When the owners of this lovely vacation home in Hendersonville called us, they wanted to upgrade the heating and cooling. They were looking to get more rentals, but to really take advantage of VRBO and Airbnb, having an updated comfort system would be key to getting the rental rates they wanted.
When our expert team came out to the home, we knew they needed comfort, and as a rental, they also needed a way to control the comfort remotely- making sure the heat and AC were on before renters got there, and was turned off after they left- and put on standby mode, to keep the humidity under control even when it wasn’t being used. The goal was to keep the home comfortable all year long, extending the rental season. That also meant a heating and cooling system that worked efficiently, to keep energy bills and costs down to maximize return on the investment.
Problem: Vacation rental home in Hendersonville needed more comfort, and better control of humidity!
Solution: A Mitsubishi mini split heat pump system will keep this vacation getaway comfortable throughout the year, enhancing the rental income for the owners!
Mitsubishi Heat Pumps To The Rescue!
Mitsubishi Electric has a great range of heat pump systems with options to help get the comfort you need in any home. In a narrow home like this, the owners had existing ductwork for the top floor and a return for the bottom floor. We could take advantage of this set up and add a high-efficiency heat pump and air handler, and by adding a supply duct and return in the basement, we could make sure that floor had the comfort needed as well!
Choosing a Heat Pump
Mitsubishi heat pumps are a great choice for our area! They work well down to -13oF and up to over 100oF, meaning it can deliver both heating and cooling to the home, no matter what Mother Nature dishes out here in Hendersonville! And the systems are up to 70% more efficient in heating and up to 30% more efficient in cooling than standard solutions, which leads to incredible savings in energy bills.
The outdoor unit is low profile, and we installed it to sit up off the ground, reducing the chances for leaves and other debris to get inside the unit. In addition, the system is one of the quietest ones on the market, so it won’t disturb you if it’s located near a window, porch or patio.
Remote Control Means Big Savings
Best of all, Mitsubishi electric systems are easy to control remotely via the Kumo Cloud app. That means you can control the heating and cooling in your home from wherever you are- through a simple smart phone app- and that’s key with a rental property like this one.
If you have renters coming and going, you’re probably going to want to make sure the home is comfortable when they arrive, and that you can adjust the settings after they leave. And especially if there’s going to be no one there for some time- you can save a lot on utility bills by making sure the HVAC system is set to save money!
Read More: How Does A Heat Pump Work In Winter?
What About Humidity?
Humidity is essentially the amount of water vapor in the air. When it’s super humid, the air can feel heavy and almost soupy- that’s all the extra water in the air. When there’s proper humidity, things feel more comfortable, and it’s a healthier environment.
What you’ll notice inside your home is that when the humidity is too high, surfaces, chairs, wooden furniture and the like will all feel a little sticky. If the humidity is too high you can also set up a situation where mold and mildew can thrive, just like you see in bathrooms where there’s always a moist environment.
If it’s cold outside but the humidity is still high, things feel cold and clammy.
Low humidity can feel more comfortable in general, but too low, and it causes its own problems. In winter when you run your heat, it tends to dry out the air. (Hot air holds more water vapor than cool air). If things get too dry, you’ll get shrinking of wood- your windows might get just enough smaller to let in a draft, for example.
You’ll also notice that your nose and throat can dry out as well, causing you to cough, your nose to run, and it can make you more vulnerable to airborne viruses as well.
The sweet spot for home humidity is between 30- 50%.
How Heat Pumps Can Help
Mitsubishi electric heat pumps use inverters to adjust the temperature when their advanced sensors detect there’s even a small change in the temperature in the room. They use just the amount of energy needed to keep the comfort steady, and by maintaining the comfort level, you avoid big swings in temperature that end up using a lot more energy to correct.
Heat pumps are actually better than air conditioners at removing humidity, by removing moisture from the air by condensation and sending it down a drain. Mitsubishi heat pumps also have a “dry” mode which can help control humidity, which was a big goal for these homeowners. In dry mode, the heat pump alternates between heating and cooling modes, while maintaining temperature, to draw extra moisture out of the air. This helps you feel even more comfortable at higher temperatures – you could have the AC set for 74 degrees, and feel as comfortable as if it were set at 68, depending on the humidity in the air. By controlling the humidity, you can use less energy and be more comfortable, all year long.
Saving Energy Means Saving Money
If you have a rental property like this one in Hendersonville, you want to keep your expenses as low as possible. By adding a Mitsubishi heat pump, the owners got increased comfort for their guests, while adding a high-efficiency system that costs less than their old system to operate, each and every month. Add in rebates and the tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act which can be as much as $2,000 when used to upgrade old systems to high-efficiency systems like this one, and the homeowners can save even more money!
Between increased efficiency and remote monitoring and operation of the system, these property owners are on track to have one of their best years yet with this rental property.
If you own a home or rental property and want to learn more about how you could be saving money each month on your energy bills, give us a call here at Blue Ridge Heating and Air. Our expert team can design the perfect system for your home and budget, so you get the comfort you crave along with smaller energy bills, each and every month of the year!