Many older Hobe Sound homes were built without proper central AC ductwork, and adding it later is expensive and disruptive. A ductless mini-split solves the problem cleanly. First Aid Air Conditioning installs single-zone and multi-zone systems across Hobe Sound. Family-owned, Florida-licensed.
Three reasons. First, the housing stock: many Hobe Sound homes (especially east of Bridge Road and in the older inland neighborhoods) were built without central ductwork or with inadequate ductwork. Adding ductwork later is a major construction project. A mini-split skips the ductwork entirely.
Second, coastal conditions: ductless systems have fewer points of failure than ducted central systems. No duct leaks pulling in salt-air-laden attic dust. No long line sets running through humid Florida wall cavities. The outdoor condenser is the only component exposed to salt air, and we protect it with coastal-grade coil treatment.
Third, efficiency: mini-splits run on inverter compressors that ramp up and down with demand, which dehumidifies better than single-stage central AC. In coastal Hobe Sound where humidity is high year-round, that efficiency matters.
Older homes without ductwork: typical in the inland Hobe Sound neighborhoods west of US-1 and some of the original coastal homes. Multi-zone mini-splits provide central-AC-equivalent cooling without the ductwork install.
Florida room and screened porch conversions: very common across Hobe Sound. Single-zone wall-mount mini-split is the standard fix.
Casitas and detached pool houses: classic Hobe Sound add-ons that need their own cooling because they're outside the home's conditioned envelope.
Garage conversions and ADUs: a growing trend. Florida code requires the converted space to have its own conditioned air. Mini-split is often the only practical path.
For homes east of Bridge Road and along the Intracoastal, we add coastal-grade coil treatment to the outdoor condenser at install time. The factory-baked protective coating resists salt-air penetration and easily doubles the useful life of the coil. Without it, an unprotected condenser in coastal Hobe Sound can hit end-of-life in five to eight years instead of the twelve to fifteen a protected unit gets.
We also install surge protection at the panel and place the outdoor unit on a properly anchored hurricane pad with appropriate clearance from the home for storm preparation.
Single-zone: one outdoor condenser with one indoor head. Right for a Florida room conversion or a single hot space.
Multi-zone: one larger outdoor condenser with two, three, or four indoor heads. Right for whole-home retrofits where adding ductwork isn't practical, or for cooling multiple added spaces.
System sizing based on actual room loads, brand selection (Mitsubishi, Daikin, Fujitsu, LG, and others), indoor head placement, outdoor condenser placement and mounting with coastal-grade coil protection, refrigerant line set installation and insulation, electrical tie-in, smart control setup, surge protection at the panel, post-install commissioning, manufacturer warranty registration.
Single-zone installs finish in less than a day. Multi-zone systems run a day and a half. Coastal Hobe Sound installs with coil protection and surge devices run slightly higher than standard inland installs. Single-zone typically $3,800 to $7,000 installed with coastal protection. Multi-zone $7,500 to $15,000 depending on zone count. Free written estimate, Hearth financing available.
Call 772-418-9787. Family-owned, Florida-licensed, with over a decade of coastal Hobe Sound experience.
