When Arizona homeowners come to us asking for a new ductless mini-split air conditioner, the first question they always ask us is, “How much does it cost to install?” In Arizona, the cost to install a new ductless mini-split air conditioner ranges from $1,800 to $7,000+, with the average being $2,500. Your price will vary based mainly on these 4 factors: Let’s explore those cost factors in more detail. True to its name, the mini split is split into 2 main components: outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air-handling unit. However, unlike a central A/C system, a mini-split system can have multiple indoor units. Each indoor unit creates its own "zone" of comfort, allowing you to cool individual rooms with separate remote controls. Your main take away: The more indoor units you want, the higher the final cost. “Size” refers to the mini-split cooling capacity, measured in tons or BTUs. The larger the mini-split, the more it costs. Proper sizing is important because, according to Energy.gov,

“The (mini-split) installer must correctly size each indoor unit and determine the best location for its installation. Oversized or incorrectly located air handlers can result in short cycling, which wastes energy and does not provide proper temperature or humidity control. store ac unit winterToo large a system is more expensive to buy and operate.”sizing a portable ac unit So, a system that’s too small won’t provide enough cooling; how to fix a portable ac unittoo big, it wastes money. Lucky for you, you don’t have to figure out what size you need. Contact an HVAC company that offers mini-split systems  and they will find the correct size for you. A mini-split system’s energy efficiency is measured by its SEER rating.

The higher the SEER rating, the higher your monthly savings. But it also means a higher upfront cost. Labor cost is hard to predict because it varies from company to company. HVAC companies  typically charge in two different ways: The installer will give you an “estimate” before doing any work. But you won’t know the actual price until they finish the installation, meaning that you may get a price far above the original estimate. The installer will give you an actual price after they determine the system’s size, number of indoor units and your desired energy efficiency—but BEFORE they actually do any work. Meaning you can get the price upfront and then choose to get a price elsewhere, if you want. This method prevents sticker shock, and, because of that, it’s our preferred method of pricing. Finding a good company to install a mini-split system means asking the right questions. The ACCA offers a list of basic questions you should ask any contractor.

Contact George Brazil to schedule a free consultation with a mini-split A/C estimate. We’ve been serving Arizona homeowners since 1955!The cost of installation can vary wildly simple because some situations require more time and material. In this installation, the indoor unit had only one possible place to be mounted as all the other external walls had windows and sliding doors with no room above them. It could have been installed back-to-back but that would have meant the outdoor unit would have been right next to the back door and in the entertaining area. The customer suggested that we locate the unit down the side of the house that they rarely used. What that entailed was pipes to be run outside, then up into the roof and across to the side of the house and back out and down the wall. A lot of extra pipe and a lot of extra care and attention need to get them in neatly. Once again, this is a perfect example of spending extra to get a better outcome. Going for the cheap option would have meant an air conditioner in the entertaining area.

Remember, once these units are installed, they are there for a long time. As you can see in the floor plan, if the unit had of been installed back to back, the outdoor unit would have sat right near the back door and in the entertainment area. The installation ended up needing an extra 10m of pipe and electrical cables. Running pipes through roofs like this really does take alot more time and skill. Getting the pipes in and out of the roof space without kinking them is very fiddly and making sure it is finished nice and neatly is a priority for us. The plan was sent to us by the client and allowed us to accurately quote the length of pipe required and the extra costs involved. This job is a perfect example of a difficult installation being assessd using our online quoting tool without the need for an onsite quote. We where actually able to complete this quote on the same day we received the photos and installed the unit the very next day. It is worth noting that the unit installed was the Fujitsu ASTG24LFCB which has a maximum pipe run of 20m.

The unit comes pre-charge with enough refrigerant to cover the length required. Some units don't allow such a long run without adding more refrigerant, which will add extra costs for installation. We are able to advise you which unit will suit best. Air conditioners installed in rooms at the front of your house Some times when indoor units are installed on the front of a house it is possible to eliminate external duct work on the walls and also no out door unit at the front either. To do this it requires a brick cavity and acces into the cavity by lifting tiles and in some cases colourbond sheeting. It takes alot more time and effort to achieve this so these installations do cost more. In this scenario we were required to run the pipes to the side of the house through the roof. As you can see, an air conditioner mounted on the wall above the garage would not look to good. We were also able to run the drain down the cavity and out the side near a downpipe.

The cost involved in doing it this way was approximately $400-$500 more. Certainly money well spent when you consider the longevity of the unit and the aesthetic value maintained at the front of the house. The unit installed was the Fujitsu ASTG09KMCA 2.5KW. Mounting the outdoor unit on a roof instead of the ground As you may have discovered ny now, installing a split system back to back is the cheapest option. But, it is not always the most logical option. In this install example the client did not want the outdoor unit to sit on the ground back to back. As you can see, not only would that locate the unit just outside the window but it would have meant relocating the timber benches which were home to their beloved pot plants (moved prior to install to allow access. After browsing through our website the client was awware that it was possible to locate the condensor on the flat roof above thier lounge room. The price to install the Samsung 5kw split system back to back was $2335

The final price to relocate outdoor unit to roof was $2635 inc GST. The extra $300 reflects the extra labour required to lift the outdoor unit onto the roof and the time and effort required to run the pipes through the roof and weather seal the roof as well. Locating indoor units to minimize materials and labour This installation was for 2 x 2.5kw split systems to service two upstairs bedrooms. The indoor units were located in the positions shown in photo 1 so the we could cover the external pipe, drain and cables in the same duct. Doing this meant that the client did not have to pay for the extra duct required if each split system required seperate ducts. It also save cost on labour as doing them seperate essentailly means twice the work on the outsdie of the house. Also, another upside to this is that there is only on duct run externally so the job looks that little bit neater. The outdoor units ended up in a location that was probably not ideal but were located that way to keep the clients costs down also.