A Cleveland-based homeowner tackled an impressive do-it-yourself ductless heat pump project that transformed his duplex's comfort and delivered thousands in savings.
Joe Wachunas installed the five ductless heat pumps and two outdoor units mostly by himself in the summer of 2024, replacing a 35-year-old gas furnace that he described as "ancient" and "on its last legs" in an article for CleanTechnica.
"I did something very ambitious," he wrote. "Spoiler alert: it was really challenging and consumed about a week of my life, but I was able to complete the job successfully and saved around $7,000."
Wachunas had received quotes for ductless heat pump installations exceeding $15,000 in 2021. He ended up purchasing a DIY MrCool heat pump system for $6,500 instead, spending an additional $2,000 on labor help and parts. His total project cost was $8,767 for a system that he said might have cost him $7,000 more with professional installation.
According to his post, upstairs cooling majorly improved with his ductless system and was better for this than his ducted system on the duplex's other side. "Ductless heat pumps bring tons of cooling to the second floor, increasing comfort substantially," he explained. Wachunas saved a ton by going the DIY route, though he also noted the challenges of the project and that he didn't factor his own time into the cost.
For those who are more wary of taking on a DIY project, there are also many savings to be found installing heat pump systems. The Cool Down's HVAC Explorer makes it easy to find the HVAC system for your home and budget.
For fellow DIYers, Wachunas made an important point: "If you are someone like me at a 4 or 5 out of 10 handiness level, you can probably do it, but it will take a while and will be hard," he noted.
Wachunas' project also helped his family eliminate pollution from the duplex's old gas furnace. Heat pumps generally run on electricity rather than by burning fossil fuels — so they can create virtually zero pollution when powered by clean energy from the grid or solar panels.
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