Mini Split System vs Central Air

3 years ago

We bought a house last year that is 13 years old and has the baseboard electric heating. It is a bi level home roughly 2100 sq ft. We weren't even living in our home this past winter and the heating bill was almost $500 a month for the winter (we were there fixing it up). My husband likes the idea of the mini split system but i hate the idea of having a unit placed on the walls...plus we were quoted btwn 18,000-22,000 for installation. I like the idea of having central air mainly bc we won't units on our walls plus I'd like to have an air purifier as an added component (not sure if that's available with the split system). What are the pros/cons of having either one of them. Does one really save more money then the other?

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Comments (5)

Cima Locert
3 years ago
Without any detail information, just for a 2100 sf house, the best choice will be Central AC with gas heat. Heat pump may also be considered depends on your location.
mike_home
3 years ago
Electric baseboard heat costs 2.5 - 3 times more to heat a house compared to the a mini split or a split system heat pump. The $500 heating bill would have been in the range of $167 - $200. It could possibly be more depending on your climate and the system you install.

Does this house have an attic? If so it may be possible to install a air handler in the attic and supply vents ceiling of the upper floor. Running duct work to the first floor may not be possible unless you are willing to open up walls. You could take a hybrid approach where you heat and cool the second floor with a heat pump, and use the electric baseboard on the first floor. It will same heating costs and keep the house comfortable in the summer.
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The larger the number of rooms that that you install mini splits in the higher the cost in comparison to a central system. Remember that you need returns for a central system. The choices are to have one in each room, install grates in between the rooms, install jump ducts or under cut the doors. Mini-splits have advantages in some situations. They are inherently zoned, so you don't have to cool the whole house for the dogs or you. Depending on your lifestyle, this might or might not save you money. What is installed in the USA is almost all variable-speed (inverter) equipment so it throttles well to control humidity under low load conditions. If you are on the costal plain, that is more important. It is humid down there. Typically, if a system fails you have lots of other areas to stay comfortable in. That also means that a modest generator will run parts of your system.) For me, a duct system that is outside of the house envelope is a drawback. First, ducts always leak even when new and they never improve themselves. That means everywhere you have a leak it equals a power vent either drawing in outside air into a return or blowing air outside. Keep in mind that also induces pressure differentials in your house so air is sucked in or blown out to balance that. Take a look at the Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Sanyo web sites and see what the mini split kingdom looks like. Keep in mind that in addition to the sterotypal high-wall indoor units, small ducted units (that handle more than one room) ceiling cassettes, horizontal ceiling units are available. You should see them on the web sites. They do cost more and are a little less efficient. Check out the different brands for how their controls thermostats) work if you decide to seriously consider mini splits. You obviously need more quotes given the difference between the two you already have.
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I don't have an answer for you. But we live in Denver. Had a swamp cooler for too many years and now have minisplits. Central AC wasn't an option for us as we have no ductwork. You have nicely put together the pros and cons of each solution. There is no one right answer. The only thing to do is to prioritize what is most important to you. If a cold bedroom is #1 then that says mini-split. If no wall unit and resale are more important to you then that says central AC. Truth be told whomever buys your house after you can easily switch to another solution if they are unhappy with your choice. I can say that we cold soak our bedroom with our minisplit and then turn it off at night on most days so as not to have any noise or blowing air. We have a ceiling cassette in the bedroom and the duct that would blow right on our heads is blocked off. We do have the wall units in three rooms. The family room/kitchen, the master bath and a second bedroom that is used as an office. Our main greatroom also has a ceiling cassette. Whichever you choose you will be sooooo happy to get rid of the swamp cooler. With Denver's up and down temperatures in the spring and fall it is much easier to just turn the minisplits on and off. Also they have a heat capability so provide a back up system to our infloor radiant heat should we need it. We've only used it that way once, when our boiler was being replaced. But it is nice to have a back up if something else were to go out on our heating system.
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Ductless is not going to offer “air purification” or lower noise. With ductless, you have a blower in each “head.” The air filtration is just the basic dust-filter like is on a portable AC. As others have said, 1600ft ranch is too small for 5 zones. Probably you’re looking at bedrooms on one zone and living areas on the other. But you shouldn’t really think of it like that - orientation matters most. Consider the heat gain at various times of day. If one bedroom is on the East side and one on the north side, the East bedroom is getting cooked while the north bedroom is experiencing little heat gain. Mini-split doesn’t necessarily mean ductless. They can be hooked up to small or full-size air handlers. You could do two separate mini-split ducted systems - one for the bedrooms and one for the living areas for example. This will likely give you the best efficiency and comfort. Mini-splits don’t modulate nearly as well when multiple heads are connected to one compressor.
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Gabriella
Original Author
3 years ago
Right we don't have any type of AC aside from ceiling fans in every room. It's a long house so if we did a head in the living room it wouldn't get to the back bedrooms. In the winter our first floor gets very cold...in the summer our 2nd floor (main living area, bedrooms) gets humid and hot while the 1st floor is manageable with ceiling fans. Would it be a good idea to do central on the 2nd floor and a split on the 1st floor? The heating bill was for at least 3-4 months. We definitely need some type of heating/cooling for the house as we live in Northeast Pennsylvania. What's the difference btwn a split heat pump and a mini split?
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Austin Air Companie
3 years ago
What's the difference btwn a split heat pump and a mini split?

Some mini splits are cool only. If you buy a heat pump version of the mini split it provides heat as well as cooling modes.

A split system heat pump attached to duct work comes in larger capacity sizing than what is typical in a mini split form factor. Because you have the ability to run duct work the amount of equipment needed in conjunction with a split system heat pump is significantly reduced.

Heat pumps have cons to them. A run of the mill single speed heat pump will lose heat capacity once OAT's drop below freezing. Often times mini split performance will be better in terms of delivering heat at lower temps than a 'run of the mill' split system heat pump.

The magic happens when you pair an inverter split system heat pump. Then performance is on par / some cases better than mini split.

So realize this market is not a 'one size' fits all market. What is good for you ultimately depends on your climate & your comfort goals.

The better split system heat pumps cost more money. But with that they deliver better comfort, reduce amount of energy needed to operate.

If you are in a colder climate a 'run of the mill' single speed heat pump will require an additional 'back up' or emergency heat source. If your current heat source is electric strip heat --- then with that option a high light bill is still possible. (really cold weather takes out the heat pump / forces you to run the emergency heat)

I have an inverter heat pump at my home in Katy, Texas - this can deliver heat down to 5F. Due to my climate I probably will never require back up emergency heat. (Unless of course the heat pump breaks down.)
sktn77a
3 years ago
Minisplits start getting expensive in homes with several rooms (multiple head units). A tradiitonal split system (heat pump or AC with furnace) sounds like it would suit your needs better and at a much lower cost.

Mini Split System vs Central Air

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Cima Locert

mike_home

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Mini Split System vs Central Air

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Cima Locert

mike_home

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GabriellaOriginal Author

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Gabriella
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