Adding Ductless to an Accessory Building in Oro Valley

At Hamstra Heating & Cooling, we’re passionate about helping homeowners create the perfect indoor environment, no matter where they are.

Whether you are building a guest house, turning the garage into an in-law suite, or expanding the garden shed into an outdoor lounge, climate control in these accessory buildings can be challenging.

You can cool these spaces with a window air conditioner and plug in a space heater when winter arrives, but a portable unit may not perform adequately day in and day out.

Installing conventional HVAC for a small, one-room building in your backyard is likely overkill. Mothballing your backyard accessory building for the season may not be an option.

A ductless mini split may be the perfect solution for heating and cooling your small, detached space. Our expert team at Hamstra Heating & Cooling can recommend and install the best option within a day.

As accessory buildings have grown in popularity throughout Arizona, the desire to use them year-round has made heating and cooling a necessity. Ductless mini splits were made for this challenge.

What Is a Ductless Mini Split?

A ductless mini split consists of two main components:

Outdoor Unit: This unit contains the compressor and condenser and sits outside your home or accessory building.

Indoor Unit: The indoor unit houses the evaporator coil, filters, and a blower that moves the conditioned air directly into the surrounding area rather than through an air duct. It is typically mounted on the wall or ceiling and has a remote temperature controller.

The two units are connected by refrigerant-filled tubing, power cords, and a condensate drain to remove excess condensation. One outdoor unit can be connected to up to eight indoor air handling units when heating and cooling an entire home, or it can be paired with just one unit to make an addition or detached building more comfortable.

How Do Ductless Mini Splits Work?

Ductless mini splits use a refrigerant cycle to transfer heat. In cooling mode, the outdoor unit extracts heat from the indoor air and releases it outside. Many modern heat pumps can capture outdoor heat even when temperatures plunge below freezing.

In heating mode, the process reverses, removing heat from the outside air and transferring it indoors.

You adjust the room temperature with a controller that operates the indoor unit.

Do Mini Splits Offer Any Advantages?

One of the biggest advantages of a ductless mini split is its ability to heat and cool. You need only one system for your accessory building, which remains in place all year.

It also appeals to homeowners with backyard buildings because it operates superbly without ductwork. Small backyard buildings typically do not have ductwork, and adding ductwork for a furnace or heat pump may be costly and disruptive in a small space, making no financial or aesthetic sense.

Even if your backyard building is a tiny house with a separate bathroom, kitchen, and sleeping quarters, installing a ductless mini split with indoor units in each room is far less complicated than adding ductwork and more efficient. Air ducts lose about 20 to 30 percent of the air that moves through them to holes, cracks, and poor connections, according to ENERGY STAR^®.

Ductless mini splits are quiet and highly efficient, saving heating and cooling costs. Inverter technology enables mini split compressors to operate at variable speeds rather than at capacity whenever they cycle on.

Multi-speed compressors can run for long periods at lower speeds and save on energy costs, while single-speed compressors experience more wear and tear.

Mini Splits Improve Air Quality

The indoor unit can be mounted on the wall or ceiling or placed on the floor as part of a console. You will appreciate the improved indoor air quality in your accessory building, whether you use paints and other hobby materials in the space or merely curl up on the couch in your office space for a quick nap.

Ductless mini splits contain air filters and can fulfill your demand for clean indoor air.

With the rise of remote work and the increased popularity of multi-generational living, more homeowners use their accessory buildings as standalone living spaces or functional areas.

Installing a ductless mini split can improve the comfort and functionality of these spaces, making them more livable year-round.

How Much Does a Mini Split Cost?

The cost of a ductless mini split can vary depending on several factors, including system size and capacity, installation complexity, equipment brand, and the number of indoor units.

Schedule a consultation with our Hamstra Heating & Cooling experts for the most accurate price. Before quoting a price, we assess your heating and cooling needs during an on-site visit.

You may recoup some of the cost through local utility rebates and federal tax credits. We can assist you in finding rebates, and we offer financing options.

Go Ductless Today!

Whether you are building a guest house in Oro Valley, creating a home office in a detached garage, or need to keep your workshop comfortable year-round, a ductless mini split is an excellent choice. Let Hamstra Heating & Cooling bring high-efficiency comfort to your backyard accessory building with a ductless mini split. Call us at 520-629-9833 or request service online.