Anyone install their own mini-split A/C?

[callbay]

Son building a new large metal shop building with a 900 sq. ft. apartment in one corner.

Thought of buying a unit on line and installing the mini split heat pump/AC for him but did not know if there were were many problems.


Anyone install their own?

 

[Sawdusted]

Not difficult if you have some plumbing know how. You can buy ac units precharged with refrigerant. All you will need is a vacuum pump and a set of gauges to pull a vacuum and fill the system with the precharged refrigerant.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: callbay
Son building a new large metal shop building with a 900 sq. ft. apartment in one corner.

Thought of buying a unit on line and installing the mini split heat pump/AC for him but did not know if there were were many problems.


Anyone install their own?


Check out the Friedrich "breeze" line. They're made with quick-disconnect fittings- the units and lines come pre-charged and the fitting purges as its mated.

http://www.friedrich.com/products/residential/window/breeze

The downside is that you have to have a space to coil the excess line (I think its 25') I plan on one of them for my garage, eventually. the excess line will just coil up inside an in-wall access panel.

Another thing to consider about mini-splits is that the expansion valve(s) are in the outdoor unit. The lines to and from the indoor have to be insulated (and as short as possible) to minimize losses.

And a final comment: mini-splits are AWESOME. I've never had anything so quiet as the Mitsubishi we had put in our upstairs room to replace a window unit. Can't believe I waited so long. They are still pricey, but they've come down quite a bit as they've gotten more popular in the US.

 

[Win]

I can already see several places where I could use that Freidrich mini split.

Are they domestically made by any chance?

 

[dareo]

The only hard part is the line set connections. You need to perfectly vacuum it down and it needs to never leak and the charge may need to be adjusted based on the actual unit and actual line set length.

I almost embarked on the road of mini split self install but decided on a cheap window unit instead. Cools great, was like $250 from home depot, and install time from home to store to cool air was 2 hours.

A GE Zoneline PTAC unit is close to the efficiency of a mini split and installs easy to new construction, no A/C tools needed.

Nothing better than a Mitsubishi mini split but its a lot of money by the time you buy the tools. The EER and SEER on the Breeze line are not great. The best i know of is the LG LA090HYV coming in at 28 seer and 16.4 EER. My cheap window unit still pulls 11 EER

 

[zzyzzx]

I don't see why you can't do the install yourself and then pay someone to charge it.