Ductless Mini Split systems

[used red MN]

Adam, these topics usually fall into the “Tool Talk” forum. I would suggest you repost it there as your own topic and link this post to it. I will say this having done the occasional copper water pipe joint sweating. Soldering the joints on an A/C unit and getting them leak free has a bit of an art to it, I believe silver solder is the recommended filler. If possible a “foot in the door” helper may be a more personal connection through friends or church etc. This way they may better understand where you’re at and why you need help being sort of caught in the middle.

 

[JMOR]

I bought a mini-split online and had it installed in my shed late fall 2020. It's not one of the pre-charged units. Everything was working fine until the following February when the compressor died. They sent me another one and my guy (Danny) came out and replaced it. Again, everything worked fine until late summer when it stopped cooling. Danny came by with a sniffer and found a leak in the head unit. They replaced that too. Now I can't get Danny to come back. He's like every other HVAC guy, covered up with work! I've called two other guys and got no response. This new head unit has been sitting in my garage since September. Here's where I need advice. I guess I have a couple of options. Leave it alone until I've harassed someone enough to come out and do the whole job. Or take it out and try to solder the line set myself then look for someone to charge it. I'd even be willing to buy a vacuum pump and gauges and learn how to do all of it but I still wouldn't be able to get the refrigerant. What say you?

All this crap is made in China these days and even if you pay thousands for it, it is only leak free for one season!

 

[NoDakInMN]

Like many things, it is not especially hard to do, if you know what you are doing. It's the knowledge thing that is key. I'm a 40+ year HVAC guy much of it looks simple, as long as there is not an issue, but if there is, that's where the knowledge part kicks in. Compressors, like diesel engines do not fail for no reason at all, something happened. Further, repairing the system without addressing that cause of failure, is an open invitation for a repeat performance. It could be a piping error causing flood back to the compressor, it could the lack of a needed burn out filter after replacement of the compressor, perhaps it is loose electrical connections and so on and so on and so on. And yeah, good help is hard to come by these days, so getting anyone experienced to give it a proper look over is difficult at best.

 

[used red MN]

All this crap is made in China these days and even if you pay thousands for it, it is only leak free for one season!

In my opinion you’re shooting a pretty broad arrow saying they will all last only one season leak free. Maybe you intended to end in a question mark to suggest it applied to his system? My bet would be if the majority of them only lasted one season there would not be much of a market for them.

 

[MarkB_MI]

There was no need to resurrect an eight-year-old thread to post your question. Oh well, welcome to gang; hopefully you'll hang around after you get the answer to your mini-split question.

You don't say the brand of system you have. It seems to me you have had an inordinate amount of trouble with it. Maybe your local HVAC guys don't want to mess with it. Some don't mess with mini-splits at all while others don't want to work on certain brands. Whatcha got?

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

True higher is better but in a group of people there will always some too cold with others too hot at the same temperature

Agree B&D you can't make everyone happy.

 

[Watthour]

This was installed in the workshop in 2004. In 2022, I had to add about 8 ounces of R-22 to get it back to ideal superheat and efficiency. Fortunately, I maintain my universal certification, and can still buy 55G drums of R-11 if so inclined, among anything else still commercially available. I had a 30 pounder of R-22 which was nearly full, and still is, for these older systems.

They all leak, eventually, but almost 20 years before it really needed some TLC is nothing to complain about. About 8 years ago the ignitor for the LP side needed to be de-bugged (literally) to restore reliable operation in heating. The building is 26 x 38 with a 10' ceiling, and is pretty well insulated. It'll cook you out in the winter and make you worry about the anti-freeze concentration in your projects in the summer.

You can't get that model any longer, but sticking with a name-brand DOMESTIC unit does have its advantages. The LG. Samsung, Mitsubishi, and other offshores have a long and troublesome history if you just research a little.

 

[wp6529]

I'm running Mitsubishi and Pioneer minis here, two of each currently. Around 3-7yrs in with minimal fuss. Had to replace an indoor fan motor on one Mits that died for no apparent reason and an inverter board on the other Mits that died from a nearby lightning strike. Not a big deal as I repair myself and have contacts for wholesale parts and refrigerant license.

If properly sized and located the minis are very efficient and very easy to install. All but one of the minis I have installed have come pre-charged with enough refrigerant for the linesets, I've only had to add an ounce or two of R410 to one unit with a longer lineset.

 

[bhb1]

Has anyone ever used one of these systems for Heat/AC in your house or garage. I am wanting to use one in my 30 x 30 garage with upstairs storage. Is there a name brand thats better than the other. Warranty seems same on most 2 year parts on everything 7 year on compressor. The man said a 28000btu unit would be all that i would need. To keep it tractor related i dont think this unit will work on my 135 massey ferguson or will it LOL.
Thank you

 

[bhb1]

Has anyone ever used one of these systems for Heat/AC in your house or garage. I am wanting to use one in my 30 x 30 garage with upstairs storage. Is there a name brand thats better than the other. Warranty seems same on most 2 year parts on everything 7 year on compressor. The man said a 28000btu unit would be all that i would need. To keep it tractor related i dont think this unit will work on my 135 massey ferguson or will it LOL.
Thank you

 

[bhb1]

I am not new here been here about twenty years just got around to registering. There are places on the internet such as Alpine, HVAC direct and AC wholesale. 28,000 BTU seems a little high I can do 2000 sq ft 2story house with a 30,000 BTU unit. Mini split with heat pump can start about $1000.00 Better to put your money in insulation then unit size. Geo brings up a good point who will install it and who will service it. Parts may be under warrenty but not labor. Better to go with a company unless you can fix it urself. Bill

 

[WNYBill]

We have a 2 head system and it works great. AC is quiet and the heat works down to almost 0. They are not cheap if you go to a contractor. You can buy kits ready to install and save a lot of money. Try to find a HVAC guy to help you. The installation is all on the outside and most kits come complete and pre charged. There is 220 wiring involved.

 

[wp6529]

I am not new here been here about twenty years just got around to registering. There are places on the internet such as Alpine, HVAC direct and AC wholesale. 28,000 BTU seems a little high I can do 2000 sq ft 2story house with a 30,000 BTU unit. Mini split with heat pump can start about $1000.00 Better to put your money in insulation then unit size. Geo brings up a good point who will install it and who will service it. Parts may be under warrenty but not labor. Better to go with a company unless you can fix it urself. Bill

Keep in mind that the mini splits are pretty much all inverter systems these days, so it is ok and desirable to oversize them a bit to provide reserve capacity for the outlier heating / cooling days. Unlike the old single speed heat pumps, the inverter types will run at compressor and fan speeds to match the conditions so there is no risk of the "short cycle" damage that plagued oversized non-inverter heat pumps.