GLE member Floyd Kaminski, followed in his father’s footsteps of being a home builder. Now that Floyd has retired from the industry, he owns a fireworks display company and retail outlet in Fountain, Michigan and takes pride in helping locals with their backyard fireworks shows.
Still, building is in his blood, and he enjoys remodeling summer cabins for people around the local lakes – including two of the three cabins, his father built in the mid-50s and ran as a resort into the late 60s.
After Floyd’s father passed away, Floyd and his brother gained ownership of the three cabins and occupied two while renting out the third.
Reliant on propane and tired of his cabin’s inefficient heating, Floyd asked around about mini-split heat pumps. He said, “A GLE member in Scottville said they put a mini-split heat pump in, and went from using three propane tanks a year to one and a half.” This significantly decreased the member’s costs for propane while only slightly increasing their electric bill. Hearing this, Floyd was sold on the idea of updating his cabin with mini-split heat pumps.
Floyd shopped around and looked at each unit’s output to help him decide on two Pioneer 12,000 BTU mini-split heat pumps, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. A straight hallway connecting the two rooms made it an ideal setup. Floyd said, “That’s another thing, I didn’t have air conditioning, and even though I’m on a lake, the humidity can get bad. Now I have two A/C units.”
He purchased one of the mini-split heat pumps just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Unfortunately, Floyd couldn’t install it until the house was done, because he couldn’t get the materials to finish it. Fortunately for Floyd, the heat pump manufacturer made an exception and gave him a five-year extended warranty.
Floyd had previously taken advantage of the rebates GLE offers its members through the Energy Wise program to help offset the cost of purchasing energy-efficient products and systems when he bought a new washer and dryer. With his previous experience and the Energy Wise advertisements he saw in Michigan Country Lines magazine, Floyd was familiar with the program and incentives GLE offers via the website.
“I filled out the paperwork and submitted the invoices. It was very easy to find on the website. It’s a great program that I hope you keep up with because I’ve got a rental house in which I plan to put a mini-split. It just seems a lot better in price, and the heating is way better,” said Floyd.
As a GLE member, Floyd monitors his energy use by logging into his online GLE account. He notices the difference in his heating and cooling efficiency and comfort, no matter the season. Floyd is so pleased with his purchase that he encourages every homeowner who hires him to remodel their home to install a mini-split heat pump. Floyd tells them, “You’ve got heating and A/C all in one!”
When asked what he would like to share with other members, Floyd replied, “It’s one of the better ways of heating a home. It’s the way to go! Technology won out on this one in my book!”
Mini-Split Heat Pump
(Ductless Air Source)
Mini-split heat pumps, or ductless heat pumps, are an alternative to radiator or baseboard heating, as well as a replacement for window units for cooling. No duct work is needed. Instead, a head unit, or multiple head units, are mounted on an interior wall or ceiling, with an accompanying unit outside.
My husband and I had a similar desire to reduce/eliminate propane dependency. We chose an AO Smith hybrid electric water heater and a heat pump from Artic Heat Pumps. It’s an air to water heat pump that preheats the cold water into the hot water tank and heats a glycol solution for radiant floor heat. We saved 54% on our monthly heating bill and are thrilled with the performance of the new system. Thanks Energy Wise program for the rebates that helped offset the cost of the hot water tank and heat pump.