Staying cool (and warm) is what matters most when it comes to mini-splits. But for some, aesthetics play a major role in home design. If that's you, and you're worried mini-splits won't fit your vision, fear not! We have some tips to make them a stylish addition to your Boston-area home or for your Boston-based clients.
A Quick Primer on the Language in this Article
A mini-split HVAC system works (mostly) just like a regular “split system” does — there is an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The “mini” part refers to the fact that the components are smaller and more compact than traditional systems.
Heat Pump
This is the part of a mini-split system which lives outside. There are ways to jazz this up, but it looks like a small air conditioning unit until you get up close.
Air Handler
The air handler is the indoor component which delivers the warm and cool air, with a remote control! This is the part people usually think is the mini-split, but mini-split refers to the whole system, including the heat pump.
Not All Mini-Splits Look Like This
Manufacturers from Mitsubishi — the inventor of the heat pump — to LG have come up with clever ways to help your HVAC blend in the way it does with ducted systems. The three most common options are these:
- Wall-mounted near the ceiling (most common)
- Wall-mounted near the floor (a floor-mount air handler looks a little like a radiator)
- Ceiling cassette (looks like a large air vent in the ceiling)
Wall-mounted Mini-Split Air Handler Examples
These are three examples of mini-splits our licensed team installed at our Boston-area clients' homes. Whether it was in a study, a kitchen, or a nursery, the clients’ choice was to place the affordable, wall-mounted unit as close to the ceiling as possible.
As you probably noticed, they’re still fairly conspicuous. While mini-splits can be visually prominent, there are other design-oriented installation techniques which can help them blend in more.
- If you are purchasing a white air handler, it’s a good idea to put it on a white wall.
- You can place the air handler in a less-used nook or corner of a room.
- You can decorate with other eye-catching artwork or furniture which draws the eye away from where the air handler is installed.
Designer Option for a Mini-Split
LG makes a couple of interesting mini-split air handlers which look different than the white iPod-plastic ones. This is their ThinQ ARTCOOL model which goes well in kitchens, especially those with LG dark stainless appliances. And check out this one!
Floor-mounted Mini-Split Air Handler Example
In this photo, you can see how mini-split air handlers don’t have to be installed high up on a wall.
This is not the same type of unit as the previous examples, the air doesn’t flow out of the bottom, but rather its top, ensuring adequate heating and cooling in the room you’ve chosen it for.
In this case, our client chose to place it somewhere it blends right in with the decoration — tucked in behind a large armoire-shaped cabinet.
It makes this dining room comfortable when there are two people using it and when 10 people are gathered around for a holiday.
All of the brands who make this floor-mounted unit style them similarly. If you have a traditionally-styled home with white wainscoting it would blend right in, but they’re pretty subtle in any design setting.
Daikin floor-mount mini-split
Mitsubishi floor-mount mini-split
Senville floor-mount mini-split
Ceiling-mounted Mini-Split Air Handler Example
This client of ours put mini-splits in many rooms in their home. Some rooms were more challenging than others, like this small office.
The ceiling cassette air handler works the same way as the wall-mounted and floor-mounted kinds, except the refrigerant tubing which connects it to the heat pump is routed into the ceiling, instead of through the wall.
There’s a little more variability between manufacturers with the ceiling cassette models. Some are square and some are long rectangles.
Most of these units make it possible to choose the direction the air flows, increase comfort in the rooms where you install these models.
Creative Ways to Conceal Mini-Splits
Want a mini-split but hate the look? Creative carpentry can hide your air handler seamlessly. Here are some inspiring ideas to get you started:
On the left (or top on mobile) is a radiator cover adapted to fit over a floor-mounted air handler.
On the right (or bottom on mobile), a bookcase was custom designed and it has a special section just for the mini-split. If you build one like this, make sure you can open it for regular maintenance.
Check out this Pinner’s great hidden mini-split board!
Go Next-Level with LG Art Cool Mini-Splits
LG broke ground when they invented the Art Cool air handler. Can you spot the mini-split in this photo? Hint, it’s behind that square painting on the wall! It’s a full-fledged air handler and all you need to do is slip in your favorite work of art (on paper). The frame is customizable, too!
How to Hide Your Heat Pump
For most homeowners, the aesthetics of the heat pump (or heat pumps, depending on the size of your home) are not a big concern. At Home Mechanics, we’re always careful to hide the heat pump out of view from the street, and find creative places to tuck them in.
In an out of the way area where other equipment is already located in Salem, Massachusetts
Under a deck in Monument Beach, Massachusetts
Squeezed onto a Juliet balcony in Beverly, Massachusetts
But for someone who really never wants to see something as industrial looking as a heat pump, there are some great concealment options out there!
Many companies have jumped into the "hide your heat pump" (or AC unit or pool heater) game, because let's face it, none of want to look at industrial equipment in our sacred personal outdoor space.
The bottom line is this: you don’t need to let your design choices squeeze you out of the energy savings available from mini-split heat pump HVAC solutions.
Don't wait to find out more
If you live in the Boston area, give Home Mechanics a call or get a free quote and get started with transforming your home into a comfortable AND beautiful place to be. Don’t forget to take advantage of tax rebates and other incentives available via Mass Save — we’ll help you sort it out.
Before you do anything, get a no-cost Home Energy Assessment courtesy of Mass Save. These approved home energy contractors will come out and identify all of the places your home is wasting energy.
They will introduce you to new ways of conserving energy at home — including ductless heat pumps and mini-splits — because Mass Save offers big rebates when you replace old school central AC with modern low-energy alternatives in Massachusetts.