Cooling Options for Older Burbank Homes Without Ducts
A huge share of Burbank’s housing was built in the 1930s–1950s boom — the bungalows around Magnolia Park, the ranch homes near the Rancho, the postwar tracts below the hills. Beautiful houses, solid bones, and in many cases: zero ductwork. Original heating was a floor or wall furnace, cooling was whatever fit in a window.
If that’s your house, here are your real options.
Option 1: Ductless mini splits (the usual winner)
A mini split gives you heating and cooling without any ductwork — an outdoor unit connects to slim indoor wall units through a small line set. For older Burbank homes they’re usually the best answer because there’s no demolition: no tearing open plaster ceilings, no giving up closet space to an air handler, no attic full of new ducts.
They’re also efficient (each room conditions independently) and quiet, and modern units heat well enough to retire the old wall furnace entirely. The tradeoff is aesthetics — you’ll have a visible indoor unit on the wall in each conditioned room — and upfront cost per zone. More on mini splits here.
Option 2: Adding central air with new ductwork
It’s absolutely possible to retrofit central air into a duct-less older home — the question is where the ducts go. Homes with a decent attic can usually take a conventional ducted system with ceiling registers. The results are the classic whole-house central air experience with nothing visible but vents.
The costs are higher (you’re buying a full duct system plus the equipment), and in houses with low attic clearance or complicated rooflines, the install gets invasive. But if you’re already doing a major remodel, it’s the natural time to do it.
Option 3: High-velocity mini-duct systems
A niche option worth knowing about: high-velocity systems use small flexible tubing that can snake through walls and closets where conventional ducts can’t fit. They preserve plaster and architectural detail, which matters in some of Burbank’s character homes. Cost is typically the highest of the three, and fewer contractors work with them.
Option 4: Window and portable units (the stopgap)
Cheap to buy, expensive to run, loud, and they block a window — but they cool a room. As a permanent whole-house strategy in a Valley climate, they lose to a mini split on comfort and operating cost within a few summers. As a bridge while you plan a real system, they’re fine.
How to choose
- One or two problem rooms, or an ADU: single-zone mini split, done.
- Whole house, no remodel planned: multi-zone mini split — best comfort-per-dollar without construction.
- Whole house, remodel underway, good attic: ducted central air becomes attractive.
- Character home where walls can’t be touched: look at high-velocity.
Every one of these starts with an assessment of your actual house — insulation, exposure, layout, panel capacity. If you want a straight recommendation with real numbers for your home, call the number at the top of the page or start with our mini split service page.
Need a hand? We serve all of Burbank with upfront pricing. Call (818) 555-0142 — open 7 days · 7am–9pm.