Waukee homeowners, Dan and Wanda, were beginning to experience technical problems with the 17-year-old heating and cooling system installed in their home. The HVAC system was nearing the end of its useful life and had also developed a refrigerant leak.
After weighing the option to repair the refrigerant leak or replace the system, Dan and Wanda decided the most cost-effective solution was to install a new system.
Choosing the right HVAC system
In order to select an HVAC system that was the best fit for Dan and Wanda’s style of home and their comfort needs, a Bell Brothers Home Comfort Consultant talked to the homeowners to learn what their comfort needs were and if they had been experiencing any issues with the current system.
Through this conversation Bell Brothers learned that Dan and Wanda were dissatisfied with the level of comfort on the second floor of their home, especially in the master bedroom and bathroom. The house had been designed with two HVAC systems, but when it was built the developer only installed one system.
In addition, the master suite is located over the top of the garage, which is an unconditioned space, making it difficult to get proper airflow into that part of the house. In the winter the floors in the master bathroom were cold and in the summer the master suite was hot. What Dan and Wanda were experiencing is a common problem for many homeowners in Des Moines who live in a two story home.
Bell Brothers went to work on a solution that would address Dan and Wanda’s desire to make their master suite more comfortable.
Traditional zone system
In the past, a common way to address the type of problem Dan and Wanda were experiencing was to install a zone system. Installing a zone system requires additional duct work to be run in the house, and in many situations is not a feasible solution. This was the case for Dan and Wanda as well. Installing a zone system in their home would have required a major construction project in order to run the duct work and would have been cost prohibitive.
Hybrid inverter system
Bell Brothers compared a couple of solutions, including a traditional unitary system replacement with zoning and a stand-alone duct-free mini split system. Bell Brothers was able to solve Dan and Wanda’s comfort problem and save them money by offering a hybrid inverter system that requires installing only one unit instead of two. Because of advancements in technology, Bell Brothers was able to provide Dan and Wanda with an HVAC system that combines a traditional unitary system with a duct-free mini split system.
Bell Brothers started the replacement project by replacing Dan and Wanda’s failing HVAC system with a new outdoor heat pump system. The next step was to install the new air handling system in the attic. Duct work was added in the attic, as well as small refrigeration lines that went from the air-handling unit in the attic to the heat pump outside.
Providing additional comfort control
Most homeowners have one thermostat on their main floor. In order to get more airflow upstairs, it is not uncommon for a homeowner to turn the main floor thermostat down. This causes the temperature on the main floor to be uncomfortable in order for the second floor to be more comfortable.
To ensure that this didn’t happen to Dan and Wanda, a second thermostat was added to the master bedroom to provide independent control of their main floor and second floor. Dan and Wanda use the thermostat in their master suite to control the duct-free mini split system. And the thermostat on their main floor controls the temperature on the main level.
Results
Dan and Wanda are thrilled with their new HVAC system. The solution Bell Brothers provided is less expensive than the traditional zone system, which can run up to $30,000. In addition, the duct-free mini split system is highly efficient, and very quiet.
If you’re interested in learning more about how this type of system or another HVAC system can help meet your home comfort needs, contact a Bell Brothers Home Comfort Specialist by calling 515-244-8911 or contacting us online.
