With those kinds of systems, Mitsubishi has one of the better reputations.

The biggest con to any minisplit is equipment poor. (with a structure that will require several of them.)

The more equipment think head that sits on the wall, the unit that sits outside. The filtration is flimsy compared to traditional ducted HVAC. Eventually the heads will get dirty, then because you likely will have multiple of them the costs for maintenance are more, the cost for parts are more because there are more parts, the cost for replacement could be more often because model changes happen more frequently.

Parts to fix are tied to whatever manufacturer you choose and the whims of what that manufacturer in terms of producing parts, changing parts and so on. So these are nothing like traditional ducted HVAC.

The other less obvious con is most of the time the box that sits on a wall is chosen, when you go to sell the house there will be buyers who don't want some ugly box hanging on walls of the house. (not saying you have plans to sell the house, but someone will at some point.)

It's true that Mitsubishi has the better reputation, but they also cost more and this doesn't mean they are problem free. It's been well documented that many of them as they age they start making odd clicking noises and such so good luck trying to get some sleep?

If I was going to ever use one I'd use it for like cooling a shed or something like that for short spans of time I'm out in the shed doing something, not for actively cooling it to live in it.

Sounds like you intend to install them yourself. If not, then COST will likely be the biggest con. Minisplits are used throughut the rest of the world for good reason - they are cheap to put in and effective. Installers in the US charge outrageous prices to install minisplits.......... because the can!

Thanks for the responses. I have read that Mitsibishi is a reliable brand but the cost is considerably more than most others and I still don't know what makes them so much better. I believe I can do the installation myself since I was previously certified in car air conditioning and I have the tools including an evacuation pump. I agree the inside units are ugly but central air isn't necessary for just my wife and myself unless it can be zoned. I have seen individual mini split air handlers that are flush mounted in the ceiling and look like ducted AC but have not investigated that yet. I also submitted requests to 5 companies for various projects including roofing and siding and so far I am 0 for 5 for any replies. Two of those requests were on houzz. I'll probably just go back to the window unit in the bedroom and the portable unit in the den if I can't iron this out.

We have two Mitsubishi mini splits, one in our bedroom, one in our living room. Our living room was an addition to our house, and is over a crawl space, so often chilly in the winter. Long story short, we are very pleased with them. We seldom use the bedroom unit.. They were installed about 7 years ago, and we get them serviced yearly. Have never had any issues.

Videos on YouTube by the DIY HVAC GUY shows you the process. And he has tool sources.

The con with DIY is that if there is a problem with it, you get to trouble shoot it and figure out what is wrong. It's not likely someone is going to stick their neck out to service something someone else did. A manufacturer warranty won't cover that either.

Mr Cool units are made for DIY, but most repair responses for those are dealt by thru email and shipping parts, there is no local support for them. Each brand is likely different as to how you can or can not obtain parts.

Your experience is going to be quite unique all the way down the pole to nightmare level if you have little common sense. This type of experience should not be underestimated.

It's never about how much you think you will save by doing it yourself. It's about how much you waste when you FAFO. fool around to find out.

Oh well I could buy 2 or 3 systems to do them myself rather than pay someone else to do it one time. (nothing gets past you) easily said if it's 70F outside, not so much if it's 100F or 20F raining, blinding snow or blazing sun light.

The system is most likely to fail within the extreme climate envelope of where you live. The easy button of calling someone is probably not going to be one of your options.

Once again, thank you for your comments Austin Air. A few things in response. I have request for quotes to 5 different companies including mini split installation and have 0 replies. It's difficult to have any work done when there are no responses.

I have a whole house home warranty that includes air conditioning if that ever becomes necessary. Although I am retired now I have installed and maintained car AC units (that should tell you how old I am) and I'm confident I can do a good job of installing a mini split.

In addition to the training I have received, my "common sense" has always served me well.

The few things I need to come to terms with are:

• Is a mini split the best way for me to go
• What is the most reliable brand when it comes to maintenance, servicibility, and reliability
• Do I want that ugly canoe on my wall
• If I could get an outfit to give me quotes for a dual zone mini split or zoned central air it would help me make a decision
• Should I just stick with the window unit in the computer room and my jury rigged casement window portable AC in the den. The portables don't seem to last very long.

Anyway, it's nice today so going for a ride on my Harley is in order and will help me sort this out...or not. :^)

I have ca. 2013 Mitsubishi units: 2 outdoor "compressor" assemblies and 2 + 4 indoor "expander" assemblies, one with drainage pump due to the drainage path, among the four on interior walls with long drain paths. Reliability has been excellent, other than the initial brand of drainage pump used until I researched what pump should actually be used and had it installed.

The units must be cleaned at least once a year. With 8 assemblies it costs a bit for the tech hours needed. Also, tech access around furniture and "stuff" needs to be considered.

Note "compressor" and "expander" roles reverse when in heat pump mode.

For various reasons I'll suppress my urge to describe, exterior temperatures below somewhere in the 30F region will degrade COP to the point where there isn't much benefit over an electric heater. This transition point may have changed with newer units and different refrigerants.

I have request for quotes to 5 different companies including mini split installation and have 0 replies. It's difficult to have any work done when there are no responses.

Did you call them and ask?

I have a whole house home warranty that includes air conditioning if that ever becomes necessary.

I don't work for home warranty companies, I suspect others won't do this either.

Home warranty business model is collecting premiums and paying as little claims as possible. That caveat rarely pays out. What you pay into it is not likely to advantage you in any way. These companies rake in millions a quarter. (4 quarters to a year) many of them are not private companies and issue quarterly reports as to how profitable they are. If they are profitable how could they be paying claims? (common sense)

If a company installs a unit and it breaks. You call the home warranty company, they send out people who work for them. The company who installed it is now out of the loop and this creates a 4 party conflict of interest. The absolute worse kind. (You, company who installed unit, the home warranty, the company they send you) -- all these entities including yourself expecting to "get paid" -- you expect it because you bought the policy. The home warranty expects it because they have share holders to pay. The companies who do the work? If they aren't getting paid I question how long they keep doing it. LOL.

The few things I need to come to terms with are:

• Is a mini split the best way for me to go
• What is the most reliable brand when it comes to maintenance, servicibility, and reliability
• Do I want that ugly canoe on my wall
• If I could get an outfit to give me quotes for a dual zone mini split or zoned central air it would help me make a decision
• Should I just stick with the window unit in the computer room and my jury rigged casement window portable AC in the den. The portables don't seem to last very long.

I have plenty of doubts with any mini split. What does your current HVAC system consist of? where is it located in the house? how easy is it to service? How old is your house? Does it have both heating and cooling options? What kind of climate do you live in? How much heating do you need as opposed to cooling?

Putting an ugly canoe on the wall will make selling it a bigger challenge. Most people don't like a box on their walls.

Zoning can be done with traditional ducted HVAC. But smaller homes this kind of becomes over kill with little pay off. Why? Let's say your home requires 3 tons of cooling you put in a 3 ton AC with 3 zones. The main house, the master and another that covers the other 2 bedrooms.

If the AC you chose is just entry level AC you pay for 3 tons of cooling if any zone is calling. So you aren't saving any money operationally. You just get better control of where that cooling goes. Like if 1 zone calls all the air goes to that one zone. The unit will cycle more under this scenario.

Where this can save money... requires you to pay more money: Enter the Bosch Inverter AC. (Premium equipment attached to a premium feature such as zoning) You get what you pay for.

This is what I have at my house in Katy, Texas. A 4 zone ducted HVAC with inverter AC. The inverter starts out at around 20-25% of capacity. So this is the only way zoning aids you above and beyond just control. The compressor in my AC ramps up and down in 1% increments as the load dictates.

House layout? if the house is a two story and you have 1 HVAC system. Because heat rises the upper level is always hotter, the lower level is always cooler. The thermostat no matter where you place it you will still have this challenge. So a two zone HVAC can aleviate this problem, but not without controversy... how?

When climate changes there can be times of the year where it is still too hot upstairs and yet too cold down stairs. So you have 2 thermostats the occupants upstairs mindlessly put AC on. The occupants downstairs put the heat on. The zone system is lack luster? you know builder installed garbage. The unit will fight itself to death. I know this because I've seen it first hand.

Better zone systems cost more money, on top of more premium options. Money and more money. For someone who has a home warranty, I can sense your wallet clamp getting tighter by the moment. It is what it is. You don't rob Peter to pay Paul or vice versa in this area.

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So it sounds like your existing HVAC does not include AC. So what type of heating system do you have? Is it forced air gas heat with duct work? And where in the home is it located? How many floors to the home?

Yeah great time of the year to lay it out on a Harley.

That being said window units have come a long way, if you live at the property yourself an inverter style window unit isn't a bad choice either provided you don't reside in an HOA dictating those kinds of things. Problem with window units is you replace them more often and noise concerns along with potential security concerns of the property.

Within the era of banned refrigerants / increase regulations and so on the considerations are endless it seems.

Wow, thanks for the detailed response. I will keep mine brief.

I have called some of the companies and confirmed appointments but all no shows.

I have lived in this house for 34 years and it's 70 years old. There was an older 18,000 BTU wall unit on the main level on a 220V 30 amp breaker when I moved in. I replaced that twice with a 23,500 BTU unit on a 20 amp breaker but that's getting pretty old now too. All other AC units are window type and one portable in the den with a home made azek mount I made for the casement window. I was considering going through the wall for the hoses but generally don't like the portable unit.

The two rooms that I would like for a mini split, if I go that way, are on the ground level and the computer room (small bedroom} directly above. The computer room needs a lot of cooling because of the computers.

I live in New Jersey and have no interest in any heating ability the units may have.

I chose the home warranty based on the experience my niece had with the company. I guess we'll see what happens if I need to use it.

Some additional details may help. We have parrots. The birds love being in the window and the one double hung window in the computer room disappears for them when a window unit is there. The second window in that room is a slider and too small to accept a window unit. That's why I am considering a mini split. The den has a bow window with 4 casement windows and one fixed window in the middle of the bow. There is no place for a window unit and the room is directly below the computer room so the dual zone mini split seems like a good solution for both rooms.

A second alternative for the computer room may be a U design type window unit. The only alternatives for the den are through the wall, mini split, or central.

If you search "MINI SPLITS" on Facebook market place you will find dozens, even a hundred adds selling mini splits out of garages and shipping containers with every strange name under the sun. Prices range from a few hundred dollars up to a couple of grand, and many of the sellers offer installation. As a resident of NJ the cost for an electrician to run a circuit to the outside unit, and the permits will cost more than a cheap mini split and installation. It's not brain surgery or rocket science, and anyone can jump into the market with cheap mini splits for sale, they've become disposable.

Most are made by Midea, Haier, Daikin or Gree in a box with some other companies strange name printed on them, and some actually have the name's of some of the above Asian manufacturers on them. I even see garages full of Mitsubishi mini splits for sale. (fake or not I do not know).

Buy a cheap one, pop a hole through the wall and plug it together. Run power yourself or hire someone. And when the garbage breaks replace it with another cheapo. Soon Mitsubishi and other top brands will fold from the saturation of the market with the cheapo's.

Panasonic had the best TV's in the world with a build and engineering that was overkill making them the best reliable TV you could by. They pulled out to the U.S. market 12 ago form the pressure of cheap, low quality, obsolete technology flooding the market and chose not to compete. Just last year they decided to re enter the American market, and when my Panasonic Plasma TV finally bites the dust I'll buy a new Panasonic but may not happen in my life time. They were designed to have a half life of 70 years on the screen, and after 17 years it's just got broken in. This is what we are up against, a cheap low quality invasion from China, like an evasive specie using stolen technology.

While you say you have no interest in heating, heat pumps tend to be efficient. The people I know who put them in for the A/C end up using them for heating, because it's cheaper. I think heat pumps are pretty comparable with only A/C, once you've paid to install it.

I was asking about your heating situation to see how complicated it might be to add central air conditioning to it, you know like if you have a boiler with baseboards or radiators for heating it would make the AC install for ducting and such much harder as well as more expensive.

What type of walls do you have? sheet rock or lathe and plaster?

Mini splits can make this a bit less challenging, but having a home full of these kinds of units can do a tag team on your finances at some point. Maybe not so much for NJ climate and only using them for a 3 month at best AC season? Maybe you get 10 years out of them withou much fuss?

Older homes have charm, but trying to add central air to them can be quite the project.

I imagine a 70 year old house in NJ has baseboard heating. It is understandable why you would not be interested in using the mini splits for heating. If the fuel is natural gas, then the cost of heating compared to mini splits is going to be close. You would need the cost of gas and electricitiy and the efficiencies of each heating system to make an accurate assessment.

Those who live in NJ know the cooling season is longer than 3 months. It was 80 degrees in my house yesterday and I came very close to turing on the AC.

The house is 70 years old and does indeed have HW baseboard heating and the original Blue Circle gas cast iron boiler.. The house is an awful design being a front to back split. It was a single zone system when I moved in but piped for multiple zoned. I installed zone valves and converted the 120V thermostat to 24V. I know central AC is possible because many of my neighbors have installed systems. With just the two of us in the house central AC seems like over kill but I would get quotes if I could get a contractor to actually come to my home and give me an estimate.

Someone here mentioned Facebook Marketplace as an inexpensive source for mini split units. Does anyone have any experience with dealing with these individuals? The listed prices are enticing but I know there's a catch.

I have found that when the outside temperature is high enough for efficient heat pumping, that is, the COP is three or so, that the mini splits can provide tailored heating, and generally do so more economically than oil heat (which I have with baseboard heating -- 8 zones including MUA ). If I had propane heating, there would likely be an even greater mini-split advantage. I don't have a way to use natural gas, so I don't know the economics of natural gas-fired baseboard heating vs. mini splits at temperatures where the COP is decent.

Note, however, that when in heat pump mode, the external unit is taking heat from the air. To do this the exterior heat exchanger has to be very cold, and moisture in the air freezes onto the coils. If the humidity is high the unit then has to routinely "defrost" the heat exchanger. Not only is this wasteful of electricity, but during the cycle no interior heating is being performed.