Ferret Posted December 4, 2023 Report Share Posted December 4, 2023 I have had a small electric wood stove with thermostat control for around six years now and it has kept my living room warm in the winter. However, the bedroom has either been too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. Now it's juuuuust right. I contacted Ron Magen (Go Solar on this forum) and his head electrician installed a Mirage Inverter 22 in the bedroom that provides both heating and cooling. It is energy efficient with a high SEER value and incredibly quiet. It is discreetly connected through the conduit running from my solar panels to the inside. SO HAPPY and comfortably cozy in this miserable weather! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Quillio Posted December 4, 2023 Report Share Posted December 4, 2023 I'm guessing an "electric wood stove" is an electric heater that looks like a wood stove, correct? Wrt the Mirage, does the A/C functionality rely on already having a compressor, or is it contained within the minisplit stand-alone style? LQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted December 4, 2023 Report Share Posted December 4, 2023 10 minutes ago, Lou Quillio said: I'm guessing an "electric wood stove" is an electric heater that looks like a wood stove, correct? Wrt the Mirage, does the A/C functionality rely on already having a compressor, or is it contained within the minisplit stand-alone style? LQ https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-1422050269-mini-split-mirage-inverter-magnum-22-frio-calor-1-ton-220v-_JM#position=16&search_layout=stack&type=item&tracking_id=89e1da75-c52f-4d02-99b6-fcf631abdad2 https://mirage.mx/productos/todo/aire-acondicionado/minisplit/inverter/magnum-22-inverter/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Quillio Posted December 4, 2023 Report Share Posted December 4, 2023 4 minutes ago, Mostlylost said: https://mirage.mx/productos/todo/aire-acondicionado/minisplit/inverter/magnum-22-inverter/ Assume I Google everything, since I'm a Google engineer. I've read that. Still not perfectly clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 There are two parts to the system... indoor wall mounted unit and exterior compressor which is on the roof. Mine is the 1 ton 220 volt. LOVE it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 I have a 3 ton mirage inverter a/c heat in a large living room. We only used the ac one day last late spring when it was 90F. Great job. But we have been using the heat on auto to keep an ambient temp as the house is cold. We do have solar so that helps with low use of energy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 Yes. Me too on the solar. The size of the unit will depend on the cubic space that you need to cool or heat. Here's a link to my little electric "wood" stove too... love the ambience of the "flames" as well... https://www.amazon.com/Duraflame-Infrared-Electric-Fireplace-Control/dp/B01N7ZEO7D/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TH83GX79UHOD&keywords=duraflame%2Belectric%2Bwood%2Bstove&qid=1701711095&sprefix=Duraflame%2Belectric%2Bwood%2B%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-2&th=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 3 hours ago, Lou Quillio said: Assume I Google everything, since I'm a Google engineer. I've read that. Still not perfectly clear. Minisplits are normally sold as a complete system, not something you connect to an existing system. If you check the Mercado Libre link I provided it shows the 2 main parts in the picture. It is a complete system including the installation kit. , Your question is answered in the questions section of the MercadoLibre offer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 Lou, you have told us several times that you are a Google Engineer. So can't understand why you did not easily find something like the following to answer your questions about a minisplit. https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=components+of+a+mini+split+system&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Quillio Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 Just now, RickS said: So can't understand why you did not find Such systems are uncomplicated and I understand how they work. What wasn't clear was whether the poster was adding to an existing system or installing from scratch. Affects how much of an investment we're making. Sometimes further clarification isn't for me, rather it's to make a thread more useful to others -- sometimes those arriving at this page later via a Google search. It's a habit from having built and managed many discussion boards. LQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 When we built on the coast, we deliberately sized three different units with three different compressors for various areas... one two ton (living room, kitchen and office) and two one ton (one for each bedroom). In that way, if one compressor had a problem, you still had other places where you could get cool. Worth it there but maybe not here. It is important that the compressor be sized correctly for the cubic area that it will be covering or it will not run efficiently. Which is why I don't understand your question at all, Lou, about whether I added the indoor unit to an already existing compressor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Quillio Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 18 minutes ago, Ferret said: sized correctly for the cubic area that it will be covering Obviously. Some people even size their compressor for future capacity. Just seemed to me like a casual, undetailed post for a non-trivial investment. Didn't even mention the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 17,000 pesos installed. You cannot size your compressor for future capacity because it will not operate efficiently. https://bryantlincoln.com/understanding-the-risks-of-oversizing-your-hvac-system/ https://www.pickhvac.com/mini-split/sizing/slightly-oversize/ 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyBee Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 Darn and I thought I was splurging when I spent 100 pesos for a sweater. 😊 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 I've been working on this house since I bought in the spring of 2016. I make one major change a year. This one should have been the first one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipstock Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 Lou, correct me if I'm wrong but were you asking about multi zone split units? https://homeinspectioninsider.com/multi-zone-mini-split/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Quillio Posted December 5, 2023 Report Share Posted December 5, 2023 9 minutes ago, Whipstock said: were you asking about multi zone split units? Thanks, but I wasn't really asking anything, except for the post to be fleshed out. From the initial info given, a passer-by wouldn't know the topic was a USD $1,000 capital improvement. Off topic: As for Joan and I, after two years renting, our California house is sold, we're mostly retired, and we're finally house hunting in earnest. We're looking for centro, fully walkable, a pool or space for one, minimum three bedrooms, in San Antonio, Chapala, or even Ajijic -- though we don't covet Ajijic, nor want to pay the Ajijic premium. They're not making more of these, so we have to wait. They do appear, just not so often. After we own, we'll see what heating and AC needs we have (and PV solar, and home battery, and commercial-grade networking). Joan likes a little AC, I like a little heat in winter. But everything depends on the house we find. Since this will be our last house and we're 60-ish, it has to suit our needs for twenty or so years, and we're unwilling to settle for something we don't love. LQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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