Project Location: Old Jefferson, Louisiana
Completion Date: May 2016
Challenge
Moving air through a multi-level home with limited attic space and without the benefit of a basementSolution
Zoned Comfort Solutions® from Mitsubishi ElectricResult
Quiet and efficient comfort throughout the entire home
As a builder, Zach Tyson – owner of Tyson Construction, New Orleans – provides the best for the people he works for. This includes donating his time and talents to the Operation Finally Home (Ofh) project, which provides homes for wounded military personnel and their families. Those projects offer challenges like one family member requiring very cold spaces while the other family members prefer warmer spaces. When it came to planning a cooling and heating system for his own home – a newly constructed house outside of New Orleans – the challenge was accounting for limited attic space and a concrete slab foundation. Knowing how effective and versatile it could be, Tyson selected Zoned Comfort Solutions® from Mitsubishi Electric.
“With no attic and no basement, the design of the house would be very important so everything could fit perfectly. We had very efficient floor plans. We had to; it was a tight structure with limited space and narrow hallways,” said Tyson. With a concrete slab as the house’s foundation, necessary in low-lying Louisiana, storage for any cooling and heating system would pose a challenge. When Tyson saw the amount of ductwork that would be necessary to accommodate a traditional system, zoned comfort solutions offered a clear advantage. With a zoned system, he would be able to combine multiple types of indoor units –some ductless, some with short duct runs – to perfectly accommodate each space.
To get started, Tyson called in Keith Adams, president, Adams Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Llc., Marrero, Louisiana. The two had worked together on an Ofh project and Tyson knew Adams was a strong proponent of zoned technology. He said, “They’re just such versatile systems. You can’t beat the zoning, which is really important for a house like Zach’s where you have six or seven zones. These systems cool a house efficiently and extremely fast. To get the sort of performance this technology offers, other systems need motorized dampers and extra equipment – it’s just more things that can break down.”
Tyson added, “We were pretty impressed with the idea of personalizing spaces with the indoor units. We use air conditioning in Louisiana 90 percent of the time. These are things you just can’t do with central air.”
Having installed Mitsubishi Electric systems for two decades now, Adams said it’s his brand of choice.
“I’ve installed other manufacturers’ systems over the years, but they’ve had issues and I’ve gotten callbacks. When I’ve installed Mitsubishi Electric systems, I’ve never had a problem. So now, Mitsubishi Electric is all I sell. It is the cream of the crop – the most efficient, innovative product on the market. They are the quietest. They are the best at dehumidifying. People add these and their energy consumption drops 60 to 70 percent. Plus, as a Diamond Contractor®, I can get customers a 12-year warranty and a free maintenance contract with their installation. It’s just saving more money for homeowners.”
Tyson agreed that Mitsubishi Electric was the right brand to go with. “We used Mitsubishi Electric mini-splits on new construction for Operation Finally Home. That was a special build, but even for more mainstream projects like this one, we felt we had to go with Mitsubishi Electric. They are a reputable, established manufacturer. You feel comfortable using a product they pioneered.”
Having a Mitsubishi Electric system in his personal home has indeed been encouraging and exciting for an industry professional like Tyson who has built homes for so many others with the same equipment. Recently Tyson’s home energy rater told him that “the house will be cleared and certified through the Nahb Home Innovations Lab – the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Standard – as a ‘Bronze’ certification,” said Tyson.
It’s also been exciting for the people visiting the home. Tyson said, “Already we’ve had a lot of positive responses. The people who have come in have been interested to see the mini-splits in person. People are on the edge of curiosity; they want to know about it.”
Project Team
- Builder: Tyson Construction, New Orleans, Louisiana
- HVAC Contractor: Adams Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Llc, Marrero, Louisiana
Equipment Installed
- (2) MXZ M-Series Outdoor Units
- (6) MSZ Wall-mounted Indoor Units
- (1) SEZ Horizontal-ducted Indoor Unit
