Electric Tampa

Mini-splits for a Tampa Bay house

A ductless heat pump cools one room for a fraction of what central air draws, and its variable-speed compressor makes it the easiest cooling load for a generator or a big battery. Four 12,000-BTU mini-splits and one inverter window unit, compared.

A ductless mini-split head on a bedroom wall

Which kind fits

One room or a whole house, rented or owned, outage cooling or everyday savings.

No install

Inverter window unit

Plugs into a wall outlet and sits in a window. The variable-speed models run gently on a generator. The renter's answer.

One room, 115 V

Pre-charged mini-split

Sold with sealed line sets that click together. Still a permitted job, and EPA requires certification to connect the lines.

One room, installer

Standard mini-split

Cut-to-length copper lines, pressure-tested and evacuated by an HVAC contractor. Usually the longer warranty path.

Several rooms

230 V or multi-zone

One outdoor unit for two to five rooms, on a 240 V circuit. Designed and installed by an HVAC contractor.

Quick picks

The short answer for common situations. Each links to the full card below.

  • Renting, or no installation

    LG Dual Inverter Window AC, 12,000 BTU

    It plugs into a wall outlet and sits in a window: no permit, no refrigerant lines.

  • Lowest draw on backup power

    Senville LETO 12k

    Senville publishes a cooling input as low as 230 W, the lowest published minimum here.

  • Owner doing the install by the book

    MRCOOL DIY 4th Gen 12k

    Pre-charged 25-foot lines, and MRCOOL's warranty does not require a licensed HVAC contractor.

  • Efficiency with ENERGY STAR

    DELLA Serena 12k

    SEER2 22 and ENERGY STAR certified, on R-32.

  • Published full-load numbers

    Pioneer Diamante Pro 12k

    Pioneer states 1,050 W and 9.5 A at full cooling, which makes generator sizing straightforward.

Compare the five

Efficiency and refrigerant from ENERGY STAR's listings and the manufacturers' pages. All five are 12,000 BTU on 115 V.

Product links on this page go to Amazon. If you buy through them, Electric Tampa earns a commission. How we pick and earn

12,000-BTU room cooling: window unit and mini-splits
ModelCoolingEfficiencyPowerRefrigerantInstallLink
LG Dual Inverter Window AC, 12,000 BTUInverter window unit12,000CEER 15115 V plug-inR-32Sits in a windowAmazon
Pioneer Diamante Pro 12kMini-split, 115 V12,000SEER2 20.0115 VR-454B16 ft line kitAmazon
Senville LETO 12kMini-split, 115 V12,000SEER2 21.2115 VR-454BProfessional installAmazon
DELLA Serena 12kENERGY STAR mini-split, 115 V12,000SEER2 22115 VR-3216.4 ft pre-charged kitAmazon
MRCOOL DIY 4th Gen 12kPre-charged mini-split, 115 V12,000SEER2 22.5115 VR-410A25 ft pre-charged linesAmazon
LG Dual Inverter Window AC, 12,000 BTU

Inverter window unit

LG Dual Inverter Window AC, 12,000 BTU

LG LW1224IVSM

A 12,000-BTU window unit with a variable-speed compressor, so it slows down instead of cycling on and off. It plugs into a normal outlet and draws 1,020 W at full output.

Capacity
12,000 BTU
Efficiency
CEER 15
Power
115 V plug-in, 1,020 W, 9.1 A
Refrigerant
R-32
Noise
44–58 dBA
ENERGY STAR
Certified

Suits: Renters, or anyone who wants one cool room on a generator or a large battery with no installation.

Weigh: Cooling only, no heat. It weighs 85 pounds, needs a window 27 to 39 inches wide, and carries a one-year warranty.

View on Amazon
Pioneer Diamante Pro 12k

Mini-split, 115 V

Pioneer Diamante Pro 12k

Pioneer WYT012ALSI20RL

A 115 V heat pump on the newer R-454B refrigerant, with a published cooling input of 1,050 W at full load and a 16-foot line kit.

Capacity
12,000 BTU
SEER2 / EER2
20.0 / 10.5
Cooling input
1,050 W
Power
115 V, 25 A breaker
Refrigerant
R-454B
Lines
16 ft

Suits: One room, installed by an HVAC contractor who can pressure-test and evacuate the lines.

Weigh: Wi-Fi needs a separate module. The warranty runs up to five years with registration.

View on Amazon
Senville LETO 12k

Mini-split, 115 V

Senville LETO 12k

Senville SENL-12CD-16

A 115 V heat pump whose cooling input runs from 230 to 800 W, which makes it one of the lightest cooling loads a generator or battery can carry.

Capacity
12,000 BTU
SEER2 / EER2
21.2 / 10.1
Cooling input
230–800 W
Power
115 V, MCA 19 A
Refrigerant
R-454B
Lines
16 ft

Suits: A bedroom you want to keep cool through an outage on a mid-size generator.

Weigh: Senville says it must be installed and commissioned by a professional. Its pages and the Amazon listing give different warranty terms; confirm before buying.

View on Amazon
DELLA Serena 12k

ENERGY STAR mini-split, 115 V

DELLA Serena 12k

DELLA 12K1VR-22S-M-I+O

An ENERGY STAR certified 115 V heat pump on R-32, with a 16-foot pre-charged line kit and Wi-Fi, Alexa and Google control.

Capacity
12,000 BTU
SEER2 / EER2
22 / 12.0
Heating
Heat pump, HSPF2 9.5
Power
115 V, hardwired
Refrigerant
R-32
ENERGY STAR
Certified

Suits: One room on a 115 V circuit, installed by an HVAC contractor or a certified owner.

Weigh: DELLA does not publish its rated watts or warranty terms where we could read them; ask for both before you buy.

View on Amazon
MRCOOL DIY 4th Gen 12k

Pre-charged mini-split, 115 V

MRCOOL DIY 4th Gen 12k

MRCOOL DIY-12-HP-WM-115C25

A 115 V heat pump sold with a 25-foot pre-charged Quick Connect line set and Wi-Fi control, and the highest efficiency of the four.

Capacity
12,000 BTU
SEER2 / EER2
22.5 / 12.5
Heating
Heat pump, HSPF2 9.0
Power
115 V, hardwired
Refrigerant
R-410A
Lines
25 ft pre-charged

Suits: A bedroom, office or addition on a 115 V circuit, by an owner who wants to do the mounting and line run.

Weigh: EPA says connecting even pre-charged lines needs a Section 608 certification, and the manual calls for a licensed electrician for the wiring. Lines connect once; they cannot be reused.

View on Amazon

Installing one in Tampa Bay

A mini-split is a mechanical and electrical job with a permit in Tampa, Hillsborough and Pinellas: a dedicated circuit, a disconnect within sight of the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit fastened down to resist hurricane wind, and, for the new R-454B and R-32 units, a pressure test the inspector can see. The details, including what Florida allows an owner to do on their own house, are in our DIY guide.

Recalls

We check every product here against the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database. Midea's U-shaped window air conditioners, and the same design sold under other brands, were recalled in June 2025 for mold risk from water that fails to drain, so we don't list them. If you own one, the recall offers a repair or a refund.

Mini-splits guides

A mini-split outdoor unit beside a house

DIY mini-split kit or installed? What Florida actually requires

Pre-charged mini-split kits are sold as do-it-yourself. Here is what EPA, Florida's contractor law, Tampa Bay permit offices and the manufacturers' warranties say about installing one.

A ductless mini-split head on a bedroom wall

Running a mini-split on a generator or a battery

Why a variable-speed mini-split is the easiest AC for backup power, what a 12,000-BTU unit draws at full output, how a generator reaches a hardwired unit, and battery runtimes at four loads.