MRCOOL Heat Pump
These are some reasons we went with the MRCOOL Universal System:
DIY Heat Pump
Despite no prior HVAC experience, we wanted a heat pump that could be installed without paying a technician to come out. The technical manual provided with the Universal system walks through the install in a clear and easily understandable manner. When we had any questions outside the scope of the manual, their technical support phone number provided answers from real people sitting in Kentucky in a matter of minutes. They were absolutely experts on the product!
2 Ton Heat Pump
The MRCOOL Universal can be switched to provide either 2 tons or 3 tons of heating & cooling capacity depending on the needs of the building. In a well insulated and air sealed house less than 1500 square feet, the 2 ton mode has ample capacity. If 2 tons of capacity isn’t enough, the switch to 3 ton mode can be made anytime on the circuit board of the outdoor unit. For most average homes in the U.S. with a moderate level of insulation and air sealing, the 2-3 Ton Universal system will have no issue meeting heating and cooling demand.
MRCOOL Precharged Linesets
The MRCOOL Universal system uses the same lineset technology as their DIY Mini Splits, which enables anyone to connect the refrigerant lines with just two adjustable wrenches. The linesets, indoor unit, and outdoor unit all come shipped individually charged with the proper amount of refrigerant and oil. All you have to do is tighten the lineset connectors together, open the valves on the indoor & outdoor units, and the system is ready to operate. There is no need to evacuate, purge, and recharge the system - all tasks which would need to be done by a technician with specialty tools.
Split Inverter
“Split” simply means the compressor and evaporator are in separate units (indoor and outdoor) as opposed to a packaged unit like you would see in a hotel or window a/c. Inverter heat pumps use an advanced circuit board to vary the compressor speed from 0%-100% depending on cooling need. This results in reduced power consumption, improved cooling performance, and much less operating noise compared to the traditional fixed-output A/C unit.
Combination Heating and Air Conditioning Unit
By far the best feature of a heat pump is the simplicity of a single machine that can both heat and cool (at very high efficiency) with electricity as the only input. There is no gas connection or high amperage circuit required like you would have with a traditional gas furnace or electric resistance heating. You can optionally add auxiliary resistance heating strips for installations in non or poorly insulated homes in cold climates, which would require a larger circuit.
Air source heat pumps commonly achieve 300%-400% efficiency ratings, meaning they move 3 to 4 times the amount of heat than the electricity they consume. How is this possible without breaking the laws of physics? These machines don’t generate heat, they only move it from one place to another. In a home with even a moderate level of insulation and air sealing, a heat pump is the most cost effective and efficient device for space conditioning.
