"Ray" wrote:

I'm considering getting one of those Mitsubishi mini-split air conditioning
systems as an alternative to central AC, with a single small external unit
serving three units inside the apartment.

This is also a heat pump.

I've been told that these systems require a lot of maintenance.

I'd be grateful if anyone could provide experience with these systems.
Thanks.

Me too-- I cool 2 rooms about 10-20 days a year. The rooms are
one above the other. Been using 5-10K BTU window bangers forever.

I looked at installing a unit on a pad and mounting an interior unit
in each room.

Advantage- Rooms quieter; more attractive- doesn't plug a window;
easier- no more taking them out in the fall; more efficient?? [I
question that because I rarely run both rooms at once- so I'd be
running an oversized compressor most of the time. Likely to be more
efficient than central air-- but it seems like the window bangers are
still cheaper to operate if only one is running.]

disadvantage-- *Way* more expensive. I can buy about 6
wallbangers for the price of a minisplit. And any service calls
would cost as much as buying a replacement window A/C. [and I could
replace the window unit in about an hour- and not wait for a service
call, etc]

I could probably set up central air [I have hot air heat] for about
what a mini-split and 2 wall units would cost--- but there is still
that whole 'inefficiency thing.

Jim