Ductless minisplit heat pumps are becoming more popular every year. They are more efficient than most air source heat pumps, and they can be used to heat and cool zones not served by a central HVAC system. The cost for minisplit systems is quite affordable.

You’ll often hear these systems referred to either as ductless or minisplit systems, or sometimes by both names.

What is a Ductless Minisplit System?

A ductless heat pump is a heating and cooling system designed to serve one to four zones rather than an entire home or business. The term “minisplit” refers to the fact that they are smaller than standard heat pump split systems that supply centralized heating and cooling.

How Does a Ductless Minisplit Heat Pump Work?

These systems work by moving heat from one location to another. In summer, they remove heat from inside the building and pump it outside. In cold weather, they capture heat outside – they can be effective until temperatures drop to about freezing – and move it indoors to heat the space.

A small condensing unit is installed outside, on the ground, the roof or in some cases attached to the side of the building. The indoor unit, sometimes called an air handler, is mounted high on a wall or on the ceiling. Refrigerant travels between the two units. The liquid captures heat inside the building when the unit is in cooling mode. It carries the heat outside, releasing it in the outdoor unit where it radiates out. This process cools the inside of the building.

For heating, the process is reversed with the use of specialized valves. The refrigerant captures heat outside, carries it indoors and releases it.

A single outside unit serves 1-4 indoor air handlers placed in different rooms or zones.

What are the Most Common Brands of Minisplit Heat Pumps?

The leading brands of ductless minisplit heat pumps are Air-Con, Friedrich, Fujitsu, Klimaire, Lennox, LG, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Shinco and YMGI.

How Much Does a Ductless Heat Pump Cost?

Ductless minisplit heat pump systems range in size from about 6,000 BTU units that will serve up to 250 square feet to 36,000 BTU units that will serve approximately 1,500 square feet. These systems can be the most cost effective when you are installing in a small space or on a tight budget . Small, single zone ductless heat pumps cost less than $600. The largest multi-zone minisplit heat pump systems cost more than $4,000. Units with 9,000 to 18,000 capacity are most common and range in price from about $800 to $1,600.

Installation is extra and will vary based on the number of indoor air handlers as well as the complexity of the job. Expect complete costs for an installed system to range from $1,200 to $6,500.

Ductless Minisplit Heat Pumps

What is an Air Source Heat Pump?

Air source heat pumps are heating and cooling systems that draw heat out of the air and move it do a different location. They do this with the use of refrigerant, heating/cooling coils and a compressor which acts like a pump.

How Does an Air Source Heat Pump Work?

When cooling your home, the compressor sends refrigerant to the indoor coil located in the air handler. The refrigerant passes through a valve and expands into a gas, capturing heat from the air surrounding the coil. Removing the heat from the air surrounding the coil makes the coil very cold.

The refrigerant carries the heat outside through a copper refrigerant line. It enters the condensing unit where it is compressed back into a liquid, forcing the heat out of it. That heat is dissipated through the outdoor coil like heat through a radiator. The refrigerant then cycles back into the house to capture more heat.

The direction of the refrigerant is reversed when the air source heat pump is in heating mode. The refrigerant captures heat outside, carries it into the house and releases it in the inside coil, making it very hot. These heat pumps are effective until temperatures outside fall into the lower 30s.

The air handler pushes untreated air from the house over the indoor coil, which is either hot or cold depending on the mode, and distributes that treated air into your home through the ducts. The cycle continues until the thermostat indicates that the temperature has been raised or lowered to the desired level.

What are the Most Common Brands of Air Source Heat Pumps?

The brands that produce the majority of heat pumps include Aire Flo, Amana, American Standard, Armstrong, Bryant, Carrier, Coleman, Ducane, Electrolux, Goodman, Heil, Lennox, Luxaire, Maytag, Payne, Rheem, Ruud, Trane and York.

How Much Does an Air Source Heat Pump Cost?

Prices vary greatly depending on the size of the unit, how efficiently it uses electricity as determined by its SEER rating, and whether or not it provides staged or variable heating. The cheapest, smallest heat pumps cost under $1,200. The largest, most efficient heat pumps cost over $5,000. For most homes, just the heat pump will cost $2,500-$4,000.

Keep in mind that installation is extra and so are parts if needed such as an indoor coil or air handler and refrigerant lines. For a complete heat pump heating and cooling system installed, the price can range from $5,000 to over $10,000.

Air Source Heat Pumps