Ductless retrofit for an Etobicoke ground-floor in-law suite
A multigenerational household couldn't get the basement in-law suite warm enough on the existing furnace. We added a 2-head ductless system without touching the main upstairs zone.
- Service
- 2-head ductless mini split install
- Home type
- 1976 sidesplit, finished basement
- Duration
- 1.5 days
- Completed
- August 2025
Three generations under one roof. Mother-in-law's basement suite was 4 °C colder than the main floor in winter. Adding ductwork would have meant ripping up finished ceilings the family didn't want to lose.
Plan
- Single outdoor inverter unit with two indoor heads
- One head in the living/kitchen area, one in the bedroom
- Refrigerant lines routed externally along brick mortar lines
- Independent thermostatic control per head
Why this approach
A ducted retrofit would have cost 60% more, taken 3 weeks, and required drywall reconstruction in three rooms. The ductless gave them per-room control without the destruction.
Outcome
The basement now holds 21 °C even on the coldest mornings. The mother-in-law has her own thermostat. Family domestic peace at last.
$5,940
Final cost
1.5 days
Time on site
None
Drywall touched
Highlights at a glance
- Heads installed
- 1 in living area, 1 in bedroom
- Outdoor unit footprint
- 30" × 12"
- Line-set length
- 12 m, routed along brick
- Indoor noise (high fan)
- 31 dB at 1 m
Could your house benefit from this approach? The first visit is free.
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