Mini split or central air! Recommendations of which to install please.

[Tigger1]

Our Central heat and air needs replaced. The heat still works but not the cold air. Also the duct work is from the 70's. I have heard good reviews of the mini splits, good thing is energy savings and no duct work. Negative is they would need to be installed in each room. I have talked to a few in town that really like theirs but used just in offices or the family that added to bedroom and garage and also have central air. The school is also installing for each classroom as needed for replacement (small school). Does anyone have a recommendation either way?

 

[cvjw]

We put a mini split in our basement. It works really, really well. I would not want one in each room of my house though. I would stick with the traditional central air system. If there is a large area that could be broken off for a mini split, that could work. Adding a mini split makes the traditional system work better - less space it has to cool. The installer would just have to change the duct work.

We previously had our main floor and basement on one heat pump. Did not cool well at all. Since splitting off the basement onto its own mini split system, both levels of the house are nice and cool!

 

[Tigger1]

We put a mini split in our basement. It works really, really well. I would not want one in each room of my house though. I would stick with the traditional central air system. If there is a large area that could be broken off for a mini split, that could work. Adding a mini split makes the traditional system work better - less space it has to cool. The installer would just have to change the duct work.

We previously had our main floor and basement on one heat pump. Did not cool well at all. Since splitting off the basement onto its own mini split system, both levels of the house are nice and cool!

We have a half upper floor (2 rooms and Bathroom), Maybe we could use the Mini Split in those rooms.

 

[White Cat]

Our Central heat and air needs replaced. The heat still works but not the cold air. Also the duct work is from the 70's. I have heard good reviews of the mini splits, good thing is energy savings and no duct work. Negative is they would need to be installed in each room. I have talked to a few in town that really like theirs but used just in offices or the family that added to bedroom and garage and also have central air. The school is also installing for each classroom as needed for replacement (small school). Does anyone have a recommendation either way?

For the situation you describe it would be best to replace yours with a standard type.

 

[tvguy]

I don't know. While I have heard of the mini-split but I have never seen one in use. Seems like a giant step backwards if you already have the duct work installed. Don't see them used on all those home improvement shows. They always put in duct work and a central heat and air system during remodels in homes that don't have it.

 

[_19disnA]

Think there is a recent thread on this topic. If you home already had the ductwork for central heating/air, seems the most cost effective solution is to replace the central unit with a newer/more efficient one. That would be the most cost effective instead of paying for a separate unit/controls in every room. Separate units would also require each to have electrical power that could involve additional costs during installation. Central units also allow for dampers to regulate the flow of heat/cold to various parts of the house to maintain the desired temperature and one (or more) thermostats to allow you to select the desired house temperature. If your house did NOT have existing ductwork, then perhaps this would be a better solution, as adding ductwork can be very expensive. I really can't see any advantage in putting a unit in each room that you have to manually control.

The contractor would size the new central unit to match the square footage and how your house is setup. Builders will sometimes put the smallest possible unit in during construction and then the owner finds it doesn't have enough capacity to heat/cool.

The only application I would think a standalone unit makes sense is if you decide to convert something like your garage to a workshop and need the extra heating. But since you are replacing the central unit, that would be less of an issue.

 

[mjkacmom]

Just got an estimate for 3 ductless units in our 100 year old home, almost $15,000. It was for a bedroom on the 2nd floor, the living room, and basement. This company installed central air on the 2nd floor of my friend’s house (no ducts, they had to add) for $11,000, and it was their cheapest estimate. Back to the drawing board.

 

[lynxstch]

We had split ductless in the house I lived in when I was in MA. I hated having the units in the wall, it reminded me of just having old fashioned air conditioners. We just had a new HVAC system put in last Oct here in MD, and I am loving that I no longer have to look at window ac's. We already had the ductwork in the cellar (probably at least 25 years old) and it's still functioning like new. I would say I would have to recommend central air. Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Tigger1]

I don't know. While I have heard of the mini-split but I have never seen one in use. Seems like a giant step backwards if you already have the duct work installed. Don't see them used on all those home improvement shows. They always put in duct work and a central heat and air system during remodels in homes that don't have it.

Good point on those home improvement shows. It could be that they would not want on new construction as it takes many units and not real pretty hanging on walls. Our house is older and no plans to sell it any time. I like the fact that each room can have different temps. Our duct work needs replaced. It is about 50 years old. Metal with insulation falling off, also dented from repair people crawling over it to work on furnace.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Central air, though it is understandably expensive. I think the consistency of temperature will be appreciated rather than having to turn units on/off. I agree that having units in every room will not be esthetically pleasing and I'm just guessing, but it seems those units will use more electricity than a single system.

Our downsized home has central air and uses less electricity for cooling than our big house with 2-3 ac units. Good luck and I hope you win the lottery LOL!

 

[tvguy]

Good point on those home improvement shows. It could be that they would not want on new construction as it takes many units and not real pretty hanging on walls. Our house is older and no plans to sell it any time. I like the fact that each room can have different temps. Our duct work needs replaced. It is about 50 years old. Metal with insulation falling off, also dented from repair people crawling over it to work on furnace.

Building code here requires a leak test on duct work when you replace the heater/ac. If it leaks, it has to be replaced. I'm just planning on having to replace it. The duct work is original to the house so it is 42 years old. The heat pump is 30 years old. I have the system serviced twice a year. The service techs say I got a good system, the compressor still tests within new specs for pressure and voltage.
I have read about mini split systems, and they sound interesting for an addition we put on our house. They pulled duct work in, but it always is colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than the rest of the house. I will look into that when our heat pump finally needs to be replaced. Although the service techs seem to think a second duct may solve the problem.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Mini splits are fairly pricey - I wouldn't want to have to put one in every room. My sister and her husband just got a mini split for their finished attic area and it was like $5000. We got a whole new heat pump/AC unit for our 2300 sq ft house about the same time for $7500.

 

[Tigger1]

From what I have read, the mini splits cost about 30% more than the central Heat and air if no duct work is necessary. The positive is they are more efficient than central (if you buy the right product) and are said to out last central units. I am going to get quote both ways. The mini splits can partially be put in by homeowners. We also know people in that can do what we can not do get done.

Will likely do a combination of a mini for one bedroom that is kept like an icebox, dual unit for upstairs and a central for the rest of the house depending on the duct work. The other option is 2 central units, one for each floor.

I also plan to ask the teachers at the school how well they like the mini splits compared to the central. The person I referred to earlier that has the mini in his bedroom and garage (converted rec room) is the school superintendent, he most really like them to add to each classroom.

 

[tcufrog]

Building code here requires a leak test on duct work when you replace the heater/ac. If it leaks, it has to be replaced. I'm just planning on having to replace it. The duct work is original to the house so it is 42 years old. The heat pump is 30 years old. I have the system serviced twice a year. The service techs say I got a good system, the compressor still tests within new specs for pressure and voltage.
I have read about mini split systems, and they sound interesting for an addition we put on our house. They pulled duct work in, but it always is colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than the rest of the house. I will look into that when our heat pump finally needs to be replaced. Although the service techs seem to think a second duct may solve the problem.

Have you checked the insulation situation and had a leak test done?

 

[tvguy]

Have you checked the insulation situation and had a leak test done?

No I haven't. I'll wait until I have to.

 

[tcufrog]

My dad owned his own HVAC company and he would have disagreed with that. If you have poor insulation or big leaks in the home's envelope, your new system won't work well, and may have problems from being overworked.

 

[NotUrsula]

DS has 2 mini-splits in his 3 room, 580 sq.ft central FL apartment. The layout is two larger rooms, plus an interior bathroom leading off the bedroom.

Be aware that without ducts, closed doors will prevent the air from circulating into other rooms; his has no duct into the bathroom, and it takes only minutes for the bathroom to begin to heat up when the door is closed. In your situation, using one unit would probably only suffice if you routinely left all the doors in that area of the house wide open in summer.

 

[cvjw]

Just checked the prices that we paid in 2019 - our new heat pump was $5000, and the mini split for the basement was $3000. We had our guy give us a quote last year for a new heat pump for the upstairs. He said that due to covid, there was a shortage of units and the prices were significantly higher. Not sure if that situation has worked itself out yet. We haven’t gotten any other quotes yet.

 

[White Cat]

Just checked the prices that we paid in 2019 - our new heat pump was $5000, and the mini split for the basement was $3000. We had our guy give us a quote last year for a new heat pump for the upstairs. He said that due to covid, there was a shortage of units and the prices were significantly higher. Not sure if that situation has worked itself out yet. We haven’t gotten any other quotes yet.

Still a shortage.

 

[dvcgirl67]

We have central A/C on our first two floors and a mini-split duct unit on the 3rd floor (attic office). The mini-split duct unit works really well in keeping the attic in our 106 year old home nice and cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but I wouldn't enjoy having the units on the walls of rest of my house. My aunt went with mini split duct units in her home....3 units. It was 6K cheaper than central A/C because they needed to update ducts...etc. But in my opinion the units take away from charm of the home.