Not sure if it’s global warming or what but I live and work out of my home and the ol’ swamp cooler just wasn’t cutting it anymore. The problem was that the ducts in this house (and electrical but that’s another issue) aren’t adequate to support central air. I replaced the huge octopus furnace a few years ago and did the asbestos remediation but adding costly duct work was not something I wanted to get involved with.

I called a few air conditioning companies and they all agreed that we needed duct work if we wanted central air but a few of the guys mentioned a ductless air conditioning system.  Basically, it’s a wall-mounted unit that is attached to a condenser. The guy promised that I’d be freezing in no time so I signed up.

For the ductless air conditioner (also known as a mini split), outdoor condenser, new electrical panel and upgrade I paid $5,000. Less than half the price that my neighbors were quoted for central air. PLUS, it qualifies for an energy efficient tax credit of $1,500.

It works great – I’m thinking of putting a sweater on even as I type this.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to add air conditioning to an old house or rehab project, go ductless! Here’s a link to the one we have:

http://www.fujitsugeneral.com/wallmounted9-12RLS.htm