Bedrooms and living room
Heat and cooling for the rooms you actually use
A mini-split heats in winter and cools in summer from one small unit on the wall.
In Albuquerque an evaporative cooler is cheap to run and does well in the dry months, so we don't start by pulling one out. A mini-split fills the gaps: the back bedroom the cooler never reaches, the shoulder months when the cooler is off and the furnace is not yet wanted, and the cold mornings in between. We choose cold-climate models for winter nights, and we keep the old furnace as a backup until you trust the new setup.
One outdoor unit and one or more wall units per plan
Refrigerant lines and wiring run neatly and covered
A dedicated circuit, set by the manufacturer's sizing
Not included: ductwork changes or a new thermostat system
What changes the cost
What moves the price of a mini-split plan
The number of rooms matters, but where the units go matters more.
How many wall units
One unit for one big room, or several on a single outdoor unit for a few rooms.
Line-set run
The distance between the indoor and outdoor units, and whether it crosses an adobe or block wall.
Electrical capacity
Whether the panel has room for the new circuit or the panel comes first.
Where the outdoor unit sits
A pad on the ground, a wall bracket or a roof stand, each with its own parts and time.
No prices on this page: they depend on your house. How we write them is on the pricing page.
How it goes
A mini-split plan, start to finish
- 01
Step 1: Walk-through
We stand in each room, look at the sun, the windows and the walls, and ask how you use them.
- 02
Step 2: Written plan
Which rooms get a unit, why, where the outdoor unit goes and what stays as backup.
- 03
Step 3: Install day
We set the units, run the lines, wire the circuit, pull a vacuum and test each room.
- 04
Step 4: Inspection and walk-through
We show you the remote, the filters and what the old furnace and cooler are still for.
Permits and rules
A new circuit is permitted electrical work and a mechanical permit may apply, depending on where the house is. We pull what is needed and schedule the inspection.
Handling refrigerant takes a federal certification. The person who sets your units holds it, and it is on the credentials page.
Questions about this room
Will it keep up on the coldest nights?
Cold-climate models are built to heat at Albuquerque winter temperatures, and we size to your coldest rooms. We also keep your furnace as a backup, so no one is left cold while you find out.
Should I remove my evaporative cooler?
Not necessarily. If it works and the house is comfortable, keep it. A mini-split can take over the rooms it can't reach.
Do I need ducts?
No. A mini-split connects each room by a thin line set, not by ductwork.
Can you tie it into my existing system?
Sometimes. We look at the furnace and the ducts during the walk-through and say what can stay.
Which rooms are hardest to keep comfortable?
Name them and we'll start there.