Which is better, a mini split or central air? Your ducts decide. Sound ducts favor central air or a ducted heat pump, while no ducts favor a mini split, because new ductwork alone costs $3,600 to $9,500. Call (541) 461-2101 in Eugene or (503) 581-9982 in Salem.
James Heating and Air Conditioning (Oregon CCB #47396, in business since 1983) installs both across Lane and Marion counties. We quote after our technicians check your ducts, so call (541) 461-2101 for Eugene, Springfield and Lane County, or (503) 581-9982 for Salem, Keizer and Marion County.
How do a mini split and central air each move heat?
Both systems use an outdoor unit that carries heat through refrigerant lines, and only the air path indoors differs. A central system sends the result to one air handler, and ducts carry the air to registers in every room. A mini split skips the ducts. We install a small indoor head in each room instead, and a mini split is, in nearly every home installation, a heat pump that also heats.
That trips people up. “Central air” means cooling only, so you still need a furnace for winter. A ducted system can heat too, but then it is a ducted heat pump, covered below.
How do a mini split, a ducted heat pump and central air compare side by side?
Cost, ducts, zoning, heating and upkeep separate the three, and the table below lines them up. We built the cost rows from Fixr’s national guides, which we name under the table.
| Central air (cooling only) | Ducted heat pump | Mini split (ductless heat pump) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed, about 1,000 sq ft | $2,900 to $7,200 | $5,000 to $8,000 | 1 to 2 zones, $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Installed, about 1,500 sq ft | $4,350 to $10,800 | $6,700 to $14,000 | 2 to 3 zones, $3,000 to $11,000 |
| Installed, about 2,000 sq ft | $5,800 to $14,400 | $8,000 to $20,000 | 3 to 4 zones, $5,000 to $14,000 |
| Efficiency floor (federal) | 13.4 SEER2 | 14.3 SEER2, 7.5 HSPF2 | 14.3 SEER2, 7.5 HSPF2; top models above 35 SEER2 and 22 HSPF2 |
| Ducts | Required | Required | None |
| Zoning | One thermostat; dampers are an add-on | Same | Each head has its own control |
| Heating | None; needs a furnace | Yes | Yes |
| Filtration | Replaceable filter, high MERV possible | Same | Washable mesh filters, low particle capture |
| Appearance | Registers only | Registers only | Visible head on wall, ceiling or floor |
| Noise | Compressor outside, air noise at registers | Same | Compressor outside, fan in each room |
| Upkeep | Filter about every 3 months | Same | Mesh filters cleaned about every 2 weeks |
| Best fit | Sound ducts, furnace stays | Sound ducts, one system for both seasons | No ducts, additions, room-by-room control |
Prices are national guides from Fixr’s central air page (August 2025), heat pump page (January 2026) and ductless page (January 2026). Fixr prices ductless by zone, not square foot, so the zone counts above are our rough pairing, and your layout can move them. The Department of Energy’s 2023 standards FAQ sets the efficiency floors, and the DOE Building America guide supplies the upkeep and filtration rows. We quote a firm price after we see the house, and for the cooling-only column see what a new air conditioner costs.
We size each system with a Manual J load calculation, not by square foot alone. SEER2 rates cooling and HSPF2 rates heating, both under the test method in force since 2023. Higher is better. Oregon sits in DOE’s North region, so the cooling-only floor here is 13.4.
Is a mini split cheaper to run than central air?
It depends on your ducts. The Department of Energy’s Building America guide says duct losses can account for more than 30% of heating and cooling energy when ducts run through an unconditioned area, such as a vented attic or crawlspace. With ductless, the guide says those losses are eliminated.
Read that figure as a worst case, not a promise. Sealed ducts, or ducts inside the conditioned space, lose far less, and sealing closes much of the gap. If yours run through a crawlspace or attic, we test them before we call them lost causes, and our leaky ducts in a crawl space guide shows what that test finds. Crushed, undersized or leaking ducts tilt the choice toward ductless. Sound ducts tilt it back.
Is a ducted heat pump the real rival to a mini split?
Often, yes. ENERGY STAR certifies ducted heat pumps and describes one as a central air conditioner that also works in reverse. In most cases we install it into your old duct run as a replacement for a worn central AC or a furnace. In winter it moves heat in from outdoor air and delivers up to three times more heat than the electricity it uses.
So the true question is usually ducted heat pump or mini split, because central AC alone leaves you buying a second system for heat. Willamette Valley summers are dry and the hot stretch is short, while heating runs for months. A cooling-only unit works a few weeks a year. A heat pump works nearly all year, and that changes the math. Our ducted heat pump cost breakdown covers sizing, panel and duct add-ons.
New equipment since 2025 uses A2L refrigerant, R-454B or R-32, in all three types. Oregon requires a mechanical permit for an AC or heat pump replacement, and a new ductless circuit needs an electrical permit. We pull both.
Can a mini split replace a furnace?
Yes, in most mild-climate homes. The DOE guide says many models heat in cold climates without a backup source, and ENERGY STAR tests cold climate heat pumps down to 5°F. Our technicians run a Manual J load calculation to confirm that the heads you plan can carry your coldest day. A mini split heat pump also replaces electric baseboard heat at a fraction of the electricity, and we install a floor console unit where the baseboard sat.
Do utility rebates treat ducted and ductless differently?
Yes. The utility programs are written for heat pumps, and ducted and ductless sit in separate programs with separate rules. Springfield Utility Board requires electric forced air or zonal electric heat for its ductless program and turns away any home that ever had a heat pump. SUB runs a different program for ducted systems that replace electric forced-air furnaces. EWEB requires pre-approval before you schedule the install, and the heat pump must be your primary heat source.
Your address decides what is on offer, and we check which utility serves it before we quote. EWEB serves Eugene, SUB serves Springfield, and Salem Electric serves West Salem. Energy Trust of Oregon covers only Portland General Electric and Pacific Power customers. The federal 25C credit ended December 31, 2025. Rules and amounts change, so we leave the dollar figures to our heat pump cost and rebate guide and your utility’s page.
Which system fits the house you own?
Your ducts, your heating and any recent addition decide it, and the tree below walks through the order we ask those questions. We check the ducts first and we size the equipment second.
Does an older home with baseboard heat and no ducts need a mini split?
Ductless wins. Adding ducts to a finished 1950s or 1960s house means cutting chases through walls and ceilings, and Fixr’s $3,600 to $9,500 for new ducts comes before the equipment, and we skip that cost with ductless. See our ductless heat pump systems for how we install them.
Should a home with sound ducts and an aging furnace go ducted?
Go ducted. A ducted heat pump drops into the existing duct run, and it heats and cools. If the furnace is fairly new, ENERGY STAR describes dual fuel, a heat pump paired with the furnace. We test your ducts first, and we fix leaks and undersized runs before we size the equipment. Our central heating and air conditioning systems page covers those installs.
What cools an addition, ADU or converted garage?
Choose a single mini split head. Your original system was sized by Manual J for the house as it stood, so extra floor area pulls on it without being counted. We add a separate head on its own outdoor unit, which gives the new room its own thermostat and leaves your main system alone. ENERGY STAR says a heat pump can condition part of a house when running ducts would be difficult.
What suits a split-level home?
Mix them. Heat rises, so the upper level runs warmer in summer and the lower level cooler, and one thermostat can only read one of them. A ducted system with a zoning damper helps, though dampers add equipment. Another route keeps the ducted system, and we add one ductless head on the problem level. If your rooms are already uneven, read why cooling is uneven in a house first.
Frequently asked questions
Is a mini split cheaper to run than central air?
It depends on the ducts. Against leaky ducts in an attic or crawlspace, ductless avoids losses the DOE puts above 30%. Against sealed ducts the gap shrinks, and a ducted heat pump of the same rating can run close. SEER2 and HSPF2 ratings on each model tell you more than the system type does.
Can a mini split replace a furnace?
Yes, in most mild-climate homes. The DOE guide says many models heat in cold climates without a backup source. ENERGY STAR tests cold climate heat pumps down to 5°F. Our technicians run a Manual J load calculation to decide whether the heads you plan can carry the coldest day.
Can one mini split cool a whole house?
One head conditions the open space around it. Bedrooms behind closed doors lag. A whole-home setup uses several heads. We run a separate line set to each head and cut one small wall opening per head, and the number one outdoor unit can run depends on the model.
Can I add a mini split to a house that already has central air?
Yes. That fix suits an addition or one room that never matches the rest. The head runs on its own outdoor unit and thermostat, separate from your ducted system.
Do I need a permit for either system?
Yes. Oregon requires a mechanical permit for an AC or heat pump replacement, and a new ductless circuit needs an electrical permit. We pull them as the installing contractor, and the job gets inspected.
Get a firm price for your house
We check your ducts, run the Manual J load calculation and tell you which system fits, and we quote a firm price in writing. Call (541) 461-2101 for Eugene, Springfield and Lane County, or (503) 581-9982 for Salem, Keizer and Marion County.
