Frequently Asked Questions

A mini split is one outdoor compressor connected to one (or more) indoor air handlers by a thin refrigerant lineset — no ducts, no soffits, no big furnace closet. "Ductless" matters because traditional central AC loses 25–40% of its conditioned air to leaks and heat gain through duct runs in attics and crawlspaces; a mini split moves heat directly to the indoor unit, so the BTUs you pay for are the BTUs you get. The same hardware heats and cools — same outdoor unit reverses refrigerant flow in winter. Most rooms in a home can be solved with one indoor unit; if you have two rooms with very different temperature preferences, that's a dual-zone setup.

Yes — every model is Energy Star certified at 22–24 SEER2 and the systems use R454B refrigerant, which has roughly 1/3 the global-warming potential of the older R410A still in most competitor units. The dollar impact: a 24 SEER2 unit running 8 hours a day at average usage in a typical US climate costs about $30–60/yr less to operate than a 16 SEER2 baseline. Over a 15-year life that's $450–900 in operating-cost savings. Energy Star certification is also what makes a system eligible for the federal 25C tax credit (up to $2,000) and most state/utility rebates — see our rebates lookup tool for what your zip code qualifies for.

Yes — a single-zone wall mount takes two people 4–6 hours on a first install, 3 hours if you've done one before. A ceiling cassette in a drop ceiling is 2–3 hours; in drywall it's 4–6 hours. Concealed-duct units are 6–8 hours because the air handler sits above the ceiling with short duct runs. The pre-charged Quick Connect lineset is the reason DIY is realistic — no vacuum pump, no recovery machine, no EPA 608 license needed. Most installers hire an electrician for the dedicated 230V circuit if they don't already have one; the 115V models plug into a standard outlet. Our full install guide walks every step.

Usually yes for the electrical hookup, sometimes for the outdoor-unit placement. Permit rules are local — call your building department or check their website before you start, it's a 10-minute conversation. The good news: because the refrigerant is sealed in the factory-charged lineset and never opens to atmosphere during DIY install, you skip the refrigerant-handling permit and EPA 608 requirement that applies to traditional mini splits. Most jurisdictions treat the install as electrical-only.

Cordless drill, 3" hole saw (or 3.25" for clean clearance), 4-ft level, screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, tape measure, stud finder, and a torque wrench for the Quick Connect fittings. Mounting brackets, hardware, and the lineset all ship with the unit. You do not need a vacuum pump, manifold gauge set, refrigerant tank, or flaring tool — that tooling alone is $400–600 to rent or buy, and it's the cost wall that keeps most DIYers out of traditional mini splits. A drywall saw helps if you're routing the lineset through interior walls.

Our standard pre-charged lineset is 16 ft, and we stock pre-charged extensions in 25 ft and 33 ft (so the longest practical run with one extension is 49 ft). Each connection point adds two Quick Connect couplings — both seal to spec, but more couplings means more torquing and more leak-test points. For runs over 50 ft, total static pressure drops compressor efficiency by 2–3% per extra 10 ft, so we'd typically suggest moving the outdoor unit closer rather than running 60+ ft. Vertical lift between indoor and outdoor is limited to 30 ft up or down.

Single-zone wall mounts: $1,899 (9K 115V), $1,999 (12K 115V), $2,289 (12K 230V), $2,499 (18K 230V). Ceiling cassettes: $2,699 (9K), $2,799 (12K). Concealed-duct: from $3,299. Dual-zone bundles: from $4,299. Every order includes the indoor unit, outdoor condenser, 16 ft pre-charged R454B lineset, wireless remote, and mounting hardware — no upsell on hardware. Compared to a $7,000–11,000 professional install (equipment + labor + refrigerant work), DIY puts ~$4,500–6,500 back in your pocket on a typical single-zone install.

5 years on parts, 7 years on the compressor. Covers defects in materials and workmanship — not installation mistakes (over-torqued fittings, improper electrical, water damage from a missing condensate drain). To keep the compressor warranty intact, the unit needs to be installed within spec (correct lineset length, level outdoor unit, correct circuit size) and registered within 60 days of purchase. Extended warranty options exist if you want longer compressor coverage. Full terms on the warranty page.

Yes — financing is available at checkout through our payment partners with monthly plans ranging from 6 to 24 months. Approval is a soft credit pull. The federal 25C tax credit (up to $2,000 off your tax bill for heat pump purchases) combined with available utility rebates often makes the net out-of-pocket significantly less than the sticker price; check your zip code on the rebates page for what applies in your area.

Manual J math is 20–30 BTU per square foot for cooling, adjusted up for cathedral ceilings, west-facing glass, occupant load, and equipment heat. The rough breakdown: 9K BTU for 250–400 sq ft (bedrooms, home offices), 12K BTU for 400–550 sq ft (master bedrooms, living rooms, basements), 18K BTU for 600–850 sq ft (great rooms, finished basements). The most common mistake is oversizing — a 12K in a 200 sq ft bedroom short-cycles, strips humidity unevenly, and the room ends up clammy. The free sizing calculator gives a Manual-J-style number in 30 seconds.

Yes — same outdoor unit handles both. Zone Air systems heat efficiently down to -13°F (24 SEER2 models) and continue producing heat — at reduced capacity — down to about -20°F. For sustained sub-zero climates we still recommend supplemental electric resistance or a wood stove for the coldest 5–10 days of the year, not because the heat pump quits, but because COP drops below 2.0 at extreme cold and resistance heat starts to make economic sense as a peak-shaver. In heating mode at +30°F, the unit is roughly 3x more efficient than baseboard electric heating.

Indoor units run 22–42 dB depending on fan speed (22 dB at the lowest setting is quieter than a whisper in a library at 30 dB). Outdoor condensers run 48–58 dB at full load — similar to normal conversation. The inverter compressor modulates speed continuously, so unlike single-stage central AC that cycles loud-then-silent, mini splits hum at a steady low level most of the time. Concealed-duct units are the quietest from inside the room because the air handler is in the attic and only the air movement at the registers is audible.

Every unit ships with a wireless IR remote that handles mode (heat/cool/auto/dry/fan), setpoint, fan speed, and a 7-day schedule. Smart-home control via the Zone Air app (iOS and Android) adds geofencing, voice control via Alexa or Google Home, and remote setpoint changes. The IR remote works regardless of WiFi, so you're never locked out of your HVAC because your router went down. We don't lock features behind a paid app subscription.

Two things, on a schedule: (1) Pull the indoor filters every 4–6 weeks during heavy heat or cool season, rinse with warm water and mild dish soap, air-dry, and reinstall — 5 minutes. Filters are washable, not consumable, so there's nothing to buy. (2) Once a year, walk around the outdoor unit and clear leaves, pollen, lawn-clipping buildup from the coil. Hose the coil down with a soft spray (not pressure washer — bends fins). That's 95% of the maintenance. A pro check every 3–4 years to verify the condensate drain is clear and refrigerant pressures are nominal is plenty.

Properly installed and maintained, 15–20 years is the industry-standard expectation for a modern inverter mini split, and we design ours to that lifespan. The inverter compressor modulates instead of slamming on-and-off the way single-stage compressors do, so mechanical wear is significantly lower than a 1990s-era central AC. The two failure modes that cut life short in practice are: (1) installing the outdoor unit somewhere it gets pounded by snow drift or roof runoff, and (2) a chronic condensate drain clog that overflows back through the indoor unit. Both are install-time decisions, not equipment defects.

Use 115V when the room is 9K or 12K BTU and you don't already have a dedicated 230V circuit nearby — the unit plugs into a standard 15A outlet, no electrician needed for a new circuit. Use 230V when the room calls for 18K BTU (no 115V option exists at that capacity), when you're running a dual-zone bundle off a single outdoor unit, or when the 1-point SEER2 efficiency bump pays back the electrician cost over the system's life. Most retrofit installs end up 115V because it skips the panel work. Full breakdown on the wall mount page.

R454B. It has a global warming potential of 466, roughly 1/4 of R410A (the refrigerant in most older mini splits, GWP 2088). The EPA is phasing R410A out for new equipment over the next several years; R454B is what the next generation of HVAC will run on. Practically: you're buying the refrigerant standard that will be widely serviceable in 2030 and beyond, not the one HVAC techs will be charging refrigerant-surcharge fees on. All our linesets ship pre-charged, so you never handle refrigerant.

Only if you bought a multi-zone outdoor unit with unused ports. A single-zone outdoor unit cannot be converted to multi-zone — the outdoor unit has fixed-capacity compressor and pre-set port count. If you think you'll want to condition a second room in the next 3–5 years, start with a 2-zone outdoor unit even if you only install one indoor head on day one. Adding the second indoor head later is straightforward: buy the indoor unit and a pre-charged lineset extension, connect to the spare port, power on. The Quick Connect system handles the refrigerant side without a vacuum pump.