Ductless Mini Split vs Central Heat Pump: Which Fits Your Home?

Both are heat pumps. The difference is how the heating and cooling gets to your rooms.

Central (ducted) heat pumps

A ducted heat pump uses an outdoor unit plus an indoor air handler or furnace coil, and pushes air through your existing ductwork. If you already have decent ducts, it's usually the simplest swap and keeps your house looking the same.

Ductless mini splits

A mini split uses an outdoor unit connected to one or more indoor heads mounted on walls or ceilings. Each head heats and cools its own zone, so you can set rooms to different temperatures.

Pick ducted if

• You have ductwork in good shape
• You're replacing a gas or electric furnace with ducts
• You want one thermostat and hidden equipment

Pick ductless if

• You heat with electric baseboard or wall heaters
• You're conditioning an addition, garage, shop or bonus room
• You own a historic home and don't want to cut in ducts
• You want room-by-room control

Mixing the two

Plenty of Portland and Salem homes use both: a ducted heat pump for the main floor and a ductless head upstairs or in a converted attic. It's a common fix for the upstairs that never cools off.

Cost

Ductless pricing scales with the number of heads. A single-zone system can cost less than a full ducted replacement, while four or five heads can cost more. Your quote should compare both where it makes sense. See what drives heat pump pricing.