water or gas steam heat?
My recommendation would be to keep the gas hot water or steam. Mini splits suck. Running ducts through an attic for heat is not simple and usually not done right, due to cost and/or lack of skill on the installers part . Don't try to make the house something it's not. If you want to be green, buy another house.
The 185 percent solar panels are zero percent at night when its cold.
The reality not discussed is the best way to electrify homes that do not currently have forced air ductwork is to start with a large yellow machine that runs on off-road diesel.

Hot_water_fan

If you want to be green, buy another house.

He might want AC. AC will involve ductwork or mini-splits and is much more popular than steam or water heat.

WMno57

You can run dry air conditioned air through hot attic ductwork.
What happens when you run hot air through cold attic ductwork?

Hot_water_fan

You can run dry air conditioned air through hot attic ductwork.
What happens when you run hot air through cold attic ductwork?

The helpful advice is that the ductwork should be very well insulated or make the attic part of the conditioned space.

WMno57

or he could just keep the gas

ke9782

Thank-you so much for your comments and so quickly! First, I am in coastal Northern California facing San Francisco Bay. Not much hot weather and hardly ever below freezing. My house and heating system are from the 1960's. My winter gas bills are $500/mo. I have many single pane aluminum windows 2 of which are sliding doors mounted above hot water baseboard heating panels. The city of Richmond will not let me replace them unless the new doors are floor level requiring me to remove the baseboards since they are now considered a trip hazzard to my 3 story balcony. I added solar panels to my roof so that I am now at 185% of current electrical usage.

Hot_water_fan

or he could just keep the gas

He can keep the gas and still add a heat pump for AC and heating. It's not a binary! Americans want AC, so proposing options which do not provide that is not the most helpful.

ke9782

If you understood how beautiful my midcentury house is you would know that selling it to go green is not attractive. One contractor is recommending the ductwork and I do have attic space adjacent to all my rooms even though some are openbeam ceilings. The contractor that doesn't want to do the ductwork is the contractor who says the mini split technology is better even though he has access to the Fugitsu Attic Air handler and could offer it to me.

WMno57

Ok, I was assuming upper midwest with cold winters. In your location, ducted heat pump is the way to go. The attic ductwork should be both sealed and insulated. In your location if some of this is missed, it may not be a problem.
Guessing the sales people are touting "technology" because they don't want to do any work in your attic? I agree with @Hot_water_fan, ducted is better.
Get rid of the gas. You will save the monthly service charge.

ke9782

The unused electricity I send back to the grid is is credited at about 85% so that when I rebuy the electricity at night I will have most of it banked, I hope. this is supposed to eliminate the need for a battery.

Hot_water_fan

The contractor that doesn't want to do the ductwork is the contractor who says the mini split technology is better even though he has access to the Fugitsu Attic Air handler and could offer it to me.

Contractors are terrible at explaining this - the Fujitsu air handler is also a “minisplit”. Minisplit is describing what’s outside, not inside. The Fujitsu outdoor unit for the air handler would provide all of the technology the Fujitsu ductless outdoor unit would. Often, they are the same exact outdoor unit.