Category
Mini Splits
Mini split heat pumps, the other half of an electrified home: sizing, wiring, warranties, and where to buy.
Solar handles the supply side of home electrification. Mini split heat pumps are the demand side: inverter-driven heating and cooling whose SEER2 rating decides what every hour of runtime costs, whether that power comes from the grid, a battery riding out an outage, or panels on the roof. These guides came out of a real replacement purchase, not a spec-sheet safari: sizing the room honestly, learning that no mini split plugs into a wall outlet, and reading the warranty fine print that decides who installs it. The mini split calculator sizes the room and prices the SEER2 difference, and if you are planning the whole load, the sizing calculator covers the solar and battery half.
Free tool
Free tool: Mini split sizing calculator
Size the room in BTU and price the SEER2 running-cost difference in about a minute. No email.
Buyer's guides
9,000 vs 12,000 BTU Mini Split: Sizing a 400 Sq Ft Room in a Hot Climate
9,000 or 12,000 BTU for a 400 sq ft room? The rules of thumb, the hot-climate adjustment, and why a modestly oversized inverter unit beats an undersized one.
Read the guide Buyer's guideDo Any Mini Splits Plug Into a Wall Outlet? 115V vs 230V, Explained
No mini split plugs into a standard wall outlet. What 115V vs 230V actually changes, why every unit needs a dedicated circuit, and what the electrician will install.
Read the guide Buyer's guideMini Split Freezing Up: What It Means and Whether to Repair or Replace
A mini split freezing up usually means a refrigerant leak, blocked airflow, or a bad sensor. How to tell which, what ice is normal, and when replacement beats repair.
Read the guide Buyer's guideMRCOOL DIY vs Daikin Oterra: The Self-Install Warranty Trap
Self-installing a Daikin mini split can void its 12-year warranty. MRCOOL DIY exists because of that rule. The real warranty terms, reliability record, and the math.
Read the guide Buyer's guideWhere to Buy a Daikin Mini Split (Without Losing the 12-Year Warranty)
Where to buy a Daikin mini split online: verified prices for the Oterra 12K at six retailers, plus the warranty rule that decides how you should buy it.
Read the guideReviews
Cooper & Hunter MIA 12,000 BTU Review: The Quiet One, With a Warranty Catch
A synthesis review of the Cooper & Hunter MIA 12K mini split: one of the quietest value units, strong on price and cold heating, with a warranty that DIY installs forfeit.
Read the reviewDaikin 19 Series 12,000 BTU Review: The Premium Benchmark You Cannot Self Install
A synthesis review of the Daikin 19 Series 12K: the premium benchmark on reliability and warranty, why it costs more, and why it is strictly a pro install unit.
Read the reviewMRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 12,000 BTU Review: The Warranty That Survives a Self Install
A synthesis review of the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 12K: the current R-454B mini split whose warranty survives a self install, plus what owners and reviewers report.
Read the reviewPioneer Diamante 12,000 BTU Review: The Value Benchmark, Clunky App and All
A synthesis review of the Pioneer Diamante 12K: a value leader on price and efficiency, what pros and owners report, and where its app and support fall short.
Read the reviewSenville LETO 12,000 BTU Review: Ours Lasted Two Summers
A two-year ownership review of the Senville LETO 12K mini split: pro-installed, ran well, then a fouled outdoor coil drove pressures up and the head unit leaked.
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