# Is a mini split right for my house?

> Nine plain questions about your DC home sorted by fixed rules into a likely mini split setup: single zone, multi-zone, whole house, ducted or condo board first.

URL: https://roomwisedcminisplits.com/tools/mini-split-assessment/

Free tool, 9 questions

Tell us about the rooms, the heat and the house, and see which kind of mini split fits, with the reasons.

## Answer the questions

## Who is a mini split right for?

Most DC homes without ducts: row houses with radiators, top floors that bake in July, additions and basements. At [Roomwise DC Mini Splits](https://roomwisedcminisplits.com/) we plan them room by room, and this assessment sorts out which kind of system your answers point to.

- **Single zone** for one room that never gets comfortable.
- **Multi-zone** for two to four rooms or a whole floor, on one outdoor unit.
- **Whole house** for five or more rooms, often replacing window units throughout.
- **Ducted** where good ducts already reach every floor.

## How does the assessment decide?

The rules run in a fixed order, and the first one that matches decides the result. The same answers always give the same result, with the answers that decided it listed.

| If you said | The result |
| --- | --- |
| An old mini split needs replacing | Plan a replacement |
| A condo or co-op apartment | Start with the condo board |
| No outdoor spot you control | Settle the outdoor spot first |
| Ducts on every floor | Compare a ducted system first |
| Five or more rooms, or the whole house | A whole-house mini split |
| Two to four rooms, or a whole floor | A multi-zone system |
| Anything else (one room) | A single-zone mini split |

Historic district, a full panel and a roof-only spot for the outdoor unit don't change the result. They add steps to it, because each changes the plan rather than the type of system.

## What can't it tell you?

It can't size the equipment or pick where each head goes. Those come from a heat-load calculation for each room and a look at the walls, the panel and the outdoor spot at the home visit.

For a price, the [cost calculator](https://roomwisedcminisplits.com/tools/mini-split-cost-estimator/) shows our typical range for your answers. The [zones guide](https://roomwisedcminisplits.com/guide/how-many-mini-split-zones/) and [cooling an old house without ducts](https://roomwisedcminisplits.com/guide/air-conditioning-old-houses-without-ductwork/) go deeper.

## Questions about the assessment

### Can an online quiz tell me what size mini split to buy?

No. Size comes from a heat-load calculation for each room: its walls, windows, insulation and the way it faces. The assessment only sorts out the likely type of system. We do the calculation at the home visit, before any equipment is chosen.

### Why does the assessment send condo owners to the board first?

Because the building controls the outside walls and the roof. Where an outdoor unit can sit, how the line set leaves the apartment and where the drain goes all depend on the board's rules, so the plan starts there.

### My house has ducts on one floor only. Which result fits?

Answer "On some floors only" and the rules treat the floors without ducts as rooms to serve. A ductless head or two often covers a top floor the old ducts never reached, while the existing system keeps the rest.

## Talk through your result

Send your result and the house details. We add your answers to the request.

(771) 213-3105