Mini-Split Air Conditioning System

Find out how a mini-split air conditioner can help cool down a room or set of rooms that are hard to keep cool in the summer. Learn how they work and what their benefits are.

LESLIE: Well, during the warmest summer months, even a good central AC system might have some trouble keeping your entire house cool.

TOM: Ah, but there is a solution that can help you strategically cool off those hottest parts of your house. To tell us how, we welcome our friends, host Kevin O’Connor and Richard Trethewey from TV’s This Old House.

So Kevin, where do we begin?

KEVIN: If you have one or two rooms in your house that are hard to keep cool – maybe an addition that wasn’t part of the original central air conditioning plan or a room that receives full sun – a mini-split air conditioning system may solve your problem.

Richard, how do these things work?

RICHARD: Well, unlike a conventional window air conditioner where all the components are in one box to make the air cool – that’s the reason they have to sit on the outside wall or in a window – a mini-split separates the outdoor unit – the condenser – from the indoor unit – the evaporator. That means you can put those indoor units anywhere you want inside – on an inside wall, on an outside wall, anywhere you want – and you can really zone it to your heart’s content. They actually have units with multiple indoor air handlers off of one outdoor condenser.

KEVIN: Sounds like a great design.

RICHARD: Absolutely. It is. And it’s really not that different from a central air conditioning system, except that because there are separate air handlers in every room, you don’t need to run those big ducts. Perfect for retrofit.

KEVIN: And to watch a video of a mini-split air conditioning installation, visit us at ThisOldHouse.com.

LESLIE: You know, that would actually be a perfect fit for my house. You know, we’ve got an older home, no central AC. Let me tell you, I am sick and tired of being super hot all summer long. (Tom and Leslie chuckle) So if you’re like me and you’re starting to think that this is something that can actually work in your home, then visit ThisOldHouse.com. You can watch a step-by-step video that’s going to show you exactly how to install a mini-split AC system. And This Old House, they’re brought to you by GMC; a proud sponsor of This Old House. GMC – we are professional grade.