Metro HVAC · From the field
Camp Hill, PennsylvaniaSunrooms are some of the best rooms in the house and some of the hardest to keep comfortable. All that glass picks up heat fast in the summer and gives it up just as fast in the winter. A homeowner here in Camp Hill, PA, our home base, had a two-zone ductless system serving their sunroom and primary bedroom, and the sunroom just wasn’t staying warm in the winter. We replaced the system with a new Daikin Aurora cold-climate multi-zone ductless system.
Why the sunroom wasn’t keeping up
The old sunroom head was a 12,000 BTU MrCool, a standard model rather than a hyper-heat (cold-climate) unit. It could cool the room, but when the weather turned cold, its heating fell off.
Before picking new equipment, Steven ran a Manual J load calculation, the industry-standard way to figure out how much heating and cooling a space actually needs. He used the ScanPlan app to LiDAR-scan the home and capture the room sizes, windows and layout, then entered the home’s details to calculate the heating and cooling loads. The sunroom’s cooling load came out to about 13,900 BTU, more than the old 12,000 BTU head was built to deliver, and heating was where it really came up short.
The homeowner wanted a sunroom they could use all year, so they chose to upgrade to Daikin’s cold-climate Aurora line with a larger 15,000 BTU head in the sunroom.
The Daikin 2-zone mini-split equipment
- One 2-ton Daikin Aurora outdoor unit running both zones.
- A 15,000 BTU indoor head in the sunroom, up from the old 12,000 BTU head.
- A 9,000 BTU indoor head in the primary bedroom.
- About 50 feet of line set to the sunroom and 15 feet to the bedroom.
- Slim-duct line-hide covers with wall outlets so the piping runs neatly along the house.
- An equipment pad, riser feet and an outdoor disconnect with surge protection.
Why the details matter
Sizing from a real load calculation. A sunroom’s needs change a lot between July and January. Sizing from a Manual J instead of matching the old equipment is how you avoid a head that’s too small to keep up, or too big to run efficiently.
Cold-climate heating. Aurora is Daikin’s cold-climate line. Daikin rates these systems to keep operating at outdoor temperatures as low as -13°F, which is what a glass-heavy room in central PA needs in winter.
Line-set covers. Bare refrigerant lines and insulation take a beating from sun and weather. Covers protect them and give the outside of the home a finished look.
Riser feet and a pad. An outdoor heat pump needs to sit up out of the snow so it can breathe and so water from defrost cycles can drain away instead of freezing around the unit.
Surge protection. Modern inverter mini-splits rely on sensitive electronics. A disconnect with built-in surge protection adds a layer of protection for that equipment.
We’re a Daikin dealer, and this is equipment our crew knows well.
Our ductless change-out in Camp Hill
Jesse, Tim and Michael handled the change-out from start to finish. On a ductless replacement like this, the work typically includes:
- Removing the old outdoor unit and indoor heads.
- Setting the new outdoor unit on its pad and riser feet with proper clearance.
- Mounting the new indoor heads and running the line sets, drains and wiring, finished with line-set covers.
- Pressure testing and evacuating the system so it starts out tight and dry.
- Startup and checkout in heating and cooling, plus a walkthrough of the controls with the homeowner.
Mini-split not keeping up in winter?
A lot of older or standard mini-splits do fine in summer and struggle once it gets cold. If a sunroom, addition or bonus room goes chilly every winter, the fix often starts with a real load calculation and a cold-climate heat pump sized to match. If you already have a mini-split, a change-out can often follow the layout you have now. Financing is available for approved applicants.
Learn more about our ductless mini-split systems in Camp Hill, our heat pump options, or all of our HVAC services in Camp Hill.
Thinking about ductless in Camp Hill?
Metro HVAC serves homeowners across Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and northern Lancaster counties. Give us a call or send a request and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Call (717) 874-2030Request service online
BBB Accredited BusinessDaikin DealerPA HIC #PA181988Your Comfort. Our Mission.
