Cost of ductless split A/C system installation

[Alfred_B]

I just purchased a 2 ton mini split A/C system and all the parts. Was going to purchase the tools and install it myself but the wife insisted to hire a professional.

Has anyone hired an HVAC expert to install such a system? They will need to run the 240 volt electric from the box for about 30 feet, install the compressor outside and the indoor unit, test and charge the system.

I am guessing about $1,500 for it. Is this a ballpark figure? It's a small town so not many choices for competing quotes.

 

[Al]

Just let the professional charge and test it.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: Al
Just let the professional charge and test it.


? That's what he said

He was listing what the contractor would have to do. And asking for an estimate.

I'd have to say it might be more... just because they wont be making their massive markup on the unit so they may stick it to you on labor.

 

[expat]

We just had a quote for a four head unit of $7,600 +tax + electrical hook up.

Which seemed W-a-y too much for me, considering our install would be easy.

What did your unit cost?

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: Rand
I'd have to say it might be more... just because they wont be making their massive markup on the unit so they may stick it to you on labor.


I agree with the above comment. It's not rocket science and you can DIY. I'm about to do it myself. Going to run a dedicated electrical feed and make a concrete mounting pad for the compressor and install the disconnect switch.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: Al
Just let the professional charge and test it.


? That's what he said

He said install and charge.
I was saying charge and test only.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I'd have an electrican (or savvy handyman)run the electrical FIRST - but have the AC install guy come out first and ask him where and what he wants. MAybe you can save money and time by pouring the concrete pad for the condenser/compressor unit yourself (or use concrete slabs).

 

[Nyati]

I got a 3 ton Carrier installed in my 3 car garage for $2100. Best $ I've ever spent. My electric bill went up $6 a month, and it's ice cold with no humidity when I'm out there. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Mr Nice]

I also have a Carrier that will freeze your butt in the hot / humid Florida summer.


Alfred,
I would do the job myself and only hire a 'professional' after you have problems.

 

[VetteElite]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I also have a Carrier that will freeze your butt in the hot / humid Florida summer.


Alfred,
I would do the job myself and only hire a 'professional' after you have problems.


Why put professional in scare quotes?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
I am guessing about $1,500 for it. Is this a ballpark figure? It's a small town so not many choices for competing quotes.


There is simply no way to get even a ballpark figure on a discussion forum. You have a lot of variables-you can't/won't/aren't allowed to to any of the work yourself, you have a limited number of choices, and you've already purchased the equipment. There's no way to know what obstacles and issues are present that you don't see but a pro will see. There's no way to know if the limited choices in your area are a couple of larger companies with trained personnel or a couple of mom and pop operations who may or may not be familiar with the system you've purchased.

Since there is electrical work to be done, are permits needed? Is there a chance that the inspector will see other issues and require them to be fixed before signing off?

What's the labor rate? How many sundry items will be needed?

Again, there are far to many variables to give any sort of estimate on a discussion forum.

 

[dishdude]

I didn't think there was much to these, isn't it pretty much a window AC split in two?

 

[Mr Nice]

VetteElite,

That's what his wife is instructing his to do, get a licensed 'electrician' to do the job.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I didn't think there was much to these, isn't it pretty much a window AC split in two?


With hi pressure/low pressure line sets, if I've read this right.
There really isn't too much to these, but you must have an evacuator to get the air and moisture out of the lines.
Just a little thinking outside the box here.....I wonder if the manufacturer will put a warranty on these if it's a DIY job...

 

[Slick17601]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: dishdude
I didn't think there was much to these, isn't it pretty much a window AC split in two?


With hi pressure/low pressure line sets, if I've read this right.
There really isn't too much to these, but you must have an evacuator to get the air and moisture out of the lines.
Just a little thinking outside the box here.....I wonder if the manufacturer will put a warranty on these if it's a DIY job...


You also need to figure out a drain for the condensate.

 

[Alfred_B]

The manufacturer requires a licensed installer for warranty.

These have the condenser outside running on 240v, high and low pressure lines and a 120v line connecting to the indoor unit. The indoor unit has a drain line that goes outside. The indoor unit is essentially a fan and a heat exchanger.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
I just purchased a 2 ton mini split A/C system and all the parts. Was going to purchase the tools and install it myself but the wife insisted to hire a professional.

Has anyone hired an HVAC expert to install such a system? They will need to run the 240 volt electric from the box for about 30 feet, install the compressor outside and the indoor unit, test and charge the system.

I am guessing about $1,500 for it. Is this a ballpark figure? It's a small town so not many choices for competing quotes.


Im interested to see what you come up with.

I did this last year... Baloon frame home, some insulation, but very simple install in terms of seeing where the piping would route and how the system would be installed.

You can easily see retail/wholesale prices for the split units online.

For a $1500 unit, installers wanted $4500-5000 for the system, installed. Lots of useless talk about not knowing what was in the walls (irrelevant because I was allowing them to ruin it down the outside of our home with linehide, as opposed to running it through the wall, a cleaner and better installation, which is what we did).

In the end I bought all USA made tools, spent roughly a day doing the job, and got the unit full wholesale. So $1300 for the equipment $800 or so for the all US made pro-grade tools, and DIY. No issues. Have done more since. I get it that my time is worth something, but sorry... I don't make $2400 even gross for an 8 hour day's work.

All the garbage about not knowing how much it costs to run a business and all that is just that, garbage. HVAC is a first rate thief of an industry, because one can easily make scaled analogies of any other trade from automotive to plumbing or electrical, etc., and find that the numbers don't match up at all.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I didn't think there was much to these, isn't it pretty much a window AC split in two?



Any system is more or less the same, window, split or central. They all run roughly off the Rankine thermodynamic cycle.

The benefit of mini split is that all the loud components are placed far away from the evaporator, so they are not heard (unlike a window AC), yet, because the refrigerant is piped directly to the evaporator vesus done centrally, there are no duct losses and much higher efficiency of operating, and no volumetric waste of space with ducts. You can also control temperature by space (unlike central).

While a good central unit may be 13-16 SEER, the mini splits are now in excess of 24 SEER, and I think Ive even seen one that is at 30.

Split ductless is absolutely the way to go, IMO.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Split ductless is absolutely the way to go, IMO.


Not absolutely all of the time. The whole mini-split system is there for you to see, taking up (sometimes) valuable space, and as mentioned, possibly needs a condensate pump or at the very least, a gravity-feed water drain. A central air unit can quite often be hidden in a basement or closet and a window unit actually takes up very little indoor living space. It is true that a mini-split can be more efficient than a window unit or central air.

 

[Alfred_B]

Thank you all for your help.

The install was quite easy, not a big deal with all the information available to the DIY-er.

This was for a split A/C unit install. After the house wiring was done, I installed the indoor and outdoor units myself. Then I wired the indoor unit with the outdoor unit and then connected the electric supply.

Had an HVAC expert come and test the line for leaks and vacuum them. The condenser came with the refrigerant so all he had to do is open the valve.

The initial quote was $1,500. The final bill was $136. The materials cost about $300.

So a few hours of pleasant honest work saved me around $1,000 or about $200/hour.

Not bad.