3 ms·

I wish, wish wish there was a portable mini split (not a portable air conditioner). The closest thing is this: https://rollibot.com/product/mini-split-ac-room

I wish, wish wish there was a portable mini split (not a portable air conditioner). The closest thing is this: https://rollibot.com/product/mini-split-ac-room-air-conditioner/ https://rollibot.com/product/mini-split-ac-room-air-conditio... but it sucks. I don't understand why these things have to be permanent fixtures of your house, necessarily.

bilsbie 4y ago
I’m confused what you’re asking for (and why) but it sounds interesting.
- endisneigh 4y ago
  A portable machine to provide heat and cooling via heat pump technology. For cooling this exists in many forms: there are the window air conditioners, and "portable" window air conditioners which have a duct that connects to the window. The problem with the latter is that they're loud and the ducts result in a lot of heat loss. For heating there are some portable air conditioners that use a heat pump but they're subject to the same issue described above. More common is resistive electrical heat in the form of coils or an oil filled container that radiates heat. A portable mini split, where it connects through the window would give you a similar advantage as a portable air conditioner, but with more efficiency and being less loud.
  - bilsbie 4y ago
    Cool idea. So a two piece portable with a just coolant line going through the window to the outdoor part?
    - endisneigh 4y ago
      yeah, exactly. there's a company called MRCOOL that does something similar (https://mrcool.com/diy-4th-generation/ https://mrcool.com/diy-4th-generation/), but the head (the indoor part that provides the heat/cooling) is designed to be mounted permanently if this were popular you'd see old houses retrofitted with pluggable holes where you could feed the lineset through and seal as necessary for temporary heat/cooling, or perhaps even permanent. the installation would be substantially easier if these were like 6000BTU instead of minimum 12000BTU per head, so it could be run on say, ~8 amps and be plugged inside.
    - aaronax 4y ago
      Coolant supply and return, both fully insulated. And condensate drain line, and power wires, and control wires. Do-able, but more complex than one might initially think.
  - sparsely 4y ago
    I believe you are describing something like this: https://mrcool.com/u-shaped-window-a-c/ https://mrcool.com/u-shaped-window-a-c/ Never used one myself but they are meant to be much better than the ones with ducts - you don't lose so much efficiency from the ducts or from badly patched up window openings.
  - almuhalil 4y ago
    There is a portable mini-split that recently came onto the market, and its form factor is similar to that of a window AC: https://www.gradientcomfort.com/ https://www.gradientcomfort.com/ The only problems I can see are: -Size/Price ratio: The tonnage (9,000 BTU) is relatively low for its price--it can only condition a ~375 sq foot space. Though the lack of install costs probably makes up for this unless you're doing a DIY job with a Mr. Cool Ductless HP. -Incentives: Utilities may not want to spend energy efficiency incentive dollars on these, since someone could easily move and take the heat pump outside of the utility territory; which is not a problem with permanent HVAC installations. Might be covered by the IRA's rebates for Heat Pumps though.
timerol 4y ago
NYCHA is currently running a contest to develop a heat pump window unit. All of the proposed units are expensive to get those contest dollars, but should come down in price after. https://www.gradientcomfort.com/pages/products-air-conditioners-120-volts-9000-btu-window-ac https://www.gradientcomfort.com/pages/products-air-condition... https://www.achrnews.com/articles/147122-midea-heat-pumps-to-power-nycs-clean-heat-for-all-challenge https://www.achrnews.com/articles/147122-midea-heat-pumps-to...
- ctroein89 4y ago
  I have two heat pump window air conditioners installed in my apartment, with cooling, heating and resistance electrical heating: https://www.frigidaire.com/Home-Comfort/Air-Conditioning/Window-Mounted-AC/FHWH112WA1/ https://www.frigidaire.com/Home-Comfort/Air-Conditioning/Win.... The problem is that the tech is so poorly advertised, that I had to double-check the specs on manufacturer's website that this model was, in fact, a heat pump. Most people don't know that heat pump window units already are an option. I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units.
  - scythe 4y ago
    >I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units. This isn't great if you want a building with hydronic heating and forced-air cooling, which is really just the ideal form of both technologies — hydronic cooling creates condensation, while forced-air heating smells bad and leaves you with cold feet. Also, I found that Home Depot's website tends to be pretty clear about which window units are also heat pumps.
  - timerol 4y ago
    I have seen units like that Frigidaire before, and can never tell whether it's actually a heat pump, or just an AC/resistance heat combination. Edit: Nevermind I'm an idiot. From the spec page of that unit: BTU (Cool): 11,000 BTU, BTU (Electrical Heat): 3,500 BTU, BTU (Heat Pump): 9,900 BTU. Though the owner's manual mentions an extremely warm minimum outdoor temp: "The unit should be operated in a temperature range of indoor side 60°F - 90°F (16°C - 32°C), outdoor side 64°F - 109°F (18°C - 43°C)."
scythe 4y ago
The issue is that cold should be supplied near the ceiling, while heat should be supplied near the floor. So this unit would need two separate terminals or suffer inadequate performance in one of the modes.

bilsbie 4y ago

I’m confused what you’re asking for (and why) but it sounds interesting.

endisneigh 4y ago
A portable machine to provide heat and cooling via heat pump technology. For cooling this exists in many forms: there are the window air conditioners, and "portable" window air conditioners which have a duct that connects to the window. The problem with the latter is that they're loud and the ducts result in a lot of heat loss. For heating there are some portable air conditioners that use a heat pump but they're subject to the same issue described above. More common is resistive electrical heat in the form of coils or an oil filled container that radiates heat. A portable mini split, where it connects through the window would give you a similar advantage as a portable air conditioner, but with more efficiency and being less loud.
- bilsbie 4y ago
  Cool idea. So a two piece portable with a just coolant line going through the window to the outdoor part?
  - endisneigh 4y ago
    yeah, exactly. there's a company called MRCOOL that does something similar (https://mrcool.com/diy-4th-generation/ https://mrcool.com/diy-4th-generation/), but the head (the indoor part that provides the heat/cooling) is designed to be mounted permanently if this were popular you'd see old houses retrofitted with pluggable holes where you could feed the lineset through and seal as necessary for temporary heat/cooling, or perhaps even permanent. the installation would be substantially easier if these were like 6000BTU instead of minimum 12000BTU per head, so it could be run on say, ~8 amps and be plugged inside.
  - aaronax 4y ago
    Coolant supply and return, both fully insulated. And condensate drain line, and power wires, and control wires. Do-able, but more complex than one might initially think.
- sparsely 4y ago
  I believe you are describing something like this: https://mrcool.com/u-shaped-window-a-c/ https://mrcool.com/u-shaped-window-a-c/ Never used one myself but they are meant to be much better than the ones with ducts - you don't lose so much efficiency from the ducts or from badly patched up window openings.
- almuhalil 4y ago
  There is a portable mini-split that recently came onto the market, and its form factor is similar to that of a window AC: https://www.gradientcomfort.com/ https://www.gradientcomfort.com/ The only problems I can see are: -Size/Price ratio: The tonnage (9,000 BTU) is relatively low for its price--it can only condition a ~375 sq foot space. Though the lack of install costs probably makes up for this unless you're doing a DIY job with a Mr. Cool Ductless HP. -Incentives: Utilities may not want to spend energy efficiency incentive dollars on these, since someone could easily move and take the heat pump outside of the utility territory; which is not a problem with permanent HVAC installations. Might be covered by the IRA's rebates for Heat Pumps though.

timerol 4y ago

NYCHA is currently running a contest to develop a heat pump window unit. All of the proposed units are expensive to get those contest dollars, but should come down in price after. https://www.gradientcomfort.com/pages/products-air-conditioners-120-volts-9000-btu-window-ac https://www.gradientcomfort.com/pages/products-air-condition... https://www.achrnews.com/articles/147122-midea-heat-pumps-to-power-nycs-clean-heat-for-all-challenge https://www.achrnews.com/articles/147122-midea-heat-pumps-to...

ctroein89 4y ago
I have two heat pump window air conditioners installed in my apartment, with cooling, heating and resistance electrical heating: https://www.frigidaire.com/Home-Comfort/Air-Conditioning/Window-Mounted-AC/FHWH112WA1/ https://www.frigidaire.com/Home-Comfort/Air-Conditioning/Win.... The problem is that the tech is so poorly advertised, that I had to double-check the specs on manufacturer's website that this model was, in fact, a heat pump. Most people don't know that heat pump window units already are an option. I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units.
- scythe 4y ago
  >I'd love for NYC to mandate that ACs must function as heat pumps: the additional parts are cheap, and as America's largest market for window AC units, the NYC market would force competition for much cheaper heat pump window units. This isn't great if you want a building with hydronic heating and forced-air cooling, which is really just the ideal form of both technologies — hydronic cooling creates condensation, while forced-air heating smells bad and leaves you with cold feet. Also, I found that Home Depot's website tends to be pretty clear about which window units are also heat pumps.
- timerol 4y ago
  I have seen units like that Frigidaire before, and can never tell whether it's actually a heat pump, or just an AC/resistance heat combination. Edit: Nevermind I'm an idiot. From the spec page of that unit: BTU (Cool): 11,000 BTU, BTU (Electrical Heat): 3,500 BTU, BTU (Heat Pump): 9,900 BTU. Though the owner's manual mentions an extremely warm minimum outdoor temp: "The unit should be operated in a temperature range of indoor side 60°F - 90°F (16°C - 32°C), outdoor side 64°F - 109°F (18°C - 43°C)."

scythe 4y ago

The issue is that cold should be supplied near the ceiling, while heat should be supplied near the floor. So this unit would need two separate terminals or suffer inadequate performance in one of the modes.