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When your mini split suddenly stops working, it can naturally cause you to panic.

As efficient as mini splits are, they can only handle temperature extremes to a degree one way or the other.

Should the temps push the mini split further than it can go, then the mini split is either going to reduce operating efficiency[AE1]  and capacity or even stop working altogether.

So how cold is too cold for a mini split and how hot is too hot?

Well, that depends on the model.

As with phones, computers, and video game systems, ductless mini splits get better and better as technology evolves and newer models are introduced.

Shortly, we’ll present some of the most extraordinary mini splits that can handle high heat and low, cold temperatures.

On average though, a mini split typically works at temperatures as cold as five degrees Fahrenheit (which is -15 degrees Celsius) and up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (which is 46 degrees Celsius).

Now,

A bad snowstorm is in the forecast, and you have to admit, you’re quite nervous. You’ve already run out and bought supplies, and you’ve since battened down all the hatches to wait out the storm.

You don’t want to go without hot air during what will surely be some of the coldest days of the winter, but you also don’t want your ductless mini split system to get overburdened and possibly stop working.

Should you turn off your mini split in a snowstorm?

Not necessarily, but there are other things you should do instead. Here’s what we recommend.

Turn On Defrost Mode

Most mini splits include a defrost mode, which may or may not be activated by default.

Defrost mode is designed to prevent the accumulation of ice on the coils and other internal components of the mini split system.

How does this work? The mini split has a thermostat that monitors the temperature. If the temps are too close to freezing and thus

This is going to be your first winter with a ductless mini split system, and you honestly couldn’t be more excited. You know how costly it can be to run a traditional HVAC heating system like a furnace or a heater, which is part of why you made the switch.

However, you’re not sure how often you need to operate your mini split system come the wintertime. Does it need to be on all the time? Only some of the time?

You don’t want to push your mini split too far in the first year, but you don’t want to be left shivering either. So what’s appropriate?

You should not turn off your mini split in the winter, that’s for certain. Doing so will make your house a frosty ice palace in a hurry.

Rather, you should run the mini split about as often as you normally do, maybe somewhat more frequently if it’s an especially freezing cold winter.

Here are some more

This winter looks like it’s going to be an especially cold one. You’re confident that your ductless mini split system can get you through, but what can you do ahead of the season to help your mini split run at its best?

Here are some of our best practices for preparing a mini split for the winter.

Elevate the Compressor

We talked about this in another recent post on the blog, but when your outdoor compressor is bogged down with snow, it doesn’t work well.

The heat that the compressor generates will go towards melting the snow around it first and foremost. Whatever heat is left is then pushed into your home, which might not be enough for the house to feel toasty warm.

You need to elevate the compressor at least 24 inches above the ground. Before the first snow of the season (if you have time), you can pour more concrete to elevate the height of the current concrete slab.

You can also take old wooden milk cartons

You’re all about saving money, which is why you’ve strongly considered ditching your current HVAC and upgrading to a ductless mini split system.

Before you can decide with confidence though, you must know what kinds of heating and cooling costs you’re going to incur if you get a mini split system installed.

For instance, does it cost more to heat your home with a mini split or to cool it?

Well, for starters, a mini split can cool and warm a home a lot more economically than a traditional central air conditioner or heater.

As for how much it costs to cool and heat using a mini split, it’s about the same.

For a standard ductless mini split system that runs on 1,758 watts and has an output of 6,000 British thermal units or BTUs that you’re paying on average $0.13 a kilowatt-hour or kWh to run, the cost of operating a mini split to heat or cool would be $0.23 an hour.

If you run the mini split for 10 hours a day, that’s $2.3 a day.

Using

You think you’ve found mold on your ductless mini split. You can barely believe your eyes though. There’s no way that mold of all things can develop on the components of your mini split…right?

While it would be nice if that was true, it isn’t.

Mold prefers dark, humid, and warm conditions. A ductless mini split system checks off all those boxes, especially when it comes to the internal components like the wires and coils.

Once mold develops, it tends to spread. What could have begun as a small mold issue on the inside of your mini split system will soon spread to the outside.

By then, the sight of mold is a dead giveaway that you have a fungi problem.

Mold can appear in all sorts of colors, including black, green, white, and gray. Depending on the color of your mini split, detecting the mold visually shouldn’t prove too challenging.

There

When you wake up in the morning, your mini split is on and running. When you come home from work or school later in the day, your mini split is still on and running.

Of course, when you get ready to go to bed as well, your mini split is running.

Now that you’ve noticed your mini split’s operational frequency, you can’t exactly un-notice it. Is it normal for your mini split to run so much or should a mini split ever shut off?

Mini splits run quite frequently and possibly even–as it seems to you–all the time.

This isn’t going to be the nightmare on your energy bill that you think it may be, though.

You have to remember that a ductless mini split system is a lot more energy-efficient than traditional HVAC such as furnaces or central air conditioning.

A mini split will heat or cool according to preselected zones so the house doesn’t needlessly receive hot or cold air when and where it doesn’t need it.

If your mini split is running frequently,

After your traditional HVAC system had yet another issue that necessitated a pricy repair, you’ve finally gotten fed up and are exploring other options.

You can’t believe that you have never looked into ductless mini split systems before, as they seem to be the solution to all your woes. However, you can’t help but wonder how safe a mini split is.

Ductless mini splits are regarded as quite safe and carry no more risk than your traditional HVAC systems like an air conditioner or furnace.

One risk that you may worry about is the unit overheating and possibly being very hot to the touch, enough to be injurious.

That won’t happen with a mini split system. Ductless mini splits feature two main components: the compressor, which goes outdoors, and the air-handling unit, which goes indoors.

Even if your mini split is blowing out warm air, the air-handling unit never gets so warm that you could get hurt if you happen to touch it.

Another

You're soon going to get a ductless mini split system installed in your home. You’re very excited, as you’ve heard countless good things about how mini splits can make your home more energy-efficient and save on your energy bills.

However, mini splits are such a big switch from traditional HVAC like furnaces or central air conditioners that you can use a bit of guidance.

Here are some handy rules of thumb for ductless mini splits.

Select a Location for the Compressor Wisely

The condenser or compressor is the outdoor component of your ductless mini split system.

The compressor collects air, cools or warms it, and–through a series of wires–sends it to your indoor air-handling units, where the air comes out into your home comfortable and pleasant..

A compressor can only work as well as where you place it.

You must have a slab of concrete poured for the compressor if your yard is mostly lawn or lawn and deck.

You envisioned several places that the indoor air-handling units of your ductless mini split system would go. After speaking to your mini split technician, they mentioned clearance, which you’ll admit, you hadn’t thought about.

What kind of clearance requirements does a mini split require?

That’s something that varies based on the model of mini split. Let’s begin by talking first about the clearance of the indoor air-handling units and then the outdoor compressors.

Indoor Air-Handling Unit Clearance

The air-handling units are installed in your home or commercial building according to how many designated zones you select.

The air-handling units must be positioned in such a way that they allow for the full range of airflow when in use. If your mini split is blowing only half the cold or warm air it should, then that can make the unit seem inefficient when it really isn't.

Another consideration when selecting where the indoor