Ductless Air Conditioners vs. Central AC: Which Is Right for Your Home?

1. How they differ Central AC cools your whole house through a network of ducts. A ductless air conditioner (also called a mini split) has an outdoor unit and one or more indoor units connected by a small line set. Each indoor unit cools its own space, with no ductwork.

2. When ductless makes sense

• Your home has no ducts, or the ducts are in poor shape.
• You're cooling an addition, garage, attic room or finished basement.
• You want separate temperature control in each room.
• You only need to cool part of the house.

3. When central air may be the better fit If your home already has good ductwork and you want to cool every room evenly, central AC can be the simpler option. Ductless can still help in the rooms your ducts don't reach well.

4. Cooling only, or heating too? Many of our ductless units are heat pumps, so they heat in winter as well as cool. Others are cool-only. Check the product title to see which you're getting.

5. Sizing Choose the BTU size to match the room or the zone, not the whole house. Our What Size Mini Split? page will help you find a starting point.

6. What else you'll need Plan for a line set, a mounting bracket or pad, a drain line and a line cover, and possibly a condensate pump. A licensed HVAC professional should do the install.

Closing Browse our ductless air conditioners and compare sizes, brands and efficiency ratings side by side.