multiple head split system air conditioning

[Phil in Melbourne]

I am after a 3 head air conditioner with one single external compressor.

I thought this would be easy to find but it has turned out to be a bit of a
pickle. All the 3 head compatible systems I have seen will cost me around
$3500. I have looked at Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and DeLonghi.

I dont want to spend that much with the knowledge that single head systems
can be had for under $600 for the same output per room.....Close to half the
cost of the multi head system, yet with two extra compressors.

Has anyone tried to hack a single head system into a multi head system? I
don't mind the reduced output. Only a max of 2 heads would be running at any
one time. Installing three separate compressors outside is not going to
impress the body corporate of my apartment....

 

[atec77]

I am after a 3 head air conditioner with one single external compressor.

\
a large two head unit is much cheaper for the same capacity

I thought this would be easy to find but it has turned out to be a bit of a
pickle. All the 3 head compatible systems I have seen will cost me around
$3500. I have looked at Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and DeLonghi.

I dont want to spend that much with the knowledge that single head systems
can be had for under $600 for the same output per room.....Close to half the
cost of the multi head system, yet with two extra compressors.

match the capacity and complexity

Has anyone tried to hack a single head system into a multi head system?

unsuccessfully I would think
I

don't mind the reduced output. Only a max of 2 heads would be running at any
one time. Installing three separate compressors outside is not going to
impress the body corporate of my apartment....

so over size with two units and leave some doors open ?

 

[Trevor Wilson]

I am after a 3 head air conditioner with one single external compressor.

I thought this would be easy to find but it has turned out to be a bit of
a pickle. All the 3 head compatible systems I have seen will cost me
around $3500. I have looked at Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and DeLonghi.

I dont want to spend that much with the knowledge that single head systems
can be had for under $600 for the same output per room.....Close to half
the cost of the multi head system, yet with two extra compressors.

Has anyone tried to hack a single head system into a multi head system? I
don't mind the reduced output. Only a max of 2 heads would be running at
any one time. Installing three separate compressors outside is not going
to impress the body corporate of my apartment....

**I went down this track nearly 2 years ago. I started looking at a
multi-head split system from Panasonic. It was like pulling teeth, trying to
get a straight answer from the company. even though their web site suggested
that they could supply the product. I then looked at a few other companies
and gave up. Then I looked at a ducted system. It would have cost $15k. The
multi-head (yeah, I finally found one) was going to cost $10k. I gave up and
purchased two, 7.2kW, inverter type Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (different
to Mitsubishi Electric) for $5k (for both) installed. Best decision I could
have made. They are incredibly quiet, VERY efficient - I only ever need to
run one at any one time (two story house) - and an utter delight.

My only reservation, is that I would have preferred floor mounted
evaporators, but the only company I could get them from was Daiken. Daiken =
excellent quality = Big Bucks.

Go with a couple of units. It's easier, cheaper and more efficient. Unless
things have altered in the last 18 months, of course. Oh yeah: Don't even
THINK about one of those cheap Chinese crap box ones. They're noisy, don't
meet their claimed efficiency figures and they're unreliable. My nearest
neighbour has one. If I stand beside my compressor, whilst it is running, I
can easily hear his compressor, even though it is 30 Metres away. POS.

 

[Phil in Melbourne]

**I went down this track nearly 2 years ago. I started looking at a
multi-head split system from Panasonic. It was like pulling teeth, trying
to get a straight answer from the company. even though their web site
suggested that they could supply the product. I then looked at a few other
companies and gave up. Then I looked at a ducted system. It would have
cost $15k. The multi-head (yeah, I finally found one) was going to cost
$10k. I gave up and purchased two, 7.2kW, inverter type Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (different to Mitsubishi Electric) for $5k (for both)
installed. Best decision I could have made. They are incredibly quiet,
VERY efficient - I only ever need to run one at any one time (two story
house) - and an utter delight.

My only reservation, is that I would have preferred floor mounted
evaporators, but the only company I could get them from was Daiken. Daiken
= excellent quality = Big Bucks.

Go with a couple of units. It's easier, cheaper and more efficient. Unless
things have altered in the last 18 months, of course. Oh yeah: Don't even
THINK about one of those cheap Chinese crap box ones. They're noisy, don't
meet their claimed efficiency figures and they're unreliable. My nearest
neighbour has one. If I stand beside my compressor, whilst it is running,
I can easily hear his compressor, even though it is 30 Metres away. POS.

Thanks Trevor,

I certainly would go for individual systems but this is for an apartment,
and three boxes outside the apartment won't float with the body corporate.
I'll probably go for a 2 head system and pipe some extra pipes for the third
system should the need and the $$ arise in future.

 

[Trevor Wilson]

Thanks Trevor,

I certainly would go for individual systems but this is for an apartment,
and three boxes outside the apartment won't float with the body corporate.
I'll probably go for a 2 head system and pipe some extra pipes for the
third system should the need and the $$ arise in future.

**Good luck with that. Like I said, Panasonic had the best, IMO, back when I
looked. They are very efficient, allegedly quiet and the range is quite
broad. Trouble is, no one wanted to sell it to me. I could have purchased
Daiken though.