Homeowners with legacy oil, propane and gas heaters are discovering how our mini- and multi-split systems can help solve long-standing comfort and sustainability challenges. In regions like the Northeast, homeowners who’ve experienced heating oil price fluctuations may be particularly motivated to consider our all-electric systems.

Conventional heaters generate heat by burning fossil fuels, which produces byproducts like carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5). Without proper venting, this method can increase indoor air pollution and expose homeowners to obnoxious fumes and odors. Looking at the bigger picture, fossil fuel combustion is bad for the planet and our society overall. The Environmental Protection Agency (Epa) attributes 13% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States to the fossil fuels burned to heat residential and commercial buildings. Also, researchers are starting to quantify the financial and public health consequences of fossil-fuel combustion. The need to reduce pollution and GHG emissions has inspired the Strategic Electrification movement, which aims to help homeowners and communities replace fossil-fuel-based technologies with highly-efficient, electric-powered alternatives for space heating, water heating, cooking and other end uses. As cities and states pursue decarbonization, mini- and multi-split heat pump systems are an increasingly popular way to electrify space heating while also improving comfort. 

All-electric solution for comfort challenges

If your home has uncomfortable rooms, installing a ductless mini- or multi-split heat-pump system might help you address the issue through zoning. You can keep your existing system while using a ductless system to convert your least favorite cold or hot spot into a comfort zone. As you learn more about our products, perhaps you’ll see the potential for additional comfort, cost and efficiency improvements with all-electric home heating and air conditioning. Instead of using a ductless heat-pump system to condition a portion of your home, you might consider using a mini-split to heat and cool your home year-round. Heat pumps provide heating by moving thermal energy from the outdoors to the indoors but can also reverse the process, and transfer heat outdoors, to provide air conditioning. This provides you with a single, energy-efficient system for heating and cooling. Your existing fossil-fuel-based system can remain available as emergency auxiliary heat while you use the Mitsubishi Electric system to reap the benefits of precise comfort control and greater energy efficiency during the majority of the year. Alternately, you could fully replace the legacy heater using an all-electric Mitsubishi Electric system with Hyper-Heating® INVERTER® (H2i®) technology. Designed for use in colder climates, systems with H2i technology can perform at 100 percent of rated capacity in temperatures as low as 5∞ F, with continued operation down to -13∞ F. 

Zoned comfort

Our Zoned Comfort Solutions® feature an outdoor unit connected to one or more indoor units via refrigerant lines. Ductless indoor units, including ceiling cassettes, wall- and floor-mounted models, can be installed without replacing your existing system or adding new ductwork. Equipped with its own indoor unit, your uncomfortable room can become a comfort zone with a temperature set point of your choice. You’re less likely to experience uneven temperatures like you would with your legacy heater. The outdoor unit’s INVERTER-driven compressor modulates the system’s capacity to maintain the zone’s set point while using only minimal energy. Also, if you use the room infrequently, you can turn off conditioning in the zone until you’re ready to use it.

Reduce reliance on gas

An all-electric mini-split system reduces your reliance on smelly oil and other fossil fuels. You’re less susceptible to shortages and you might be able to reduce your utility bills along with your carbon footprint. It’s easier to capture carbon emissions from a few power plants than from millions of homes, so increased residential electrification is an essential part of any decarbonization plan. The following factors impact how our mini-split heat pumps can reduce the carbon footprint of your home:

  • The efficiency of the existing fuel-burning system
  • The carbon emissions from your state’s electricity production
  • Your climate zone
  • The efficiency rating of the specific heat pump
  • The zoning advantages of our heat pumps

In most cases, there’s a net positive reduction in carbon emissions with our heat pumps. In “low-carbon” states like Maine, our heat pumps produce significantly less net carbon emissions. In addition, during the cooling season, our heat pumps are up to 40 percent more efficient than conventional air-conditioning systems, so you’re saving energy all year long.

Electrified comfort for a historic home

Joel Hicks and Megan Nesbitt own a 4,000-square-foot brick house in Carlisle, Pennsylvania built in 1895. After a few months in the home, their outdated boiler system couldn’t keep up with the cold weather. Within five weeks, the boiler had burned through $650 worth of fuel oil, causing Hicks and Nesbitt to search for a new system. After much research and consideration, the couple selected Mitsubishi Electric Zoned Comfort Solutions with Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) technology. The system would save them money through energy-efficient, all-electric heating, keep them comfortable through Pennsylvania’s winters, and provide air conditioning for the historic property without significantly changing the structure with ductwork.

Whether you’re replacing your gas-powered system or looking for an all-electric complement to increase your comfort, sustainability and cost savings, Mitsubishi Electric has a solution for your home.