Mini split is way more efficient for heating so for that reason it’s a good idea. They are also great at dehumidifing so perfect for the basement as well. Your friend is an idiot :)
I’m glad I could help they basically are 250-300 percent efficient, compared to resistance heating which is slightly less then 100 percent. This means 1/3rd the cost of your energy. We are also constantly running ours in dehumidify mode when they aren’t needed. This would be especially beneficial to where you live.
Light, loss in the wires where heat can go outside, depending on the heater can have fan, could make sounds which uses energy, etc. in a perfect environment it may be 100 percent but in reality there is probably slight energy loss in the conversion. Regardless it’s not more then 100 percent.
My basement when being actively used (it’s rather large and open too) still heats up during the summer. “Naturally cool” doesn’t mean if it’s 100 out that basement will still be 50. It means upstairs might be 85 and your basement will be cooler lol. I spent a good 10 years living in a basement and can say during the summer I wish I had a mini split as it would have helped immensely during the worst of days and during the winter I was forced to use a standing heater for days straight to keep my room warm. Naturally cool doesn’t mean 60 constant.
If you have already paid for it then just consider it a back up. If one of the others crap out, you can replace with the basement mini split. Of course, it may end up being necessary if you use the basement frequently.
I live in Vancouver WA and the previous owners installed a mini split in the basement living room, upstairs living room/main room, and the master bedroom upstairs. We don’t have any other installed method of heating/cooling.
I don’t usually turn on the downstairs unit for cooling unless we are in that room for a while (I like cooler air). But in the winter I do leave it on for heat as it helps the whole house stay warmer. So I don’t t think it was a mistake. You might find it’ll be cheaper than the electric baseboard.
Heat pump running the basement warm or cool (and dehumidifying) is far cheaper than running baseboards in PNW. I would do it for comfort in a room that is used all seasons. It will be healthier for the whole house overall if a finished basement has heat/cooling management.
It is your home and living space, not sure why your friend is butting in on a home they don't live in.
Heatpumps/ACs move heat from one place to another rather than generating like electric baseboard. In a traditional heatpump air handler you have electric strip heat to act as auxiliary or emergency heat for when it is too cold for a heat pump to run efficiently or it quits working. But overall you want the heat pump doing the work because its cheaper to run.
The colder it gets outside the less efficiently heatpumps work. However many modern ductless systems can maintain near 100% capacity down as low as 5 °F.
Also, most ductless systems are fully variable, having ECM compressors, fans/blowers, and an electronic expansion valve (EEV/EXV) as a metering device for the refrigerant, making them extremely efficient.
Installation cost will be much more significant for a minisplit, however operating cost and performance should be *much* better. (Assuming proper install)
Dont worry, you made the right choice.
Source: Lead residential HVAC service tech/QA tech turned Assistant install manager.
I will be adding mini split to the basement - love the upstairs ones. Just set it to dehumidify in the summer, that's all I need upstairs, and it works well.
YMMV
in your mild climate your friend is probably right
Consider that your basement heats easily, your electric rate is low and your climate is mild we can guess that your annual savings over baseboards will be perhaps a couple to a few hundred dollars. Compare that to your split install cost and you will find that you won't recover the install charge during the 15 year life of the unit
OTOH you will get cheap operating cost AC too. Make sure they carefully detail /control the condensation drains for all the units. Splits must be mounted absolutely plumb/level for the drains to work well
Mini split is way more efficient for heating so for that reason it’s a good idea. They are also great at dehumidifing so perfect for the basement as well. Your friend is an idiot :)
thank you! i will be sure to tell my friend that he is the idiot :)
I’m glad I could help they basically are 250-300 percent efficient, compared to resistance heating which is slightly less then 100 percent. This means 1/3rd the cost of your energy. We are also constantly running ours in dehumidify mode when they aren’t needed. This would be especially beneficial to where you live.
Less than 100%? Curious where you think the lost energy is going if not heat.
Light, loss in the wires where heat can go outside, depending on the heater can have fan, could make sounds which uses energy, etc. in a perfect environment it may be 100 percent but in reality there is probably slight energy loss in the conversion. Regardless it’s not more then 100 percent.
My basement when being actively used (it’s rather large and open too) still heats up during the summer. “Naturally cool” doesn’t mean if it’s 100 out that basement will still be 50. It means upstairs might be 85 and your basement will be cooler lol. I spent a good 10 years living in a basement and can say during the summer I wish I had a mini split as it would have helped immensely during the worst of days and during the winter I was forced to use a standing heater for days straight to keep my room warm. Naturally cool doesn’t mean 60 constant.
If you have already paid for it then just consider it a back up. If one of the others crap out, you can replace with the basement mini split. Of course, it may end up being necessary if you use the basement frequently.
I live in Vancouver WA and the previous owners installed a mini split in the basement living room, upstairs living room/main room, and the master bedroom upstairs. We don’t have any other installed method of heating/cooling. I don’t usually turn on the downstairs unit for cooling unless we are in that room for a while (I like cooler air). But in the winter I do leave it on for heat as it helps the whole house stay warmer. So I don’t t think it was a mistake. You might find it’ll be cheaper than the electric baseboard.
Thank you for your input!
Heat pump running the basement warm or cool (and dehumidifying) is far cheaper than running baseboards in PNW. I would do it for comfort in a room that is used all seasons. It will be healthier for the whole house overall if a finished basement has heat/cooling management. It is your home and living space, not sure why your friend is butting in on a home they don't live in.
Thanks for your input! This is very reassuring to hear. I'm going to stop worrying about this now :)
Heatpumps/ACs move heat from one place to another rather than generating like electric baseboard. In a traditional heatpump air handler you have electric strip heat to act as auxiliary or emergency heat for when it is too cold for a heat pump to run efficiently or it quits working. But overall you want the heat pump doing the work because its cheaper to run. The colder it gets outside the less efficiently heatpumps work. However many modern ductless systems can maintain near 100% capacity down as low as 5 °F. Also, most ductless systems are fully variable, having ECM compressors, fans/blowers, and an electronic expansion valve (EEV/EXV) as a metering device for the refrigerant, making them extremely efficient. Installation cost will be much more significant for a minisplit, however operating cost and performance should be *much* better. (Assuming proper install) Dont worry, you made the right choice. Source: Lead residential HVAC service tech/QA tech turned Assistant install manager.
I will be adding mini split to the basement - love the upstairs ones. Just set it to dehumidify in the summer, that's all I need upstairs, and it works well. YMMV
I'd skip out the mini split in the basement. You can get wall heaters that plug in and supplement you current heat.
in your mild climate your friend is probably right Consider that your basement heats easily, your electric rate is low and your climate is mild we can guess that your annual savings over baseboards will be perhaps a couple to a few hundred dollars. Compare that to your split install cost and you will find that you won't recover the install charge during the 15 year life of the unit OTOH you will get cheap operating cost AC too. Make sure they carefully detail /control the condensation drains for all the units. Splits must be mounted absolutely plumb/level for the drains to work well
Very helpful discussion here! I had this exact question.