Cooling · Tri-Cities
Ductless mini-split installation in Richland, WA
AirCare installs ductless mini-splits for additions, shops, garages and homes without ducts. One outdoor unit, one or more indoor heads, and no ductwork to build.
Chapter 01
Where ductless fits, and where central air is the better answer
A mini-split is a heat pump with the ducts taken out. An outdoor unit connects to one or more indoor heads through a small line set, so heating and cooling reach a room without a single foot of new ductwork. That makes it the natural fit for a room addition, a converted garage, a shop, a sunroom, or an older Richland house that never had ducts to begin with.
It is also the fix for the one room the main system never cooled well. A head on the wall of that bedroom or bonus room solves the problem without touching the rest of the house.
Ductless is not always the cheaper whole-house answer. AirCare's own published comparison puts central air at roughly $3,500 to $9,500 installed when the existing ductwork is sound, and notes that adding or replacing ducts can push a project past $15,000. If your ducts are in good shape, we will tell you so.
Daikin ductless outdoor unit mounted on grey siding
Install day: head placement, line set and condensate
The details that decide whether a mini-split feels good happen before anything is mounted. The indoor head goes where air can reach the room without blowing straight at the couch or the bed. The outdoor unit goes where it has clearance, a solid pad or bracket, and a sensible run back to the head.
Then the line set, the electrical disconnect and the condensate drain, which needs a real slope so water leaves the house instead of staining the wall. The lines are pulled down and checked, the system is brought up and commissioned with gauges, and you are walked through the remote and the fan settings before we leave.
Findings and the estimate are reviewed with you before work begins, so there are no surprises on install day. If you are wondering about a particular room, call (509) 579-9979 and describe it.
Chapter 03
What ductless costs: AirCare's published ranges
AirCare's own guidance is roughly $2,000 to $6,000 for a single-zone system. Whole-home multi-zone setups typically run $6,500 to $15,000 or more. Those are published planning ranges, not quotes.
What moves the number is the count of indoor heads, how far the line set has to travel, and what the electrical needs. A one-room shop and a five-room house are different jobs, and the price follows. Flat-rate, transparent pricing means you see the figure and the findings before any work starts.
Once it is running, the upkeep is modest: clean the head filters, keep the outdoor unit clear of weeds and drifted debris, and book a routine visit. AirCare's guidance is that routine maintenance visits typically fall between $100 and $200, and maintenance plans are available if you would rather have the visits scheduled for you.
Trevor Nelson and his brother Cameron run the calls at AirCare Heating & Cooling. Licensed, bonded and insured, WA L&I licence AIRCAHC759DC. Call (509) 579-9979, any hour.