Mini splits in Crestview

Where mini splits make sense here

A mini split is an outdoor unit connected by a small refrigerant line set to one or more indoor heads mounted on a wall or ceiling. No ductwork.

• Garage or workshop. Many air handlers in this area sit in the garage; that doesn't mean the garage gets any cooling.
• Bonus room over the garage. These rooms are hard for the main system to reach and are often the hottest in the house on an inland summer afternoon, when Crestview's July average high is 93°F against 91°F at the coast.
• Additions and in-law suites. Separate control, and you don't overload the existing system.
• A hot bedroom at the end of a long duct run, where fixing the duct isn't practical. In older Fort Walton Beach houses, where 45% of homes were built before 1980, the duct layout often wasn't designed for how the house is used now.

Most mini splits are heat pumps, so they heat too, and here that gets used. Crestview's January average low is 38°F. Ask about a dry or dehumidify mode if the room has a lot of glass or sits closed up between uses.

What it costs

Fixr puts a mini split install at $4,577 to $8,328, with an average around $6,357. The spread comes from the number of indoor heads, capacity, the length of the line set, where the outdoor unit sits, and the electrical work.

Ask for an itemized quote: the capacity of the outdoor unit in Btu per hour or tons (a ton is 12,000 Btu per hour), the number and size of indoor heads, the SEER2 rating, line set length, the condensate drain route, the electrical work, and the permit. Two quotes that differ by thousands often differ on one of those lines. See is this AC quote fair.

Sizing matters as much here as with a central system. An oversized head in a small room short cycles and leaves it clammy. Ask how the size was calculated. See humidity and musty smells.

The CHELCO mini split rebate

Check your bill to see which utility serves you. CHELCO pays $350 per ton on mini split heat pumps rated 15 SEER or more, single-family homes only. The catch is the order of steps: every CHELCO rebate needs a load calculation by CHELCO Energy Services and a licensed installer. Call CHELCO before the install. A mini split put in first and calculated later is the easy way to miss it.

FPL Northwest FL's $200 instant rebate is for a complete new indoor and outdoor system rated 15.2 SEER2 or higher through a participating contractor; ask the company whether a mini split qualifies before counting on it. More in lowering an AC bill on FPL or CHELCO.

Permits

The Florida Building Code requires a permit for mechanical work like this. In the City of Crestview, a contractor who asks you to pull the permit is a warning sign; the city says that contractor may not be licensed. Outside city limits, Okaloosa County runs trade permits through its "Fast Lane" and issues them the next day. Walton County and the cities of Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Niceville have their own building departments, so confirm with the one for your address, including whether a separate electrical permit is needed.

If the mini split is going into a garage conversion or a new addition, the room itself may have permit questions of its own; that's a separate matter from the mini split. Check the license number at MyFloridaLicense.com before signing. See how to verify a Florida AC license.

Things to ask before you buy

• Where will the condensate drain go? A mini split head makes water like any AC. Some need a small pump.
• Where will the line set run, and will it be covered on the outside wall?
• Is the outdoor unit going on a wall bracket or a pad? Near the bay or the Gulf, ask about salt exposure. See salt air and AC corrosion.
• How are the indoor filters cleaned? They need it often, and dirty heads are a common source of smell.
• If the contract is over $2,500, Florida law requires the construction lien notice in it. Get lien releases from anyone who sent you a Notice to Owner before you pay.