Opinions about ductless mini split heat pump systems

[Paul Choate]

I am tired of buying window air units. I generally buy and hold SFRs built from the 1920s-1960s. Most do not have central heat and air systems. I have put in a couple full central systems and it has been too expensive for the return. I like the idea behind the ductless systems but am worried about the quality, ease of installation and maintenance. I have zero experience with them so all opinions are welcome!

I will have my licensed hvac guy install the first one but I am hoping to be able to do them myself at some point.

Thanks in advance.

[Dave Holman]

@Nick N. Good news. Many contractors who don't have extensive experience with heat pumps say that they can't be a primary heat source but this is not the reality. I've used two 15,000 BTU Fujitsu Halcyons as my primary heat source for 4 winters in Maine with stretches of -20s and they keep our home 72 degrees with no problem. Insulation matters way more than heat source. We have the two on our first floor and no heat on the second floor- stays toasty up there all winter with the doors open. The mini-splits are the ones that are only efficient down to 15-20F above. Single head heat pumps are good down to -30 and below in my experience. The only reason the the Mitsubishi and Fujitsu units claim to be efficient only down to -13 (Well, Fujitsu says -15 but they use the same standard test which measures down to -13...) is because the lowest test standard is -13F, in the real world they produce great heat at the absolute lowest temperatures Maine can ever experience. I just installed a Mitsubishi 15,000 BTU as the one and only heat source in a single family rental and gave it extra insulation- each bedroom has supplemental baseboard if people want to keep their doors shut. After years of experience, I cannot say enough good things about heat pumps- I use them for hot air and hot water in all my properties whenever a furnace or boiler needs expensive repairs- goodbye fossil fuels. Insulation+heat pumps are about the same price as a new boiler/tank and a much safer investment in my opinion, who knows what oil/natural gas will cost next year or in 10 years. Efficiency Maine's $500 rebate means that these units are about $3K installed. Winter electric bills may be in the $150-$250/month range but summer I leave them off and our hot water/electric bill is about $40/mo- so annual utilities for a heat pump home might range $1500-$2500- a little less on average than a oil/gas home.