Each of the Lily, Rise of Sharon and Hibiscus Rooms have dual HVAC systems One is a zoned Geothermal Forced Draft, Trane, that exchanges energy with a heat exchanger in Bienvenue Mon Ami's Pond and the other is a zoned Mini-Split System, Mitsubishi, that exchanges energy with an air cooled condensor away from these rooms next to the assigned guest parking.
Year round, the Hydrangea room maintains your desired temperature with an independent Mitsubishi mini-split system. For extremely hot or cold days, auxiliary heating and cooling in the Hydrangea room can come from forced air ducts connected to the owners geothermal Trane unit. The Mini split alone has proven to be more than adequate to keep our Hydrangea guests comfortable with minimal, if any, auxiliary Trane HVAC system assistance. Leave the MiniSplit thermostat in AUTO and it will select heating or cooling mode needed to control your temperature between the heating and the cooling setpoints. ONLY the Hydrangea rooms thermostat in the auto mode will not let you have the heating setpoint above the cooling setpoint.
Our system's have approximately 15 tons of highly efficient cooling capability. There are five freon condensors (two air cooled mini splits and three water cooled geothermal units).
The water cooling and heating comes from a water circulating loop that adds heat to our hot water heaters and goes underground (>1000 feet) to and from an underwater pond exchanger.
To minimize unnecessary noise to our guests, the air cooling condensors are positioned away from the 2nd floor guests rooms. They are located at grade on ground stands near the guest parking area. These two air fan sets are on a stand so that they can drain the winter condensate into a drain. This drain system was found ti bo necessary to keep ice from forming in the driveways when the ambient temperature drops below freezing.
MANAGING THE ZONES TO GET GUESTS COOLING AND HEATING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
Rather than have a totally independent system for the Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Lily room and guest common area, they operate as two separate 4 zone (Trane) and 5 zone (Mitsubishi) HVAC systems. The Trane system will not begin to cool a zone when any zone is in a heating mode until all the other zones heating temperatures targets have been met. Similarly, the Trane system will not begin to heat a zone when any zone is in a cooling mode until all the other zones cooling temperatures targets have been met. The same is true for the Mitsubishi mini-splits zones. To assure that our guests do not have to wait for their room to head towards a desired temperature, we try to leave each set of zones (Mitsubishi or Trane) either in a heat only or a cool only mode.
HOW TO ADJUST SUMMER HVAC OPERATIONS TO YOUR COMFORT LEVEL:
In the summer months, we operate all 9 guest zones in a cooling mode. This assures that even on 110 degree fahrenheit outside days there is enough cooling capacity in the mansion to keep all rooms comfortably cool. Each guest has two thermostats in their room. The larger one adjusts the Trane system and the smaller one the Mitsubishi system. Typically, the one with the coolest setting sets the room temperature unless that unit is having trouble cooling the room. For these summer operations, we recommend you keep the two temperature thermostat settings close but a few degrees apart. Because the Mitsubishi Mini Split units have condensate pumps to take water condensed from the B&B air to a drain, you might hear a slight pumping noise. If you want to minimize this pumping noise, leave your room doors to the porch closed and/or have the Trane (large thermostat) cooling setpoint slightly below the Mitsubishi (smaller thermostat) cooling setpoint.
HOW TO ADJUST WINTER HVAC OPERATIONS TO YOUR COMFORT LEVEL:
in the winter months, we "typically" operate the 4 Trane zones in a heating mode and the 5 Mitsubishi zones in a cooling mode. The Trane system more readily reaches the guest bathes with air blown ducting and this allows the bathrooms to be warmer on colder days. We ask that you keep the cooling setpoint of the Mitsubishi (smaller thermostat) at least 3 degrees above the Trane (larger thermostat) heating setpoint.
For example, if you are warm during winter operations and you desire to drop the temperature 3 degrees, lower the Mitsubishi cooling setpoint AND the Trane heating setpoint both by 3 degrees. If the Trane heating setpoint is not at least 3 degrees below the Mitsubishi cooling setpoint adjust one or the others setpoint to get this 3 degree difference.
For example in the other direction, if you are cool during winter operations and you desire to raise the temperature 3 degrees, raise the Mitsubishi cooling setpoint AND the Trane heating setpoint both by 3 degrees. If the Trane heating setpoint is not at least 3 degrees below the Mitsubishi cooling setpoint adjust one or the others setpoint to get this 3 degree difference.
in very rare cases an Artic front may push the Trane's heating ability and we might ask you to run both units (Trane and Mitsubishi) in a heating mode.
CEILING FAN OPERATIONS HELP THE HVAC:
We leave all common area indoor ceiling fans continuously running and with one exception we request you to do the same. We have had HVAC specialists analyze how to get all the HVAC systems able to cool or heat the large volume, high ceiling common area. The answer that seems to work is to continuously run the fans over the kitchen area and living room space in a direction to pull the guest level air up to the ceiling and game room loft area. In the loft area the ceiling fan closest to the shuffleboard also continuously pulls the air up. The fan furthest from the shuffleboard pushes the air down. We get full air rotation that cools the ceiling in the living space with minimal draft to our dining room guests. When guests have turned any of the ceiling fans off, the rooms soon becomes an uncomfortable and uneven temperature.
When playing pool, you'll need to turn the loft fans off to prevent the fans from clipping the pool cue ends off. When finished playing pool, please turn these fans back on.
NOTE: THE OWNERS HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO REMOTELY INSPECT AND CHANGE ALL THERMOSTAT SETTINGS. IF A GUEST ROOM IS FOUND BY REMOTE INSPECTIONS IN THE WINTER MODE TO NOT HAVE THE COOLING SETPOINT AT LEAST 3 DEGREES ABOVE THE HEATING SETPOINT, THE OWNERS WILL RAISE THE COOLING SETPOINT TO BE AT LEAST 3 DEGREES ABOVE THE HEATING SETPOINT.
COMMON AREA TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Common area (game room, kitchen, living room...) comfort settings are adjusted by the owners to try to maintain your desires. If you are hot or cold in any of the guest common areas, contact the owners to have them make adjustments.
Call 985-634-7786 if you need us to make adjustments in the common areas.