[Deschodt]

Here's my deal. I got solar and make lots of free power. I still get a partial bill from my utility because of a gas water heater and furnace. I plan on getting rid of gas altogether soon.

My central heating gas furnace is old but functioning... The ducting is between the downstairs and upstairs floors and horrible to access, poorly distributed/balanced overall, old and nasty. It also eats up 1/2 of my basement space. The furnace sits below an added AC unit so they are together like a borg cube so they share all vents and registers... selectively blocking registers or vents has not worked well.

To add to the fun, my downstairs is always 10-15F colder than upstairs due to sun /tree exposure, so in theory I only ever need AC upstairs 1 mo per year - never down (to get upstairs down to 78F in summer downstairs gets.... to 65!!!). And vice versa with heat, heat up for downstairs, upstairs is too hot, wasteful... but I'm OK with heat everywhere just in case. Only one thermostat, no zoning doable, I asked, without a complete redo and multi units per the HVAC folks.

I am tempted - pondering - investigating - the cost/benefit of going mini splits. Current system is wasteful and impossible to Zone without a complete $$$ redo. Vents are yucky and 1/3 date to 1960s. It's gas, $$$, electrical is free to me. With mini splits I could control temp per room - like having many thermostats, I'd have one per BR so 3 + 1 for each main room - nothing for office or Bath (tempered climate)... say 5 total ?

Do they make less ugly efficient ones now ? Does this make no sense ? I understand each mini needs its own AC lines and stuff outside, but I cannot see it messier than the current setup - my HVAC storage room looks like the bowels of the Enterprise and I would get back so much room. Is it stupid price wise? The quotes for new electric furnaces are high, add new vents and it gets astronomical... Zoning to them means 2 units... Even stupider, since currently AC and heat share All the vents..
Final bonus q: don't need AC at all downstairs, EVER - can I get a split mini there with no AC lines ?

Hoping some of you went thru that and know more.. thx !