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Comment by matthiaswh | Hacker News Reader

If you're interested in installing heat pumps, there is a similar open data initiative started by some redditors to aggregate heat pump pricing quotes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hBebytdBOzLQ4eoAbdFQ...

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Really shocked at those prices, I really don't understand what's going on in the US/Canada. I could get a 7kW Mitsubishi Electric single-head mini-split installed with change for AU$3000 here (US$1950) if I buy the unit online and get one of the many, many installers around to put it in (fairly simple install if it's near an external wall is around AU$750 at the moment), but that document has prices in the $7K to $12K for that size?!?

I paid 15k CAD for 2 Daikin units two years ago, the pricing is kinda stupid but it depends on the quality of the model. Chinese models are way cheaper than Japanese models.

Which is why mini splits are not very popular here. The install ends up costing so much. Labor is not cheap in US/Canada, and install is a lot of labor. Still seems like it should be cheaper though.

Labor is even more in australia, so that's not what's going on here.

Wait until you see prices in Germany...

They're only 3.5kW units, but they seem to be the sweet spot of mini-split systems locally.

I recently paid 325 euros (about $350) for a unit and 200 euros (about $215) for installation. They are cheap Chinese units but the quality is good in terms of performance. This year they might be even cheaper.

Note that 25% of those prices are tax.

Install them yourself! HVAC companies in the US are ripping people off.

You can buy a single head mini split for under $800 and the tools to install cost under $200, which you can reuse.

If you pick a good location (room with an exterior wall), the install is trivial.

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