I'm looking to install a mini-split in my garage, but the wall I want to install it on isn't an exterior wall. I would need the line to run up a foot and then horizontal for 10-15 feet before going outside and down the wall. Is this feasible for proper draining and gas flow operation? The lines would also have to make no more than 3 90degree turns before exiting the wall.
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Mini-split line installation question
- Thread starter DORIGTT
- Start date
ghnl
Well-known member
I don't think the refrigerant lines would mind but the drain hose (for water condensed during A/C operation) must drain via gravity.
lzenglish
Well-known member
I'm looking to install a mini-split in my garage, but the wall I want to install it on isn't an exterior wall. I would need the line to run up a foot and then horizontal for 10-15 feet before going outside and down the wall. Is this feasible for proper draining and gas flow operation? The lines would also have to make no more than 3 90degree turns before exiting the wall.
I have installed many of the small split units, and there is always a way. The lenght of the refrigerant lines will not be a problem. If your condensate line is too low, you can run it into a condensate pump unit. This will allow you to pump it up and out from a low level, if you do not have a gravity slope. I have found these units to be very reliable, and with remote controls on them, you will be "The King"!
Good Luck
Wayne
You can use external condensate pump, some mini-splits I've seen have a internal condensate pump option available.. Each mini-split manufacture have their own specs for maximum freon line length and lift allowed on particular models.
Some people tap the drain into a plumbing pipe in the house, but many local codes prohibit this..
Some people tap the drain into a plumbing pipe in the house, but many local codes prohibit this..
Grumpy365
Well-known member
Condensate pumps are cheap and reliable. It is a good option. (You can get them from any refrigeration supply house - Grainger - McMaster Carr)
If you don't have a lot of condensate (you live in a dry environment) there is a pan you can use that essentially boils off the condensate (Like a refrigerator). You get them from a Refrigeration supply house, they use them in some deli cases. I am sorry, but I forget the technical name for this type of system.
If you don't have a lot of condensate (you live in a dry environment) there is a pan you can use that essentially boils off the condensate (Like a refrigerator). You get them from a Refrigeration supply house, they use them in some deli cases. I am sorry, but I forget the technical name for this type of system.
I have installed many of the small split units, and there is always a way. The lenght of the refrigerant lines will not be a problem. If your condensate line is too low, you can run it into a condensate pump unit. This will allow you to pump it up and out from a low level, if you do not have a gravity slope. I have found these units to be very reliable, and with remote controls on them, you will be "The King"!
Good Luck
Wayne
Wayne...You said that you have found them to be "very reliable..." Is there a particular brand that you have found to be reliable. Have you had any problems with a particular brand???
lzenglish
Well-known member
Wayne...You said that you have found them to be "very reliable..." Is there a particular brand that you have found to be reliable. Have you had any problems with a particular brand???
Sorry for the delayed response, but I have had good luck with the "Little Giant" brand. I can't remember if Grainger sells it or not, but there is really not much to them, but a container, a float, and a small pump. Like anything esle, you have to check them periodically, especially if you have hard water. I have had a couple that needed adjusting, and if they run long enough, like anything else, they do have a life cycle.
Wayne
Izenglish: "I have found these units to be very reliable, and with remote controls on them, you will be "The King"! "
Izenglish,
Thanks, but I was refering to the brand of mini-split, not the condensate pump. I am currently building a room/shop in my garage and am looking at cooling options. There are a lot of brands out there and range in price from approx $800 to $2000 for the same size. So, with your experience, I was wondering what units you have seen do well and what might be a waste of my money. Thanks for your suggestion.
Izenglish,
Thanks, but I was refering to the brand of mini-split, not the condensate pump. I am currently building a room/shop in my garage and am looking at cooling options. There are a lot of brands out there and range in price from approx $800 to $2000 for the same size. So, with your experience, I was wondering what units you have seen do well and what might be a waste of my money. Thanks for your suggestion.
lzenglish
Well-known member
Izenglish: "I have found these units to be very reliable, and with remote controls on them, you will be "The King"! "
Izenglish,
Thanks, but I was refering to the brand of mini-split, not the condensate pump. I am currently building a room/shop in my garage and am looking at cooling options. There are a lot of brands out there and range in price from approx $800 to $2000 for the same size. So, with your experience, I was wondering what units you have seen do well and what might be a waste of my money. Thanks for your suggestion.
The one that I have installed the most was the "Mitsubishi". However, if a person was to dig real deep, most of these mini splits. (or their componets), are probably made by the same conglomerate. I have not heard anything bad about one unit inparticular. If it was me, and the warranty was close to the same, I would not be afraid to go with "LG", "Sanyo",or some of the other off brands out there, "if the price was substanially lower". I bet most of the "compressors", (which is the heart of the systems) are made by the same company at the very least! Sorry about the spelling, but without spell check, I'm lost!
Wayne
I know I'm getting in a little late on this, but I just finished installing a mini split. I am currently renting a shop and the mini split seemed to be the best idea. My landlord is in the HVAC business and was able to get me a Goodman 2 ton(24kbtu) with heat pump for $1100 brand new out of the box. My Father and I took it out and installed it all in around 3 hours total. My landlord said the guts in the Goodman are the same as the Mitsubishi(that sort of sounded to good to be true to me, so if anybody can verify that I'd appreciate it). Now all that needs to be done is have him come out and run the vacuum on etc, and he's not charging labor because of the improvements I've already made to the house and shop. I think I got a good deal, but we'll see. Ive been looking at the shiny new A/C mounted for a week in the Houston heat able I wait for him to come out. I've read you don't want to hook up the line set unless your HVAC qualified and have the right equipment, but it's hard to look at that unit as a wall ornament for much longer, I might just get a service company to come out and finish it off for me.
hohimer
New member
Does anyone know what brand of compressor the Mitsubishi mini splits use - Embraco, LG, Sanyo, Techumseh, Cubigel...etc
MikeLawrence
Well-known member
Does anyone know what brand of compressor the Mitsubishi mini splits use - Embraco, LG, Sanyo, Techumseh, Cubigel...etc
In general mini-splits aren't the do-it-yourself-ers that say a ptac would be. They almost all come with at least a 5 year full compressor warrenty and I can't imagine a home owner servicing one himself anyways.
If your question goes back to izenglish's comment that Mitsubishi's are secretly something else... I've got a Fujitsu contract so I probably can't legally say directly, but I'm sure the information is out there somewhere in this sentence. I can tell you though that if Fujitsu DID *cough* make Mitsubishi's that would about make them the best mini splits out there.
Michael Lawrence, LISSCO
www.thruwalls.com
lzenglish
Well-known member
If your question goes back to izenglish's comment that Mitsubishi's are secretly something else...
Michael Lawrence, LISSCO
www.thruwalls.com[/QUOTE]
I do not recall making that statement, that "Mitsubiishi's are secretly something else"! Better look at what I said again!
Wayne
Michael Lawrence, LISSCO
www.thruwalls.com[/QUOTE]
I do not recall making that statement, that "Mitsubiishi's are secretly something else"! Better look at what I said again!
Wayne
MikeLawrence
Well-known member
Was referring to the "However, if a person was to dig real deep, most of these mini splits. (or their componets), are probably made by the same conglomerate" comment. You are 100% correct on this was my main point.
Rosco
Well-known member
For those of you who do it for a living, why is there such a cost difference between say a Ramsond and a Mitsubishi? Depending on which model I look up, it seems I can buy 2 or 3 of one brand for the cost of another.........
I definitely understand the "get what you pay for", but 2 or 3 times the cost for the same BTU??????
I have also heard that the DC-inverter system is the way to go...............is that just for efficiency?
I definitely understand the "get what you pay for", but 2 or 3 times the cost for the same BTU??????
I have also heard that the DC-inverter system is the way to go...............is that just for efficiency?
MikeLawrence
Well-known member
For those of you who do it for a living, why is there such a cost difference between say a Ramsond and a Mitsubishi? Depending on which model I look up, it seems I can buy 2 or 3 of one brand for the cost of another.........
I definitely understand the "get what you pay for", but 2 or 3 times the cost for the same BTU??????
I have also heard that the DC-inverter system is the way to go...............is that just for efficiency?
Well for sure inverter systems are more expensive 2-3 times? well...
There are actually several ways inverters can be used for the mini-split systems but generally when you're talking inverters you're talking about having 2 or more inside ports being driven by the single outside unit. Fujitsu's can have up to 8 but most people would have between 2-4 here. If you see something referring to "flex" or "flex inverters" then they're saying that the total capacity of the inside units have some wiggle and so instead of the outside unit having a single BTU capacity it will instead have a range and you just have to be inside the range.
With a standard mini-split the compressor is either on or off (ok that's true with all systems, but for the purpose of the explanation bear with me) so if the unit in your garage and your bedroom are both on, then whichever set the thermostat first will get to the correct temperature--what happens in the other room is a crapshoot, but it's almost certainly NOT going to be comfortable.
This isn't just a matter of it maybe having a different temperature setting... If room A takes 18k btu and B takes 9k and B sets first then A got a short burst out of a size ~12 unit and might as well have just brought in a box fan. The situation gets even worse if A got to the thermostat first.
Now, all inverter systems are not created equal, but the idea is they are going to try to mitigate this and essentially let both rooms be equally comfortable. If you're talking about a quality system then it's da*n close to having a ptac in each room and you are going to get something very close to optimal comfort in every room.
Hope that helps,
Michael Lawrence, Lissco
www.thruwalls.com
EDIT: I should probably note that I'm a distributor not a contractor (think grainger, not Matt's Heating and Air or whatever). I learn enough about these things to get my dist. certs and all but I don't have contractor certs and don't pretend to. Basically, always take the advice of a contractor over mine. =)
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Rosco
Well-known member
Very good explanation. On the cost difference I was referring to 2 comparable single zone non-inverter units. I can post links to them, but do not want to step on any toes.
Unit A - 18,000 BTU = 999.00
Unit B - 17,500 BTU = 2,200.00
Both claim the same heating/cooling capabilities. Just not sure that quality can make up that much difference.
I appreciate the response and explaination in the previous post.
Unit A - 18,000 BTU = 999.00
Unit B - 17,500 BTU = 2,200.00
Both claim the same heating/cooling capabilities. Just not sure that quality can make up that much difference.
I appreciate the response and explaination in the previous post.
MikeLawrence
Well-known member
Very good explanation. On the cost difference I was referring to 2 comparable single zone non-inverter units. I can post links to them, but do not want to step on any toes.
Unit A - 18,000 BTU = 999.00
Unit B - 17,500 BTU = 2,200.00
Both claim the same heating/cooling capabilities. Just not sure that quality can make up that much difference.
I appreciate the response and explaination in the previous post.
I'd check and make sure that one isn't "just a box" and the other including the copper (or even installation) but all things being equal, I'd be real tempted to say even if it's only say 75% as good unit A sounds real promising at the price point.
EDIT: Some come precharged with freon, some require a nitrogen purge and charge first. That may be a contribution to price as well.
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I was just quoted $4k for installation of a 12k BTU Fujitsu mini split. I can probably buy the unit for under $2k and install it myself. I've never done any HVAC work. Do I really need an installer? If I screw up, could the unit be damaged or the warranty voided? Can I still get the tax credit? My install should be easy because the compressor and indoor unit will be back-to-back on the same wall and I've already wired 220V to the location.I've read you don't want to hook up the line set unless your HVAC qualified and have the right equipment, but it's hard to look at that unit as a wall ornament for much longer, I might just get a service company to come out and finish it off for me.
Rosco
Well-known member
I was just quoted $4k for installation of a 12k BTU Fujitsu mini split. I can probably buy the unit for under $2k and install it myself. I've never done any HVAC work. Do I really need an installer? If I screw up, could the unit be damaged or the warranty voided? Can I still get the tax credit? My install should be easy because the compressor and indoor unit will be back-to-back on the same wall and I've already wired 220V to the location.
Make sure the brand AC you buy (and company) advertises that you can install yourself. They have different rules based on how the units come packaged (pre-charged etc.)
You must pull a vaccum after hooking up lines even with the pre-charged units.
kkenney
Well-known member
Do the install yourself and call a AC company to do the start up. Thats what i did worked great
+1 Yes, that's what I did, only $100 and it was a certified company for my brand. I have a 24k w/ heat pump and it took my Father(who started his career as an I & E Tech) and I a little under 3 hours and we had to put a box on the outside wall and reroute some electrical. I'm in Houston and for $4k I've been quoted on a full installation for a central unit. I don't know much about HVAC so I can't say $4k is unreasonable in your area for 3 hours of work, but I do understand math and that sounds unreasonable, correct me if I'm wrong?