Frigidaire Mini Split a good deal?
dsmcn
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Looking at options for a 12,000 BTU mini split, I find the Firgidaire is about 1/2 the price of a Mitsubishi or Fujitsu. Does the price reflect quality?
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Replies
David,
Q. "Does the price reflect quality?"
A. Probably.
What's your location or climate zone? How cold does it get during the winter? Do you intend to use this minisplit for cooling, heating, or both?
At a minimum, you need to find out whether the unit you are considering purchasing has an adequate heat output at your lowest expected outdoor air temperatures (assuming that you will use the unit for space heating).
Another consideration has to do with installation and service. Are nearby HVAC contractors willing to service this brand of minisplit?
This is for a rental unit in L.A.—zone 3C. It will be for cooling only, but know that this is for a minimally insulated bungalow built in 1935.
I am surprised by the price range for installation: from $2,000 to $5,000 including materials.
I am also surprised that it is somewhat difficult to find reliable service contractors who are familiar with mini splits. And difficult to get one of those few to actually show up.
From the outward appearance the Frigidaire units appear to be re-badged Grees. Gree is the largest manufacturer of AC equipment in China, and are imported under different name plates by other companies. (I believe Carrier mini-splits are all Gree units under the paint.) Many of the sub-components in Gree mini-splits are manufactured in Vietnam and other southeast Asian countries that have lower labor and other costs than China.
The up-charge for a heat pump version may still be "worth it" in an L.A. climate.
When looking at low-end mini-splits a distinguishing feature separating them is the minimum modulated output. Some 1-tons don't modulate much below 5000 BTU/hr, some don't modulate at all, and are basically the same as a window shaker in different packaging. The better ones for both comfort & efficiency will be "inverter drive", and can modulate to under 3000 BTU/hr. There is a lower end 115V LG 1 ton inverter drive heat pump version that can modulatesdown to about 1000 BTU/hr can be had for under $1000, and probably worth the up-charge over a bare-bones $500-700 cooling-only 1-speed Frigidaire. There are others- Gree has several 1 ton 208-230V inverter drive 1 ton heat pump versions that retail for under a grand. Inverter drive units are both quieter and more efficient than the 1-2 speed bottom of the line versions.