It wasn’t long before the new owners of a condo in Streamwood, IL realized there was a problem: Their new home wasn’t nearly as cool as they wanted it in the summer. When we got there, we weren’t surprised at all to find out an old through-the-wall air conditioner wasn’t cutting it.
Now, the entire condo is always at the temperature they want. And, the new system is much quieter than the old one. But there’s more: Our homeowners also cut their electric bill in half. And, they managed to claim back some of their living space.
Problem: The hotel-style through-the-wall air conditioners in this Streamwood, IL condo did not provide enough cooling for the two bedrooms and main living area.
Solution: Installed a three-zone Hyper Heat outdoor unit with an indoor wall unit in each bedroom and a silver designer wall unit in the living room.
These setups are often referred to as “mini-splits” since they have indoor and outdoor components. Both these parts play essential roles in making these systems work so well.
Both use a refrigerant liquid that attracts heat to the system. Once that thermal energy reaches the AC, the unit releases it outside. At the same time, it dehumidifies the air. That makes your home much cooler.
What’s more, they’re whisper-quiet. Compare that to a loud window or wall unit AC. In some cases, it’s hard to have a conversation or watch TV when they’re working. Not so with a mini-split.
The best part is, this cycle of heating up the liquid and cooling it down once the heat is released happens mostly on its own. The heat pump just needs a little bit of electricity to run. We’ll get into why that’s important a little later.
It didn’t really work well. But, the alternative would have been separate air conditioners in each room. That would have been expensive – and loud.
We eliminated all this with the new mini-split. Now, there are air handlers in the two bedrooms and the living room.
Let’s say the master bedroom is a few degrees warmer than the living room. No problem! The air handler in there works a little more to get the right temperature. Meanwhile, the other two power down before their zones get too cold.
Remember before when we mentioned the mini-split uses a lot less electricity? Well, the less energy it uses, the less our homeowners pay on their utility bills. In this case, that added up to a big difference.
The new system is Energy Star-certified. That means it uses less electricity to provide the same service as units that use much more power.
How much less electricity? Put it this way: their electric bill got cut in half. That’s right: They spend 50 percent less on energy in the summer than what they used to.
And, since the mini-split is Energy Star seal of approval, they got a break on the installation costs. That came thanks to their electric provider, ComEd.
Like many utilities today, ComEd offers rebates to homeowners who install new energy-efficient appliances. We made sure these condos owners applied.
That, plus the lower energy bills, means our homeowners are paying less for cooling than ever before. And, their condo is the most comfortable it’s ever been!
Are you ready to replace the old, inefficient cooling system in your condo? Contact us, and we’ll design a system that’s perfect for you!