Mini Split Installation in Gonzales, LA
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from April through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Ascension Parish will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A mini-split here runs almost year round
Gonzales asks for cooling from April through October and heat from November through March, seven months of one and five of the other. Summer afternoons average 91°F and winter nights average 44°F, so a mini-split installed here has to handle both sides of that swing, not just one.
Any ductless heat pump manufactured now has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. That is the floor, not a guarantee of comfort in a house that runs the system nearly every month of the year.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 44°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Louisiana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors tests contractors before they can hold this license, and keeps a record of who holds it. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers this mini-split installation as any other work that contractor takes on.
Most cities and counties in Louisiana require a permit before a mini-split goes in, and an inspection once it's done. That is how the installation itself gets checked, separate from the license the contractor already holds.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- Is a mini split worth it?
- For most homes it comes down to what you need it to do. A mini split heats and cools without ducts, so it works well for additions, garages, or a house that never had central air. Gonzales homes need cooling from April through October and heat the other five months, so the system is running nearly year round, and a heat pump mini split handles both jobs with one unit. A contractor can look at the space and tell you whether it covers what you need or whether another setup makes more sense.
- How many rooms can a mini split cover?
- A single outdoor unit can run one indoor head or several. Each indoor head is sized for the room it serves, so a one-room system and a whole-house system are built differently from the start. The right count depends on square footage, ceiling height, and how the rooms are laid out, which is why a contractor sizes the system room by room rather than guessing at a number.
- Can a mini split heat a whole house?
- Yes, if it is sized and placed for that. A multi-zone mini split with a head in each main room can heat a whole house the same way a furnace does, and because it is a heat pump it cools in summer too. With winter nights here averaging 44°F, the system needs to be sized for that low end, not just for a mild day, so a contractor should run the numbers on the actual house before you count on it as the only heat source.