AHRI-certified numbers · Amazon prices on 2026-10-02

Cooper & Hunter vs MRCOOL Mini-Split, by Size

Installing it yourself? Buy the MRCOOL DIY. It is the only one sold as DIY, and at 12,000 BTU it wins every certified number. Hiring a pro? Cooper & Hunter costs less per BTU at every matched size, and at 18,000 and 24,000 BTU it wins every certified number too.

  1. Install it yourself; more efficient

    MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 12,000 BTU 115V

    $1,799.99 · 23.5 SEER2 · 10.2 HSPF2 · cold-climate · $150.00 per 1,000 BTU · sold by Amazon.com

    $1,799.99 · 23.5 SEER2 · cold-climate · DIY

  2. Less than half the price per BTU; pro install

    Cooper & Hunter MIA 12,000 BTU 115V

    $854.97 · 21.2 SEER2 · 8.7 HSPF2 · not cold-climate · $71.25 per 1,000 BTU · sold by MiniSplits4Less

    $854.97 · 21.2 SEER2 · pro install

    Check price on Amazon

Prices are the Amazon buy-box price on 2026-10-02 and change often. Affiliate links; we earn a commission at no cost to you.

The numbers, as of 2026-10-02: MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 12,000 BTU (115 V) = 23.5 SEER2, 10.2 HSPF2, cold-climate, ENERGY STAR, $1,799.99 on Amazon ($150.00 per 1,000 BTU), DIY install. Cooper & Hunter MIA 12,000 BTU (115 V) = 21.2 SEER2, 8.7 HSPF2, not cold-climate, not on the ENERGY STAR list, $854.97 ($71.25 per 1,000 BTU), professional install required. At 18,000 and 24,000 BTU, Cooper & Hunter's MIA beats MRCOOL's DIY Select on every certified number. Numbers from the AHRI Directory; prices on 2026-10-02.

By Erin Rose · Updated

01 / Side by side

The two 12,000 BTU units, number by number

Both are 12,000 BTU single-room wall units that run on a standard 115 V household circuit. The shaded cell is the better number.

Side-by-side numbers
MeasureMRCOOLCooper & HunterC&HSource
Size (certified cooling) 12,000 BTU 12,000 BTU AHRI [1]
Voltage, per the listing 115 V 115 V listing spec table [3]
SEER2 (cooling efficiency) 23.5 21.2 AHRI [1]
EER2 (efficiency on a hot day) 12.5 10.1 AHRI [1]
HSPF2 (heating efficiency) 10.2 8.7 AHRI [1]
Heat output at 5°F 8,400 BTU 6,600 BTU AHRI [1]
Efficiency at 5°F (COP) 2.08 1.85 AHRI [1]
Cold-climate rated yes no AHRI [1]
ENERGY STAR yes no (not on the list) ENERGY STAR [2]
Refrigerant, per the listing not stated on the listing R-454B (spec table) Amazon listing [3]
Refrigerant, per the certificate R-454B R-454B AHRI [1]
Install, per the listing DIY: pre-charged 25 ft quick-connect lines not DIY; professional install required; 16 ft pre-flared line set Amazon listing [3]
Warranty, per the listing 5 yr parts, 7 yr compressor 5 yr parts, 7 yr compressor Amazon listing [3]
Amazon price on 2026-10-02 $1,799.99 $854.97 Amazon buy box [3]
Price per 1,000 BTU $150.00 $71.25 computed [3]
Heating cost per million BTU $18.46 $21.64 computed, $0.1883/kWh [6]
Cooling cost per million BTU $8.01 $8.88 computed, $0.1883/kWh [6]
Sold by Amazon.com MiniSplits4Less Amazon listing [3]
Certified model pair DIY-12-HP-C-115D25-O + DIY-12-HP-WMAH-115D25-O CH-RLS12MIA-115VO + CH-RLS12MIA-115VI AHRI refs 216032544, 216623803 [1]

Certified numbers are the AHRI ratings for the exact outdoor and indoor model pair each listing prints. ENERGY STAR is the program's own certified list. Running costs use $0.1883/kWh, the EIA U.S. average; your rate moves them.

02 / What the numbers mean for you

What the gap is worth

  • You pay for the install method. The MRCOOL costs $945.02 more. Its listing says no special tools, equipment, or training are required, "thanks to pre-charged 25-foot Quick Connect line sets." The Cooper & Hunter listing says "This is not a DIY system, professional installation is required per the manufacturer." Get an install quote before you compare the two prices.
  • Cooper & Hunter says to use a licensed installer. Its own catalog page says: "Attention! The installation of our equipment should be performed by a licensed HVAC installer." Of the 15 Cooper & Hunter system listings we read on Amazon on 2026-09-29, 13 say a professional must install the unit and none call it DIY. 13 of 14 MRCOOL system listings say DIY.
  • Efficiency will not pay back the price gap. At 12,000 BTU the MRCOOL saves $3.18 per million BTU of heat and $0.87 per million BTU of cooling. To save $945.02 on heat alone takes about 297 million BTU. That is 2.8 years of the MRCOOL running flat-out all day, every day.
  • At 12,000 BTU, cold weather is the real difference. Only the MRCOOL is cold-climate rated. At 5°F it is certified to deliver 8,400 BTU, 70% of its output at 47°F, at a COP of 2.08. The Cooper & Hunter MIA is certified at 6,600 BTU at 5°F, 55% of its 47°F output, at a COP of 1.85. Where winters reach 5°F, plan on backup heat with the MIA.
  • Bigger rooms flip the result. At 18,000 and 24,000 BTU, the MRCOOL DIY units we could buy on Amazon were the DIY Select line. Cooper & Hunter's MIA beats them on every certified number and costs less per BTU. The 24,000 BTU MIA is also cold-climate rated and ENERGY STAR; the DIY Select is neither.
  • Refrigerant is not a reason to choose. AHRI lists every unit on this page as R-454B. The Cooper & Hunter listings name R-454B in their spec tables; the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen listing does not name one.

03 / Other sizes

Other sizes

Same rule at every size: same certified size, same voltage, and certified numbers for the exact model pair. At 18,000 and 24,000 BTU, the MRCOOL DIY units we could tie to one AHRI certificate and buy on Amazon on 2026-10-02 were the DIY Select line, so that is the match.

  • 12,000 BTU, 115 V

    MRCOOL DIY Select

    17.5 SEER2 · 9 HSPF2 · 6,200 BTU at 5°F · $1,499.00 ($124.92 per 1,000 BTU)

    Check price on Amazon

    Cooper & Hunter MIA (same unit as above)

    21.2 SEER2 · 8.7 HSPF2 · 6,600 BTU at 5°F · $854.97 ($71.25 per 1,000 BTU)

    Check price on Amazon

    Split. Cooper & Hunter is ahead on cooling and 5°F output and costs less per BTU; the DIY Select is ahead on HSPF2 (9 vs 8.7). Neither is cold-climate rated.

  • 18,000 BTU class, 230 V

    MRCOOL DIY Select

    17.3 SEER2 · 8.5 HSPF2 · 9,500 BTU at 5°F · $1,690.00 ($99.41 per 1,000 BTU)

    Cooper & Hunter MIA

    19.2 SEER2 · 9.6 HSPF2 · 11,500 BTU at 5°F · $1,044.97 ($58.05 per 1,000 BTU)

    Check price on Amazon

    Cooper & Hunter leads on every certified number and on price per BTU. Only the MRCOOL is sold as DIY.

  • 24,000 BTU class, 230 V

    MRCOOL DIY Select

    16.5 SEER2 · 8.3 HSPF2 · 16,500 BTU at 5°F · $1,899.00 ($82.57 per 1,000 BTU)

    Check price on Amazon

    Cooper & Hunter MIA

    18.7 SEER2 · 9.3 HSPF2 · 17,000 BTU at 5°F, cold-climate, ENERGY STAR · $1,424.97 ($59.37 per 1,000 BTU)

    Check price on Amazon

    Cooper & Hunter leads on every certified number and on price per BTU, and only it is cold-climate rated and ENERGY STAR. Only the MRCOOL is sold as DIY.

Cooper & Hunter also sells a Hyper Heat line on Amazon. The 12,000 BTU 230 V Hyper Heat (24 SEER2, 10.5 HSPF2, 11,500 BTU at 5°F, cold-climate, ENERGY STAR) was $1,824.99. The 24,000 BTU Hyper Heat (22.3 SEER2, 13.3 HSPF2, 24,000 BTU at 5°F, cold-climate, ENERGY STAR) was $2,879.99. The 9,000 BTU 115 V MIA (21.5 SEER2, ENERGY STAR) was $759.97, and the 12,000 BTU 230 V MIA (21.3 SEER2, 9.1 HSPF2) was $854.97. Prices on 2026-10-02. We found no in-stock MRCOOL DIY listing at 9,000 BTU 115 V or 12,000 BTU 230 V to match them. All Cooper & Hunter units need a pro install.

Check price: Hyper Heat 12,000 BTU 230VCheck price: Hyper Heat 24,000 BTU 230V

04 / Questions

Frequently asked

Cooper and Hunter or MRCOOL: which mini split should I buy?
If you will install it yourself, buy the MRCOOL DIY; Cooper & Hunter says its units need a licensed installer. At 12,000 BTU on a household circuit the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen also wins every certified number (23.5 vs 21.2 SEER2, 10.2 vs 8.7 HSPF2, cold-climate rated). If a pro will install it, the Cooper & Hunter MIA costs less per BTU at every size we matched ($71.25 vs $150.00 per 1,000 BTU at 12,000 BTU on 2026-10-02), and at 18,000 and 24,000 BTU it beats the MRCOOL DIY Select on every certified number. [1][3][4]
Can I install a Cooper & Hunter mini split myself?
Cooper & Hunter says no. Its catalog page says: "Attention! The installation of our equipment should be performed by a licensed HVAC installer." Its Amazon listings say "This is not a DIY system, professional installation is required." 13 of the 15 Cooper & Hunter listings we read on Amazon on 2026-09-29 say that. The units ship with a 16 ft pre-flared line set, not quick-connect lines. If you want to skip the vacuum pump and the HVAC technician, a quick-connect DIY kit like the MRCOOL is built for that. [4][3][5]
Is Cooper & Hunter ENERGY STAR certified?
Some models are. On 2026-10-02 the 12,000 BTU 115 V MIA pair (CH-RLS12MIA-115VO + CH-RLS12MIA-115VI) and the 18,000 BTU MIA pair were not on ENERGY STAR's certified list. The 9,000 BTU 115 V MIA, the 24,000 BTU MIA and both Hyper Heat pairs were. The MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 12,000 BTU pair is on the list; the MRCOOL DIY Select pairs are not. [2]
How cold can a Cooper & Hunter mini split heat?
It depends on the line. The MIA listing says it "works for heating with ambient temperature up to 5F°." AHRI certifies the 12,000 BTU MIA at 6,600 BTU at 5°F, 55% of its output at 47°F. The Hyper Heat listings say they heat "as low as -22°F", and AHRI rates both Hyper Heat pairs cold-climate. The MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen keeps 70% (8,400 BTU) at 5°F and is cold-climate rated. [3][1]
Which has the longer warranty?
At 12,000 BTU they match on the listings: 5 years on parts and 7 on the compressor for both the Cooper & Hunter MIA and the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen. The MRCOOL DIY Select listings say "2-year warranty." Check the warranty terms with the seller before you buy. [3]
Which refrigerant do Cooper & Hunter and MRCOOL use?
Every unit on this page is R-454B on its AHRI certificate. The Cooper & Hunter listings name R-454B; the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen listing does not name one. [1][3]

How we did this

Method

We matched on size and voltage. Each pair is two single-zone wall units of the same certified size on the same circuit, each with a working Add to Cart button and a price on Amazon on 2026-10-02. Each listing prints its indoor and outdoor model codes; we looked up that pair in the AHRI Directory and used the one active rating for it.

Cooper & Hunter's listings print the exact pair AHRI certifies (for example CH-RLS12MIA-115VI with CH-RLS12MIA-115VO). The 115 V and 230 V 12,000 BTU MIA are different models with different numbers; the main pair on this page is the 115 V one, because the MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen is 115 V.

"DIY" comes only from each brand's own words: MRCOOL's listings say pre-charged Quick Connect lines and no special tools; Cooper & Hunter's listings and catalog say a professional or licensed installer is required.

ENERGY STAR status is the program's own list, looked up by AHRI reference number. Refrigerant "per the listing" is only what the listing states. Price is the buy-box price on the listing page that day; it changes often.

Running cost per million BTU = 1,000 ÷ SEER2 (or HSPF2) × $0.1883/kWh. The payback figure divides the price gap by the heating-cost gap.

References

Sources

6 references · checked 2026-10-02
  1. 1

    AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance, air-source heat pumps (program 99), active ratings

    queried by model number · Cooper & Hunter read 2026-10-02; MRCOOL read 2026-09-29 and re-checked unchanged 2026-10-02 · reference numbers in the table

  2. 2

    ENERGY STAR certified heat pumps (data.energystar.gov, dataset w7cv-9xjt)

    queried by AHRI reference number · Cooper & Hunter 2026-10-02; MRCOOL 2026-09-29, re-checked 2026-10-02

  3. 3

    Amazon listings for the eleven units on this page, read on 2026-10-02

    price, seller, voltage, refrigerant, warranty and install note from each listing page · 2026-10-02

  4. 4

    Cooper & Hunter residential catalog page (install statement)

    “Attention! The installation of our equipment should be performed by a licensed HVAC installer.” · read 2026-10-02

  5. 5

    Amazon mini-split listings: 161 system listings read on 2026-09-29

    install claim and refrigerant as each listing states them · 2026-09-29

  6. 6

    U.S. average residential electricity price used for running cost: $0.1883/kWh

    EIA · the same figure every running cost on this site uses