$15,000 for mini-split system?

New Orleans

Daikin 3 Ton Variable speed 17.7 SEER Heat pump Condenser unit

2 new Daikin wall mounted ductless fan coils 2 ton downstairs and a 3/4 ton upstairs

You can purchase online 2 Mr. Cool units for about $3000 and they are designed as a diy. You may need an electrician, but I cannot imagine the total, even if you have someone to do it all, being more than $6000. Your quote is quite excessive.

Are you sure you need 3 ton units? If two window units did the job you can probably get smaller units. Costco and You can usually find a decent 2 ton for under $1000 and they have lesser electrical demands.

Those Daikins are particular abt the qty of coolant you put in. Overcharge or undercharge and they throw a code and don’t work.

Fiancée had a Samsung 2-zone system installed a few months ago, ran about $14,000. HVAC work is going up, I know I will have a whole system to replace in the near future and it will run $15,000 or so.

quote:

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Daikin 3 Ton Variable speed 17.7 SEER Heat pump Condenser unit 2 new Daikin wall mounted ductless fan coils 2 ton downstairs and a 3/4 ton upstairs

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Though I can’t say if $15K is a fair price, I suspect it is for a name brand unit, installed by an authorized dealer carrying all the appropriate warranties - 3-ton unit that size with three separate heads, 2 downstairs and 1 upstairs, all operating off a single outside “condensing unit”, is likely not an easy, routine install.

I just paid $13.5K for a 4 ton conventional single stage system - 4 bids from 4 reputable small to mid-size companies each installing different brands (manufacturers) of equipment, and all 4 bids were within $1K of each other. A much less complicated install than I suspect you are dealing with. HVAC prices have dramatically increased in the past several years.

Though the mail order units like Mr. Cool or other brands have their place and uses, just be aware if you have mechanical issues with very unhappy rental tenants in the middle of summer who are you going to get to resolve the problem in a timely manner with non-labor warranty - many companies aren’t going to touch working on units they didn’t install or installed by other reputable HVAC companies. Mail order units are not going to have repair parts in stock at local supply house - then what? Also many companies have few, if any techs, highly trained and skilled to work on mini-splits - they are a separate beast all together compared to conventional systems.

You did say it was a small rental unit - 3-tons could very well be oversized and likely is, though honestly a smaller sized unit wouldn’t likely be much cheaper. I would consider looking at some alternative options though to cool this house though.

Window shakers are the best was to cool small spaces. Most last for ever and when one goes bad, you just go buy another one for less than $500 and replace your self. Mini splits are particular, they have to be installed correctly, even a little off on the unit or drain can cause it leak inside your house.

Surprised mini splits are so uncommon still for installers. Seems like in larger metro areas a small guy could start a company specializing in them and do very well. It’s a very simple process for the most part.