Mini Split Installation in Winston-Salem, NC
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Forsyth County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A mini-split here runs almost year round
Winston-Salem asks for heat from October through April and cooling from May through September. That is 12 months of the year with one system or the other running. On winter nights averaging 30°F, a mini-split's heat pump has to pull warmth out of cold outside air for months at a stretch. On summer afternoons averaging 86°F, it switches over and does the same job in reverse.
A mini-split is a split system under federal rules, so any unit installed today has to meet 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. That is the floor, not a suggestion, and it applies whether you're replacing one indoor head or adding a new one to a room that never had comfortable air before.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 30°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors tests HVAC contractors before they can hold a license in North Carolina. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so the same license that covers a furnace install covers a mini-split.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. In most cities and counties, installing a mini-split also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done.
Sources: North Carolina General Assembly · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
- Is a mini split worth it?
- For the right home, yes. A mini split heats and cools without ductwork, so it works well in additions, converted garages, or older homes with no ducts in place. Winston-Salem needs heat or cooling every month of the year, so a system that runs efficiently in both directions earns its place here. Whether it makes sense for your house depends on the layout and what you already have for heat, and a contractor can walk through that with you.
- How many rooms can a mini split cover?
- A single outdoor unit can run one indoor head or several, depending on the system. Single-zone systems cover one room or open area. Multi-zone systems tie one outdoor unit to several indoor heads, each with its own thermostat, so you can heat or cool different rooms at different settings. The right number of zones comes down to the square footage and layout of your home, which is something a contractor sizes for the specific house.
- Can a mini split heat a whole house?
- It can, if there are enough indoor heads placed to cover every room and the system is sized for the house. A single-zone unit only heats the space it's in, so a whole-house setup needs a multi-zone system with a head in each area that needs heat. Winston-Salem winters run cold enough that homes need heat from October through April, so the system has to be sized to keep up through the whole stretch, not just on mild days. A contractor can size the system room by room based on your home.