Posted on 06/18/2022 9:30:32 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
DYI Mini Split Heat Pump, I did it! And it works very well!
My existing Trane AC sadly died an early death at a very young 27 years.; RIP. I did have the need R-290(Not the old Texas R-1bbq refrigerant, real R290, no water vapor) to revive it, but then the fan solenoid gave out. And we said our goodbyes.
Our daughter and HVAC guy S.I.L. put on an addition and went with a Mitsubishi/Trane mini split system, the Cadillac of heat pumps $$$. They love it! And last year my brother an MIS, installed his own Pioneer mini split purchased from Home Depot. I purchased directly from Park-Davis because I had many questions and they were VERY helpful. Also a 5% veterans/senior discount, same product. IMO, Pioneer might be more like a Chevy or Oldsmobile??? He loves it!
Most of the compressor units come from China even some Mitsubishi. Mrcool says made in the USA, the compressor is a Tecumseh and has a good reputation among the few I ask that were familiar.
Good stuff! The old unit SEER 12 guzzled about 4,000 watts; I have watt meters on both incoming power lines. The new unit SEER 21.5 with both systems in Turbo mode with a HOT, 98F Outside ~1,600 Watts; I did not shut the rest of the house off for an exact reading. The 100-year-old house is 2,800 sq ft plus an UNcondutioned basement. We have added the maximum possible insulation and all new windows.
Being a split I did the second floor first with hot weather on the way. With ONLY the second-floor unit running the upstairs was fine at 76F, 50% humidity and the first floor Was OK at 82 F, 55% humidity; drawing 800 Watts max, the load varies with solar gain. The big old trees HELP! The unit runs constantly by design, slowing down as needed; lower energy use, and better humidity management. Plus few stops/starts.
Installation
With a bit of luck to have the studs in the right place...EASY PEASY. But the manuals are a bit sketchy on a few details, like how to take the wall unit down after it is hanging??? I hung the unit without any connections to check it out? HOW TO TAKE IT DOWN? A call to my brother and he ran into the same issue and made some claws to release the unit and sent photos.
The biggest help was the EasyBend Lineset Bender, which takes the worry out of kinking a $200 line set.
I did above and beyond standard testing ( basically the Mitsubutsi test schedule) Pressure testing staged up to 300 PSI nitrogen overnight then 500 PSI for one hour. Vacuum testing sub 100 Micron hold for 30 minutes.
My brother did his with a cheap <$100 vacuum pump and the $40 vacuum gauge set from Pioneer. Works fine. Pioneer also sells a $40 flush kit, no vacuum is needed?
The unit is shipped with additional refrigerant, no additional is needed for standard length line sets.
Open the valves, and turn it on.
I own an ancient refrigeration gauge set that goes with my even older Welch 1400 vacuum pump. From 27 years ago... The hose set was not up to the sub 500 Micron vacuum, I used 1/4 inch copper lines.
https://www.pioneerminisplit.com/products/dual-zone-outdoor-section-230v-21-seer-multi-split-air-conditioner-heat-pump
Plus one 12,000 Btu wall mount and one 12,000Btu floor mount plus line sets. $2,143.00 delivered. I have add ons above home depot.
Plus a $65 set of : https://www.supplyhouse.com/Easybend-84381-1-4-to-5-8-EasyBend-Lineset-Bender-Minisplit-Kit-w-13-Mandrels
A used micron vacuum meter from a friend; $40.
Vacuum pump oil $20, needs replacement with each use.
A whole house surge suppressor, $65, Outside disconnect and whip, $10+$10, additional condensate hose, $10 from a big box.
Two stalks of conduit and wire from a friend, now I owe.
Additional labor from my wife; happy (AC cooled) wife= good life...
—”I bought from ecomfort in Illinois”
Our son-in-law used ecomfort and also was pleased with the service.
My Trane XL1400 two-ton system seems to have lost almost all of its R-22 freon at the wrong time of year here in Florida.
I’m going to have to replace it.
About how much should I expect to pay, with a line filter?
What is the additional amount I should expect to pay for a heat pump system instead of the typical AC + resistance heating?
Any particular brands I should seek out? avoid?
My split system lines are 44 years old. Should they be replaced? If so, how much should I expect to pay?
If there are things I haven’t asked about, but need to know, let me know.
When I replace my roof I will put in a solar-powered attic fan.
I believe California and Oregon require ‘heat reflecting’ shingles.
Can anybody here let me know where I can find the ‘heat reflecting’ percentages by shingle type?
My new neighbor put in a swimming pool heater by himself.
No freon lines were involved. PVC water pipe is stuff I can deal with. Brazing is for pros.
There is a company that sells a unit that allows AC units to use a swimming pool for a heat sink. I don’t have a swimming pool, but a koi pond would be nice.
“Ammonia is used in huge systems everywhere.”
I asked a refrigeration guy if ammonia wasn’t more dangerous than the freons since it’s toxic. He said no because the freons are odorless and in a refrigeration room you can die from oxygen deprivation if the freon pushes the oxygen out, without you realizing what’s happening. On the other hand you can smell ammonia even in low concentrations and can get the heck out.
—”seems to have lost almost all of its R-22 freon”
Just something I do to maintain my house, and I’m kind of a gear head, second order.
Out BIG GOV declared R-22 extinct after the year 2020 and all manufacture/imports to be unlawful. This caused the price to go over the moon, crazy stuff.
I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the efficiency/ lower operating cost of the heat pump over my old unit.
—”My split system lines are 44 years old. Should they be replaced?”
They tell me that sometimes the lines thin out at an elbow, but the problem is that your system used an older form of refrigerant oil that flows with the refrigant. IIRC mixing will turn it into snot and gum everything up. NOT GOOD
And then Big Gov strikes yet again the rules are that only compatible components can be used.
No longer are you allowed to put a new compressor in an old system they must match or you need a note from the Pope and a special blessing ($$$) to mix and match.
YES, THEY PRETTY MUCH REQUIRE AN COMPLETE NEW SYSTEM !!!
SHOULD YOU REPLACE JUST THE OLD SEER 14 COMPRESSOR ON WITH A SEER 20!!! The earth may open and swallow your house! Or something.
My S.I.L. swears by Mitsubishi and put his money where his mouth is!!!!
I would only recommend DIY for other serious gear heads.
That said I know a guy that watched many how-to videos and did most of the work with line sets in position low voltage connected/units hung and an outside disconnect next to the new compressor unit. He paid $500 for a local guy to make the flares, purge/evacuate/test the lines make the final connections plus the 220 VAC. He was happy.
-—”On the other hand you can smell ammonia even in low concentrations and can get the heck out.”
My S.I.L. works for a biggie in the ammonia refrigeration business and I met a guy that had his hand on the door of the machine room as it BLEW UP!!
He was the contact person when the alarm went off!
The firemen were with him, no serious injuries.
In this area, large exhaust fans tied to sensors/alarms are required.
Ask your friend about R-290.
“Ask your friend about R-290.”
The Wikipedia information on it is within the Propane article.
Unfortunately, I have no intel
Good company
Midwest values.
Straight shooters
Put a Mr Cool 36k 16 seer in my 40x60x14 building. Insulated with closed cell foam. Maintains 72 on lower level with 98 outside. They replaced the unit when it wouldn’t run below 50 during the winter. Happy ever since.
Some years ago in Nebraska or Iowa, a HVAC tech used refrigerant to blow up his families air mattresses for tent camping. Leaked in the middle of the night and the died in their sleep.
What about installation of the compressor unit? Isn’t that outside, and, if so, does it need a concrete pad?
—”What about installation of the compressor unit?”
Just like my old unit, precast concrete patio squares from the big box store.
Not required, but to keep it out of the snow I made a short stand from leftover strut and added a patio block under the unit to dampen vibration.
My brother mounted his directly to the outside wall of his house and said when starting under load he can hear something, sometimes.
Being hearing impaired since RVN, I placed my hand on the condenser and sometimes can feel a slight vibration on the unit but nothing under the inertia base/patio squares.
Because it uses a frequency drive to modulate the compressor and fans, guessing the vibration is transient/load dependent.
Try www.imgur.com — unlimited pix hosting
If I read correctly you must sign in to an account to use imgur???
The one I found is like my old one, with no sign-in/no nothing.
I have developed an intense hatred of passwords and giving my dummy email account.
You don’t need to change your vacuum pump oil after every use.
Once you hit your lowest micron level you aren’t doing anything with the evacuation pump except wasting electricity.
Were you having a problem with your system before he found air in it?
__”You don’t need to change your vacuum pump oil after every use.”
The friend that gave me this pump long ago recommended after every job, in part because it mostly sits on the shelf.
It is an old 1960? Welch Duoseal 1400, old yes, slow yes, very heavy yes, but can still pull under 10 Microns. the original spec is 0.1 Micron!!! But gotta give it some time.
And it only holds about ONE HALF QUART OIL for a change.
the HVAC son in law uses a Yellow Jacket pump much faster and is easy to carry! And guessing it holds way more oil.
They recommend:
Oil Changes: CHANGE OIL AFTER EACH
USAGE to protect pump components from
contaminants pulled into pump during
service. Place used oil in a sealable
container and dispose properly in accordance with local regulations.
Link: https://t.ly/0x3G
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