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Comment by Tostino | Hacker News Reader

Well it does absolutely affect the price if you are willing to do it yourself. You don't need to actually touch any refrigerants. They are all preloaded in all the mini splits for sale. You just need to get the air out of the lines so it doesn't mix with the refrigerant.

If I were to have it installed, just about any "professional" will totally overcharge here in the US too.

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Here in Norway you must use a certified installer. That said, it wasn't horribly expensive, unless you have some weird constraint. I paid $600 for installing the last minisplit, which included some electrical work and a slightly more expensive spring-dampened mount, as well as 25% VAT. And Norway ain't exactly know for cheap labor.

Interesting, what happens if you just don't, and do it yourself?

However, if I could have them installed for $600, I wouldn't bother doing it myself. We have a little bit of a cartel behavior with AC installers at least in my area of the US. Even though the job has gotten much easier with mini splits being requested more, they're unwilling to give up the amount they were making per job with Central units.

> Interesting, what happens if you just don't, and do it yourself?

A fine I presume, if someone figures out. You'd have to get the unit second hand or similar, all stores are required to ensure you've ordered an installation from a certified company when they sell it AFAIK. Last ones I bought, a few years apart, had it all integrated in the web shops. Just selected installation company from a dropdown, fixed price for basic install.

Same again here in AU. Pretty sure i paid about $800 for the labor of installation (inc in the $2500) on top of material. Im more than comfortable with construction/electrical/plumbing. But at that price I stay off the roof, off a ladder, dont have to muck with extending a 240v circuit, and save a solid day if my time. Worth the price.

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