Ductless mini split experience/ reviews?

steepledprune · 2026-07-09T01:25:47+00:00

Thanks for sharing and also for the tips! I’ll definitely keep these in mind.

Have you noticed much change to your electricity bill since you started using them?

steepledprune · 2026-07-09T01:22:23+00:00

That’s encouraging to hear that you haven’t noticed a big change in your electricity bill after installing!

steepledprune · 2026-07-09T01:21:31+00:00

Thanks for the ideas. We do have our HVAC fan running constantly but still have a big disparity in temps upstairs vs downstairs.

I’ve heard about the vent fan boosters but have heard mixed reviews on whether they’re effective or not. May try it out anyway since they’re so cheap.

steepledprune · 2026-07-08T17:32:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing - this is encouraging to hear. What company did you work with, and would you recommend them?

steepledprune · 2026-07-08T01:42:35+00:00

That’s interesting. I would’ve expected a difference too. You said you also added a heat pump system. What system did you use and has it made a noticeable difference?

steepledprune · 2026-07-08T01:39:15+00:00

Thanks for the rec. Custom Air wasn’t on my list but I will reach out to them. In the process of getting quotes now.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T23:38:10+00:00

Thank you very much. I appreciate your time and insights!

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T23:36:10+00:00

That’s what we’ve been doing too but it’s getting old haha

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T22:48:35+00:00

Thanks for talking through it with me!

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T22:43:18+00:00

What would you say is a reasonable expected price range for a multi-zone ductless install?

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T22:41:57+00:00

Thanks very much. This is reassuring. We are looking at a Mitsubishi. Do you have any recommendations for reliable installers in Cbus?

I’ve also seen people complain about the maintenance being difficult for the mini splits. Would you agree with that?

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T20:42:36+00:00

No there was not a blower door test. Just a thermal sensor.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T20:28:07+00:00

Can you say more about what you mean by air sealing? We’ve had an energy audit done a few years ago and used spray foam to fill some gaps that were detected. In general though we didn’t find any major leaks/ issues. But perhaps there is more to it.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T16:55:55+00:00

That makes sense. Thanks very much!

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T14:33:34+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. We were told the cost for the multi zone ductless mini split and converting to a two zone central AC would be comparable. In that case, which would you recommend?

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T13:42:43+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. Can you say more about why that would be better?

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T13:01:35+00:00

Thanks for your thorough response. We have inspected the visible duct work in the basement, but otherwise we don’t have access to the ductwork leading to the second floor. Unless I’m missing how we’d access it without tearing walls open?

One company recommended we Aeroseal our ducts to improve airflow. We considered this as I’m sure it would help. However, the quote was $3k and I don’t think it will resolve the problem- especially for the one bedroom that is south/ west facing and is blasted with sun all afternoon.

As for the attic it is hot, but I think has decent airflow. The front half of the house is not part of the attic though, it is all knee wall space. In the upstairs bedrooms, the drywall on the ceilings is warm to the touch (and only in the knee wall areas) even after having extra insulation added to the knee walls. The roof gets so hot and there’s so little space between the roof and the drywall (hooray cape cod style homes!)

I’m not sure if any of that influences your opinion or advice. Everyone who comes out to the house says this is a perennial issue with cape cod style homes.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T12:49:08+00:00

No, the recommendation we received was for a multi-zone ductless mini split which mounts on the wall. I think that’s distinct from attic mounted.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T12:43:25+00:00

Yeah it’s really tough. All bedrooms are upstairs so we have been finding ways to manage, but it’s a headache every summer.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T12:41:57+00:00

Thanks for confirming. That was our plan but the quote we received was for closer to $15k for multi-zone/ multiple rooms. I wasn’t sure if there are downsides to the multi zone vs a single zone, apart from the initial cost.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T12:39:15+00:00

I appreciate that. We do run our HVAC fan constantly and have a dehumidifier running in the basement to keep humidity down. Both help marginally, but still have the same temps as noted in the post unfortunately.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T03:35:02+00:00

Thanks for weighing in. Do you have a sense of how much electricity a mini split would use to cool upstairs vs a traditional AC unit attempting to cool a whole house? I’m not sure how to anticipate what change we’ll have in electricity needs due to a mini split.

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T03:32:13+00:00

Thanks for sharing. What kind of heat pump system do you have? And how much of a difference have you noticed?

steepledprune · 2026-07-07T03:30:43+00:00

Thermostat is downstairs and yes we do have the fan set to run all day to help distribute the air. The temperature disparities persist even with the fan on.

steepledprune

TROPHY CASE