Mini-splits in Tucson usually show up on a casita, a garage conversion, or a bedroom that never had a duct. They are not a second thermostat for the central system. If only that room is wrong, start there. The sizing and “should we add one” discussion is mini-splits for casitas. This page is the unit that is already on the wall and is not doing its job.
TEP lists a mini-split heat pump or air conditioner at up to $100 per ton on the Efficient Home page, read October 15, 2026. That amount is an equipment rebate when a participating contractor installs qualifying equipment. It is not a repair price. Do not subtract it from a guess. The rule is on TEP rebates and tep.com.
Symptoms and how they’re checked
No price column. A firm number comes after the equipment is seen. We do not publish a Sabino Creek part price here.
| Symptom | Likely cause | How it’s checked |
|---|---|---|
| The head runs and the room does not change | Wrong mode on the remote, a dirty filter, or the head not actually conditioning | Remote mode and setpoint. Filter behind the face. Whether the outdoor unit for that head is running. |
| Ice on the indoor coil or the line | Low airflow or a refrigerant problem | Turn the head off. Do not scrape the ice. Note cool mode versus heat mode. |
| Water dripping from the head | A clogged condensate path inside the head | The drain, not the central air handler’s float switch. Say if it drips inside the room. |
| The main house is fine and the casita is not | Separate equipment | Do not reset the hallway furnace breaker and call it done. Name the room. |
| Heat mode blows cool air and the outdoor unit is silent | The compressor is not starting, or the remote is not in Heat | Confirm Heat on that remote. If the outdoor unit stays off, it is a repair, not a central heat-pump defrost cycle. |
A central heat pump that blows cold in the whole house is heat pump repair, not a mini-split call. A remote that does nothing while the head has power is closer to thermostat problems only in the sense that the control is the first check. The machines are different.