apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Had these in Japan - they work very well and you don't end up with ductwork that fills with dust or mould.

Like you said, these are everywhere in Asia. I've always wondered why you don't see them more in the US.

In our house, the bedroom units were usually mounted over the bed. That way, you effectively cool the area that needs it the most (i.e. the bed while you sleep) and deter mosquitoes from biting you at night (i.e. they're blown away by the air flow).

Maxwell--where is your roll down shade from? the one behind your carlisle drapes!

Lots of them here in Montreal-they work great

ami--

We probably don't have more of them in the US since energy has been traditionally cheap, so running AC throughout the house has not been considered unnecessarily expensive.

Plus, I doubt many Americans will like the way these things look.

These things practically saved my life during a summer in Japan last year!

We just got 3 to install in the 50 year old house we're renovating. It's a combo AC and heating unit. Hooray!

Marriott is starting to install these in newer hotels where appropriate: First floor rooms and fitness rooms. They have put day time motion sensors on them to keep them turned off when their is no activity in the room (I think they have to sense it every half - hour). At night they revert to the thermostat setting.

Point is - very quiet, effective and efficient.

@ bepsf...
they can hide behind custom cabinets with metal or wood grilles (so the units have somewhere to pump the air through)- they disappear right into bookshelves, cubbies, etc.
have used these in multiple high end residences in NYC

there's also another bonus- the condensors (that sit outside of the apartment/home) can be purchased with an extra coil for heating. thus giving the unit heating and cooling options.

as forced air can be very dry its best that you install a humidifier into the system as well.

Hey! we have these in our apartment in Madrid. I wasn't sure of the brand, but I just looked now. It's Mitsubishi, as well (don't know the model). Love it.

A lot of older buildings weren't build with central air, so it's usually these sorts of models that you'll see hanging off the window or tucked into those little mini-balconies. I gather that not all older buildings are allowed them, because the condensing unit outside the window can spoil the looks of a historic/vintage building.

We installed mini-splits in our Eichler last year. It was a last-minute, unbudgeted expense, but after spending July and August living in 100 degree temps with no AC we decided it was a necessity. We installed these units by LG:

http://www.lge.com/products/model/detail/as-h126pbl2.jhtml

We preferred the more boxy, slimmer look to the Mitsubishi models. They provide cooling and heating which is nice. We used the heating this winter to supplement our radiant floor heating system. We've just started using the AC as it has started getting warmer and it has been wonderful.

You can see some installation photos here:

http://redneckmodern.typepad.com/redneckmodern/2007/09/ac-install-day-.html

You can't install these easily, that's why we don't use them here. You have to have a *place* to put the outside unit. What apartment dweller has that kind of complete decision-making ability. Most landlords and coop boards would laugh at a tenant/member who inquired.

I've got a similar-looking Fujitsu model in my living room and, as kushkush said, there is an outside unit. They also are essentially "space coolers" and not central air. Most places in the U.S. have central air so that all of the house can be covered.

I'm guessing these models may actually be less energy efficient on a square foot basis, but I could be wrong.

I'm a big fan of Mr. Slim. I enjoyed being able to turn on the AC from bed.

I have a similar one, but it is made by Samsung. I love it most of the time and it is perfect for my studio apartment. However, it has been broken since Tuesday, so I am not loving it right now. The A/C repair people seem to have no idea how it works!

Needs a cozy!

Maxwell,
Where is the outdoor part of the unit in your apartment? I live in a landmark (NYC) building on the second floor and we can't do a "through the wall" a/c - odd b/c they're less ugly than window units. I wonder if the split unit would be OK.

Stacey

im so happy to hear that these are starting to appear in the us! these are everywhere in korea, and also europe (working as cooling/heating units)...its so much better than the hideous window a/c units that you see sticking out of peoples apartments year round (since there isnt enough closet space to store them!)
ive also long wondered why they hadnt become popular here...guess its because people are spoiled by central air...