My wife and I got bids from 8 contractors for a new mini-split system. We went with Straight Shooter, and we're glad we did. Scott discussed design options and the rebates and tax credits available. These programs are complicated, and matching their requirements to the right hardware is a challenge. I had spent days poring over state and federal websites trying to make sense of it all. Of all the contractors we interviewed, Scott had the most complete understanding of the maze of technical requirements to qualify for the rebates. He also had good suggestions for the design and installation of the system in our house.
The bid from Straight Shooter was reasonable, and they offered quotes for two different systems: Mitsubishi and Carrier. We went with the Mitsubishi system, mainly because of its reputation for reliability and ease of maintenance. Technicians Eric and Rayy did the installation with great care and attention to detail, all in just a little over two days. We are delighted with finished system, which is quiet, easy to use, energy efficient, and offers independent temperature control in every room. We're equally delighted with Straight Shooter's professionalism, honesty, and expertise. They offer a great warranty on the Mitsubishi: 10 years parts, 2 years labor, and the labor coverage can be extended for an annual fee after the first two years. I highly recommend Straight Shooter, and if you need any convincing about the quality of their work, then read on.
The images show the specific challenges of the installation in our house and the quality of workmanship. We had four indoor units installed: a large one for the kitchen, dining, and living rooms, and a small one in each of the three bedrooms.
Image 1: This is the living room wall where the largest indoor unit would be installed. The dining room and kitchen are out of the frame on the left. Behind this wall is a large bedroom closet, which is adjacent to the small closet (open on the right) where we keep our audio equipment. Like several other contractors, Scott recommended putting the main indoor unit on this wall, running the refrigerant and electrical lines through the attic and into the closet behind the unit, and doing something similar for the bedroom behind it. The bedroom unit would be on the wall behind the audio closet. Both of these units would send their drain pipes into the closets and out the wall on the far right to the outdoors.
Image 2: Two outdoor units were necessary to achieve the efficiency rating required for the HEEHRA rebate program. Eric and Rayy installed them where distances to the indoor units would be minimized (for greater efficiency), and where the outdoor units were shaded, had room to "breathe", and were not visible from the street. They also installed surge protectors, which you absolutely should get. Be sure to ask your contractor about surge protectors.
Image 3: Same as image 1, but after the installation. A lot of clever craftsmanship is hidden from view in the closets, especially the drains.
Image 4: These are three views of the inside of the closet that holds our audio equipment, showing how Eric and Rayy solved this complex geometrical problem in three dimensions. The drains from two indoor units had to get around the obstacles, come together, and then exit to the outside in exactly the right place. At upper left, near the top of the closet, the drain from the bedroom unit enters between two shelves, runs toward the closet door, and then turns straight down just behind the door frame. At upper right, you can see the drain continuing past the electronics, then turning toward the back of the closet. The bottom view shows the bottom of the closet, where the bedroom drain continues along the left side, and the drain from the living room unit enters from the bedroom closet on the left. The two drains then join on the back wall, and finally a single pipe exits the closet to the outside at lower right.
Image 5: This shows the outdoor part of the drain shown in Image 4. The pipe exits the wall in exactly the right place to line up with the edge of the concrete stoop at the front door, gently sloping downward to a gravel pit as far as possible from the house.
Image 6: This shows the exterior drain from another one of the bedroom units. The upper view shows the drain descending the exterior wall on the left, then turning toward the fence, and finally turning again to run along the bottom of the fence to the gravel pit. The fence meets the wall at an odd angle, which required special treatment. The lower view shows the technician's elegant solution in close-op: a 90-degree turn followed by two 45-degree turns, with the three pieces perfectly rotated to match the angle between wall and fence, all while maintaining proper flow throughout. Of course, the drains were a relatively small part of the project, but the attention to detail shown here really impressed me and was typical of everything else they did.
