A better alternative to living with a portable AC
Updated September 2026
A portable AC is cheap to buy and expensive to live with. It sits in the middle of the room, sounds like a shop vac, needs a window for the exhaust hose, and still only cools the space right around it. Condensate has to be emptied or it shuts off. Power use is high for the cooling you actually get.
A ductless mini split is a heat pump with an indoor unit on the wall and a small outdoor condenser. Old West Minisplits installs them at a posted flat price of $2,000 for one zone, $3,700 for two, or $5,400 for three. That covers equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint. No trip fees. Exceptions like a very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting are told up front, never after the work starts.
Why a portable AC is a poor long-term plan
Window units and portable ACs are cheap upfront but cool one room loudly, block a window, drip condensate, and are far less efficient. You lose the window for light and air. The hose dumps heat right next to the house. In brutal Central Texas summers the rest of the home stays hot. Most of these units do not heat, so you still need another plan for winter.
A mini split heat pump does the job quietly year round
Mini splits are heat pumps. They cool through brutal Central Texas summers and handle our mild winters without a furnace. The indoor unit mounts high on a wall. It does not occupy floor space or a window. One, two, or three zones let you condition the rooms you live in without tearing into walls for ducts.
Posted flat prices instead of a custom quote
Ductless installs in Central Texas commonly run $3,000-$6,000 per zone on a custom quote. Most contractors are quote-based and require an in-home sales visit. Old West Minisplits posts 1 zone $2,000, 2 zones $3,700, 3 zones $5,400, corridor-wide from Austin north to Waco/Killeen and south to San Antonio. Standard electrical is included. The only exceptions (very long line set, a panel upgrade the house already needed, or unusually difficult mounting) are disclosed before you commit. Use the quote form. Old West Minisplits performs new installation only.
How we compare
| Factor | Old West Minisplits | The usual |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for one conditioned space | $2,000 installed, equipment through paint included | A portable you buy and vent yourself, or $3,000-$6,000 per zone after a sales visit |
| Noise and where it sits | Quiet wall unit, condenser outside | Loud portable on the floor or a window unit that fills the opening |
| Windows and condensate | Window stays free, condensate handled in the install | Window blocked by hose or unit, bucket or pump to empty |
| Summer and winter | Heat pump cools brutal summers and heats mild winters | Cooling only, extra heaters or a cold house in winter |
| How you buy it | Posted flat price, quote form, exceptions up front, no trip fees | In-home sales visit and a custom quote, or DIY setup |
Straight answers
Is a mini split really that different from a portable AC?
Yes. A portable sits in the room, uses a window for exhaust, and is noisy and inefficient. A mini split is a heat pump with a wall-mounted indoor unit and an outdoor condenser. It cools and heats, leaves your windows free, and does not require you to empty a drip tank.
What is included in the $2,000 one-zone price?
Equipment, labor, line set, standard electrical, refrigerant, testing, cleanup, and a Home Depot run for touch-up paint. No trip fees or surprise add-ons. Honest exceptions (very long line set, panel upgrade the house already needed, unusually difficult mounting) are told up front.
Do you only work in Austin?
Service area is Austin and the I-35 corridor, north to Waco/Killeen and south to San Antonio. Same flat pricing corridor-wide.
Can you repair my old portable or window unit?
Old West Minisplits performs flat-price new installation only. We do not offer appliance repair, warranty service, or maintenance contracts. If a portable or an aging, poorly installed system is failing, general checks (clean filter, clear exhaust, empty tank, dedicated outlet) sometimes help for a day. A failing unit is often a good reason to request a flat-price new install quote instead of chasing repairs.
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