In this Carrier ductless system review, we’ll compare their models and top features, average costs including installation, and more. Need to install a new heating and cooling system without having to add ductwork? Ductless mini-split systems, like those made by Carrier and other brands can provide flexible cooling and heating solutions for your home, cottage, business, or home addition.
Table of contents
Carrier, at a Glance
Strong Points: Carrier offers the choice between mini-split ductless systems and heat pumps. This brand offers a number of ENERGY STAR®-certified products that allow you to save on long-term energy costs, while keeping the environment safe. The mini split-systems are ductless, which means they can be mounted in your home without any intrusive installation that could cause potential damage.
Carrier’s heating and cooling systems come with impressively high SEER ratings, so their products can perform at optimum efficiency in comparison to other brands with lower SEER ratings.
Room for Improvement: While Carrier offers high quality products they are also priced at a premium, so they may not be ideal for more budget-conscious homeowners. They also don’t offer quite as many options, especially when it comes to innovative technological features at the mid-range to economy level.
When compared to other premium brands, Carrier does not have as wide a selection as brands like LG or Mitsubishi. Additionally, Carrier’s warranty coverage isn’t as comprehensive as other brands at this level.
The Bottom Line: Carrier is a premium, higher cost ductless heat pump manufacturer that relies especially on its well-known brand name. Carrier strives for sustainability, offering top-of-the-line, ENERGY STAR-certified products with sky-rocketing SEER ratings. A mini-split ductless system from Carrier will provide solid cooling comfort with great efficiency, but at a somewhat higher price range.
Carrier Average Price Range
$4,000 – $8,500 (with installation)
Carrier is a more premium-priced brand when it comes to unit costs. However, the exact price will vary by home due to a wide variation in product features and additional installation costs. The final cost of an HVAC system is dependent upon the size and configuration of your home, where you live, and the type of model you are purchasing.
Carrier Ductless Air Conditioning Series
Best – Infinity™ Residential Series
Offering SEER ratings of up to 42, this series boasts an incredible level of efficiency, as well as sound reduction technology for a whisper-quiet performance. The products in this series are premium tier, for homeowners searching for the best of the best.
Better – Performance™ Residential Series Mini Split System
This series is all about flexibility. If you want a compromise between high efficiency and cost effectiveness, then the Performance™ line is the place to look. The ductless mini-split systems ensure that you can install your unit in compact spaces without compromising the integrity of your home. All of the products in this line are ENERGY STAR-certified.
Basic – Comfort™ Residential Series
The Comfort™ series is the most economical line of Carrier’s ductless units. If you’re not looking to spend an arm and a leg on an heating and cooling unit, but you still need something reliable, then the Comfort™ series is ideal for you. These products are not ENERGY STAR-certified but for economy-tier systems, they have impressive SEER ratings of up to 19.8.
Top Models
InfinityⓇ Series 38MPRA Heat Pump with Basepan Heater
With an impressive SEER Rating of up to 42, this model boasts top-of-the-line features and maximum cooling efficiency. It also comes with refrigerant leakage detection technology and an auto-restart function. As it is an outdoor system, this unit is built to resist extreme weather.
InfinityⓇ Series 40MPHA High Wall Indoor Unit
This model boasts optimum control for the homeowner, featuring built-in Wi-fi so you can operate your unit anywhere in the home. It also promises compatibility with third party thermostats upon installing the 24V Interface. Additionally, this unit comes with a Relative Humidity Sensor so you can customize humidity levels.
Performance™ Series 38MAR Heat Pump With Basepan Heater
This outdoor model can achieve full heating capacity even when temperatures drop to -15 Celsius. You can pair this heat pump with a wide range of indoor units, so you can customize just how budget-friendly you want to go. This model is the ultimate balance between quiet efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Performance™ Series 40MAQ High Wall Indoor Mounted Unit
This model defines the Performance™ series perfectly, offering energy-saving technology for an efficient and reliable performance, while remaining true to your budget-friendly desires. It can be paired with the 38MAR heat pump as well as the 38MGR heat pump depending on your needs.
Performance™ Series 40MBCQ Cassette Indoor Unit
Not only is this model ENERGY STAR-certified for maximum saving on long-term energy costs, it’s also ideal for a newly modelled space, as it can be fixed to the ceiling for overhead cooling. This model offers a temperature-sensing handheld remote for optimal control over your system.
Carrier Mini-Split System Model Comparison
Carrier InfinityⓇ
Carrier InfinityⓇ Series 38MPRA | Carrier InfinityⓇ Series 40MPHA |
---|---|
SEER: 42.0 | SEER: Dependent on outdoor unit |
HSPF: 55.5 | HSPF: N/A |
Sound: 55.5 decibels | Sound: 29 decibels |
Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed |
ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes | ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes |
Tier: Premium | Tier: Premium |
Carrier Performance™
Carrier Performance™ Series 38MAR | Carrier Performance™ Series 38MGR | Carrier Performance™ Series 40MAQ |
---|---|---|
SEER: 25.0 | SEER: 23.8 | SEER: Dependent upon outdoor unit |
HSPF: 12.0 | HSPF: 10.5 | HSPF: N/A |
Sound: 52.5 | Sound: 62 decibels | Sound: 27 decibels |
Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed |
ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes | ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes | ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes |
Tier: Mid | Tier: Mid | Tier: Mid |
Carrier Performance™ Series 40MBCQ | Carrier Performance™ Series 40MBDQ | Carrier Performance™ Series 40MBFQ |
SEER: Dependent upon outdoor unit | SEER: Dependent upon outdoor unit | SEER: Dependent upon outdoor unit |
HSPF: N/A | HSPF: N/A | HSPF: N/A |
Sound: 34 decibels | Sound: 35 decibels | Sound: 34 decibels |
Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed |
ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes | ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes | ENERGY STAR-certified? Yes |
Tier: Mid | Tier: Mid | Tier: Mid |
Carrier Comfort™
Carrier Comfort™ Series 38MHRBQ | Carrier Comfort™ Series 40MHHQ |
---|---|
SEER: 19.8 | SEER: Dependent upon outdoor unit |
HSPF: 10.6 | HSPF: N/A |
Sound: 50.5 decibels | Sound: 27 decibels |
Compressor type: Variable-Speed | Compressor type: Variable-Speed |
ENERGY STAR-certified? No | ENERGY STAR-certified? No |
Tier: Low | Tier: Low |
Carrier Ductless Mini-split Top Features
Feature 1 – Relative Humidity Sensor
The Relative Humidity Sensor allows you to customize the humidity levels in your home, offering you the ability for complete control over the system. This can also help you save on energy costs, lowering the rate of cooling when you’re not at home.
Feature 2 – Occupancy Sensor
The Occupancy Sensor can detect the presence in a room, meaning that when you’re in a particular room of your house, this sensor can direct airflow towards or away from you depending on your desired needs.
Feature 3 – Built-in Wi-fi
With Built-in Wi-fi, you can control the operation of your HVAC system from anywhere in the home. This gives you full access to your system, and saves precious time during temperature adjustments.
See other common ductless system features
Warranty
Carrier provides Canadian homeowners peace of mind with their comprehensive warranty package.
Instead of a sliding-scale that varies depending on the product, Carrier provides a blanket coverage, which includes a limited 10-year warranty on parts.
Carrier – ABOUT THE COMPANY
The origins of Carrier can be traced back to 1902, when Willis Carrier created the innovation that was modern air conditioning. The brand has since been honing the craft of innovating HVAC technology, and fine-tuning it to constantly adapt to the changing times. For over a century, Carrier has been a leading provider in the HVAC industry, and has taken a hard-stance on sustainability. Their cutting-edge products are some of the most efficient and environmentally-friendly in the game today.
Get Quotes