Does your home have a Frog? No, not the hopping, green kind — we’re talking about a Finished Room Over the Garage. FROGs increase livable square footage in a home with minimal disruption to the original design.
When you decide to finish this space, and perhaps create an office, home gym, guest bedroom or bonus room, you’ll have a lot to consider. The room’s heating and air-conditioning solution, however, doesn’t have to be a source of debate! A Frog is an ideal place for Mitsubishi Electric ducted and ductless mini-split heat pumps to provide zoned cooling and efficient, comfortable, all-electric heating even in cold climates.
Why go with a mini-split?
Adding 3,500 cubic feet (the average size of a room over the garage) to your home’s existing heating and air-conditioning system would cause strain and impact whole-home performance. Replacing the entire system is hardly cost-effective, not to mention, above-garage rooms are often at the opposite end of the house from existing HVAC equipment, making it hard to tie in a new unit. Good news — there’s an efficient, minimally disruptive solution!
A mini-split air-conditioning or heat pump system is made up of an indoor unit, sized specifically for the room or “comfort zone,” connected to an outdoor condensing unit by small refrigerant lines. Indoor units can be ductless or ducted, the latter style using compact-run ducts to mitigate energy waste. Mitsubishi Electric mini-splits run on variable-speed compressor technology, meaning they only use the energy needed to heat or cool a space, passing on utility cost savings to you. Plus, the all-electric, zero-emission heating means no additional gas hook-up, saving you money and reducing your carbon footprint.
Hot and cold spots, be gone!
One of the biggest concerns homeowners face with FROGs is hot or cold spots. Because the garage space below typically isn’t insulated, drafts of cold or warm air make their way into the space above — even once it’s finished. With a zoned mini-split, the indoor unit inside your Frog directly conditions the air to maintain your ideal temperature. This helps to eliminate hot or cold spots and mitigates the risk of energy waste.
The Frog of your dreams
Regardless of what you use your above-garage space for, the room should suit your preferences. Our units are available in wall- and floor-mounted and ceiling-recessed ductless styles, as well as ducted multi-position air handlers and horizontal units, to meet any aesthetic. Finishing your space doesn’t have to mean a lot of additional construction. Our EZ FIT® Recessed Ceiling Cassette fits seamlessly into standard 16-inch ceiling joists, and our air handlers can be installed horizontally and vertically to maximize your design options within your existing space.
Mitsubishi Electric systems offer customizable comfort through integrated controls. Our kumo cloud® smart phone app is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, allowing you to set or update your Frog’s temperature from elsewhere within the house or even on the go. When the room is being used infrequently, you can also turn the zone’s unit off, with zero impact on the rest of the home’s comfort.
Adding a mini-split system to a finished room over your garage can be a great way to boost your home’s usable square footage in a cost-effective, design-friendly way. Who knew a Frog could bring so much added value to a home?
