Ductless
Mini split install, repair and service
Our team of experts will help you choose the right system for your home, then install it and maintain it for optimal performance.
Chapter 01
Where a ductless system beats extending the ductwork
A mini split moves heat with refrigerant lines instead of air ducts. One outdoor unit connects to one or more wall-mounted indoor heads through a small opening in the wall, and each head heats and cools the space it sits in. There is no trunk line to build, no attic run to fit, and no air leaking out of joints on the way to the room.
That matters when the room you want to condition is the one the ductwork never reached. A central system is sized for the house as it was built. Tapping another branch off the same trunk asks the existing blower to feed more space than it was designed for, and the rooms that were comfortable start to suffer for it. A ductless head gives the new space its own source.
It is not the answer to everything, and we will say so when a duct extension or a different fix is the better call. Our team helps you choose the right system for your home, then installs it properly and looks after it for optimal performance.
A ductless mini split outdoor unit on a concrete pad beside a brick wall
Choosing and placing the heads so every room is even
The equipment is the easy part. Comfort comes from where the heads go. A head mounted where its airflow blows straight onto a bed or a desk feels like a draft, and one tucked behind a door or a tall piece of furniture never moves air across the room. The usual target is a spot with a clear throw across the space, away from the people who will sit under it.
Rooms behind closed doors need their own answer. One head cannot reliably serve a bedroom, a hall and a bath on the other side of a shut door, which is why a multi-head setup, one per space, is often what makes the whole house even. The load in each space decides the capacity of each head, the same way a load calculation does for a central system.
The outdoor unit and the line set need planning too: a short, tidy run, a condensate drain that actually falls to somewhere sensible, and clear space around the outdoor unit so it can breathe.
Chapter 03
Keeping a mini split's filters and outdoor unit clean
Most of what goes wrong with a ductless system is a dirty one. The indoor head has filters that catch dust and pet hair, and when they clog the head moves less air and the coil behind them can ice or get dirty. Pull them on a regular schedule and rinse or replace them as the manufacturer directs.
The outdoor unit sits in the weather. Leaves, grass clippings and cottonwood fluff collect against the coil, so keep the area around it clear and look it over after mowing season. The condensate drain from each head is worth a look too, because a drain that backs up puts water where you did not plan for it.
Beyond that, a mini split benefits from a professional service visit the way any heat pump or air conditioner does. We install, repair and service them, so if a head is blowing weak, smelling musty or leaving water under the wall, call us and we will find the actual fault.
"...they have integrity in a trade where you really have to wonder if it is out there." Amanda Ferguson, Google review
Good fits for a mini split
These are the common cases where a ductless system is worth a look. Every house is different, so tell us about yours and we will say whether it fits.
- A garage conversion
- The garage never had ducts run to it, and the house system was not sized to carry another room.
- An addition
- A new room added onto the back of the house is often the furthest, longest run from the existing trunk.
- A bonus room over the garage
- The room that is always too hot in August and too cold in January usually has the weakest airflow in the house.
- Rooms the ductwork never reached
- Sunrooms, workshops, finished attics and older spaces where adding ducts means opening walls.
Tell us which room is the problem
Call and describe the space. We will help you work out whether a mini split is the right answer, or whether something simpler will do.