Induction stoves are becoming more popular, as more people look at removing gas from their home. Up to one-third of people plan to consider induction for their next range.

But only having had two real options for decades, people might wonder how much a switch to induction really costs. So we asked homeowners who took the induction leap to look up their receipts and share how much it costs to install their stoves. We also priced out the best-selling and most well-reviewed induction stoves at appliance stores.

Here’s what 90 recent induction stove buyers told us it cost them to buy and set up their induction stoves and ranges.

Average cost of an induction stove

Among the 90 people who responded to our survey, the average cost of their induction stove was $2,231. They ranged in price from $600 to $9,200, though only four of them cost more than about $4,000.

Induction prices

We surveyed the best-selling models at Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy, and priced out the best-reviewed models on editorial review sites. We saw a price range of roughly $1,100 to $4,400 for the most popular models. 

There’s a noticeable jump between standard models costing as little as $1,100, and feature-rich models costing $3,000 or more. The higher-priced models tend to have the knobs that some cooks strongly prefer to touch-sensitive controls.

Electrical work and installation

Many homes that were built with gas stoves don’t have the proper electrical wiring for induction stoves. So we asked a few questions about the cost of electrical work.

Among those we surveyed, only 15 people (about 16%) said they had to upgrade their electrical panel, and 11 of them did so as part of a larger remodel or construction project. 

39 people (43%) had a new 220-volt outlet installed and wired for their stove, but it was part of a larger project for 20 of them.

Unsurprisingly the percentage of homeowners that had to pay for electrical work was higher among those switching from gas stoves than traditional electric. 59 people (65%) that switched from gas had to pay for electrical work. By comparison, only 4 (13%) people that switched from a traditional electric stove had to pay for electrical work.

The average cost for all the electrical work was $987 among homeowners that had to pay for this work.

Some noted that their induction stove was part of a wider project to upgrade their electrical systems. For example, one homeowner wanted to “Bring a 1950s kitchen up to code”. A handful of people were making room for not just an induction stove, but also rewiring for an electric vehicle charger. One respondent planned to replace their furnace and hot water heater, presumably with a heat pump and hybrid water heater.

Rebates (or lack thereof)

Only three of our 90 respondents reported receiving rebates for their induction stove upgrade: $300, $380, and $600, for stoves that were relatively expensive. 

We didn’t ask where they received rebates, but given the lack of rebates available for switching to induction, we assume these came from the manufacturers, not government programs.

Satisfaction and motivation

We also asked people how happy they were with their induction stove, and what motivated them to switch from what they had before. Their responses, on a scale of 1-10, averaged 9.25.

So why did the homeowners we surveyed choose to buy an induction stove? 

Cooking performance

• “Boils water quickly + very fine-grain control of heat”
• “Easy to clean, fast heating, good looking, has an air fryer and convection baking in oven”
• “We have a family that cooks, and small children. No way would I let my daughter cook on a gas stove. [Induction has] little heat transfer to the glass (while it gets hot, it’s not that hot).”
  

Indoor air quality

• “Better control, better air quality, safer, push the technology forward”
• “Did not want new gas stove due to excessive heating in the kitchen and poor indoor air quality”
• “Indoor pollution—kids.”

Sustainability

• “First step to get natural gas out of my new construction”
• “Last thing to electrify whole house, now have to remove gas meter”
• “Stop burning natural gas inside the home”

Is induction worth the cost?

Compared to a gas stove, induction is safer, healthier, and easier to clean. Gas cooking has been shown to increase the risk of asthma in children by 42%.

Gas stoves are also bad for the environment. The methane that leaks from gas stoves every year—just the functioning stove, not any gas lines—has the same emissions potential as 500,000 gasoline-powered cars on the road.

For most homeowners deciding between an induction versus electric stove, it’s really a question of how much you’re willing to pay for a better cooking experience. 

Many professional chef’s love induction stoves. But the reality is that many people either don’t cook that much, or don’t really care about the performance of their stove. 

So if money’s tight, and the idea of a more responsive cooktop doesn’t speak to you, we recommend going with a traditional electric stove. Otherwise, splurge and get the induction stove.

But whatever you do, don’t install another gas stove. Electrifying your home, with as many efficient devices as possible, helps move us all closer to a world without fossil fuels. And that’s a world we can all aspire to.

The post How Much Does an Induction Stove Cost? appeared first on Carbon Switch.

If it’s time to replace your gas stove, or you’ve decided you’re no longer comfortable with indoor air pollution, you could be comparing an induction cooktop (or range) to gas.

If you’re willing to adapt your cooking style just a bit, there is almost no downside to induction. It’s faster, more efficient, and safer. It produces less ambient heat in your home and no harmful fumes. And it removes one more point of natural gas from your home, reducing your carbon impact and eliminating potential methane leaks. 

Induction stoves cost a bit more than gas, at least upfront, but given how much worse gas stoves are for human health, we think this is well worth the cost.

What is induction cooking? How is it different from gas?

A gas stove lights natural gas on fire, then controls the amount of gas flowing to that flame, either underneath a burner or inside a stove. That’s conduction: gas burns, the heat is conducted to your cookware, and your cookware then cooks your food.

Induction, by comparison, is direct heat. An electromagnet sitting just underneath the ceramic flat surface creates a magnetic field that reaches the pan sitting on it. That field induces a reaction with the metals in your pan that resist it, which warms the pan up and then cooks your food.

Induction has quite a few advantages over gas, including:

• Faster cooking, especially boiling liquids
• Faster response to temperature changes
• Less waste heat (cooler kitchen)
• Safer cooking without exposed flames
• Built-in timers and safety features against leaving a burner on
• Easier clean-up
• Eliminating the indoor air pollution of gas stoves
• No gas line capable of leaking
• Electrifying your home toward fewer carbon emissions

For far more information on induction cooking, and our recommendations on how to buy the right stove, check out our guide to induction stoves and cooktops.

Costs

Upfront purchase

New induction stoves cost more than new gas stoves. Some of this is to be expected, given that they’re a newer product category, and have more advanced capabilities (especially since most come with convection-driven, or “air fry,” electric ovens).

Shopping at big-box appliance stores, we saw a range of $550-$1,600 for a 30-inch or slide-in gas stove, at 5-6.5 cubic feet in size. There are certainly more expensive stoves, but we cut off the top range where prices started to jump for unique looks or attention-getting features.

The same sizes of induction stoves were $1,200 to $2,000 (similarly limited to mainstream models without expensive upgrades). More expensive induction stoves tend to start at $3,000.

It’s worth noting, too, that many appliance stores and chains may not have induction models available for immediate, local pick-up and delivery—at least at this stage in induction’s growth. You can likely get delivery for free on such a significant online purchase—and possibly even installation, if your kitchen is ready for it.

Installation

Some people won’t need to pay much to install their stove, gas or induction, depending on what was there before. If your home already has a gas stove, buying another gas stove is the path of least resistance. Similarly, it’s easier to install an induction stove where an electric stove was before.

Induction stoves, like electric, require a dedicated 220-volt outlet, connected to a 40-50-amp circuit breaker. If you’re moving on from gas, you may need to install high-capacity wiring, a new outlet, and, potentially, upgrade your electrical panel. Finally, you will want to cap your gas line.

This is likely work for a licensed electrician (and plumber, if a gas cap is needed), and the costs would depend on your existing wiring and panel, the distance from the kitchen to the panel, and other variables in your home.

It’s not too likely, but if you’re choosing between induction and a gas stove for a home that doesn’t yet have a stove: don’t. Natural gas prices are soaring and volatile at the time of publication. Gas stoves produce potent greenhouse gasses like methane, which cause climate change. And probably worst of all, gas stoves produce harmful indoor air pollutants that dramatically increase the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Adding a gas line to a kitchen now, just for the sake of a gas stove, is not a great investment. If you’re not sold on induction as a cooking technology, you should, at a minimum, buy an electric stove. It’s better for your indoor air quality, for the planet, and if you or someone else wants to switch to induction later, it’s much easier.

Cookware

Image via Marco Verch Professional/Flickr.

Induction cooking requires pots and pans that react to magnetism. The simple test is to see if a magnet is attracted to the bottom; if it sticks, the pan is ready for induction. If not, you’ll need to invest in a few new pans.

Many pots and pans already work with induction, even if they’re not specifically labeled or sold as induction-ready. Cast iron, many kinds of steel (stainless or otherwise), some non-stick pans, and Dutch ovens (which are cast iron coated with glass). Nothing will go wrong if you use the wrong pan; the cooktop will simply give you an error and won’t heat it up.

Cooking techniques

Induction cooking, compared to a gas burner, allows for much faster heat-ups, quicker temperature changes, and safer cooking without flames or burning-hot surfaces. Induction converts 90% of its energy to cooking heat, versus 74% for an electric stove, and 40% for a gas stove.

Because the pan should stay in contact with the burner, you’re better off stirring with a utensil than grabbing the pan and flipping food around (you can still do it, you’ll just see an error and lose the power for a moment).

And the mental timings you might have for your techniques and recipes need adjusting, because your induction cooking will go much faster. You might not have as much time to prepare ingredients while other things are heating, and, at first, you’ll have to watch things more closely, like garlic and onions browning. But having a meal done quicker is certainly a nice perk.

If you choose an induction stove, you’ll get the same kind of oven as electric stoves. Increasingly, that means a stove labeled as offering “air frying.” Air frying is essentially a trendy rebrand of a convection oven, where circulating air provides more even heating and crispy/browned foods than a traditional radiant-heat electric oven. Gas stoves also offer air frying, but, as you might imagine, electric ovens are more consistent and accurate.

Appearance

Induction stoves look remarkably similar to most other stoves. It makes sense: they have the same kinds of oven space as electric or gas, and then the flat-top cooking surface of most modern electric stoves.

One notable change for many induction stoves is that they tend to feature buttons, or touch-sensitive panels, rather than the knobs common to gas stoves. That’s a benefit of the technology—you can set many finer temperatures or power levels on the stovetop than simply nudging a dial where you roughly want it. 

But if you prefer the control and feel of dials, or don’t trust touch panels not to break, you can find induction ovens with knobs.

Maintenance, repair, and care

Most of what you’ll need to do to keep an induction stove running are the same as for a gas or electric stove. The inner stove needs regular cleaning. The flat stovetop needs cleaning whenever possible. And ventilation is important, as for any cooking appliance.

Cleaning up an induction stove is notably easier than a gas stove. The heat is inside the pan, not literally flaming up from underneath, so both your stove and your pans pick up fewer marks and burns.

The most significant difference with induction cooktops is their ceramic-glass surfaces. They can scratch or scuff if certain cookware slides around on top of them. While they don’t get nearly as hot as traditional electric cooktops, food can still get crusted onto induction cooktops, if it gets trapped underneath the cookware. And if you drop a too-heavy pot or pan on the cooktop, it could chip, or even shatter. None of this is likely to happen with common, cautious cooking, but it’s worth noting.

Follow your stove’s instructions for the best cleaning and maintenance tips. These will typically involve wiping down when cool with a non-abrasive sponge, or a glass scraper for tough gunk.

Environmental benefits

As noted in our induction stove buyer’s guide, “natural gas” is great marketing for something that is mostly methane, a gas that is 80 times more potent at warming the earth than carbon dioxide. The methane that leaks from gas stoves every year—just the functioning stove, not any gas lines—has the same emissions potential as 500,000 gasoline-powered cars on the road.

Just as importantly, induction stoves run on electricity. The U.S.’ electrical supply has a lot of coal and natural gas behind it, but it’s quickly adding more renewables. By cutting off gas and electrifying your home, you’re setting yourself up (and the future people who own your home) to help move the nation, and world, away from burning fossil fuels for everyday needs.

Health benefits

There have been many studies showing that gas stoves are a major source of indoor pollution. Gas cooking has been shown to increase the risk of asthma in children by 42%. Almost no home in America has the kind of ventilation needed to clear the nitrogen dioxide emissions caused by gas stoves.

Carbon Switch founder Michael Thomas recently measured the contaminants his gas stove was releasing in his house, and was shocked at the direct impact gas cooking had on his household air. You can read more about it in “How bad is my gas stove? (Part Two).”

Are there any downsides to induction?

We’ve heard from some induction stove owners about annoyances with their stoves. One of them summarized the main problem: there isn’t a big enough induction market yet for stove makers to prioritize better interfaces and potential flaw fixes.

A big complaint from one user was the touch controls present on many induction cooktops. Besides beeping responses to every change, the touch controls are often super-sensitive, such that stray liquids from cooking can activate them, or make them difficult to touch properly.

There’s also a downside to induction’s efficiency. Induction cooktops directly activate heat in the pan above them, but the heat doesn’t spread like it would with a gas flame or resistance coil. That means that if you’re cooking something across a pot or pan that’s wider than the cooktop itself, food at the edges of the pan won’t get as much heat. One reader said this was a more noticeable problem on pancake Sundays.

Some stoves also have safeguards that prevent a pan from getting too hot—generally wise, but annoying if you’re trying to sear something.

Is there any reason to go with a gas stove?

If your gas stove has failed, or you’ve decided you’re done with it, now is the time to switch to induction. Buying another gas stove locks your house into gas supply for however long that appliance lasts (probably not as long as you’d hope, but still a matter of many years).

At a minimum, if the higher cost, electrical work, and/or new cookware costs seem too much, or if induction’s style doesn’t suit you, consider switching to a traditional electric oven. It’s the same kind of roasting oven you’d get with an induction stove, anyways, but a resistive coil range.

The only gas stove worth using is one that’s already installed and still functional. Use it until it stops working, then commit to capping that gas pipe with your next stove.

The post Induction vs. Gas Stoves appeared first on Carbon Switch.

If your electric stove needs replacing, or you’re buying a new model after a renovation, you might be comparing stoves. Electric and induction can seem very similar in appearance and operation, if not always in price. Which should you pick?

Induction stoves offer a tantalizing upgrade over electric: they’re faster, safer, and warm up your home less. They can change the way you cook, and how soon meals are done, for the better. And if you’ve already got the space and wiring for an electric stove, most induction stoves are a simple replacement.

In this article, we’ll explore the differences between state-of-the-art induction stoves and traditional electric cooktops. 

What is induction cooking? How is it different than electric?

Induction cooking does use electricity, but it’s not “electric,” the way most people describe a stove. Here’s how induction differs from traditional electric stoves and cooktops.

An electric stove sends electricity into a resistive coil. In some cases the coil is exposed; in other cases it sits underneath a glass ceramic surface. Resistance creates heat, which radiates out from the coil and into your pan or pot. It’s conduction because heat is conducted indirectly to the pan, and eventually the food inside.

An induction stove powers an electromagnet, creating an oscillating magnetic field that induces currents inside the metals in the pan. The metal heats up, and your food gets cooked. It’s more efficient—90% energy efficiency, versus 74% for electric and 40% for gas. That efficiency also means far less heat is radiated out from your stove and into your living space, which is nice if you’re cooking on a hot summer day.

Induction has a number of benefits over standard electric:

• Faster cooking, especially boiling liquids
• Faster response to temperature changes
• Less waste heat (cooler kitchen)
• Safer cooking, without coils that stay hot long after cooking
• Built-in timers and safety features against leaving a burner on
• Easier clean-up than with burners and grates

Costs

Upfront purchase

Induction stoves cost more upfront than similar electric stoves, at least for now. Full-size induction stoves are a newer product, and most have more advanced capabilities than their electric counterparts (though both can come with additional premium features).

Browsing major appliance vendors, electric stoves cost between $550-$2,000, from the most basic, exposed-coil, knob-operated model to flat-top, air-frying models that clean themselves with steam.

In the same stores, most induction stoves start at $1,200 and run up to $2,000, within mainstream brands and common sizes. Premium models with more features start at $3,000.

You’ll also likely have to have your induction stove delivered, because your nearby appliance store may not have a model you like in stock. Delivery and installation are usually free on such online purchases.

Installation

If you’re switching from electric to induction, you likely won’t need to do much. Induction stoves require a dedicated 220-volt outlet connected to a 40-50-amp breaker, but that’s also what electric stoves should have. Assuming you have the wiring, and ventilation, in place, you’ll be good to go.

If you’re switching from gas, it’s a different job. You’ll need a licensed electrician to install that outlet and run that high-capacity wire back to your outlet. And you’ll want a plumber to cap the gas line and shut off the line.

Cookware

Image via Marco Verch Professional/Flickr.

Induction cooking works through magnetism. If a magnet doesn’t stick to a pot or pan, it’s not likely to work with an induction cooktop. So you might need to invest in some new cookware for an induction stove—take this as a plus or minus, depending on how you feel about your pans.

Many pans these days are labeled as induction-ready. Others may not be, but inherently work well: cast iron, some kinds of steel, Dutch ovens (which are cast iron enameled with glass), and some higher-end non-stick pans. 

Having the wrong kind of pan won’t hurt anything; the induction cooktop will show an error code and simply not power up.

Cooking techniques

Induction cooking is a bit faster than electric cooking, and your cooktop will react faster when you adjust levels. That’s not a bad thing, in most cases. But if you’re used to a certain rhythm, an amount of delay, you’ll want to watch your food more closely when you first start out with induction.

Because induction requires direct contact with the pan, you’ll be better off stirring food in the pan rather than pulling it off the burner to toss food around. You can still flip if you want; your stove will just complain about a lack of contact, and you’ll have a minute or so to return the pan and keep cooking before it turns off. Most induction users get used to this quickly, but it’s certainly an adjustment.

Appearance

Induction stoves look almost exactly like a flat-top electric stove. Their elements (or “burners”) are hidden underneath a smooth, ceramic-glass top. And their ovens are typically the same kind of electric–powered space, whether they offer convection, air-frying, or other versions of it.

Unlike more affordable electric stoves, the relatively lower-cost induction stoves tend to feature buttons and screens rather than dials. It’s helpful when setting the more precise temperatures induction can achieve: 300 Fahrenheit instead of “medium.” But many appliance manufacturers make induction stoves with knobs if that’s your preference.

Maintenance, repair, and care

Caring for an induction stove is the same as caring for a flat-top electric stove, if maybe a bit easier. Because the heat comes from inside the cookware, rather than radiated from underneath, food that gets onto the cooktop is less burned into it, making it somewhat easier to wipe away after cooking. And, because the cooktop doesn’t stay hot as long after cooking, you can get to that gunk faster. For the toughest stains, however, you’ll want a glass scraper.

As with electric flat-top stoves, you want to avoid moving heavy pots and pans around on the surface of your induction stove, so you don’t scratch the surface. This will be reinforced by the stove, somewhat, because lifting a pan off the cooktop will cause an error code and cut off that section’s power. It’s especially important with cast iron, which works well with induction, but has a rougher surface.

Most importantly, don’t drop heavy pots or pans directly onto the cooktop, or else you could chip or even shatter the cooktop.

Beyond that, you should follow the stove’s maintenance and cleaning procedures.

Environmental benefits

Both induction and electric stoves rely on electricity, so they’re inherently better than a gas stove. By going (or staying) electric, you’re reducing the demand for “natural gas,” which is mostly methane, a greenhouse gas that warms the earth at 80 times the rate of carbon dioxide.

As noted earlier, induction is more energy efficient than electric (and they’re both far more efficient than gas), but you’re not likely to see a big swing in your electric bill. What you are seeing is a home that’s ready for a future with far less carbon. Electrifying your home, with as many efficient devices as possible, helps move us all closer to a world without fossil fuels.

Is there any reason to go with an electric stove?

The main drawback of induction is the higher upfront cost. For most homeowners deciding between an induction versus electric stove, it’s really a question of how much you’re willing to pay for a better cooking experience. 

Many professional chef’s love induction stoves. But the reality is that many people either don’t cook that much, or don’t really care about the performance of their stove. 

So if money’s tight, and the idea of a more responsive cooktop doesn’t speak to you, we recommend going with a traditional electric stove.

The post Induction vs. Electric Stoves appeared first on Carbon Switch.

Induction is the most efficient cooking method, both for a speedy dinner and a carbon-free future. A portable induction cooktop can add cooking space to a small kitchen, let you try out induction on a small scale, and cook anywhere there’s a standard outlet. 

If you want fast, precise, and safe heat on any surface, the Duxtop 9600LS is the best portable cooktop for induction cooking. After using it for as much cooking as possible for two weeks, reading through hundreds of reviews, and considering ratings by esteemed publications, it’s our pick for the best portable induction solution, whatever your current setup is.

Why we like the Duxtop 9600LS

The Duxtop 9600LS is a powerful, versatile cooktop that hits the right price point for anyone just trying out induction, avoiding a bad stovetop, or taking their cooking on the go.

Duxtop has been making portable induction cooktops for some time. I purchased a Duxtop portable induction cooktop seven years ago, with fewer features and a slightly larger body size, but the same wattage and 8-inch induction surface. It’s been my go-to for faster pasta water, when the stove is too crowded, or if I want to cook something low and slow for hours, like stock or pasta sauce, without quite so many safety concerns.

The 9600LS wraps all the benefits of induction cooking up into a relatively nice-looking slab, with 20 different heat settings, an easy-to-read screen, and a shape and weight that’s easier to tuck into storage than you might expect. It warns you when its surface is hot, and it has both automatic and manual timers to ensure both safety and proper cooking. It reminds me of a little classic iPod-—one that could cook a whole chicken, if left long enough.

There are other induction cooktops that are cheaper, larger, smaller, or offer complicated timing and heating features. But the 9600LS adjusts rapidly, offers a wide range of temperatures, comes from a known brand, and looks as nice as an 8-inch electromagnet with a flat top can look. 

What it’s like cooking with the Duxtop 9600LS

How the Duxtop 9600LS will work for you depends on what you want from it. If you just want to boil water as fast as possible, it’s great at that job—there’s even a dedicated 10-minute button for it.

I timed how long it took for 3 quarts of unsalted water to reach a steady, pasta-friendly boil in a large, induction-friendly pot on both the 8-inch 9600LS induction top and the 8-inch burner on my electric stove. It took 15 minutes and 18 seconds on the 9600LS, and 18 minutes 39 seconds on electric. That’s longer than the 10-minute timer, but your timing will vary with different pots and water amounts.

The time savings over gas are greater. I don’t have a gas stove to test on now, but in my former home, my induction cooktop was always preferred over the stove. With induction, too, it’s far safer to walk away from boiling water, especially if you set a timer, versus gas or even flat-top electric. And, not for nothing, you’re not polluting your home’s air with harmful agents.

Frigidaire and other induction stove makers cite more drastic sped-ups, like 1 minute 30 seconds to boil in a small pan versus 5-7 minutes on gas or electric. Induction stove makers want induction to seem fast, but it’s true that cookware can make a big difference.

It’s not all about fast cooking with induction. You can set a specific temperature, from 100-460 Fahrenheit (38-238 Celsius), for slow simmers, for frying oil consistency, or to adjust from the last time you cooked this recipe. There are 20 heat settings; that’s quite a lot, compared to the five typical settings most people use on their stove knobs: low, medium-low, medium, medium-high, high.

The cooktop’s manual notes that the temperature sensor is underneath the glass, and that different cookware, with different thicknesses and metal mixes, will yield different temperatures. So the temperatures are “estimates,” but “accurate enough for daily cooking requirements.”

Fast boiling is mostly what I used my older Duxtop model for, but I wanted to try and cook everything on the 9600LS for two weeks. I already had a 12-inch non-stick pan, a 12-inch cast iron skillet, an enameled ceramic/iron Dutch oven, a large stock pot, and an 8-inch steel pan, all of which worked with induction. I planned for as many one-pan meals as possible, or switched out pans if I cooked in stages.

One thing I learned quickly is that, while a portable cooktop can be used almost anywhere, you should mostly use it near proper ventilation. While it sizzled and browned onions and peppers in a cast iron pan much faster than my electric stove, the stove has the advantage of a vent fan above it. If you can easily fit your induction pan on top of your stove’s cooktop, this is less of an issue, but at that point you should be considering a full induction stove.

If you lift a pan from the surface of the 9600LS, it will warn you that it’s lost its magnetic connection with an “E0” error (the same as if you put a non-induction-ready pan on it). But you’ve got a whole minute to put the pan back on. So while induction cooking encourages you to stir inside the pan rather than lift and toss, both are possible.

I learned that, as an actual stove replacement, a portable cooktop is less than ideal. But as validation for induction cooking, and a sidekick eager to simmer, boil, or occasionally fry, the 9600LS is more than worth the storage space.

What is a portable induction cooktop, exactly?

A portable induction cooktop takes the benefits of an induction stove or cooktop and reduces it to one or two cooking surfaces (or “burners,” despite their non-flammable nature) that you can pick up, move around, and plug in.

Shopping for a portable induction cooktop can be tricky, because the word “cooktop” more typically means a full set of multiple burners, the kind you would permanently mount on a kitchen counter, with or without a stove underneath. Cooktop is just a slightly more logical word for this kind of device than “burner,” since induction doesn’t burn anything.

How does an induction cooktop work?

A portable induction cooktop works the same as a full induction stove or cooktop. A powered electromagnetic creates an electromagnetic field inside the induction cooktop. The field passes through the ceramic top, but when it hits your metal pans, it creates swirling electrical currents that, in turn, heat up resistive metal when it tries to pass through.

Image credit: Nicole Kelner

Modern induction cooktops can monitor the temperature of the metal pan sitting on top of it, then adjust their current draw to heat, cool, or steady the pan’s temperature. You control most induction cooktops with buttons and small screens, rather than dials or knobs.

If you’re wondering what it looks like inside a device that electro-magnetically heats up pans, Mark Furneaux took apart an older Duxtop model and explored its innards.

Why is induction better than gas or electric cooking?

The most basic way that induction beats gas or electric cooking is that there’s one less element of heat transfer.

Gas and electric stoves—which are conductive—heat up your cookware by setting gas on fire, or heating up a resistive coil with electricity, which conducts energy into your pan. Whenever energy changes form, some of it is lost, and heat energy is especially prone to inefficient waste. Induction, well, induces your pan to heat up, creating a more direct interaction between the heat you want and the food you’re cooking.

There are lots of benefits to this direct, electronic cooking, including:

• Faster boiling liquids, oil heating, and other hot jobs
• Quicker response to temperature changes
• Cooler kitchens due to far less waste heat
• Portability
• Safer cooking, without exposed flames or red-hot coils
• Timers and safety controls alleviate “Did I leave the burner on?” anxiety
• Less indoor air pollution in your home
• Easier to clean than flat-top electric cooktops

Perhaps most beneficial for everybody is that induction cooking doesn’t require fossil fuels to run, like gas, and is far more energy efficient than a traditional electric cooktop. Induction cooking is one piece of the puzzle we need to solve in order to create electric, efficient, carbon-free homes.

What are the drawbacks of induction cooking?

One of the main drawbacks of induction cooking is the flip side to its major benefit. If your foods, liquids, and oils heat a lot faster than they used to, you have to learn new mental timings for your recipes, and, at least at first, watch them and react more quickly.

A drawback beyond the cooking realm is that people with pacemakers need to read up on some rare but present risks. A 2006 study found that a unipolar, left-side pacemaker, kept within 35 cm of a cooktop that had a pan far off-center, could receive interference. Most people don’t cook with their chests hovering less than a foot from a misaligned cooktop, but caution for pacemaker implants is still advisable.

Induction cooktops are generally more expensive than their comparable gas or traditional electric counterparts. Scanning a few larger appliance stores, induction stoves were typically $400-$800 more than similar gas stoves with like features.

Finally, the most significant short-term challenge to induction cooking, portable or otherwise, is having the right kind of pans. In order to cook on induction cooktops and stoves, you’ll need ferro-magnetic pans. 

What kind of pans do I need for induction cooking?

Induction cooking only works with pans that have ferrous metal inside. If a magnet sticks to it, induction will work with it. Some or even most of your pans may already be ready for the switch to induction: cast iron, Dutch ovens (Lodge and Le Creuset), and stainless steel (i.e. All-Clad)

If you’re just trying out induction with a single portable cooktop, you can start small. Look for an induction-ready pan, maybe a non-stick to keep it simple and affordable. Grab a pasta-sized pot, too, so you can experience the joy of 10-minute boiling water.
If your portable cooktop has converted you to the joy of induced heat, Serious Eats recommends good induction-ready cookware (that still work with your now antiquated-seeming gas or electric stove).

The post The Best Portable Induction Cooktop appeared first on Carbon Switch.

Community solar is a great way to help reduce carbon emissions on the power grid, especially if you can’t install your own solar panels. It costs nothing for most people—in fact, it’s usually a monthly savings. You don’t need an electrician, and you don’t even need to switch energy providers. 

If you’re interested in community solar, wondering how it works, and why there’s not more of it, we’ve done the research, talked to experts, and can break it down for you. 

The best community solar option

Over the last month we interviewed renewable energy experts and spent dozens of hours researching the best community solar options on the market. Our pick for the best way to get signed up for community solar is Arcadia, a company that makes signing up for a local solar project feel as easy as ordering takeout. 

Arcadia offers community solar in nine states, with more to come. The company pairs you with a local solar project, an easy way to help nudge your community toward more renewable power. Best of all, there aren’t any fees or contracts.

We’ll explain why we like Arcadia and don’t like other “green energy” providers like CleanChoice below. But first, let’s cover the basics of community solar.

What is community solar?

Community solar is, at the simplest level, any set of solar panels that offers up the power it generates to more than one person in the area.

The goal of community solar projects is to provide clean energy to homes that are currently ineligible for solar. To encourage them, 22 states have passed legislation that allows community solar projects to sell power to the grid at fair rates, and create easier billing for customers. Even without that help, community solar projects exist in 19 other states.

Subscribers of community solar pay into the project, either upfront or monthly, helping pay for its maintenance and other costs and balancing out its revenue across high and low generation months. In return, subscribers get a discount on their electric bill and help reduce carbon emissions on the power grid. 

Community solar has grown 120 percent every year since 2010; it’s now in 39 states and the District of Columbia. The latest figures from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) show 5.2 gigawatts of community solar available, enough for about 600,000 households. But there are 120 million powered homes in the U.S., and up to 85 percent of them may be unable to install solar panels, whether due to renting, roof conditions, or simply financing. So there’s still a big need for more community solar, and in more places.

How does community solar work?

It might sound like community solar sends power from a solar array straight to your home. While it would be neat to see a separate cable labeled “Clean Energy” plugged into your breaker box, that’s not how it works.

Put simply, and breezing past a bunch of variables and regulations, here’s what happens in an ideal setup:

• Solar energy is collected by a community project
• That energy is fed back to a utility company’s grid
• You, a subscriber, have your utility account credited for the amount generated for your share
• You either get a consolidated bill with a discount or, having paid upfront, get your credits separately

In a larger sense, community solar “works” because solar power, even when built with new equipment, is cheaper than generating power with fossil fuels. You get a discount because the economics of solar are so good.

For customers, especially in states with encouraging laws, it’s an easy way to save, usually a guaranteed amount, on electric costs. It also cleans up your power mix.

Where are community solar projects built?

Community solar projects are showing up in more places than you’d assume. Searching the news recently, I found community solar panels installed on vacant airport land in Florida , a capped landfill near Niagara Falls, and the roof of a FedEx facility in Washington, D.C. Many towns, businesses, and other landowners are looking at large, flat spaces and wondering if they might be better used generating power–and revenue.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory counted more than 2,000 community solar projects in December 2021. The largest share of community solar power collection, by far, comes from Florida, with Minnesota, New York, and Massachusetts each producing about half of what the Sunshine State sends out.

How can I sign up for community solar?

The easiest path to community solar is getting a zero upfront cost solar subscription with a single, consolidated bill. Our favorite community solar provider is Arcadia.

While researching this guide, I signed up through Arcadia’s platform for a community solar subscription in Washington, D.C. (a place with solar-enabling legislation). I provided my address and utility provider, reviewed the terms (no contracts or cancellation fees, guaranteed savings), and authorized Arcadia to handle billing through my utility. I was on a waitlist for a couple weeks, but then got my spot on a nearby (Virginia) farm.

When my next month’s electric bill is due, Arcadia will handle the back-and-forth crediting between Pepco, the farm, and my share of it, then give me a 10% discount. 

It’s not the kind of “meter running backwards” excitement that rooftop solar owners (occasionally) enjoy, but it still creates real carbon reductions and bill savings. No one gigantic home is using up all the power, and I get a financial incentive in even the grayest of months. And by signing up and participating, I am, hopefully, spurring further development in community solar.

What other options are there for community solar sign-up?

Arcadia is active in nine states as of this writing, with a few more due to come online soon. You can sign up for Arcadia’s waitlist even if there’s no community solar in your area; when a project opens up, you’ll have a place in line.

There are other companies connecting homes to community solar. Most projects involve either up-front costs or fixed monthly payments. And each of them requires that you look into their terms of subscription: contract length, cancellation periods, single or multiple bills, and other fees. Solar United Neighbors has a deeper guide for how to shop for community solar.

With that in mind, check out Solar United Neighbors’ search tool. You can see the offerings from major community solar providers in each area, including Nexamp, CleanChoice, Neighborhood Sun, and Arcadia, among others.

What’s the benefit of community solar for me?

For most community solar subscribers, the primary economic benefit is a potential discount on monthly electric bills of up to 10%. That’s far from the greatest benefit, but it is motivating.

Your solar discount has larger implications. For every megawatt of distributed solar power, a different megawatt that comes from coal, natural gas, burned waste, or other carbon-emitting sources is not needed—at least in theory. The more subscribers to solar power, the more power comes from renewable, non-emitting sources.

Does community solar make my home energy 100% renewable?

As noted earlier, the power from a community solar project isn’t traveling directly to your home. The power coming into your home and out of your outlets is from whatever mix of sources your electric utility chooses.

In my own case, my Washington, D.C. electricity comes from this mix of sources, as provided by Arcadia’s panel:

My community solar membership is putting green power into the grid, encouraging businesses and farms and communities to host their own money-making projects, and possibly encouraging more people to sign up, when I tell them about my 10% discount. But fossil fuels had to be burned to give me 58% of the power my home actually used. Changing that requires broader, more direct action.

Why isn’t community solar available everywhere?

To make community solar available everywhere, every state needs to not only allow community solar projects with legislation, but encourage their development with fair metering and pricing policies.

Even where community solar is enabled and encouraged, there are choke points. Arcadia’s Richard Caperton notes that in areas like Washington, D.C., New York City, and other built-out cities, finding usable space for community panels is difficult. Businesses, warehouses, parking lots, and other large roofs can host community solar, but need to be convinced of the benefits and ushered through the permits and build-out.

Connecting community solar to the grid is another challenge. Jenny Heeter, researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, notes that each project must request to be connected to the grid, then be approved, validated, and inspected. It could then have multiple changes imposed on it by a utility or other regulations, delaying the project.

As pointed out recently by John Oliver and Property Brother Jonathan Scott, among others, some utilities actively block any power-generating projects they didn’t build themselves. Utilities often function as an endorsed monopoly in their regions, with broad powers to manage energy production and pricing. Many argue that allowing customers to get cheaper solar power, whether from their roof or community projects, endangers their business model and could raise rates for non-solar customers. But the result of this opposition is less clean electricity and more carbon emissions.

What about CCAs?

Community choice solar, or CCAs, are not the same thing as a community solar subscription.

The major difference is that community choice usually involves automatic enrollment of everybody within a certain area to a solar project, authorized by local governments. By having a large base of default customers with years of service ahead, solar projects can negotiate competitive rates to provide their power. It’s opt-out and wide-scale, versus the opt-in nature of community choice projects.

Some community choice enrollments also involve renewable energy certificates, which we’ll explain next.

What about CleanChoice?

You may have received mailed advertisements for companies pitching you on “switching” your power to renewable energy. CleanChoice is a multi-state marketer for this service, and there are other regional companies. 

As with community solar, your actual power still comes from your utility. What CleanChoice and others do is authorize themselves as your electric provider and sign you up for a fixed rate, usually higher than your utility provider. CleanChoice recently offered me a total 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour rate for REC-backed power, a kind of climate offset. My local utility supply rate is about 8 cents/kWh, though it’s more like 13 cents/kWh after delivery and other fees.

CleanChoice’s mailed marketing for their energy-credit-based power plans can look a lot like important mail from your energy company.

We strongly recommend not signing up for CleanChoice though. While clean energy offsets are rooted in good intentions, the company has a history of questionable practices, including sudden rate hikes, confusing mail advertisements (like the one featured above), and, according to one environmental nonprofit, buying bad quality RECs. 

CleanChoice also offers a community solar product, with a monthly bill discount similar to Arcadia. Looking into their Washington, D.C. offerings, though, the 5% discounts can be tied to lengthy commitments. We’d definitely recommend looking for other options.

What are RECs?

Companies like CleanChoice use your payments to buy, resell, and retire renewable energy certificates (RECs). Doing so is a kind of offset against the fossil fuel sources your electric company may be using to generate your power.

Roughly 7.5 million electric customers voluntarily paid for RECs to balance their power usage in 2020, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That’s about 5% of power customers nationwide, though a big chunk of those people are part of community choice opt-out programs (explained above).

REC-based utility offsets are a much-debated topic in renewable energy. Paying for a company to utilize and retire RECs against your power bill may encourage, or even force, the building and creation of more clean energy. Or REC subscriptions may send the wrong message, that renewable power is somehow inherently more expensive, a guilty add-on for those who can afford it.

Ultimately, if you have access to community solar, or you can work to make community solar available where you live, we think that’s a more direct path to cleaner energy, for you and your neighbors.

The post The Best (and Worst) Community Solar Companies appeared first on Carbon Switch.

How much a new ductless mini-split system will cost you depends on a lot of factors. Some you might know, or could guess, like how big your home is, or where you live. But some things, like unexpected electrical upgrades or rebates, are trickier. 

This complexity can be frustrating. That’s why we embarked on a months-long effort to get real numbers on how much mini-splits and other types of heat pumps cost. 

We surveyed 125 homeowners across the United States and Canada, reviewed previous research, spoke with experienced installers, and analyzed publicly available data from states like Massachusetts and California. Here’s what we learned: 

Average cost of a mini-split

According to our survey and analysis of other data, homeowners can expect a mini-split installation to cost between $7,000 and $25,000, depending on the number of zones.

Based on this research, the average cost of a mini-split is about $12,000, after rebates.

What impacts mini-split costs most?

The biggest mini-split installation cost factor is the number of zones you choose to install. In other words, how many indoor units, or “heads”, do you want?

Here’s how much the average homeowner paid based on the number of mini-split zones:

• One zone: $7,101
• Two zones: $11,749
• Three zones: $13,827
• Four zones: $18,338
• Five or more zones: $26,573

The reason for these cost differences is simple: more zones require more labor, equipment, and parts. The outdoor unit needed for heating and cooling gets pricier as you add indoor units, especially once you move past the single-zone models. And each mini-split unit inside your house costs about $1,000-$2,000.

The outdoor compressor and indoor heads are “the major cost in a mini-split system,” said David Richardson, a heat pump installer and co-founder of Elephant Energy.

But there are certainly other costs, too. If your home has 3-5 zones, some of those zones will be a significant distance from the outdoor unit. Running the necessary refrigerant, electricity, and drainage lines to those indoor units requires labor and materials. And it could introduce complications with walls, ceilings, wiring, or other work that might need a sub-contractor, Richardson said. 

These kinds of complications could add up to $5,000 in extra labor costs on a tricky job, Richardson said.

Here are the other things to consider when considering a mini-split system, whether for a new or existing home.

Other factors that can affect mini-split costs

Climate

Modern heat pumps can do amazing work in cold climates, but that innovation comes at a cost. If your winters regularly take you into sub-freezing temperatures, or even into negative temperatures, you need a suitable outdoor unit. And those cost more money.

If your home needed a 3-ton (36,000 BTU) heat pump, and your winter temperatures regularly dipped below 5 degrees Fahrenheit, you might want one of Mitsubishi’s Hyper Heating (H2i) heat pumps. A 3-ton Hyper Heating unit costs about $6,400—and that’s before any parts or labor.

But if your region is almost always above 5F, you could save around $1,200 buying a 3-ton Daikin mini-split, instead. And you can likely find even more affordable models, if your winters stay above 10 or 20F.

So the colder your winters, the more you can expect to pay for a heat pump. In fact, according to our survey, homeowners in the Northeast pay about 15% more on average for heat pumps than homeowners in the South.

Rebates and incentives

If you live in a state that encourages efficient, less carbon-intense heating and cooling systems, there’s a chance installing a mini-split heat pump means rebates. 

The average homeowner in our survey received $2,000 in rebates for their mini-split installation. Homeowners that installed ductless mini-splits in Massachusetts in recent years received an average of about $4,000 each in rebates. In some places, these rebates alone could make up for the higher upfront cost over traditional A/C and furnace systems.

Heat pump installer David Richardson advises homeowners to talk with their installer, and check with their state and local governments and utilities, to have as much knowledge as possible about exactly what qualifies for a rebate. A 2.5-ton outdoor compressor purchase may trigger a partial rebate, a 3-ton unit from the same line a full rebate, and then a 3.5-ton unit no rebate at all, Richardson noted. A small design change could mean a big shift in project costs.

Electrical upgrades

Removing fossil fuels and electrifying your home makes good environmental sense, and often saves you big money over time. Before you can start, however, your home needs the necessary power.

Whether your home will require an upgraded electrical panel, or need new circuits and wires, depends on a number of factors. Key among them is how many large items in your home—hot water heaters, hot tubs, EV chargers—could need power at once, along with your outdoor unit and each indoor unit.

An upgrade is not an inevitability, however. Among the 48 ductless Massachusetts heat pump installations we analyzed, only eight (17%) required an electrical panel upgrade. And those systems mostly replaced gas furnaces and water boilers, which previously drew little to no electrical power. Richardson said that the vast majority of heat pump installations he’s worked on could be made to fit a home with a 100-amp service panel.

Still, there are edge cases and exceptions. You may need to run a 240-volt line to the outdoor compressor. And as with indoor units, complicated routes through tricky homes can add costs.

How to reduce the cost of a mini-split installation

Consider hybrid heating options

One way to reduce the cost of a mini-split installation, especially in cold climates, is to install a “hybrid” or “dual-fuel” system. Let’s take a look at how that works. 

Earlier we mentioned that more mini-split heads results in a higher cost. In a hybrid configuration, you install just one or two heads and use another system, like a wood stove or your existing gas furnace, as backup on the coldest days. 

This kind of configuration can save hundreds of dollars a year on general heating costs, but keep the upfront installation costs low with a smaller equipment bill.

That kind of hunkered-down, hard-winter scenario won’t work for everyone, but it’s an example of how mini-splits aren’t an all-or-nothing proposition. If a whole-home mini-split installation is too expensive, given the costs mentioned in this guide, a partial install can still save you money–and garner rebates.

Improve your home’s insulation and envelope

Another way to reduce the cost of your mini-split installation is to first invest in insulation and air sealing so you can get by with a smaller outdoor unit and less zones.

The best way to do this is to get an energy audit of your home or find a home performance contractor in your area. Through tools like a blower door test, thermal imaging, and climate and thermostat data, they can tell you how much heating your home really needs—a “Manual J Load Calculation.” You may be able to lower that number, and need fewer indoor units or a smaller outdoor unit.

Read more about how Carbon Switch founder Michael Thomas discovered his home’s true heating and cooling needs in our heat pump sizing guide.

The post How Much Does a Mini-Split Installation Cost? appeared first on Carbon Switch.

Ask how much a heat pump costs and you’ll likely receive more questions than answers. Where do you live? How big is your home? Do you need a ducted system or ductless mini-splits? Are there rebates in your state? What’s your electrical panel setup?

But hearing an answer like “It depends” is frustrating when you’re eager to move ahead. That’s why we embarked on a months-long effort to provide more context and data on how much heat pumps and mini-splits cost. 

We surveyed 125 homeowners across the United States and Canada, reviewed previous research, spoke with experienced installers, and analyzed publicly available data from states like Massachusetts and California. Here’s what we learned: 

Average cost of a heat pump

According to our survey and analysis of other data, homeowners can expect a heat pump installation to cost between $3,500 and $20,000, depending on the size of their home, with an average cost of about $14,000, after rebates. 

Ductless mini-split installations cost between $7,000 and $25,000, depending on the number of zones, with an average cost of just over $12,000, after rebates. 

What impacts heat pump costs most?

Home size

Unsurprisingly, the biggest heat pump installation cost factor is home size. In our survey, here’s how much the average homeowner paid based on their home’s square footage: 

• Less than 1,000 square feet: $3,586
• Between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet: $11,749
• Between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet: $16,933
• Between 2,000-2,500 square feet: $17,826
• More than 2,000 square feet: $19,117 

Across all the homeowners we surveyed, there was a sizable difference in the cost per square foot. More than half of homeowners paid between $4-10 per square foot, with the most common installation costing between $4-6 per square foot. 

It’s worth noting that the sample size of homes under 1,000 square feet was very small in our survey, at just under 10 homes. When we analyzed publicly available data on heat pump costs in Massachusetts and California (the rare states that actually disclose where their rebate dollars go), we found that homes under 1,000 square feet paid about $9,000 and $12,774 respectively. 

Number of zones

The second most influential factor in our survey was the number of zones a homeowner installed. Here’s how much the average homeowner paid based on the number of mini-split zones:

• 1 zone: $7,101
• 2 zones: $11,749
• 3 zones: $13,827
• 4 zones: $18,338
• 5+ zones: $26,573

The reason for these cost differences is simple: more zones require more labor, equipment, and parts. The outdoor unit needed for heating and cooling gets pricier as you add indoor units, especially once you move past the single-zone models. And each mini-split unit inside your house costs about $1,000-$2,000.

In addition to those costs, the larger the home, the more drywall and electrical work required to connect the units, said David Richardson, a heat pump installer and co-founder of Elephant Energy. 

Finally, older homes switching to heat pumps may have to upgrade their electrical panel to accommodate the new power demands. More on that just a bit further on.

Location

Another major factor that affects the cost of heat pump installations is the location of a home. 

The average homeowner we surveyed paid $8.01 per square foot, after rebates. But among the states we analyzed, we saw a range of $6.75 per square foot (Minnesota) to $9.64 per square foot (Colorado). 

It’s worth noting here again that our sample size was relatively small. Given that no one else has done a state-by-state comparison of heat pump costs, it’s hard to say how representative our data is. 

In addition to comparing individual states, we compared costs across different regions of the United States. Across the south, where heat pumps are more common, costs averaged $7.33 per square foot. In the midwest, the average was $7.44 per square foot. Meanwhile, in the Northeast and West, costs were over $8 per square foot.

But those are averages. We recently spoke with an installer in Westchester, New York, one of the most expensive places to live in the US. The average heat pump they install costs more than $30,000. We’ve heard similar stories of high installation costs and quotes in San Francisco.

Rebates and incentives

One of the biggest wildcards in the heat pump cost equation is whether or not you qualify for rebates and incentives. This depends largely on which state and utility service area you live in.

In our survey, the rebates homeowners received ranged from $0 to as much as $14,000, with an average rebate of about $1,500. 

Our survey, and Massachusetts’ database, focus on the cost of installations after rebates and other incentives. State by state, utility by utility, these can make a big difference in the cost of your system. 

In Massachusetts, homeowners can receive up to $10,000 in rebates. Even if your state doesn’t seem to offer rebates, check with your energy provider. Central Hudson (upstate NY) customers can receive $1,000 per 10,000 BTUs if they replace a fossil fuel heating source, so at least $3,000 for a typical 3-ton system. Even in conservative South Dakota utilities offer rebates.

Check the DSIRE database as a starting point in your search for state, local, and utility incentives, but be sure to look further, too.

New versus old homes

Another big difference we found in our survey was the cost of heat pumps in new construction homes compared to existing homes. 

In our survey, the average heat pump in new home construction was $7,384 after rebates and $6.54 per square foot. By comparison, the average heat pump installed in an existing home was $15,113 after rebates and $8.15 per square foot.

So why do these costs vary?

Building a new home allows a developer or homeowner to plan ahead. They can install the right electrical service to support an electrified home. Ducts and mini-split lines can be run while the walls are still open. And the home can have exactly as many vents or indoor units as are needed.

Prior heating and cooling system

One factor that didn’t affect the average cost of installation as much as we expected was what equipment homeowners were replacing. 

Replacing a fossil fuel heating system with an electric heat pump can add electrical work and upgrade costs to your HVAC tab. That’s part of the reason installations in the South are less expensive: the homes are often already wired for electrical heating.

But our survey didn’t show a large difference in installation costs. Here’s how much the average homeowner spent based on what type of equipment they replaced:

• Fuel oil heating system: $11,640
• Central air conditioner: $14,572
• Natural gas heating system: $15,161
• Propane heating system: $16,000
• Other heating system: $17,451

As you can see, the averages didn’t vary much, with one exception: fuel oil. The main reason for this is the fuel-switching incentives offered by states and utilities. In New York, you can get $2,500 per heating ton in rebates if you switch from gas, propane or fuel oil. In British Columbia, there are rebates up to $11,000 for fossil fuel replacements.

Two more factors to consider

Existing ducts and their condition

One factor we didn’t ask about in our survey data, but heard about from installers that we spoke to, is the condition of a home’s ducts. 

Installing new ductwork, or doing major renovations to ducts, is very expensive. It’s a big commitment to open up your home’s walls or ceilings. But if your home has reasonably functional ducts where it needs them, then replacing your furnace and central air conditioning is more of a simple equipment change, hence you can expect lower costs.

Don’t get us wrong–money spent on good duct efficiency is money well spent. Most homes lose 20-30% of their cooling capability in ducts, according to Energy Star. But properly running new duct channels, or fixing what’s there, can add upfront costs.

Electrical panel upgrade

Another cost factor for some owners of older homes, or homes that mainly relied on fuel sources before a heat pump, is electrical upgrades.

Electrifying your home’s HVAC system can mean cash savings for you, and carbon savings for the planet. But your home has to be able to handle a big new electrical device. If not, upgrading your panel and service adds cost.

If you’re switching from natural gas, propane or fuel oil, you should expect at least some electrical costs, to provide the plugs and lines needed for the new equipment. But as we mentioned above, in many states switching fuels will make your home qualify for big rebates.

In part five of his Electrify Everything course, Nate Adams says that, generally, a home with 200-amp service can cover a central HVAC system, with backup heat. 100 amps can work, but it depends on what else is regularly drawing power in the home.

Richardson said that in the Boulder, Colorado area, he hasn’t had to upgrade a single 100-amp home in recent memory. Proving that a home can handle the typical load of a heat pump requires a home inventory and real-time data. But homes built to handle incandescent bulbs often have a good bit of room left after a home switches to LEDs.

As with your home heating load, it’s a good idea to have a professional do a full study of your home’s electrical status and needs.  

Are heat pumps worth it?

A heat pump might seem like a hassle to upgrade, tempting some to stick with just replacing the kind of system they already have. But upfront costs are only a fraction of the whole energy picture.

Heat pumps can save the average U.S. homeowner $10,000 throughout the unit’s lifetime. They replace both a furnace and an air conditioner, and they’re usually more comfortable and efficient than either of them. They free your budget from fluctuating fuel costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

That’s the important context for their higher upfront cost. A heat pump is usually a few thousand dollars more expensive than its rough tonnage/SEER equivalent. But it’s far more energy efficient.

If you’re comparing a heat pump versus AC, then heat pumps are the clear choice, given how much they can save you on your home’s annual heating and cooling bill. Even the high upfront cost can be offset through on-bill financing, low-to-zero interest loans offered by states and utilities, and zero-upfront cost installation companies like Sealed.

Massachusetts and California data

As a part of this research, we requested data on the cost of heat pumps from state energy efficiency program managers in California, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and Oregon— six states with electrification goals and strong rebate programs. 

All of them responded, but only two collected data on heat pump costs: California and Massachusetts. Here’s some of what we learned analyzing their data: 

Massachusetts 

According to data collected as part of MassCEC’s Whole-Home Heat Pump Pilot, which ran from May 2019 through June 2021, the average cost of a heat pump in a Massachusetts single-family home was $17,721. 

Like our survey results, the cost varied significantly based on the size of a home. Here’s how much the average homeowner paid based on their home’s square footage: 

• Less than 1,000 square feet: $4,308
• Between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet: $10,818
• Between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet: $21,756
• Between 2,000-2,500 square feet: $20,796
• More than 2,000 square feet: $26,214 

California

California hasn’t released any public data on heat pump installation costs. But program managers at TECH Clean California sent us data based on 1,880 heat pump installations between December 2021 and May 2022. The average installation cost $17,287.

Here’s how much the average homeowner paid based on their home’s square footage: 

• Less than 1,000 square feet: $12,774
• Between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet: $14,762
• Between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet: $15,917
• Between 2,000-2,500 square feet: $18,857
• More than 2,000 square feet: $22,087

Future research and work needed

Given the importance of heat pumps as a climate solution, the lack of data on their cost is a huge problem. We reached out to the U.S. Energy Department and state programs like Efficiency Maine and Efficiency Vermont. None of them had any data on how much heat pumps actually cost. 

As we mentioned above, Massachusetts and California were the two exceptions. Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Center’s dataset is one of the best public datasets we’ve seen in this industry. California’s, while not publicly available yet, seems promising. We hope other states and federal policymakers will follow their lead. 

Our goal in producing this research was to fill some of the research void. But we’re a small team with a small budget. Our hope is that this survey and research will encourage others to one-up us with a survey 10 or 100 times the size. 

If you’re interested in talking with our team before doing your own research, you can reach out to michael@carbonswitch.com. We’d be happy to share what we learned. 

Frequently asked questions about heat pumps

What is a heat pump?

A heat pump is an appliance that can both heat and cool a home. They’re a modern, efficient replacement for homes that need both traditional air conditioning and a heating system, like a furnace, boiler, or baseboards.

We’ve detailed all the basics about heat pumps in our guide, What Is a Heat Pump?

How does a heat pump work?

The short version is that heat pumps use electricity to move heat from one place to another. In cooling mode, it’s a familiar method of moving heat inside your home to the outside, cooling your house. In heating mode, it’s a bit more interesting, as the heat pump takes heat energy from even the coldest air and delivers it inside.

You can go a bit deeper and learn more particulars about the science and efficiency in our guide to How Does a Heat Pump Work?

Will a heat pump work in really cold climates?

A heat pump can absolutely work in cold climates, even in places with bone-chilling temperatures. One brand of heat pumps can work down to -13 Fahrenheit, and more are in development. If your heat pump can’t reach those depths, you can use a backup system, like electric resistance strips, or keep a fuel-burning furnace on hand. And you’ll still get great heat for the non-record-low times of year.

For more on how heat pumps perform in uber-cold areas, check out our reviews of the best cold climate heat pumps.

What size heat pump do I need?

Picking out and pricing a heat pump isn’t as simple as matching it to your existing furnace or air conditioner. Many of the rules of thumb used by HVAC contractors can lead to over- or under-sized systems, and heat pumps benefit a home most when they can run constantly.

To learn the better methods of estimating and pricing out a heat pump, consult our full heat pump sizing guide.

The post How Much Does a Heat Pump Cost? appeared first on Carbon Switch.

Finding the best cold climate heat pump is no easy task. Look through a database like the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) heat pump directory and you’ll find more than 30,000 models and a mind-numbing amount of specs. And while heat pumps definitely work in cold climates, if you choose the wrong model, it might struggle on the coldest days. 

In order to find the best cold climate heat pump, we talked to contractors, compared specs, and looked at what units people are actually installing in the coldest parts of the United States.

Based on our research, the best cold climate heat pump is Mitsubishi’s Hyper-Heating, or H2i. Listed as Mitsubishi’s M-Series or P-Series for home installation, these heat pumps maintain their full heating capacity down to 5F, and can produce useful heat down to -13F. 

H2i models range in HSPF ratings (heating efficiency) from 10.5 to 12, and SEER ratings (cooling efficiency) of 15 to 20. Mitsubishi’s heat pumps also maintain coefficients of performance (COP) as high as 2.88 at 5F.

Mitsubishi Hyper-Heating comes in both ducted and ductless options. And Mitsubishi is a known entity in the heat pump industry—in fact, they are one of the inventors of the technology.

Fujitsu’s cold climate heat pumps, their “AOU” series, are our pick for the second best cold climate heat pump. Their variable-speed models produce 75-95% as much heat at 5F as they do at 47F, and are rated to work down to -10F.

Fujitsu’s heat pumps range in HSPF ratings from 9.5 to 11.5, and SEER ratings from 16.5 to 20.

When we spoke to contractors and other HVAC experts, they told us that Mitsubishi and Fujitsu frequently trade spots in the best cold climate heat pump rankings. But another name that came up frequently was Daikin. Daikin’s Fit and Aurora lines have great cold climate specs. The Fit (RZQ) line can work at full heating capacity down to 5F, and is rated to work down to -4F. The relatively new Aurora (RXL) series can work down to -13F.

Aurora Fit heat pumps have HSPF ratings between 9 and 10.5, and SEER between 16 and 18.5.

In the sections below, we’ll explain how we picked out these cold climate heat pumps, how you should choose between them, and what to expect if you install one in your home.

The most important factor: the installer

A heat pump that works in frigid climates is a modern marvel of efficient, climate-friendly technology. But it will only improve your home, and cut your utility bills, if the right one is picked out for your home’s heating and cooling needs.

Andrew Kosick, owner of Creative Rebuilding in Midland, Michigan, puts it plainly: “Getting the sizing and installation right is honestly more important than a specific manufacturer.” John Semmelhack, an experienced heat pump consultant and contractor, went further in a tweet: “Heating + cooling is a system. Best product + poor design/install = poor performance.”

Nate Adams, a.k.a. Nate the House Whisperer, notes that client goals, house design, and budget determine what actually gets installed. Cold climate heat pumps are “changing INSANELY fast right now,” Nate wrote us—something echoed by This Old House’s Ross Trethewey.

So choosing the right installer, with the right mindset, is valuable far beyond work ethic and craftsmanship. A heat-pump-friendly HVAC contractor can assess your home’s energy retention and needs, properly size the system you need for its design and weather patterns, and set you up for the most comfort and savings.

Most installers will have a limited number of heat pump brands they offer, or perhaps only one. As with any major home project, it’s important to get recommendations, seek multiple quotes, and ask questions of your installer.

You can find Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, and Daikin’s installers by clicking one of the links below: 

• Mitsubishi installers
• Fujitsu installers
• Daikin installers

Why proper heat pump sizing matters

Heat pumps are different than furnaces, electric baseboards, and most other heating systems in one important way: They produce a different amount of heat depending on the temperature.

In order to understand why, it’s helpful to consider how heat pumps work. Even on a cold day, there is energy in the air outside. A heat pump expands and compresses refrigerants to draw in this heat energy and deliver it inside your home.

Because the amount of heat energy outside decreases as it gets colder, the capacity of a heat pump decreases with it. The capacity is the amount of heat (or cooling) that a HVAC system can supply. If that capacity is less than the amount of energy your home needs to stay comfortable (the “load”), you’ll have to rely on some combination of expensive backup heat, blankets, and/or fortitude.

It might seem like an easy fix–pick a heat pump with a capacity slightly bigger than your home’s load, or just buy a heat pump with the same capacity as your furnace or other existing heating system. But Kosick believes most furnaces are oversized (often due to bad rules of thumb), and the wrong comparison for heat pump sizing. And “an oversized heat pump is actually worse than a slightly undersized one,” Kosick writes.

The most comfortable and efficient use of a heat pump is when it’s constantly running, at variable speeds, keeping warm air moving through a home, according to Kosick. A heat pump that’s too large will start and stop more, waste energy, wear on the system, and create hot and cold zones. Picking too small a heat pump, as noted, creates more obvious under-heating problems.

We have a whole guide to properly sizing a heat pump for your home. Having a good smart thermostat can help you figure out exactly how much energy your heating system used on one of the coldest days of the year, making sizing even easier. 

Why the Mitsubishi H2i is our pick

When we asked about the best cold climate heat pumps on Twitter, and spoke to contractors, Mitsubishi’s name came up often. It’s easy to see why. Its heat pumps have higher heat capacity at lower outdoor temperatures, produce heat down to the lowest temperatures, and have wide support and distribution among installers.

On pure stats, Mitsubishi’s Hyper-Heating (H2i) series stands out. As low as 5 Fahrenheit, an H2i heat pump produces its full rated heating capacity. For some areas, that be the entire winter. If your home is well-insulated and there’s an H2i heat pump that fits your home’s load, you’re almost certainly ready to switch.

If your winter is brutal, you’re not out of luck though. As low as -13F, an H2i pump keeps working, supplying roughly 80% of its total heat capacity. Depending on your home, that might mean turning down the thermostat and bundling for brief spells, or having backup heat available for extended freezes, whether that means keeping your existing system or installing electric backups.

Mitsubishi heat pumps don’t just work well on paper–they’re greatly preferred in real cold regions. We know this because the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has a database of heat pumps installed in that state through 2019. Mitsubishi heat pumps are installed at a rate of 2.8 times more than the next brand, Fujitsu. Download the data and look around, and you’ll see a wide range of home sizes and heating needs, across a state with winter temperatures that frequently dip below 0° F.

Our second favorite: Fujitsu

Fujitsu cold climate heat pumps (AOU line) have a lot in common with Mitsubishi’s. But instead of delivering 100% of their capacity down to 5F, all but the smallest Fujitsu models offer 75-95% of their capacity. They’re rated to work down to -10F, just above Mitsubishi’s -13F.

Fewer people in Massachusetts installed Fujitsu models than Mitsubishi pumps, but far more than the next most popular brand, Daikin. Fujitsu was mentioned a number of times by installers and consultants we spoke with. Like our other picks, the brand is also well-established, and has a decently large network of authorized installers around the U.S.

One more option: Daikin Fit & Aurora

Daikin’s Fit line (RZQ outdoor pumps) is well-regarded, if new, among installers, and maintains its full heating capacity down to 5F, like our top recommendation, Mitsubishi. They don’t work to as low a temperature, however, stopping at -4F. 

Daikin’s new Aurora (RXTQ) cold climate heat pumps look promising. They provide 100% heating capacity down to 5F, then keep working at a slightly slower capacity to -13F, like the H2i series. The Aurora is too new for many of our installers to have worked with, but it seems promising.

Why you should consider other brands

Our recommendations are by no means exhaustive, exclusive, or guaranteed to cover everyone’s particular winter in their unique home. There are many reasons you might pick a heat pump from a brand we didn’t recommend here.

For one thing, we focused on the coldest climates for this guide–those covered by “Cold” and “Very Cold” on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s climate map.

Even inside those cold zones, winters vary. While your winter may occasionally, memorably dip below freezing, most of your winter may not require a heat pump that can deliver a full load down to almost zero.  

Some contractors, and homeowners, value other things beyond pure cold climate performance. Nate Adams, a heat pump installer in Ohio, highly values the energy monitoring, airflow adjustments, pressure, dehumidification, and other features of Carrier’s Greenspeed heat pumps. He’ll pick that if it fits a job, he said, even if other heat pumps beat the Greenspeed on deep cold performance.

There’s also the reality that, in your region, reliable contractors may only represent certain heat pump brands. After assessing your energy needs, climate, controls, and other factors, you and your contractor may settle on a heat pump from a brand not mentioned here–and you’ll still get efficient, money-saving, carbon-free comfort.

All of that’s to say that looking at the specs is important, but when it comes to finding the best cold climate heat pump for your home, it’s not the only thing to consider.

The post How to Find The Best Cold Climate Heat Pump appeared first on Carbon Switch.

If you’re looking to install a cooling system for your home, you’ll likely come across two different options: ductless mini-splits and central air conditioning (central A/C).

Central air will be familiar to most: With this option, a big box outside your home moves hot air out of your home and cool air throughout ducts and vents.

Ductless mini-splits work in much the same way, but as the name suggests, they don’t require ducts. Instead that big box outside your home connects to anywhere between one and six separate air handlers. 

Which system you should pick for your home depends on a few factors, including: 

• The size of your home and the rooms you want to cool
•  Where you spend time throughout the day
• Upfront and operating costs.

Let’s explore the two systems’ pros and cons and which option makes the most sense for you and your home.

What is a ductless mini-split?

As its name implies, a ductless mini-split system can cool rooms, or a whole home, without the need for ducts running all the way back to a central fanLike a traditional A/C system, a mini-split moves heat from inside your insulated home to the outside air, while moving cool air into your home. Unlike a traditional “central” A/C system, the cool air comes from each separate indoor air handler, rather than one central fan in your attic or basement.

This split-up cooling system allows for zone control, and prevents the efficiency loss of moving air through long ducts. It also makes installing a mini-split system possible in homes where space is limited, or where ductwork would be intrusive and costly. Up to eight indoor units can be connected to a single outdoor unit.

However, unlike a traditional central air conditioning system, ductless mini-splits can also provide heat — and they can do it 3-4 times more efficiently than a furnace, boiler, or baseboard heat system. That means when you install mini-splits, you’re getting two major appliances for the price of one. 

To learn more, you can read our recent guide: What is a mini-split?. If you want to know more about the physics and mechanics of these systems, read our guide to how heat pumps work.

What is central air conditioning?

Central air conditioning does all of its work in a couple bigger units. An outdoor unit expels warm air, while an indoor air handler blows cool air throughout a home’s duct system. 

From there, it spreads to every room through vents. The whole system is controlled by a single thermostat, set to one temperature. The only real options for a homeowner are how wide you open each vent, and what kind of filter you put into the blower unit.

Benefits of ductless mini-splits

Having individual control of each cooling unit in your home gives you more control over temperatures, humidity, and your energy bills. Let’s walk through the benefits one by one.

Zone control of temperature and humidity

Each indoor unit in a mini-split system can be controlled by a remote control, an in-room thermostat, or sometimes a smartphone app. Zone control lets you adjust the temperature in each individual room for things like: :

• People with different temperature preferences
• Rooms that you don’t use during certain parts of the day like bedrooms, offices, playrooms, attics and basements.
• New home additions or rooms without ducts
• Rooms that get hotter or cooler than other parts of the house 
• Pets left at home in a single room

Efficiency

Most homes lose 20-30% of their cooling capability in ducts, according to Energy Star. The cool air in a mini-split system comes out at each indoor unit, so it doesn’t have to make that energy-draining journey.

There are also inherent efficiencies in the zone control mentioned above. Most homes will have some temperature variation due to variations in sunlight, insulation, elevation, and construction. Allowing each unit to control how much to cool each room lowers energy use and saves you money on your utility bill each month.

Two major appliances for the price of one

In addition to cooling your home, mini-splits can also heat your home, which means when you install them you can avoid or delay replacing your heating system in the future.

In heating mode, mini-splits use the same kind of no-duct thermal energy transfer to heat your home. And like all heat pumps, they can do it up to four times more efficiently than any other heating system. 

You can use a heat pump with a ducted system, but a mini-split system (which also uses heat pump technology) delivers this heat the most efficient way possible.

Easier, more flexible installation

If your home doesn’t have existing ducts, installing central AC can get very expensive.. It also requires opening up walls, ceilings, and floors to install ducts, vents, and air returns.

Mini-splits were built specifically to avoid ductwork, originally for Japanese homeowners. They work through thin pipes, rather than wide ducts. For homes without ductwork this often results in lower costs and complexity. 

Steady, constant temperature and dehumidification

Most new, high-SEER mini-split systems offer either dual-stage or variable-speed motors. When properly sized, mini-split systems can run at lower speeds for longer periods than less efficient central air. 

Rather than “kicking on” and blowing in gusts of cool air every so often, a mini-split unit can gradually pull moisture and heat from the air all day, keeping a room comfortable while keeping energy use low.

Downsides of mini-splits

Potentially higher upfront costs

If your home already has duct work, a low-SEER, single-stage AC system will cost you less money upfront than a mini-split system. 

Cheap, inefficient AC systems cost between $4,000-$8,000 according to Bob Vila.

Single-zone mini-splits cost $2,000-$6,000, while multi-zone systems that cover an entire home generally cost between $8,000-$12,000, according to homeowners and contractors we’ve talked to.

Electrical requirements

Mini-splits often require electrical work In some cases this may mean upgrading an electrical panel. In others it may mean upgrading from 100 amp to 200 amp service through your utility. 

Aesthetics of wall units

The typical mini-split configuration has each indoor unit hung on a wall. Wall units can be black or white. Many would consider them inoffensive. But some people won’t appreciate having anything hanging on their wall.

There are alternatives to wall units in a mini-split system, like floor-mounted, flush ceiling, and ceiling-suspended units. But both the equipment and labor costs go up with these options.

Individual filters instead of household filters

Each indoor unit in a mini-split system has its own smaller filter. This certainly reduces the spread of particles, but a ducted system moves the home’s air through a large filter, for which you can choose different filter levels (e.g. a heavy-duty MERV-15). 

That means if you have clean ducts, central AC will provide cleaner air than a mini-split system. 

Benefits of central air conditioning

Lower upfront costs (if you already have ducts)

If your home already has ducts, whether for heating or cooling, installing central air conditioning will cost less than a mini-split system.

As we mentioned above, a cheap, low-SEER air conditioner typically costs between $4,000 and $8,000. A whole home mini-split system, by comparison, typically costs between $8,000-$12,000.

Easier operation

Individual control of each zone or room can be great, but not if you don’t want, or need, that much control. Central air conditioning systems can generally be set to one temperature, and they’ll work until the thermostat (or, optionally, household sensors) reach it.

It may seem sub-optimal, but a single thermostat and temperature also means that you may be less likely to  accidentally leave one zone set quite low when nobody’s in it, or let it get too hot in a room where you turned off the system.

Filtration options

If pets, allergies, or other concerns require you to aggressively filter the air in your home, a traditional air handler in a ducted central air system gives you more options. These indoor units can accept larger filters with different HEPA filter levels.

Downsides of central air conditioning

Lack of zone control

Central air conditioning systems have two options: They can either be turned on or turned off. But as we mentioned above, there are a lot of situations where it comes in handy to turn on the AC or heat in just one room.

For example, maybe one room gets a lot of sun during the day. You might want to crank the AC in that room, but not turn the rest of your home into an ice box. 

Or maybe you leave your pet at home during the work day. It’d be a waste of money and energy to heat or cool the entire home if the pet just hangs out in one single room. 

Central AC systems, unlike ductless mini-splits, don’t solve either of these problems. 

Duct maintenance

Over time ducts get dirty, which can make the air you breathe less healthy. Cleaning them out can be a pain and is often too difficult for even the most handy homeowners. This means more maintenance and the headache of scheduling regular cleanings. 

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to choose between them? Can I use both?

If you already have ducts in your home, but they don’t cover an area of your home (or don’t provide enough air to it), you can augment your ducted system with a single-unit mini-split. 

Typically this involves installing an indoor unit a short distance from its outside counterpart, with short, narrow cables running between them. The indoor unit would be controlled separately from the main ducted system, and could be used only when needed.

Can I use a heat pump with either ducted or ductless systems?

Yes, a heat pump can provide the same kind of cooling, and super-efficient heating, with ducted or ductless systems. A heat pump is more efficient in a ductless system, but still provides heat that can save the average U.S. home hundreds of dollars per year in either setup.

Can I install a mini-split system myself?

MRCOOL, Pioneer, and other brands sell DIY mini splits in single-zone and multi-zone configurations. You can walk into a big-box store and come home with most of the gear required to install mini-splits in your home. But should you?

Using an HVAC contractor provides many inherent advantages to a DIY installation. Good contractors know the equipment they’re licensed to install. They’re familiar with your region, your style of home, and, of course, the type of work that needs to be done. And most importantly, manufacturers offer up to 12 year warranties on equipment installed by licensed HVAC techs. 

That all might well be worth the dollars you’d save in a DIY installation. But if you’re technical and up for the challenge, give it a try. We’re heard stories of people saving thousands by doing a DIY install.

A good first step is looking up the manual of the model you’re considering and read it thoroughly. A typical DIY mini-split job involves electrical work, wall mounting, knowing exactly what’s inside your walls and drilling holes through them.

How often should I have a mini-split system serviced?

You can clean the filters on your indoor units yourself, at least monthly. But at least once a year you should have your ductless system professionally inspected.

All the things that make a ductless system quiet, clean, and efficient can be undone by leaks, wiring damage, clogged drains, or other issues that build up over time. A professional HVAC technician who knows your mini-split brand can ensure everything is running smoothly.

How often should I have the ducts on my central air system cleaned?

If your ducts have visible debris inside, if you smell a moldy or off odor coming from your vents, or if people in your home are experiencing atypical allergy-like symptoms, it’s time to have your ducts inspected and cleaned, right away.

Otherwise, HVAC providers and furnace manufacturers seem to average out to every two to three years for duct checks. Even if nothing seems particularly wrong with your ducts’ air, build-up in the ducts lowers efficiency, and breaks or leaks can be better caught with regular inspection.

The post Mini-Splits vs. Central Air Conditioning appeared first on Carbon Switch.

A mini-split, or ductless air conditioner, is an appliance that can both cool and heat a home. But unlike a traditional air conditioning or heating system, mini-splits offer “zone-control.” 

While a traditional heating and cooling system can be turned on or off, each indoor unit of a mini-split can be set to a different temperature. And each indoor unit only requires a few smaller lines run to it, rather than large ducts.

In addition to having more control over the temperature throughout your home, mini-splits tend to be more efficient than traditional air conditioners. And when turned to heating mode, they are between 2-4 times more efficient than a furnace, baseboard or a boiler. 

In this article we’ll explain how mini-splits work, look at their pros and cons, and answer frequently asked questions about these high-efficiency heating and cooling appliances. 

How does a mini-split work?

In many ways, a mini-split functions much like a traditional air conditioning system. In cooling mode, it moves heat from inside your home to the outside air. The difference is where the cool air blows from. 

In a central-air system, the cool air comes out of a single “air handler” (basically a big fan in your attic or basement), then blows that cool air throughout all the ducts of your home. A mini-split, by comparison, can blow cool air from up to 6 seperate air handlers, hence why they can offer zone-control.

There’s more to the process, involving expansion, compression, and evaporation. You can read about the whole process in our guide to how heat pumps work. 

Types of mini-splits

Number of zones

When you install a mini-split, you have to choose how many zones you want throughout your home. You can install one indoor unit to  cover just a single room or zone. Or you can install five or six indoor units and make your whole home a modular heating playground.

Installing a single zone is ideal if you’re adding cooling or heating to a room that ducts are having trouble reaching, a new home addition, or an exterior space, like a garage or workshop. You could even consider a DIY mini-split kit for these kinds of projects.

A multi-zone setup typically allows up to six indoor units to be connected to a single outdoor unit. Each indoor unit is connected to an outdoor unit by thin lines of refrigerant, power, and drainage.

Where can you mount a mini-split indoor unit?

Because of their thinner tubes and cable connections, the indoor units in a mini-split system can go more places than a traditional ducted vent. 

The most typical indoor unit you’ll see is a wall-mounted unit.  These are generally mounted about 6 inches from the ceiling in order to distribute cool air downwards, as the warmer air will rise.

Beyond wall-mounted, other indoor units can be:

• Floor-mounted, for homes where windows, ceilings, or other room design prevents easy wall-mounting
• Floor-standing, for walls with even less usable space
• Ceiling cassette, for a more subtle look and better downward air spread
• Ceiling suspended, for more airflow but more noise, too

Benefits of mini-splits

By cutting out ducts and letting each indoor unit do some of the cooling work, a mini-split system gives you more control over exactly how you want your home cooled, heated, and dehumidified. Let’s walk through each benefit.

Individual control of each indoor unit

The indoor units in a mini-split system can be controlled with a remote control, a smart thermostat, or sometimes a mobile app. Rather than setting a single temperature to cover the whole range of your house, a mini-split lets you fine-tune for things like:

• Family members who disagree about the right temperature
• Rooms only occasionally used, whether at certain times of day(bedrooms, offices) or in general (guest rooms, attics)
• New additions or rooms in a home that don’t have ducts
• Individual rooms and areas with specific heating or cooling challenges (sunrooms, basements)
• Keeping pets comfortable in one room while you’re at work

Efficiency

Ducts are responsible for 20-30% air loss in a typical home, according to Energy Star. The cooling or heating coming from a mini-split system is generated at each unit so these losses can be avoided..

Another inherent advantage of mini-splits is allowing rooms or zones to be kept at separate temperatures (or turned off entirely). If your bedroom is across the house from where a main thermostat would go, a mini-split system could provide serious savings while you sleep.

Two major appliances for the price of one

In addition to cooling your home, mini-splits can also heat your home, which means when you install them you can avoid paying for a furnace or baseboards.

In heating mode, mini-splits use the same kind of no-duct thermal energy transfer to heat your home. And like all heat pumps, they can do it up to four times more efficiently than any other heating system. 

You can use a heat pump with a ducted system, but a mini-split system (which also uses heat pump technology) delivers this heat the most efficient way possible

Higher-quality air

Ducted HVAC systems typically have one filter installed in a central, indoor location. Cleaning out the ducts typically requires professional service, which can put homeowners off the job (ask us how we know).

By comparison, each indoor unit in a mini-split setup has its own air filter that can be replaced by the homeowner with nothing more than a stepladder. 

Dehumidification

Whenever you turn on an air conditioner, you are also turning on a dehumidifier. With a mini-split this is the case, too. But mini-splits have one major advantage over traditional air conditioning systems in this regard.

Imagine it’s a humid, but not entirely hot, day in October. You might not want to turn on your air conditioner. But, for both health and comfort reasons, you definitely don’t want to sit in a humid home. With a traditional air conditioning system you have two choices: Sit in humid misery, or turn the AC and bundle up.

If you have a mini-split, you can turn it on “reheat dehumidification mode,” which sounds more complex than it actually is. In this mode you can keep the temperature constant while removing humidity from the air. 

Downsides of mini-splits

Potentially higher upfront costs

Putting all-new ducts for a central air system into a home, especially an older home, is expensive.

But setting up a new mini-split system isn’t cheap, either. Even a single-zone system can cost $2,000-$6,000. Multi-zone systems that cover an entire home generally cost between $8,000-$12,000, according to homeowners and contractors we’ve talked to.

Electrical requirements

Mini-splits often require electrical work, ranging from the simple (like running a 220V line to each indoor unit) to the complex (like upgrading your electrical panel). Some homeowners even have to upgrade their electrical service entirely from 100 amps to 200 amps. 

Aesthetics of wall units

The typical mini-split configuration has each indoor unit hung on a wall. Wall units can be black or white. Many would consider them inoffensive. But some people won’t appreciate having anything hanging on their wall.

As noted above, there are alternatives to wall units, like floor-mounted, flush ceiling, and ceiling-suspended units. But both the units and the labor costs tend to go up when you go with these options. 

Mini-splits vs. central A/C

The case for mini-splits

As we’ve covered above, mini-splits have a lot of advantages over traditional air conditioners. Those advantages include: 

• More control over the temperature of individual rooms and spaces
• Higher efficiency and less energy loss through ducts
• The ability to heat your home up to 4 times more efficiently than a furnace or baseboard heater
• The ability to dehumidify your home without cooling it
• Cleaner air on average

The case for central AC

Mini-splits aren’t for everyone. Here are the main advantages of central air:

• Lower upfront cost if you want to cool your entire home 
• Less electrical work required
• Less obtrusive aesthetic 

Mini-splits vs. window or portable units

Mini-splits’ advantages

If your summers are mild and you typically only cool one or two rooms, you might be tempted to stick it out with window units. If you’ve ever installed and used a window A/C unit, you know their inherent drawbacks:

• They block light and views through the window
• They’re typically unattractive, viewed both inside and outside the home
• They take up an electrical outlet, and may require thick extension cables
• Improper installation can lead to some surprising drainage problems
• They’re heavy
• They’re loud
• They make your windows less secure

Portable units may provide more placement options than a window unit, but still require a window for heat exhaust, and create their own setup headaches.

And both kinds of temporary units are less energy efficient than a mini-split. 

The case for window or portable AC units

Window and portable AC units can be thousands of dollars cheaper to install than a mini-split. So if you just need to cool a room for a short amount of time, they can make more sense. 

And unlike a mini-split, window units and portable air conditioners can be moved from room to room. 

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a mini-split for every room?

Not necessarily. A larger indoor unit can work for a “zone” of a home, not just a room. And if a room doesn’t need heating, cooling, or dehumidification, you can skip a mini-split in there.

That said, it’s more efficient to buy a properly-sized indoor unit for each room where you might want cooling, rather than buy larger units and hope they’ll cover multiple rooms.

Are mini-splits noisy?

A mini-split has two main components, an indoor unit and outdoor unit. Both will vary in their noise of operation, depending on the capacity of the unit and the temperatures they’re trying to reach. 

Manufacturers’ ratings generally show decibel levels of indoor units between 20-49, and outdoor units 45-60. Those are comparable, according to noise charts, to between a whisper and a library indoors, and a “quiet suburb” outdoors.

Can I install them myself?

MRCOOL, Pioneer, and other brands sell DIY mini splits in single-zone and multi-zone configurations. You can walk into a big-box store and come home with most of the gear required to install mini-splits in your home. But should you?

Using an HVAC contractor provides many inherent advantages to a DIY installation. Good contractors know the equipment they’re licensed to install. They’re familiar with your region, your style of home, and, of course, the type of work that needs to be done. And most importantly, manufacturers offer up to 12 year warranties on equipment installed by licensed HVAC techs. 

That all might well be worth the dollars you’d save in a DIY installation. But if you’re technical and up for the challenge, give it a try. We’re heard stories of people saving thousands by doing a DIY install.

A good first step is looking up the manual of the model you’re considering and read it thoroughly. A typical DIY mini-split job involves electrical work, wall mounting, knowing exactly what’s inside your walls and drilling holes through them.

What are the electrical requirements for a mini-split?

Most high-efficiency mini-split systems require 208-230-volt service. Some smaller units only call for 110-115 volts, and could therefore rely on typical household power. Your HVAC contractor should know what your system demands, and whether your home’s current panel and service can provide it. If you’re at all uncertain, seek out a qualified and licensed electrician.

Do mini-split units come in colors other than white?

If a white mini-split wall unit isn’t appealing, you can take some comfort in having at least one other option: black. You’ll have to do some hunting for black wall units, however. Beyond black and white, there are not a lot of color options, whether indoor or outdoor.

As noted above, if a white or black wall unit unacceptable in a room, there are options for ceiling or floor mounting.

How can I camouflage or cover up a mini-split?is 

Beyond choosing a ceiling or floor-mounted mini-split unit, one manufacturer, and some DIY tricks, do offer a way of improving, if not hiding, the look of a wall unit.

LG’s Art Cool line provides a frame in which you can place any image you choose, with the heating or cooling coming out of the sides of the wall unit. You and your contractor can also try some creative placement: in bookcases, inside old-fashioned radiator covers, under stairwells, and more. Anything that doesn’t block access to the air, the filters, or the equipment for service, and doesn’t put them too close to electronics, is fair game.

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