Mini Splits are growing in popularity as the most efficient and effective device for cooling homes. Thanks to their design, you can use these units to carry out zonal cooling of your home. The units have multiple evaporators that are connected to a single outdoor air unit or compressor.
You can control every evaporator independently of the others and achieve effective control of temperature in the rooms you use. However, choosing the right mini split for your home is not an easy task.
You need to be sure about the size of the home to get the right device. In this guide, we will take you through the process of selecting the right mini split for your home. We will also review the best mini splits for 1500 square feet spaces.
How Many BTU to Cool 1500 sq ft
You need about 24,000 BTUs to effectively cool and warm the air in a 1500 square feet space. The actual number of BTUs that you need to condition the air in such a space varies with other factors.
If your house’s ceiling is higher than the standard 8 feet, you will have to adjust the total number of BTUs upwards. Also, if your house is poorly insulated, increase the number of BTUs by a small percentage.
Homes that are in areas where the climate is exceptionally high need extra BTUs for cooling. If your home is in such an area, it may be wise to go for a mini split with a higher BTU value. Such a mini split will adequately heat and cool the air in your house.
How Many Watts does a 1500 BTU Mini Split Use?
A 24000 BTU mini split will draw about 2400 watts of power when running under ideal conditions. The actual number of watts that such a mini split draw varies from 2300 to 2800.
New units tend to be more energy-efficient than older ones. Also, large mini splits with a BTU rating of 24,000 and above are less energy-efficient than smaller ones with lower BTU ratings.
Also, mini splits that have high EER values are more efficient than those with low EER ratios. Thus, if your 24000 BTU mini split has a high EER ratio of about 12.5, it will consume fewer watts than one with a lower EER ratio.
Most brands of mini splits function when connected to 110v to 120v circuits. Typically, homes have 110v to 120v circuits. Matching the voltage of your mini split with that of the home is important. Connecting your mini split to a circuit that has a high voltage may lead the circuit to break or cause fires.
What Size Breaker do I Need for a 1500 BTU Mini Split?
It would be best to have a 20-amp or 25-amp size breaker for your 24000 BTU mini split. This amp breaker size is powerful enough to accommodate the voltage and wattage that a 24000 BTU mini split draws when functioning.
Installing a breaker with less amperage may pose various risks. It is always safe to use the exact specifications that the manufacturer recommends. You will always find the details on the manual that comes with your mini split.
Mini splits vs. Central Air Conditioners
It is not easy to choose between mini splits and air conditioners. While mini splits provide personalized cooling and heating of the air in small homes, they lack the power associated with central air conditioners. Standard central air conditioners are perfect for large homes and commercial buildings.
Ducting
Mini splits do not use ductwork. This means that if you have a mini split, you will have conveniently overcome the need to purify the air of allergens and other impurities. Ductworks of central heating systems commonly contribute to the distribution of germs in the air. Moreover, the lack of ductwork in mini splits means that you will not waste energy through leakages and cracks that occur along central heating system’s ductwork.
Level of Control
Mini splits afford users a higher level of control than traditional central heating systems. You can use a mini split to cool or heat specific rooms at any given time. Every indoor unit operates independently of the others.
This level of control is important because it lets you create a comfortable indoor environment. However, central heating systems do not have this level of control. The systems automatically heat or cool the entire house. Thus, there is considerable wastage of heating or cooling energy when one uses a central heating system.
Installation
It is easier to install a mini split than a central air conditioner. Mini splits require a small hole to be drilled on the wall. The wall provides space for passing the refrigerant lines. Installation of a central air conditioning system takes a long time because of the complex processes involved.
One must lay the ductwork and maintain it for a long time. Maintenance of the ductwork involves continually checking them for leakages and cracks. This additional cost of maintenance is unheard of when one uses a mini split.
However, remember that whether you use a mini split or a central air conditioning system, it is a good idea to have a professional technician do it for you. Your device’s warranty will be valid if you let a professional and certified technician do the installation for you.
How to Use Mini Split Systems Efficiently
You can get the best out of your mini spits by following these simple recommendations.
- Regular cleaning. Remember to clean the air filters in the indoor units at least once per month. Some brands have an indicator system that alerts you when you need to clean the filters.
- Use the auto control features. once you have selected the ideal temperature for every room, let the air split fans automatically adjust the performance to maintain the temperature in an ideal range.
- Insulate your home correctly. It is cheaper to warm and cool a house that is insulated adequately than one which is not. Keep your rooms adequately insulated to minimize wastage of energy used to cool or warm the air.
Best Mini Splits for 1500 Square Foot
1. MRCOOL Ductless Mini Split
One of the most remarkable features of the MRCOOL Ductless mini split relates to the ease of control. You can comfortably use your smartphone to control the performance of this system. Alternatively, you can connect it to your Google Assistant or Alexa and use voice commands to control its operation.
Additionally, it is quite convenient to use this mini split. Notably, it has a system that saves the settings. When there is a temporary power outage, this mini split automatically restarts. You do not have to reset it every time that it restarts.
This mini split is quite energy efficient. It has an innovative variable speed DV inverter compressor technology that minimizes the energy that it consumes. The high SEER rating helps to keep the costs of warming and cooling your home when using this mini split system low.
Sadly, this mini split system is not as powerful as a standard split system. You may have to consider getting the standard system if you need to warm and cool the air in a large home.
Pros
- It has smart control features
- High energy efficiency level because of the variable speed DC inverter compressor technology
- The system has a leakage detection feature for enhanced safety
Cons
- The mini split has less capacity than a standard split system
2. Senville SENA-36HF/Z Mini Split
If you are looking for a powerful mini split system for conditioning the air in a small home, consider using the SENA-36HF/Z. This mini split has all the features you would expect to find in a modern, energy-efficient and highly powerful mini split.
Notably, it comes with an easy-to-use installation kit. You do not need to be a technician to install this mini split successfully. All you need to do is drill a small hole through the wall to connect the indoor units with the outside compressor.
Moreover, this mini split operates very silently. You will hardly realize that the indoor units are operating because they produce very minimal noise. Moreover, if you set this mini split on the night mode, people cannot sleep comfortably in the house.
Mini splits with high SEER ratings are more energy-efficient than those with low ratings. The SENA-36HF/Z has a SEER rating of 16. This means that you will not end up paying a lot of money for energy bills when installing this mini split system.
Pros
- Easy to install and operate
- The mini split operates silently
- Relatively high SEER rating of 16
Cons
- The mini split does not have ceiling cassettes
3. Pioneer RYB036GMFILCBD
The Pioneer RYB036GMFILCBD is a versatile system for efficiently conditioning the air in small homes. It comes with all the components you need, including the installation kit, ducts, and a small display unit. However, you may have to get a technician’s services to help you properly install this system.
The refrigerant that is used in this air split is relatively environmentally friendly. This means that using this mini split will not contribute to greenhouse gas production, which leads to global warming. More so, the fans of this mini split operate silently. You can comfortably use this mini split even at night without causing much distraction to people who are indoors.
However, this mini split lacks all the advantages of a ductless mini split system. It would be best if you bore the brunt of installing and concealing the ducts of this mini split. However, this is not a significant issue if you consider this system’s heating and cooling capacity.
Pros
- High heating capacity
- The outdoor air compressor is designed to withstand the effects of the elements
- The fans produce minimal noise when the mini split is running
Cons
- It would help if you concealed the ducts of the mini split
4. Klimaire 24,000 BTU Ductless Mini Split
The Klimaire 24,000 BTU mini split has several features that make it one of the most versatile mini splits for use in small homes. It has the following four distinct functions: cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and fanning. You can use it for any of these functions by toggling across the four modes of operation using the remote control.
One of the biggest challenges of using a mini split relates to faults in its components. When such faults occur, they contribute to leakages in the refrigerant.
This leads to inefficiencies because a lot of power is used, yet the mini split does not adequately cool or heat the space. The refrigerant leak detection system helps you to detect such faults immediately they occur.
This mini split does not have ceiling cassettes. The indoor units are usually mounted on the wall of the rooms. This means that if you prefer mini splits with smaller indoor units that can be mounted on the roof, you will have to get a different brand.
Pros
- It has four distinct functionalities
- The refrigerant leak detection system helps to monitor faults in the components of the mini split
- Efficient utilization of power because of the DC inverter technology
Cons
- It does not have ceiling cassettes
5. Daikin Ductless Mini Split
The Daikin Ductless mini split has several features that make it an ideal choice for small homes. It has a high SEER rating of 17, which means that the system is very energy efficient.
Moreover, this mini split comes with a remote control to make it easy for you to operate it. The remote control is lightweight and fits perfectly into your palm. You will find it easy to change this mini split’s functionalities from the comfort of your seat or even the bed when operating this system.
The indoor units, which can be mounted on the wall, are lovely. You can take advantage of these units’ design to enhance the overall look of your room by mounting them in a prominent position.
However, this mini split’s outdoor unit is quite loud, which a noise level of 57dB. The only good news is that the indoor unit has a low noise level of 37dB.
Pros
- High Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of 17
- It comes with a remote control
- Desirable indoor units that can be mounted on the wall
Cons
- The outdoor unit has a high noise rating of up to 57dB
Conclusion
Mini splits provide a highly efficient, convenient, and effective choice of heating, cooling, and dehumidifying the air at home. When choosing a mini split, consider the house’s size and go for devices that have the right BTU. Remember to consider other features, including leakage detection and smart control.