Mitsubishi Heavy Industries vs. Mitsubishi Electric

There’s an understandable confusion between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Electric air conditioners. Around the world, people associate the Mitsubishi name with reliability, performance and trustworthiness. The same is true about their ducted air conditioning products. Both Heavy Industries and Electric produce outstanding air conditioning products, but there are some differences. Identifying these differences can help you make the choice between these two reliable brands.

Here at Smarter Air & Electrical, we have over 22 years of experience in the air-conditioning market, installing air conditioners (Including Mitsubishi products) from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. With our vast experience, we’ve learned a few things about Mitsubishi air conditioning and can help you choose between Heavy Industries or Electric. In this article, we briefly discuss the background of each Mitsubishi company, detail the product features of their ducted air conditioners and outline which product might be best for your needs.

Background on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Electric

Before jumping straight into product specifics, it’s helpful to take a trip into the past and discover why there are two, almost identical, Mitsubishi brands. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is the original of the two. The company opened its doors in 1870, but back then, it was called the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company. It eventually changed its name to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries after creating the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation branch in 1921. To this day, the two companies remain rivals. They compete for the same market share and sell the same category of products. They even sell to the same consumer base.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Electric both produce reverse cycle air conditioning products and share the same iconic diamond logo. They also have the same product qualities that inspire reliability and durability. With all that said, there are some differences in their products that might influence your purchase choice.

Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning features

It’s important to understand that a reverse cycle Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system can incorporate varying outdoor and indoor units, along with varying system controllers. Depending on the units and controllers you implement in your system, you might experience some unique benefits. There are some common features, though, that you can experience regardless of the individual units and controllers you use. Below, you can explore the typical features of a Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system:

Design flexibility

The Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioner has excellent design flexibility. When installing the system, you can choose the distance variations between air intakes and air outlets and choose which rooms have air conditioning. This can ensure the important areas of your home meet your cooling and heating needs. The ducted air conditioning system’s design flexibility also allows for discrete placement and instillation. Unlike split systems with a bulky indoor unit, the ducted system flows through your roof space with units discretely hidden. You don’t have to consider your air conditioner when designing interior decor.

Zone control

Zone control features allow you to direct air to specific rooms and set individual room temperatures, providing you with ultimate control of your home’s temperature. This feature can be great for saving energy. You don’t have to blast your entire house with cool air just so you can be comfortable in the living room. The Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system can provide cooling and heating for up to four or eight zones. Unless you live in a seriously impressive mansion, eight zones should be more than suitable.

Guaranteed operating range

A product feature that’s incredibly important in the Australian climate is the operating range. This refers to the range of outdoor temperatures where the ducted air condition system can still perform at its peak. The Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system can operate in temperatures ranging from -5 degrees to 52 degrees. This is a guarantee, so you can go to sleep knowing you won’t wake up freezing or sweating.

Cleaning-Free Pipe Re-use Technology

The Cleaning-Free Pipe Re-use Technology means the ducted air conditioning system can connect to existing refrigerant pipes. It does this through its use of a ‘wide strainer’. This strainer traps iron particles, which are common in old refrigerant pipes, and prevents them from reaching the outdoor unit. There’s no need to tear out the old pipes and install new ones. Mitsubishi utilises this specialised technology to ensure an easy installation process. It also results in cheaper installation fees, as there’s no need to replace any refrigerant pipes (Unless they’re damaged).

Outdoor Unit DC Scroll Inverter Compressor

The compressor of an air conditioning system is essentially its heart. It pumps refrigerant through the system, which produces hot or cold air. The DC Scroll Inverter Compressor utilises a frame compliance mechanism to reduce internal friction. You might wonder what this even means. It basically means your air conditioning unit is more durable and efficient, as excessive internal friction may cause eventual corrosion in the moving parts.

Smartphone control

A helpful feature that’s also a part of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries system is smartphone control. If you download Wi-Fi Control (Mitsubishi Electric’s application), you can control, customise and monitor almost every aspect of your air conditioner. You can turn zones off, specify temperatures, alter fan speeds and even automate the operating mode. With smartphone control, you can ensure your home is at the optimal temperature no matter where you are. It’s perfect for those of you with plant babies and indoor jungles!

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ducted air conditioning features

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ducted air conditioning system, like Mitsubishi Electric, also has varying indoor and outdoor units that might provide some unique benefits. The Heavy Industries ducted system, also known as the MHIAA, has five series to choose from. These series are the FDUM, FDU, FDUA, KX and AKARI series and each comprises different indoor and outdoor units. Each series offers varying levels of power and efficiency. Regardless of the series you choose, the MHIAA system has some notable features, which you can find below:

Improved heat exchanger

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ducted air conditioner boasts an improved heat exchanger. The heat exchanger essentially makes refrigerant distribution more efficient. It helps exchange heat between a source and a working fluid. This makes both cooling and heating more efficient. It achieves this through a large heat exchange panel.

Coated PCB

The Australian climate can often fluctuate from freezing storms to blistering heat. Most ducted air conditioners have an outdoor unit comprising electronics and circuit boards. Excessive exposure to the elements can often damage these electronics. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries outdoor unit incorporates a coated PCB, which means the circuit board is highly resistant to harsh weather.

Blue Fin technology

Blue Fin technology is a specialised layer of protective coating that ensures the ducted air conditioning system’s outdoor unit can withstand the elements. It works by preventing hydrophilicity effects, which is basically a fancy way of saying it prevents damage and corrosion from water. Blue Fin Technology’s primary purpose is usually to protect the exposed aluminium components of the outdoor unit.

High-efficiency inverter compressor

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ducted air conditioners have an extremely powerful and reliable compressor. It utilises a neodymium motor that incorporates rare magnetic components. Similar to a frame compliance mechanism, the magnetic element helps reduce internal friction and boost efficiency.

Wide operation range

Like Mitsubishi Electric’s operating range, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries air conditioners can perform optimally in harsh conditions. The minimum operating temperature for the ducted systems is -20 degrees, while the maximum operating temperature is slightly over 50 degrees. This temperature range should be more than sufficient, relative to the Australian climate.

Smartphone control

Like Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has an application allowing you to take control of your ducted system from your smartphone. You can create custom operating modes, set temperatures, adjust fan speeds and even control the ducted system with your voice. A handy feature you can access through the application is the ability to set your ducted system to respond to certain events. If the weather changes, your ducted system can increase or decrease the temperature in your home.

Pros and cons

Both Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Electric have excellent features. They even share most of the beneficial features, such as smartphone control, zone control, protective coating, improved compressors and discrete installations. It may be difficult to differentiate between the two systems, but there are some pros and cons to each product. Below, you can explore some pros and cons of each ducted system:

Mitsubishi Electric pros and cons

Below, you can explore the pros and cons of the Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system, relative to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries:

Pros

• Excellent energy rating
• Lower operating costs
• Less noise
• Easy-to-understand interface
• Higher maximum cooling point

Cons

• More expensive
• Higher minimum operating temperature
• Less durable

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries pros and cons

Below, you can explore the pros and cons of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ducted air conditioning system, relative to Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps:

Pros

• Cheaper to afford
• Lower minimum operating temperature
• More durable
• A popular range of split systems

Cons

• Lower maximum cooling point
• Noisier operating sounds
• Relatively complex interface
• Lower energy efficiency rating

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries vs Mitsubishi Electric

By looking at the systems’ features and pros and cons, it’s difficult to identify which ducted air conditioning system is better. In truth, no system is better than the other, as they each offer unique benefits that are subjective to your heating and cooling needs. Both systems are of excellent quality, possess durable components and adopt the latest in heating and cooling technology.

Having said that, our technicians at Smarter Air & Electrical say they prefer the Mitsubishi Electric ducted air conditioning system. Qualified air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics across Australia tend to agree with us as well. The HVAC&R Australia Facebook group, which has over 3200 industry members, posted a poll about which air conditioning brand is the way to go. They voted Mitsubishi Electric as the clear favourite! Below, you can find an image of the HVAC&R poll:

Note: The above image was edited to remove the following brands which received no votes as of 13-08-2022; Carrier, Samsung, Haier, Gree, TECO, Kelvinator, Midea, Temperzone.

Trust Smarter Air & Electrical to meet your cooling needs

Here at Smarter Air & Electrical, we’re passionate about making people more comfortable in their homes. We service Greater Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast. We’re the top local source for the most innovative and high-quality ducted air conditioning systems in Brisbane. Whether you need installation, advice or maintenance services, we’re here to provide you with the help you need. If you’ve decided on a Mitsubishi product, whether it’s from Heavy Industries or Electric, we can offer installation services that are sure to exceed your expectations! If you require more information about installation or product features, contact us online, today!