Photo: Sarah Chai

Can you put a mini-split in a shed?

For a shed, you'd want the electrical kind. If you want both heating and cooling, a mini-split HVAC system is the way to go. A ductless mini-split system combines central AC with the through-the-wall unit.

a1finchum.com - Ductless Options for an Outdoor Shed Retreat

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Many homeowners are taking their backyard sheds and transforming them into livable space. Sometimes called she-sheds or he-sheds, they become outdoor retreats for any number of purposes. You can transform the shed into a spare bedroom, a hobby hideaway, an entertainment hub, or a lounge area. The shed needs to be comfortable if you truly want to get use out of it. Therefore, you'll need to add insulation. From there, you should consider some HVAC options for your outdoor shed retreat. You might find that a mini-split system is your best bet.

Separate Heating and Cooling for Outdoor Shed Retreats

A converted shed doesn't carry the same requirements as a whole-house system or even a standard home addition. You're not going to install a ducted central HVAC system, nor are you going to expand the one you already have. Instead, you need to install a system made for small spaces. For air conditioning, you have two options. One is the traditional window unit. The unit sits in the bottom half of your window for venting. It pulls the hot air in from your room, cools it over a small version of the same system as in your central HVAC, and sends the conditioned air back out. Obviously, you need a window for this system to be possible. The second option is the through-the-wall system. These units operate in the same basic manner as the window system. However, they essentially make their own window space. The contractors have to cut a hole into the side of your shed and install the unit through there. With either AC option, you need a separate heating system. One option is a standalone space heater. Another option is baseboard heating. These systems consist of baseboard radiators. For a shed, you'd want the electrical kind.

Essentials of Mini-Split HVAC Systems

If you want both heating and cooling, a mini-split HVAC system is the way to go. A ductless mini-split system combines central AC with the through-the-wall unit. Like the through-the-wall system, the mini-split unit is installed on a wall. The contractors make a much smaller hole, though. The wall unit only needs a pipe to go through the wall, not the whole unit. Mini-split systems get their name from the fact that the unit components are split similarly to larger HVAC units. Instead of locating all the components inside one unit, the wall unit is only the conveyor. The heating and cooling take place in an outdoor unit that looks similar to the one needed for central AC.

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Some mini-split systems only cool. However, you can also buy systems in which the outdoor unit is also a heat pump. In that case, the unit pulls in the outdoor air to transfer heat into it. The unit then pumps the air to the wall unit via the pipe that goes through the wall. Ductless mini-split systems are the ideal method of efficiently heating and cooling a shed retreat. The down side to mini-split systems is that they require more of an up-front investment than either window units or through-the-wall units. Those represent the more cost-effective option at the outset. That said, the addition of baseboard heating adds to that cost. Mini-split systems are more energy efficient than the separate systems. Therefore, you won't spend as much in heating and cooling over time as with any of those other methods. What's more, you can locate both the outdoor and indoor portions of the system to further maximize on your area's unique heating and cooling characteristics. Mini-split systems are also more attractive than the other options. They don't require taking up a window, which will likely be in short supply in your shed retreat. The indoor unit is also much smaller than the through-the-wall unit. You also have the advantage of the heating and being encompassed in one system instead of two.

a1finchum.com - Ductless Options for an Outdoor Shed Retreat