How Mini Split Heat Pumps Also Heat a Home Through Mild Texas Winters
Updated September 2026
Mini splits are heat pumps. The same equipment that cools a house through a brutal Central Texas summer reverses the cycle and heats through our mild winters. No furnace is required.
Old West Minisplits posts flat installed prices of $2,000 for one zone, $3,700 for two zones and $5,400 for three zones. Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint are included. Honest exceptions (a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting) are told up front, never after. The same prices apply across Austin and the I-35 corridor north to Waco and Killeen and south to San Antonio.
How a mini split heat pump heats
A heat pump moves heat instead of making it by burning fuel. In cooling mode it pulls heat from indoor air and rejects it outdoors. In heating mode the refrigerant cycle reverses. The outdoor unit absorbs heat from outdoor air (even when that air is cool) and the indoor unit delivers warm air inside.
Because Central Texas winters are mild, this process keeps typical homes comfortable without a furnace.
Why a furnace is usually unnecessary here
A correctly sized mini split handles both jobs: cooling through brutal summers and heating through mild winters. Window units and portable ACs are cheap upfront but cool one room loudly, block a window, drip condensate, and are far less efficient. They are not a year-round solution.
One ductless heat pump system covers the seasons that actually occur in this climate.
A posted price for year-round comfort
Ductless installs in Central Texas commonly run $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote. Most local HVAC contractors are quote-based and require an in-home sales visit. Old West Minisplits posts the number in advance and keeps it the same corridor-wide.
Use the quote form on this page for a new installation. A failing, aging, or poorly installed older system is often a better candidate for a known-price replacement than for chasing repairs.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | The usual |
|---|---|---|
| One-zone installed price | $2,000 flat, fully included | $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote |
| Two-zone and three-zone price | $3,700 and $5,400 posted | Quoted per zone at $3,000-$6,000 each |
| How you learn the price | Shown on the site, identical from Austin to Waco, Killeen and San Antonio | Most local HVAC contractors require an in-home sales visit |
| Winter heating | Heat pump heating included, no furnace needed for mild Texas winters | Same heat pump function, much higher cost per zone |
| Surprises after you start | None. Long line set, needed panel upgrade or difficult mounting disclosed up front | Quote-based extras commonly appear later |
Straight answers
Do mini splits actually heat in a Texas winter?
Yes. They are heat pumps. The cycle reverses and the indoor unit supplies heat. Mild Central Texas winters are well within what a properly sized unit can handle without a furnace.
Will I still need space heaters or a furnace?
In typical homes here, no. One mini split system cools in summer and heats in winter. Window units and portable ACs only address cooling, and they do it poorly.
What counts as an extra beyond the flat price?
Only items told up front: a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting. Standard electrical, line set, refrigerant, testing, cleanup and touch-up paint are already in the $2,000, $3,700 or $5,400 price.
How do I get a new system that both heats and cools?
Fill out the quote form on this page. Old West Minisplits does flat-price new installation only, with the same numbers throughout the I-35 corridor.
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