Who writes the guidesMeet our editors
Three people write and edit everything on Mini Split Guide. Our work is reading spec sheets, installation manuals, warranty terms, ENERGY STAR data and owner reviews, lining models up side by side, and updating the rankings when prices or models change. Every guide names the person who wrote it and the person who edited it.
Senior editor
Melissa is the senior editor of Mini Split Guide. She decides which systems make each ranking, checks every BTU, voltage and coverage claim against the spec sheet and the installation manual, and reads owner reviews for the complaints that keep coming back. Her pet subject is sizing, because a 12,000 BTU sticker tells you very little about your own room.
- Sizing: BTU labels vs room-by-room loads
- Single-zone vs multi-zone layouts
- Mini split vs central air
- Keeping the rankings current
Installation & wiring writer
Brian writes the installation side of Mini Split Guide: pre-charged DIY kits, line sets, wall brackets, condensate pumps, circuits and what a contractor's quote should list. He reads installation manuals cover to cover, mostly for the pages people skip, like line-length limits, breaker sizes and the warranty conditions that depend on who does the install.
- Pre-charged DIY kits vs pro installs
- Circuits, breakers and 115V vs 230V
- Line sets, brackets and condensate pumps
- What an install quote should list
Efficiency & specs editor
Yvonne is the efficiency and specs editor. She checks SEER2 and HSPF2 figures against ENERGY STAR and manufacturer data, looks for heating output at low outdoor temperatures instead of the headline number, and reads the warranty small print, the maintenance pages and the noise ratings. If a number on a listing has no document behind it, she flags it before it reaches a ranking.
- SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 ratings
- Heating output in cold weather
- Noise ratings and placement
- Filters, coils and maintenance terms
- Warranty small print