05/29/2026
This is a mini-split air conditioner with a heat pump. For well over 20 years these compact and efficient units have been used widely across Europe, but in the United States people are really just starting to realize their value and application. For spaces like this small, old home that was built without central air conditioning these mini-split systems are a game changer. No ductwork required, multiple configuration options for the air handler part of the system, which in this case is on the inside wall opposite this condenser unit.
There are also condenser units just like this that can run two, three, four air handlers located in different spots inside a building. The beautiful thing in a multi-air handler solution allows each unit on the inside of the building to be programmed multiple different ways and act as their own zone. They can also be configured with a heat pump, which is a great option for redundancy, and for keeping spaces warm, especially in those transitional months between seasons where most people don’t really want to turn their heat on yet. Of course they are not the answer to every HVAC challenge but they are an excellent option in the right situations.
Among the many “pros” for using these systems, generally speaking the units are fairly cost-effective to both install and operate.
At Milan Construction, we have installed many mini-split systems over the years, including in client projects, our own investment properties, and even some parts of our own home, where it was going to be very costly and very intrusive to install traditional central air ducts.
If you have a home or space where proper temperature conditioning has always been problematic, we are happy to discuss the possibilities to remedy such situations.