See a Mini Split in a Showroom First: What to Look at Before You Choose

You can read about mini splits for hours and still not know how one will look and feel in your house. Photos flatten everything. They cannot tell you how large an indoor head is, how it fits against your wall, or whether you will want one in your bedroom. That is why we opened a walk-in showroom in Selah, billed as Eastern Washington's first-ever ductless mini split showroom. Here is what to look at when you visit, or any time you compare units.

Ductless equipment is a bigger purchase than most people expect, and it sits in your living space for a long time. Standing in front of a display wall lets you judge scale and finish for yourself. It also lets you ask questions of a person who installs these systems every week, and it makes it easier to bring a partner or family member whose opinion about how it looks will matter just as much as yours.

Wall heads

The wall-mounted head is what most people picture when they hear mini split. It mounts high on a wall, and air flows out of a slot along the bottom. Look at how deep it sits off the wall, how the front panel is finished, and how the louver moves. Then imagine it in your room.

• Does the room have a clear stretch of wall, high enough that nothing blocks airflow?
• Would the head blow directly onto a bed, a sofa or a desk?
• Will the lineset have a short, tidy path to the outside?

Ceiling cassettes

A ceiling cassette sits flush in the ceiling and sends air out in more than one direction. It is a good fit for rooms where wall space is scarce, such as a bedroom with windows on several sides or a large open room where you want air to spread evenly. A cassette needs room above the ceiling for the unit and its connections, so it is usually a better match for new construction, remodels and spaces where the ceiling is already open. Ask to see a picture of one finished in a room, and think about where a bed or a sofa would sit beneath it.

Ducted air handlers

A ducted air handler hides in a closet, attic or other mechanical space, and delivers air through short duct runs to registers in the rooms. It suits people who do not want any indoor equipment visible on their walls, and it can serve a few rooms from one place. It takes more planning than a wall head, because the duct path and the location of the air handler have to be worked out in advance. The condensate drain also needs a route, which is part of why a technician should look at the space.

Noise, remote and app

Ductless systems are known for running quietly. Sound is still personal, and a showroom is a very different environment from a bedroom at night. Stand close to a unit, listen for the fan and any clicks from the louver, and ask about the sound of the exact model you like. If a head is going over a bed or in a quiet office, it deserves extra thought. Remember that the outdoor unit makes noise too, so think about where it will sit relative to bedroom windows and your neighbors.

Pick up the remote and try it. Is it easy to read, and do the buttons make sense? Then ask about the Kumo Cloud app, which lets you manage your heating and cooling from anywhere. Check whether you would use it, how it handles several zones, and what you would do with it day to day: warming a room before you arrive, turning off an empty zone, or checking that a rental was left in a sensible state.

Bring photos and measurements

You will get more from a visit if you bring phone photos of the rooms you are thinking about, plus rough dimensions and a note about which rooms are uncomfortable now. Photos of the outside wall where an outdoor unit could go are helpful too. We can then talk through placement and zoning, and look at which model families make sense for each space. We can also explain the financing options available and answer questions about utility incentives.

Our office is wheelchair accessible with an extra wide entry door, and there are handicapped accessible parking spaces available.

Plan your visit

The showroom is at 311 S 1st St in Selah, open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and closed from 12 to 1 for lunch. You are welcome to walk in, or call ahead at (509) 698-2470 if you want to make sure someone is ready to talk about your project. Come see the units, ask your questions, and leave with a clearer idea of what belongs in your home.