Choosing the right brand for a mini-split

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
It will be quite expensive if you want to disconnect the head units and remove them.

I read somewhere that somebody charged $300 for the service that I'm requesting. Pretty vague, right? ;-)

This guy is the installer who did my main system last December. You really don't meet many people like him. I've checked Youtube and there is a way to take off just enough stuff to get the scroll fan out. But all the films are Mitsubishi and not Panasonic.

I have enough respect for this guy that if he says tear it all out and start over I won't bat an eye.
 
I read somewhere that somebody charged $300 for the service that I'm requesting. Pretty vague, right? ;-)

This guy is the installer who did my main system last December. You really don't meet many people like him. I've checked Youtube and there is a way to take off just enough stuff to get the scroll fan out. But all the films are Mitsubishi and not Panasonic.

I have enough respect for this guy that if he says tear it all out and start over I won't bat an eye.
Sounds like a good man. We are fortunate to have a similar family operation here. His business is small and wants to keep it that was so that he has a life too. His son now assists with the larger installs. I got him started on installing mini-splits around 2006 and he's done a lot of them since. Never charges a dime when he comes out to check our system in spite of me asking him for the bill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
Sounds like a good man. We are fortunate to have a similar family operation here. His business is small and wants to keep it that was so that he has a life too. His son now assists with the larger installs. I got him started on installing mini-splits around 2006 and he's done a lot of them since. Never charges a dime when he comes out to check our system in spite of me asking him for the bill.

This guy has no website or even a business card and he's booked solid. When I hired him to do our main heat pump/air handler I asked what he needed for a deposit and he told me he doesn't want a dime until I'm satisfied with the job. When I asked about buying a labor warranty he said "I don't want your money - I don't know how long I'll be doing this".

I work with a drummer who works for him in the daytime. He was always complaining about how Bill made them get stuff perfect that was going to be behind drywall or under a floor. I'm sure there are young guys doing the same thing, but it's nice to meet somebody who's been doing it that way for a long time. ;-) They've seen it all.
 
OK, let me post my shame. Ashful, there might be a way to remove the sides of your outside unit. Turns out there was with mine. These pics depict my best effort with the sides still on. I got quite a good bath with the sides on.
DSCN1713.JPG DSCN1714.JPG

I assure you, they're clean now... You can see the screw hole. Take the screw out, lift up and remove the louvers.

Now here's the damned mini-split. I took out a wire grid that (I guess) would stop you from jamming a broomstick up there... Lawyers? Bent as needed to get it out and discarded. Couldn't figure out how to disassemble. Gave everything a mild bleach bath so I wouldn't catch Legionnaire's Disease. Cleaned the radiator bit with cleaner and it changed color. Got a spray bottle, safety glasses, and shot water on the running fan until no more crap came out. Then I used the spray bottle for one more mild bleach bath and reassembled.

If you need one, my advice is to buy two and practice disassembling the second unit.... What a PITA.

DSCN1718.JPG DSCN1717.JPGDSCN1719.JPG DSCN1720.JPG

Finally, my installer mentioned a piece of advice. 2K BTUs per person as a sizing guide. I think he's right. My unit is definitely under-sized at only one-ton.
 
Thanks for posting that, Soundchasm! I’m going to have to pull apart my minisplit heads, and see how they look. One is in a music studio that is kept conditioned 24/7/365, due to acoustic instruments stored in there, but only actually used a few evenings per month. Since the room stays so clean, I suspect it’s clean. Then the other two are in my work shop, which is quite dusty with sawdust and such, so I have the pre-filters on those units.

My traditional outdoor units look like yours with the louvered covers removed, just fins covered with a cage. I blow them off with the handheld leaf blower after each mowing (at least once per week), so they stay much cleaner than yours. Never any grass or anything on them, like I see in that photo you posted. I assumed you guys meant a little invisible dust between the fins on the condenser coil, which is still possible on mine, but there is no visible dirt.

On sizing, I think my traditional units are both 5 - 6 tons each, and my mini splits are 1 ton for the studio and 3 ton for the shop. I’d have to check the name plates on the traditional units to confirm that, one is physically much bigger (but older) than the other.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
"EMI is a huge problem in automotive, one of the number 1 technical problems that plagued auto manufacturers for 40-50 years. With the advent of coil packs and the death of AM radio, which operated in the band of your ignition system, you just don’t hear as much about it today. "

If my hearing aid is in telecoil mode ( used in theaters) it buzzes like crazy when I start my volt
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
If my hearing aid is in telecoil mode ( used in theaters) it buzzes like crazy when I start my volt

LOL I'll have to try that. Didn't know about the telecoil mode being for theaters. A lot of times when I go to the cineplex theater the volume is so loud that the last thing I need is a hearing aid. Our local theater is much better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
Thanks for posting that, Soundchasm! I’m going to have to pull apart my minisplit heads, and see how they look. One is in a music studio that is kept conditioned 24/7/365, due to acoustic instruments stored in there, but only actually used a few evenings per month. Since the room stays so clean, I suspect it’s clean. Then the other two are in my work shop, which is quite dusty with sawdust and such, so I have the pre-filters on those units.

My traditional outdoor units look like yours with the louvered covers removed, just fins covered with a cage. I blow them off with the handheld leaf blower after each mowing (at least once per week), so they stay much cleaner than yours. Never any grass or anything on them, like I see in that photo you posted. I assumed you guys meant a little invisible dust between the fins on the condenser coil, which is still possible on mine, but there is no visible dirt.

On sizing, I think my traditional units are both 5 - 6 tons each, and my mini splits are 1 ton for the studio and 3 ton for the shop. I’d have to check the name plates on the traditional units to confirm that, one is physically much bigger (but older) than the other.

Ashful, our sunroom isn't what I'd call a dusty environment at all. That's 7-8 years of me not knowing that fan was there.

My installer gave me a spray bottle of Ace Evap-Klean Plus. 16 OZ would be sufficient for one mini-split. It did change the color from a light tan back to raw metal. Impressive, actually.

I'm surrounded by Cottonwood and Sycamores and Dandelions. What you see on my main unit is December 2017 to present. Not exactly chronic neglect...

My mind is blown at the thought of a perpetually clean outside unit!! ;-)

You need to make a separate post as to what is in your music room, and I need to know a detailed explanation as to why it's used ONLY a few evenings per month! ;lol
 
soundchasm you must have been feeling sick when they were running. nice job. a short funny story i had my car air cond on and would get a little mold smell followed by a stuffed nose. with no way to get at the coil i turned the air cond on then dumped a large can of spray Lysol in the intake vent it worked great but the cars roof headliner fell off about a week later.
 
Well...I'm back from vacation and missed the CRAZY hot weather we had. I was sitting in a lawn chair, in the water at our cottage..but wow..still hot. Entire family got sick (me 2x) and it was not that relaxing.

So....the AC tech called me yesterday and we are ON for Friday night. That means I have to get all the lines run (not connected) today and run power. This will be a busy night after work.

It would be amazing to get these units running for the weekend. I'm on cloud 9 just thinking about it. I've always been sweating my a** off in this house.
 
soundchasm you must have been feeling sick when they were running. nice job. a short funny story i had my car air cond on and would get a little mold smell followed by a stuffed nose. with no way to get at the coil i turned the air cond on then dumped a large can of spray Lysol in the intake vent it worked great but the cars roof headliner fell off about a week later.
Your blower is easy to access in most cars. Some have air filters. Check there first.
 
Thanks for the reminder. The Volt didn't come with a filter, but the car has several Buick parts including the filter box, so I dropped in a Buick filter. That was a couple years ago. I expect it's time to replace.
 
older car chrysler 5th ave. thought it would be a ton easier to try the spray. no filters back then.
 
Had to stop a bit short last night...2 of the 3 done but the last had a hornets nest hiding under the deck right were I needed to work. Sprayed and will resume work this afternoon before the tech shows up.

Will post pics before I button everything up. I am leaving the linesets rather loose because he will need to flare and need wiggle room to work.
 
Had the AC tech over last night to get things rolling and we ran into a bit of a problem.

I am attaching 3 line sets to 3 units. A 12k, 15k and 15k. All of them have 3/8" gas line coming out the back and a 1/4" liquid line. Here is the issue..the 15k's all have a 3/8" line with a 1" flare nut for 1/2" line instead of a 3/4" flare nut for 3/8" line. So, everything was going well till we realized that my 3/8" line sets would not work for the 15k units.

We looked in the manual and it seems (vaguely) that 1/2" linesets are required for 15k units. The weird part is that on the back of the condenser unit there is only one place for a 1/2" gas line return. Meaning that on at least one of the linesets, you would need to go from the head 3/8" to 1/2" and back to an adapter that gets you to 3/8" again. All of the returns but 1 are 3/8".

This isn't making sense to us, so we are calling Mitsubishi Monday when the tech line is open.

I only see 2 possible outcomes.

1) I need 1/2" line for both of the 15k units.
For the 1 line I will need an adapter to neck down to 3/8".

2) They say go for it and use the 3/8" (likely with some performance consideration) and I will need an adapter like this to go from 1" flare nut on a 3/8" line to a 3/8" line.
27415-182125-thickbox.jpg

Not gonna lie. I thought I did my homework and this one really pissed me off. Such is life.

If someone can explain the logic of starting at the head unit with 3/8 line, then immediately going to 1/2 for the line set length, then back to 3/8 at the condenser, I'm curious.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is the correct mating flare connection coming out of the 12k. 3/8 mating to 3/8 No problems here.
upload_2018-7-14_11-39-57.png

15k head unit with 3/8 line coming out of it but 1" flare nut for 1/2" line. That's the issue.

1-2 connection.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
i don.t blame you for being pissed off. seeing that i;d be 4 feet off the ground too. how many indoor units will it handle? that even tho it's using small pipe it might be for a bigger line set for a unit that is more than 15k btu. or they are smoking the crack pipe.
 
Called Mitsubishi. Unfortunately I will need to replace 2 of the 3/8" lines with 1/2" lines. It is what it is. I will also need the adapter I posted a picture of. There is a local HVAC supply that has their version of that fitting for $5 instead of the Mitsubishi $49 + shipping. Love it.

Picking it up locally Thursday morning and need to reschedule with the technician.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
At least it hasn’t been hot, or anything like that. :rolleyes:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
Well my friends friend (an AC tech) fell through..and caused me multiple delays..about 4 weeks.
I have the right adapter in house from a local shop. I installed the Mitsubishi required 1/2" return lines and just got a quote ($~600) for a certified installer to come and finish the job properly. Complete ferrule connections. Full 24hr pressure test. Nitrogen purge and charge.
Scheduling now. Should be done shortly.

All said and done, should have scheduled them from the start...hindsight 20/20 and all.
 
Installer stopped by today and they want to braze the ferrule connections and a few other things differently. Was supposed to be complete tomorrow, now they are coming back Monday with 2 guys to complete it in 1 day.

The tech seems very 'legit', so overall I'm happy, but darn...just want this thing running.

He complemented my install..so that was nice of him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
your so close. must suck just starring at it and it being so hot