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Mitsubishi Mini-Split Heat Pump FAQs

FAQs, aka. Frequently Asked Questions, are a great way to revisit popular products that many of our customers in the Denver Metro and surrounding areas inquire about every year. It also allows for a different, fresh perspective for our readers, seeing these products through eyes that are closer to their own.

So without further fanfare, here’s our compilation of the eight questions that our comfort advisers at Save Home Heat Company hear most often from homeowners who are interested in mini-split heat pumps from Mitsubishi – a high quality, all-electric home heating and cooling option that continues to gain fans.

#1: What Is a Mini-Split Heat Pump?

A mini-split heat pump system is a refrigerant-based, ductless heating and cooling system – providing year-round comfort – that’s designed to condition specific rooms and areas within a home, as opposed to a central system such as a furnace with central AC. Like all heat pumps, mini-split heat pumps operate entirely off electricity.

The primary components in a mini-split system are an outdoor condensing unit (or units) that contains a variable-speed compressor, and the indoor blower unit (or units) that’s powered by it. There’s a wide variety of mini-split heat pump configurations available, including multi-zone outdoor units that can power up to eight independent indoor blower units. There’s also a range of compact, modern style blower units available to fit different spaces and needs.

A mini-split heat pump can be a great complement to an existing central system, and can also function independently as a standalone comfort system. Multi-zone systems are a very popular option with our customers, and they can even be designed for expansion to cover additional rooms at a later date.

• Allows you to take advantage of the energy-saving benefits of a zoned heating and cooling system, dialing down the temperature in parts of the home that aren’t in use
• Provides the ability to personalize comfort levels in different rooms in the home, customizing the temperature in occupied rooms to match the desires of whoever is using them
• Compact, unobtrusive equipment, indoors and outside
• Low operating sound levels, indoors and outside
• Mini-split heat pumps are electrically efficient – especially the most popular products from Mitsubishi that our team installs, with cooling efficiencies ranging as high as 33+ SEER and heating as high as 12+ HSPF

Mini-split heat pumps are recognized as a “green” home heating option and many models are ENERGY STAR or ENERGY STAR Most Efficient certified

Utility company, state, and federal rebates and tax credits are often available for certain models. Our team is expert at administering Xcel Energy rebates for our customers. We can also provide the help you need connecting the dots on the state and federal incentive fronts, once your tax advisor tells you what type of energy efficiency investment makes sense to consider.

The installation costs for mini-split heat pump systems are, generally speaking, a significant investment, so we rarely recommend them to a family that’s planning to relocate to a new home in the near future. Costs for an installed system start in the same range as a high efficiency furnace, but can run higher, depending on the number of rooms you wish to heat and cool, as well as the specific model you choose.

On the other hand, operating costs of these highly efficient, zoned systems are very reasonable, especially compared with other electric-powered home heating and cooling options. Mini-split systems really shine when it comes to their electrical operating costs.

Xcel Rebates Can Make A Difference in Your Purchasing Decision!

Of special note: Xcel Energy customers may be able to take advantage of ‘triple heat pump rebates’ for a limited time in 2025. If you think this might be the year to pull the trigger, we urge you to act now and not miss out on these significantly increased rebates on qualifying mini-split and central heat pumps – that in some cases can exceed $10,000!

Mini-split systems are very quiet – both indoors and out. The variable-speed outdoor units typically have a much smaller footprint than central systems, and since they rarely turn on to cool or heat an entire home all at the same time, their operating sound levels are also appreciably quieter.

The operating sound levels of most mini-split outdoor condensing units fall in the 46 decibel (dB) to 58 dB range – 46 dB is about the level of a normal conversation; 58 dB is similar to running fridge. In general, mini-split outdoor units operate about 10 to 15 dB quieter than whole-house systems.

Indoors, the multi-speed blower units can be very quiet, in some cases as low as 20 dB on low speed, which is considered to be the level of a quiet whisper or gently rustling leaves. Even on high speed, they’re typically no louder than 45 to 50 dB, which is often compared with low level conversation, a humming frigerator, a quiet office, or rainfall.

The number of indoor blower units and outdoor condensing units you need depends on what you want to accomplish. First and foremost, how many rooms do you want your new system to heat and cool? What are your priority areas? What will your budget comfortably accommodate? Are you thinking about expanding the number of rooms the system will cover, at a later date?

As mentioned above, multi-zone systems can be set up to add additional rooms at a later date, which is a nice way to help control your initial investment while still hitting the ones at the top of your list. This is a popular plan with many families who desire to eventually transition most or all of their homes to a zoned, mini-split heat pump system.

Standard with all Mitsubishi mini-split heat pumps that our team at Save Home Heat installs, there is a handheld remote thermostat that makes it easy to control the system from any location in the room. You can also mount the thermostat on a special wall bracket if you prefer having it in a single location (or want to keep little hands from getting hold of it!).

Some of the features offered by this simple yet sophisticated remote control include the ability to group multiple settings into one-touch operation, easy control of all cooling and heating modes, customizable settings, as well as programing and adjusting the air direction and fan speed of the indoor blower unit. Mitsubishi mini-split thermostats can also be enabled for Wi-Fi and remote smart phone control.

The answer to the above question is normally ‘yes.’ On new installations, it’s required by code that a dedicated circuit is run from the home’s electrical service panel to the outdoor unit location, and an outdoor power disconnect switch also be located by the outdoor condensing unit. For our customers at Save Home Heat Company in the greater Denver Metro area, this high voltage work is performed in-house by our team of licensed electricians, coordinated and overseen by our staff licensed Master Electrician.

Mitsubishi has been a global leader in ductless comfort technology for over 60 years, and was one of the first manufacturers to pioneer these systems, in the 1950s. Mitsubishi continues to be an industry leader with advancements such as the efficiency and low temperature performance of their patented Hyper Heat INVERTER (H2i) compressor technology, and features such as 3D I-SEE™ thermal scanning technology for optimal comfort for room occupants, and Instant Hot Start operation (no blasts of cold air) – in addition to the recently introduced intelli-HEAT system.

Mitsubishi INVERTER Technology Leads the Industry

Our most popular mini-split heat pumps are Mitsubishi’s H2i INVERTER systems, which are up to 40% more efficient than standard ductless systems (which still offer a broad range of benefits). H2i INVERTER systems are ultra quiet and feature 100% heat output down to 5℉ outdoor ambient temperature, with lower heat output continuing down to -22℉.

Worth mentioning, Mitsubishi’s H2i Plus Deluxe Wall-Mounted System provides even better performance when outdoor temperatures plummet, with 100% heat output even when it gets down to -5℉ outside!

Please contact me to schedule a mini-split heat pump quote!