Ductless Heat Pumps for Eugene & Salem Homes Without Ducts
We install ductless heat pumps, also called mini-splits, in Eugene, Springfield, Salem and Keizer homes that have no ductwork. One outdoor unit feeds wall heads that heat and cool the rooms they serve, and we match the system to your utility's rebate before we quote.
Ductless heat pump services we provide
James Heating & Air Conditioning installs ductless heat pumps in Eugene, Springfield, Salem and Keizer homes heated by baseboards, ceiling cables or wall heaters, and in additions the furnace never reached. Our technicians mount the heads, run the line sets and start each system up.
Single-zone systems
One outdoor unit feeds one indoor head. It's the simplest answer for a single problem room, such as a hot upstairs bedroom, a sunroom or a converted garage the furnace never reached.
Multi-zone systems
Several heads run from one outdoor unit, and how many it can connect depends on the model, with some taking up to five. We install each head where it can reach an outside wall, a drain path and open air.
Whole-home ductless
Heads sized room by room can take over from baseboards or wall heaters as the main heat. Keeping a baseboard in a small bedroom as backup is often simpler than adding another head, and we'll tell you when it is.
Cold-climate models
For houses that need steady heat through a hard freeze, or colder spots such as Oakridge, we install cold-climate models built to keep heating well below freezing. We check the cold-weather rating on the spec sheet with you.
Ductless repair
When a head drips, blinks a code or stops heating, James Heating handles the mini-split repair on site. We still service R-410A systems and recover refrigerant as federal law requires.
Cleaning and tune-ups
You rinse the washable filters in each head. At a ductless tune-up, we clean the coil and blower wheel inside, parts a rinse can't reach, and the high-voltage outdoor unit stays a technician's job.
How a ductless heat pump heats and cools your rooms
A ductless heat pump pairs one outdoor unit with one or more indoor heads mounted high on your walls. We connect them with two copper refrigerant lines, the line set, plus a small drain tube, all routed through one small hole per head.
The system burns no fuel. It moves heat from outdoor air into your house in winter and reverses in summer, while an inverter compressor speeds up and slows down instead of switching on and off. Springfield Utility Board says ductless heat pumps are "2 to 3 times more efficient than electric resistance heating." That efficiency is the strongest of the mini-split pros and cons in a baseboard house.
Signs your home suits a ductless heat pump
Ductless earns its keep where there are no ducts to use. If your house already has sound ductwork, we'd look at a ducted heat pump first, since it reaches each room through ducts you already own.
Baseboard or ceiling-cable heat
Electric baseboards and ceiling cables turn power straight into heat. A ductless head moves heat instead of making it, and replacing that kind of electric heat is what most ductless rebates are written for.
Wall heaters in each room
A house with a wall heater in each room has no ducts to build on. One multi-zone system can replace several of them, with heads in the rooms you use most and the old heaters left for the rest.
An upstairs bedroom that runs hot
Heat rises and upstairs rooms often sit at the end of a long duct run. A single head cools that bedroom on summer nights without overcooling the rest of the house, and heats it in winter.
Window AC units each summer
If you haul window units in and out each year, one head per room replaces them with quieter cooling, no blocked window, and heat for the cold months in the same box on the wall.
A manufactured home on electric heat
Energy Trust of Oregon lists a $3,500 promotion for single-head systems in manufactured homes, for PGE and Pacific Power customers replacing electric heat. A head in the main living area takes much of the load off the old system.
An addition or garage conversion
Extending ductwork into a new room is often awkward. A single head heats and cools an addition, garage conversion or ADU on its own schedule without touching the main system.
Which utility pays your ductless rebate
Your electric utility sets your ductless rebate, not your city. The federal 25C tax credit ended for equipment installed after December 31, 2025, so these programs carry the savings now.
EWEB
Rebate$800. Income-based: $4,500 owner-occupied, $1,000 rental. Or a 0% loan up to $6,000 for one head, plus $2,000 per extra head
Key ruleHead must serve the main living area. Standard rebate and loan can't be combined
Do this firstGet EWEB pre-approval before scheduling
Springfield Utility Board (SUB)
Rebate$800, or a 0% loan up to $4,000
Key ruleExisting home heated by an electric furnace or zonal electric heat (baseboard, wall or ceiling heaters) that has never had a heat pump
Do this firstCall SUB first: (541) 746-0963
PGE or Pacific Power (Energy Trust of Oregon)
Rebate$800. $1,800 for rentals, attached homes and income-qualified homes. A $3,500 manufactured-home promotion is listed on Energy Trust's page
Key ruleReplaces electric heat as the main heat. HSPF2 (heating efficiency rating) 8.10 or higher. One per home
Do this firstHigher amounts need an Energy Trust trade ally
Lane Electric Cooperative
Rebate$800, or a 48-month 0% loan up to $9,000 (not both)
Key ruleInverter-driven ductless model in a permanent residence; insulation must meet Lane Electric's specifications; installer must be a Lane Electric-approved HVAC contractor
Do this firstGet pre-approval before installation: (541) 484-1151
Salem Electric
Rebate$900 with existing electric heat. $500 with an existing heat pump, a manufactured home or non-electric heat
Key ruleApply within 6 months of the install
Do this firstCall Salem Electric: (503) 362-3601
Amounts change, so we confirm yours when we quote.
If EWEB or Lane Electric is your utility, get pre-approval before we install. Installing first can cost you the rebate or the loan. Bring your latest power bill to the estimate, and we'll set your install date once the approval comes through. Oregon HVAC rebates by utility also covers Emerald PUD, Central Lincoln PUD and the ducted programs.
How we size one head or several for your rooms
We size each head from a room-by-room heat-loss calculation that weighs windows, insulation, ceiling height and sun, not a square-footage guess. Head size is measured in BTU, a unit of heat output.
A head too big for its room runs in short bursts, leaves the air clammy and wears out sooner. One head heats its own room and the spaces open to it, while closed-off bedrooms stay cooler, so a whole house needs more than one head or a few baseboards kept as backup.
How ductless handles a valley winter and a smoke-season summer
Eugene's normal January low is about 35°F, and only about two days a year stay below freezing all day, according to National Weather Service records for the Eugene airport. ENERGY STAR's Cold Climate specification requires a heat pump to keep at least 70% of its 47°F heating output at 5°F. Standard models lose more output in a hard freeze, so we suggest keeping baseboards for nights in the 20s.
In smoke season, a head cools a hot room with the windows shut, but its filter catches dust and pollen rather than smoke, so we pair it with smoke filtration for indoor air when wildfire season is the worry.
How our ductless installation process works
A single-head install is the simplest of these jobs, and a multi-room system adds a line set and a hole for each extra head.
- Home visit. We run the heat-loss numbers, check your electrical panel and agree on head placement with you.
- Rebate approval. Any pre-approval your utility needs comes through before we set the date.
- Mounting and lines. We set the outdoor unit on a pad or bracket, drill a 3-inch hole per head, and run and cover the lines outside.
- Power. We pull the electrical permit, and a licensed electrician wires the dedicated circuit.
- Start-up. The lines get a pressure test, then we start the system and show you the controls and filters.
Why homeowners choose us for ductless heat pumps
James Heating installs ductless systems from both its Eugene and Salem offices, and the company has been family-owned since 1983.
- Licensed, bonded and insured under Oregon CCB #47396.
- Listed with Springfield Utility Board as an HVAC contractor.
- EPA 608 certified technicians handle the refrigerant work.
- Emergency calls answered 24/7 at both numbers.
Ductless heat pump questions
Is a mini-split the same as a ductless heat pump?
Yes, for nearly all home systems. "Mini-split" names the layout, a small split system with one part outside and one inside, while "ductless heat pump" names what it does. A few mini-splits only cool, so check that the spec sheet says heat pump.
What does a ductless heat pump cost?
We quote after the home visit. Two houses the same size can need very different setups. Head count, line-set length, panel space for a new circuit, wall type and how the outdoor unit mounts all move the number, and your utility rebate comes off afterward. Pulling out an old furnace at the same time adds the cost drivers of a full HVAC system installation.
Why can't I get the Energy Trust rebate?
Because your power comes from EWEB or Springfield Utility Board, which sit outside Energy Trust of Oregon's electric programs for PGE and Pacific Power customers. Instead, SUB pays its own $800 ductless rebate, and so does EWEB, each with a 0% loan as the alternative.
Does Oregon's new heat pump rule affect my home?
Not if you're replacing equipment in an existing home. Since October 1, 2026, with a six-month phase-in for builders, Oregon's code has required newly built homes that install split-system air conditioning to use a heat pump. Building an ADU? Ask your builder.
Are mini-splits noisy?
Indoor heads are quiet. Most people notice only a soft fan. The outdoor unit hums like a small air conditioner, so we try to place it away from bedroom windows. Sound ratings are on the model's spec sheet.
Our ductless heat pump service areas
We install ductless systems across Lane County and the Mid-Valley. Call the office that covers yours.
What our customers say
"Your salesman, installers, technicians, and office ladies were all professional, courteous and helpful. We have nothing but admiration for your company and will recommend you to everyone."
The Farsson Family
"When I think of 'hassle Free' service, James Heating & AC is first on my list."
P. Rollins
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Book a ductless estimate with your power bill in hand
Tell us the name on your power bill and the rooms you want to fix. We'll come back with the rebate, the step to take first and the setup that fits. Call Eugene at (541) 461-2101 or Salem at (503) 581-9982, or request a ductless estimate online.
Call Eugene at (541) 461-2101 or Salem at (503) 581-9982 to book a home visit.
Oregon CCB #47396 · Family-owned since 1983 · On Springfield Utility Board's HVAC contractor list
