New home...HVAC selection

[def38]

I am about to begin construction of a new home on a lake in Alabama. I can use the lake for water source HVAC. I would also like to use the system for domestic hot water. There will be two of us occupying the house except for occasional guests.

The heated/cooled space will comprise about 2200 sq. ft. with 10-foot and some 12-foot ceilings.

I plan to use steel frame construction which allows for about 6” insulation in walls as opposed to 4-inch insulation for a stick frame house. I’ll also install things such as a reflective barrier in the roof (likely steel) and use quality windows and doors. Also, there are plenty of trees providing shade on the roof.

Question is, with some professional help (calculations and other essential information) can I do the installation of an HVAC system myself? I sure would like to use mini-split equipment but know of no manufacturers of this design that provide water source or ground source equipment.

Any hints, comments or am I just plain crazy?

[skippedover]

You're talking about geo-thermal with an open loop earth coupling. There are no mini-splits that I'm aware of for that but there are modular units you can use to eliminate the ducts, if that's your choice. I wouldn't do it that way because of the large number of mechanical units in the home. Each unit equals some noise and that could add up to a lot over the years, as things "settle" in. I wouldn't recommend a layman doing the installation. It's just like everything else. You can do it and if it all goes exactly right, great. If something starts to go wrong you could find yourself in a bad position where no one wants to come in and finish the job. It could end up costing you a lot more too if they come in an find things done in an unacceptable way. Then they have to rip out what you've done and do it correctly. So I'd leave it to the pros if I were you.