Ductless Mini-Split in Apex, NC

A ductless mini-split is the right call when you need heating and cooling in a space that doesn't have ductwork — or where extending your existing ductwork would cost more than the mini-split itself. They're also the best solution for rooms that are always too hot or too cold no matter what you do with the thermostat. If you have a bonus room over the garage, a converted garage, a sunroom, or an addition that your central system can't reach, a mini-split solves the problem without tearing open walls.

Where Mini-Splits Make the Most Sense in Triangle Homes

The Raleigh-Durham area has a mix of housing stock that makes mini-splits especially practical.

Older homes without ductwork. Many neighborhoods in Raleigh and Durham have homes from the 1940s through 1970s that were built with radiator heat or wall units. Adding a full duct system to these homes means opening up walls, ceilings, and floors. A mini-split delivers the same comfort for a fraction of the cost and disruption.

Bonus rooms and rooms over garages. These are everywhere in Apex, Cary, and Holly Springs subdivisions built in the 1990s and 2000s. The builder ran a single duct to the space and called it done, but one duct can't keep up with NC summers when the roof is baking that room from above and the garage provides zero insulation below. A dedicated mini-split gives that room its own climate control.

Garage conversions. Turning a garage into a workshop, home gym, or office is popular in the Triangle. Running ductwork from the main system is usually impractical and may violate building codes if it overloads the existing HVAC. A mini-split is the clean solution.

Sunrooms and enclosed porches. Three walls of glass in a North Carolina summer means your central AC would run nonstop trying to compensate. A mini-split handles that heat load independently so the rest of your house isn't affected.

Home additions. If you added a bedroom, office, or in-law suite, a mini-split lets you condition that space without replacing your entire HVAC system to handle the extra square footage.

How Mini-Splits Work

The system has two main parts. An outdoor compressor/condenser unit sits outside (about the size of a small suitcase). An indoor air handler mounts on the wall or ceiling inside the room. A small conduit — about three inches in diameter — connects them through the wall, carrying refrigerant and power lines. That's it. No ductwork, no major construction.

Each indoor unit has its own thermostat and remote control. You set the temperature for that specific room independently from the rest of the house. This is called zoned cooling, and it means you only condition spaces when you're using them.

Mini-splits also provide heating. Most models work as heat pumps, pulling warmth from outdoor air even in cold weather. In the Triangle's mild winters, a mini-split can handle heating duties efficiently down to about 15 to 20 degrees — which covers most of our winter.

Single-Zone vs. Multi-Zone

A single-zone system has one outdoor unit connected to one indoor unit. This is perfect when you have one problem room to solve.

A multi-zone system connects one outdoor unit to two, three, four, or even five indoor units in different rooms. Each room gets independent temperature control. This is the right move if you're conditioning multiple spaces — for example, a garage conversion plus a bonus room plus a home office.

Efficiency and Cost

Mini-splits are among the most efficient HVAC systems available. Most units we install have SEER ratings between 18 and 33, compared to 14 to 20 for typical central AC systems. That efficiency translates directly to lower operating costs, especially when you're only conditioning occupied rooms instead of the whole house.

Installation costs vary based on the number of zones and the complexity of the run between indoor and outdoor units. We offer a free in-home estimate where our tech surveys the space, recommends the right capacity, and gives you a firm price. Financing is available so you can spread the investment over time.

Installation Day

A single-zone installation typically takes four to six hours. Our tech mounts the indoor unit, places the outdoor unit on a pad or bracket, drills one small hole for the conduit, makes the refrigerant and electrical connections, and tests the entire system. There's no ductwork to build, no ceiling to tear open, and no multi-day project.

Multi-zone installations take longer depending on the number of indoor units, but most residential jobs wrap up in one to two days.

Why Homeowners Choose Us for Mini-Splits

Getting a mini-split right comes down to proper sizing and placement. An undersized unit won't keep up with a Triangle summer. An oversized unit short-cycles, creates humidity problems, and wastes energy. Our techs perform a load calculation for each space to match the equipment to the actual cooling and heating demand.

Element Service Group has installed mini-splits across Apex, Cary, Raleigh, Durham, Holly Springs, and Fuquay-Varina. We're veteran-owned, backed by over 700 five-star reviews, and we handle the full job from estimate through installation and testing.