1 room ducted mini split estimate

8 years ago

Does this seem reasonable? We have a 1 zone central air system that works great in almost every other room but the master bed/bath. I’ve had several companies out to look and see if adding a zone would work, but they all say with the current set up it would be very costly and they don’t think it would help much. So I started looking into ducted mini splits using the ceiling cassettes so we don’t have a motel room look and this is the first estimate but I have no idea whether it is reasonable or not. Hoping to get some feedback.

Option II – Fujitsu Concealed Duct Split Heat Pump
We will provide labor and materials required to install one (1) new concealed duct split system to service the master bedroom. In the attic, we will provide and install one (1) Fujitsu slim duct evaporative unit, model ARU12RLF. The evaporative unit will be connected with a new line set to one (1) Fujitsu outdoor condenser, model AOU12RLFC. The new condenser will be installed on an elevated pad on the side of the home. The line set will run down the exterior wall of the home and will be concealed in slim duct for aesthetics and to protect the lines. As a heat pump, this system will provide both cooling and heating utilizing the efficient Inverter technology. This system will feature a nominal cooling capacity of 12,000 Btu/h and a nominal heating capacity 16,000 Btu/h. This system offers an efficiency rating of 20 SEER / 12.8 EER / 11.5 HSPF.
BMS will provide material and labor required to install new ductwork in the attic. The ductwork will utilize metal (Min 26 gauge) trunk line with flexible duct branches. All ductwork will be insulated to an R-8 value and all duct joints will be sealed with mastic to prevent leakage. Each supply take-off will be equipped with a balancing damper. There will be approximately two (2) supplies and one (1) central return. The registers and grills will be standard grade for ceiling grills and diffusers.
Price includes: heat pump evaporator, condenser, line set, pad, slim duct, vinyl tubing, communication wire, miscellaneous installation materials, wiring, tax, start-up, permit and a one (1) year warranty on BMS supplied and installed components.
Price: $ 7,495.65 (includes tax, permits and rebate from electric co)

Does this seem reasonable/in line for what we should expect to see?

Featured Answer

mike_home

8 years ago

This is a lot of money to add one ton of cooling. Is a window AC unit out of the question?

Did you get quotes to improve the duct work to the bedroom? You said it was costly, but was it more than $7500?

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Comments (8)

Jake The Wonderdog
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
We can't really tell you if it's reasonable - we don't know the labor cost in your area, Installation difficulty, etc.

The hardware is about $2,000 - $2200 if that helps (incl duct and misc)

Get a few bids.
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sktn77a
8 years ago
$7500 is outrageous - keep looking or DIY. Mitsubishi sell a DIY minisplit which frees you of the ripoffs that minisplit installers charge!
iamtiramisu thanked sktn77a
iamtiramisu
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks all, it did seem pretty outrageous to us too but had no baseline to go from so weren’t sure. We are in central CT, so not a low COL but not so high that this doesn’t make us blink. We are definitely getting other estimates. We have been using a portable unit from our old house to keep us cool, it just seems to defeat the purpose of having a central system. We moved in in the winter and the heat seemed to be adequate up there (and it is), the cooling power just isnt there on hot summer nights. The reason the cost of improving or changing the duct work is so high is because a lot of it is asbestos wrapped - so the high environmental/hazardous material disposal fees factor in and drive up the cost. The bedroom is at the end of the run on the opposite side of the house on the second floor, so the recurring theme has been that it’s probably not worth it. We did think about possibly DIY with the Mitsubishi but figured we would get some prices and go from there, thinking that if we had a pro install we had some kind of protection/warranty in case something failed. We do have someone else coming out and deoending on their estimate, will probably reconsider DIY or just deal with the window or portable unit for awhile longer - or forever. Thanks again for the feedback.
Jake The Wonderdog
8 years ago
So, just something to keep in mind - the inside unit in this case is a ducted unit and requires some duct installation - cutting vents in ceiling - etc. It's a little more labor intensive than normal "hang it on the wall".

That said, the price seems steep.
mtvhike
8 years ago
I considered putting a 2- or 3- unit mini-split (no ducts). The contractor guessed that it would be in the $7500 range but couldn't give a quote without seeing the installation. I'm still undecided enough to not have proceeded (when I spoke to him in July, he and/or I couldn't find a date for his visit). This interest was generated by the heat wave we had in July and I decided it wasn't critical enough to proceed then. Will reconsider in the spring. No other AC in the home at all.
mike_home
8 years ago
Is there an attic above the master bedroom? If there is an attic, have you checked the amount of insulation?

You may be able to add additional insulation to reduce the cooling load. The fact that the room is comfortable in the winter suggests the air flow may be weak but adequate. In the summer the attic gets very hot and stays hot even after the sun goes down. You should also inspect if the attic has proper ventilation.

It would a better investment in adding additional insulation and venting than installing an expensive mini split.
iamtiramisu
Original Author
8 years ago
There is an attic above and it has piles of insulation, but we do need to check the ventilation as I’m not sure that is adequate. Access to the MB is easy and there are no obstructions - just clear space and not far from outside walls so, while maybe a bit naive as to the specific work involved even after having done a top to bottom reno on other houses, it did seem like a very high number for the amount of time/labor that this would entail. I suppose this is really a first world problem and using a portable AC shouldn’t be that big of a deal (and it really isn’t) it’s just disappointing to have to do that when one of the reasons we bought a house with central air was to be able to get away from that and actually use it. Our fault for not thinking about the one zone - chalking it up to more learning under our belts.