The cost of ductless HVAC near Harrisburg, PA starts around $3,500 fully installed and ready to turn on and goes up from there depending on a number of factors. The cost of a multi-zone ductless system range from $8,000 to $25,000 depending on the number of zones you need to condition. To get a more exact figure, you have to account for the following:
These systems give you more control over the temperature throughout your home. For the first time in many places, people can eliminate hot and cold spots that even the best traditional systems can’t seem to fix.
A word of caution: Purchasing a system and installing it yourself will limit and possibly cancel out the warranty. At that point, you’ll likely to lose more than any money you saved by not having an authorized Bryant contractor like WM Buffington handle the installation and maintenance.
We mentioned some of the factors that affect the cost of your ductless, or mini-split, installation. And, we’ll go into them a little more here. Some of it’s a bit complex, but there’s no need to worry. We’ll send out a certified, reliable rep to handle all the measurements and explain all your options.
But, to get started, here are some things you’ll want to consider:
The first thing you need to decide if is you’re addressing just one room with a single-zone setup or treating the entire house with a multi-zone system. We’re seeing more and more people opt for their whole place. But, it’s worth looking at both, and how it affects the cost.
The big factor here is the number of indoor units you’ll need. The way it works is that an outdoor heat pump provides the warmth or cooling effect. Then, you have air handlers inside that distribute and circulate the air.
Each handler works for one zone of the house. So, the more area you want to treat, the more indoor units you’ll need. Most homes require three or four air handlers.
These setups hold some significant benefits for different types of housing stock.
Take places like Elizabethtown or Dillsburg, for instance. These boroughs have plenty of old and historic homes. With ductless, you can add air conditioning or upgrade the heating without changing the layout or doing any work inside.
Similarly, places like Hummelstown have a lot of home built before the 60s. They’re set up with oil burners and piping, which means no ductwork. That makes it costly to switch over to a different heating source or add central air.
That’s why a mini-split makes a difference. It doesn’t require us to do any sort of construction in the house. And, on the outside, all we need to do is run some lines through a space that’s less than five inches wide. It keeps the inside and exterior of historic homes intact.
Meanwhile, we can supplement your existing heater if you just have one room that never gets warm. The system can also eliminate uneven heating, or hot and cold spots, throughout the house.
Or, you can switch over to the mini-split entirely when your heater is due for replacement. You can get rid of your old window air conditioners, too — the same system handles all your AC in the summer, also.
Now that you’ve decided what you’re treating, you’re ready to look at what you’ll need. Your system needs to be in a sweet spot: Too small, and you won’t get the climate control you want.
Meanwhile, you don’t want to waste money on more power than you need. Plus, you could run into problems like too much humidity or your home not hitting the temperatures you want with an oversized unit.
The big factor here is square footage. The size of your home gives us a starting point for what you’ll need. But, there’s more calculation than just that.
We need to also account for airflow. Have you done any major remodeling or renovations? That affects how heat travels through your home.
Then, there’s whether or not you have an attic. Heat easily escapes from there in the winter builds up in the summertime. On a similar note, the way your home is insulated also plays into it.
This tells us how strong of a system you need. It also determines if you’re better off with high-wall air handlers that we mount near the ceiling, or floor units that sit much lower on the wall.
We should mention that you should be wary of any contractor who just eyeballs the house or uses a general rule of thumb for this. That’s a good way to get stuck with an oversized unit. You want to be sure before you make your investment.
Next, efficiency plays a big role in the cost of ductless systems. That’s how much energy your system uses to produce the effect you want. Lower-efficiency models use more electricity than high-efficiency ones.
Now, all ourBryant ductless min-splitsystems are Energy Star-certified. They meet federal standards showing they use less energy than comparable units. But, there are options within that. And, it affects the cost.
The higher the efficiency, the more the unit costs up front. But, it’s less you pay month-to-month on energy bills. For this, you need to find your own sweet spot: How much are you prepared to pay upfront for the unit, versus what your budget looks like for utilities?
The measurements here are Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER, and Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, or HSPF. These measure efficiency for cooling and heating, respectively.
All the units we offer provide both these ratings along with the pricing. From there, it’s just a question of which one is best for your budget.
And, that will give you a good idea of your overall return on investment. After all, one of the big reasons people have for going with one of these systems is cost-savings over time.
By some estimates, you can expect to cut your monthly bills by around 30 percent. But, again, there are plenty of factors that affect this. We’ve looked at how much of your home you’re treating and how efficient a system you choose. And, there’s plenty more to say about those than what we’ve listed here.
But, this should give you a great idea of what you need to know when you’re choosing the system that’s right for you. And, when you’re ready to get into the nitty-gritty, we’re just a phone call away.
Are you ready to find the ductless heating and cooling system that’s perfect for your home?Contact us, and we’ll help you determine the size and model that will fit your plans and budget.
