Two splits for €1,000? Forum users say it can't be done

Two splits for €1,000: why the budget falls short

Cooling a 40 m² living room and a 12 m² bedroom with two splits on a €1,000 budget. The stumbling block, according to several replies, is not the brand chosen: it's the labour. A cheap unit can be bought for under €300; the cheapest Mitsubishi is around €650. Each installation, based on the calculation used in the thread, runs between €200 and €300. Two units and two installations and the margin evaporates without even touching the high-end range.

The most repeated answer among those who have already been through it is that the figure doesn't add up. The thread's author ended up opting for a pair of Haier units, at an approximate price of €1,200. And someone who asked about a single unit for a double bedroom received a quote of €980 including installation.

How much does an installed split cost in Spain?

The numbers handled are quite consistent with each other. One participant received a quote of €980 for a 2,000-frigorie Mitsubishi with installation included; another, €930 for a similar Fujitsu. For a 30 m² living room, the same brand goes up to €1,500. Installation alone runs around €200 or €300 per unit according to that estimate, so the cheapest Mitsubishi unit — about €650 — leaves the budget on the edge of the precipice.

And beware of offers advertised heavily: as one participant warns, they include one metre of cable, half a metre of flexible pipe and little more. When the installer arrives and sees the actual distance doesn't work, what's missing is charged separately, and at bitcoin prices.

Daikin, Mitsubishi or Fujitsu: the ranking that keeps coming up

The hierarchy that appears again and again places Mitsubishi Electric and Daikin at the top. Behind them come Fujitsu, Panasonic, Haier or Mitsubishi Heavy, while LG and Samsung receive criticism in the thread. Fujitsu, which was once a safe bet, is no longer what it was according to one participant. Chinese brands — Haier, Gree — are considered acceptable when budget is the priority, and Midea also appears in the conversation as a quality-price option if you wait for a promotion at a large retailer.

Within Mitsubishi there's a detail worth not overlooking: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is not Mitsubishi Electric. The former is cheaper and some defend it for longevity, with a 2x1 that is still running while neighbouring units failed after 17 years. Inverter technology is taken for granted in any sensible purchase, and an electrical technician sums it up bluntly: the cheapest in the DIY store.

At the lower end of the market, prices drop to €279, €289 or €300 per unit, with doubts about how long they'll last and what functions they have. Details such as the 'fan-only' mode for sleeping without cold, present in some brands and absent in others according to one user, separate two units that cost the same.

Why do some rule out Daikin?

Because a specific case described in the conversation points to two ducted units whose electronics failed at 25 and 27 months. According to that account, the Spanish subsidiary's response to the claims was nil, and the repair involved paying for about two hours of diagnosis at €72/hour plus a board of about €680 and the labour for the change. The same fault, it is argued, is repaired at no cost outside warranty in other countries. It should be taken as an isolated episode, not as a proven pattern.

On the opposite side, a Daikin user points out that its silent mode is noisier than that of a Mitsubishi they also own.

Can you install an air conditioner yourself?

Legally, yes. Buying the unit requires nothing and no one later asks what will be done with it. The trap lies elsewhere: the warranty. For it to cover you, the commissioning must be sealed by an installer.

On technical difficulty there are two accounts and they don't agree. The more cautious one requires a vacuum pump, eccentric flaring tool and a core drill for the wall. The more relaxed one maintains that the machines come pre-charged with gas from the factory, that it's enough to buy a kit of pre-flared pipes — about three metres for the shortest — that leftover pipe is not a problem because it coils up, and that the air is expelled with a simple purge through the valves of the outdoor unit. A vacuum pump is better, they admit, but purging is the quick method and it works.

Ducts and home automation: the path that escapes the budget

When the goal is to zone the entire house, the numbers go to another planet: €5,800 for a ducted Daikin with zoning in five zones, or a four-zone Hitachi installation for under €6,000. Control can be handled with Airzone or, according to one participant, with cheap modules, wifi plugs and a home server like Home Assistant, which reduces the bill compared to commercial blind and automation solutions. The breakdown of that integration includes indoor and outdoor temperature sensors, and whoever proposes it warns that it requires getting involved in the project and programming automations.

Given the prices, is it better to pay for brand or pay for labour? The answers contradict each other and none closes the account.