# Mini Split Reminders - deep snow high winds



## peakbagger (Jan 26, 2015)

For those mini splits for heating, the predicted weather along the East coast deserves a few reminders. Mini Splits are not 100% heating sources and the only way they work effectively is that the outdoor unit has free air flow and the coils are dry. A minisplit buried in a snow drift is rapidly going to encase the coils in ice and blowing snow landing on the coils is going to rapidly ice up the coils leading to frequent defrosts. In general its time to get your backup source of heat ready and let the minisplit take a rest until the storm passes and you can dig out the unit so that is clear of any snow or drifting.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 26, 2015)

Can I ask if a good place for a minisplit is under a deck?


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## peakbagger (Jan 26, 2015)

as long as there is good airflow and you don't have meltwater dripping into it, it may be a good spot. The down side with under the deck is you _may _lose some winter performance if the unit is not in the sun. My unit is on and east wall with back driveway to the east. In the winter the morning sun heats up the driveway and the south wall of the house including the outdoor unit. I would expect its marginally warmer than if its under a shaded area. On the other hand in the summer the one under the deck may be slightly more efficient as its in the shade. If I was to install one under a deck I would but a piece of slanted metal roofing above the unit and under the decking to redirect any water away. There also could be some interesting icing on the deck as the cold air the blows out of the unit is definitely cooler which could cause localized ice. I would also be concerned if the deck is a winter time foot traffic route as deicing chemicals tend to get carried on  boots and onto the deck and my observation are that these units would not hold up well to corrosion.

Its very site specific. I have heard second hand that many of the early installs in Maine may not have been optimal and that's where a dealer with experience with these units may be better able to pick a spot.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks.  A part of the deck is a screen room so stuff stays pretty dry under it, although I could put metal roofing under the deck.
Thing is, one side of the unit would be near a wall, but that's almost always the case anyway, isn't it?


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## peakbagger (Jan 26, 2015)

Yup most units are near a wall. I haven't seen any recommended spacing diagrams but my theory would be distance to the closest wall should be no less than half the width of the coil in the outdoor unit.


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## Highbeam (Jan 27, 2015)

peakbagger said:


> Mini Splits are not 100% heating sources and the only way they work effectively is that the outdoor unit has free air flow and the coils are dry.


 
I disagree that minisplits are not 100% heating sources. They absolutely can be. I will agree that if your install leads to blockage of the coils then the minisplit will not be functional. You can also bugger up your furnace.


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## peakbagger (Jan 27, 2015)

_I disagree that minisplits are not 100% heating sources._Depends on your local temps, in northern new england there are times where the decreased low temperature performance of the minisplit runs into the required heating load of the structure. My break even point is around 10 degree F. Of course I could install an additional unit to run down to a lower temp but down around -15 deg F, I still need a backup source as my unit shuts down and another brand just goes 100% resistance. The utilities in the region who are rebating the costs are quite careful not to call them supplemental.


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## Highbeam (Jan 27, 2015)

How about this then... there are a few locations in this country where temps are low enough for long enough that you will need a backup heat source. What percentage of the population lives in those areas? Pretty low I would imagine. Low enough that you can't just deem minisplits as a "supplement" only.

It's like the guy in southern CA claiming that residential heating is optional.


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## EatenByLimestone (Jan 27, 2015)

I've seen a lot of them placed on the gable ends of the roof that won't have snow and rain pouring on them.


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## peakbagger (Jan 27, 2015)

_How about this then... there are a few locations in this country where temps are low enough for long enough that you will need a backup heat source. What percentage of the population lives in those areas? Pretty low I would imagine. Low enough that you can't just deem minisplits as a "supplement" only.
_
Hearth.com is predominantly a new England site/northern tier with folks from areas with fairly high heating loads. Sure there are folks from moderate climates but it would be interesting to see the site statistics. I know of installers in the Boston market who do not recommend minisplits as primary heat.and the majority of banks in the region do not regard them as acceptable primary heat. Therefore I will stick with supplemental for the typical readership of hearth.


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## woodgeek (Jan 27, 2015)

Highbeam said:


> It's like the guy in southern CA claiming that residential heating is optional.



That guy really ticks me off.


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