While there are a lot of benefits that come with your new mini-split system, there are some things to consider before you make the purchase. When choosing a new system you have to take your area’s climate into account because different mini-split systems work differently in colder or warmer climates. There are also steps you need to take inorder to keep your mini-split running at peak performance.
What Kind of Mini-Split is Best for Long Island Homes?
Since you’re on Long Island and our temperatures don’t get much higher than the 80’s your biggest problems will be from the cold. As you know, our winter temperatures here usually fall somewhere between 20 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
This means that you should be fine getting a Mid-Level Mini-Split because it still works perfectly when temperatures fall to 20 degrees fahrenheit. If the temperatures drop lower than that your system will begin to struggle.
The best way to guarantee that you’re getting a system that can handle the weather though, is to check the HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) of a system before you decide you want it installed. If you go to either of our product pages and click on the icons for the different indoor units and outdoor condensers you’ll be able to see the HSPF for each one, along with their SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). That’s the first step, but once you’ve made sure you’ve bought a climate-appropriate condenser and all the indoor units you need it’ll be time for the last second step…
Protecting Your Mini-Split from the Cold
When we install your system there are several things we do to keep it from getting “cold damage”. First, we make sure to install your outdoor condenser high enough so it will be above the snow that’ll start to build up during the winter. In addition to this, you should make sure there’s some kind of overhang or roof above your condenser so the snow doesn’t start building up on top of it.
The second thing is that we suggest purchasing a drain pan heater. Mini-splits get an icy build up on their outer coils, so they periodically switch to defrost mode. All that melted ice drips into the drain pan, and if the water in that pan freezes before it has a chance to drain out it’ll start building up. That ice buildup can eventually start interfering with the blades on the condenser fan or some frozen water might get in between the coil fins and start cracking them.
Either way, you’d have to pay over $1000 to get any kind of cold damage fixed, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Each different brand and model has its own especially designed drain pan heater, so make sure you get the right one.