Mini split wiring - Chinese unit, no instructions

[dnsta]

So, I thought I'd save a few thousand dollars and get my mini split system directly from China. After 3 months of waiting it have finally arrived! I opened the boxes to discover all of the instructions were in Chinese (as expected) but there doesn't appear to be any wiring of any sort. Also, I purchased 3 head units, 1 ducted and 2 ductless, to go with the condenser. The condenser only has a single hookup for supply and a single hookup for return. All of the units sold here seem to have separate values for each head unit. Can I simply tee off the single connections for the 3 head units? As you can tell I may have bitten of more than I can chew given no instructions with the unit but I'm a quick learner and just need a little guidance to get through.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[dnsta]

 

[4x4Pete]

I think you've bitten off a lot more than you can chew. I haven't seen any mini splits that don't have separate valves for each evap unit. Can you input the chinese characters into google translate and see what it says? I have a bad feeling about what they've sent you.

 

[svhamelly]

This seems to me to be the kind of thing that if you found a good HVAC guy he could probably hook it up without any instructions. I wish you luck, but I don't have any real help to offer... sorry.

 

[dnsta]

I've got questions out to them but with the 12 hour time difference I'm in for a long night of back and forth. Problem is, if they say it's wrong I'm going to have to wait months to see if the new unit is correct. I tried to have them send pictures before they sent it but all I got a picture of something wrapped up on a pallet... hardly the detail I was hoping for but communication was already hard enough. I really thought I did a good enough job of researching to make sure what I was getting was going to work. Maybe I did but they sent the wrong thing or maybe I didn't....

I think you've bitten off a lot more than you can chew. I haven't seen any mini splits that don't have separate valves for each evap unit. Can you input the chinese characters into google translate and see what it says? I have a bad feeling about what they've sent you.

Is there any reason you couldn't tee off a single into multiple as long as the refrigerant amount was correct?

 

[65ranchero]

Is there any reason you couldn't tee off a single into multiple as long as the refrigerant amount was correct?

I think the is going to be a problem when one wall mount unit is calling for cool the other units may also need to come on and there may be a valving problem.
As others have said never seen multi units with one set of condenser fittings.

 

[4x4Pete]

What 65ranchero said. Connecting the three evaps into the single set of connections can't possibly be right without some sort of control valves for each evap.

 

[mike93lx]

This seems to me to be the kind of thing that if you found a good HVAC guy he could probably hook it up without any instructions. I wish you luck, but I don't have any real help to offer... sorry.

I seriously doubt you can find someone to touch that.

 

[vwpieces]

Giwee, A Carrier Company.
Made me laugh. But hopefully you can find a similar unit that will have better instructions in English. Will take a chunk of time looking but I bet it exists.

 

[vwpieces]

Oddly enough that is a True branding. Now just find a comparable model under Carrier name.

Carrier Completes Acquisition of Guangdong Giwee Group, China-based HVAC Manufacturer

www.corporate.carrier.com

 

[American Locomotive]

The vast majority of mini-splits have the expansion valve devices inside the outdoor unit. You need an independent expansion valve for each indoor head - so that requires independent ports for each zone. So I think you have the wrong outdoor unit.

It's entirely possible your system has the expansion valves on the indoor units, but I haven't seen that personally. The other exception is if your system is designed to use a branch-out box.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

You could try taking a picture of one of the pages in your owner's manual and inspect with Google lens.

 

[dnsta]

Giwee, A Carrier Company.
Made me laugh. But hopefully you can find a similar unit that will have better instructions in English. Will take a chunk of time looking but I bet it exists.

That's how it was sold to me, as a Carrier product, which enticed me to buy it.

The vast majority of mini-splits have the expansion valve devices inside the outdoor unit. You need an independent expansion valve for each indoor head - so that requires independent ports for each zone. So I think you have the wrong outdoor unit.

It's entirely possible your system has the expansion valves on the indoor units, but I haven't seen that personally. The other exception is if your system is designed to use a branch-out box.

That's above my knowledge of the subject but... You mean something like this???

 

[dnsta]

Wow! That's not cheap! With the missing lines, wiring and branch box my savings are quickly eroding...

 

[American Locomotive]

You can't just magically connect a branch box. There are electronics in there specific to each brand. You need to figure out what system you have, and what it expects.

 

[dnsta]

Understood. Just getting an idea of what it may cost. Regardless, I better not be paying for it actually. I was sold a system, not some random parts. I expect the supplier to step up and make it right but if they don't I'll need to prepare for some investigation and legwork. Point taken though. I'll need a lot more details before proceeding.

 

[mike93lx]

Understood. Just getting an idea of what it may cost. Regardless, I better not be paying for it actually. I was sold a system, not some random parts. I expect the supplier to step up and make it right but if they don't I'll need to prepare for some investigation and legwork. Point taken though. I'll need a lot more details before proceeding.

Lol. Good luck with that.

I hope it works out, but I wouldn't hold my breath

 

[Snip's]

I like the guy puking in the toilet.... Wonder what that foretells?

 

[justinjoyal]

Looks like you're in for a fun ride... I wouldn't expect much from the vendor.

 

[mogandave]

Understood. Just getting an idea of what it may cost. Regardless, I better not be paying for it actually. I was sold a system, not some random parts. I expect the supplier to step up and make it right but if they don't I'll need to prepare for some investigation and legwork. Point taken though. I'll need a lot more details before proceeding.

Install Google translate on your phone, it's free and it will use your camera to translate from Chinese to English, but it can be sketchy.

I would contact Carrier in the US for help, but be nice, and I would not expect them to make your order right, as I believe your order likely is right. They bought a company in China to grow their China market share, not to undersell their US reps.

If you ordered a system, it would have come with everything you need.

 

[dnsta]

I like the guy puking in the toilet.... Wonder what that foretells?

Yeah, I thought that was a bad omen too...

 

[dnsta]

So, what if I told you all this wasn't a multizone mini split but instead was a VRF system?

 

[yeldogt]

looks to have nice paint !


looking at the max capacities on the label -- it's a 9k BTU unit. Are any of the single heads suitable for 9k ....?

What did you think you were getting ?

You may be able to get a single head to work.


Carrier has partnered with an asian company for mini-splits .... so that could be the correct company name. All USA manufacturers have done these partner setups because they are behind the curve with doing them inhouse. How much they are involved with developement is anybodys guess.

They may just buy off the shelf. My guess is at this point they have input as to components and operation -- design of head units.

I would try and get a carrier manual and see if you can match anything up. Maybe search out a suitable twin output unit for the other heads

 

[dnsta]

Ok, this is going to sound like I REALLY don't know what I'm doing but how did you determine this was a 9k BTU unit? I contracted for a 36k unit to power my 3 12k heads.

 

[malibu101]

Ok, this is going to sound like I REALLY don't know what I'm doing but how did you determine this was a 9k BTU unit? I contracted for a 36k unit to power my 3 12k heads.

I wonder too. My math puts it at about 34K BTU.

1 Watt is equal to Pi. 3.14 As far as I know but I ain't not no engineer.

 

[dnsta]

I wonder too. My math puts it at about 34K BTU.

1 Watt is equal to Pi. 3.14 As far as I know but I ain't not no engineer.

Ok, good! That's the math I was doing as well.

 

[American Locomotive]

If it's a VRF, the unit likely does not have enough charge in it to do what you wanr, and gas will have to be added. You really need to get that manual translated.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Close, but 1 watt equals 3.41 btu.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

11,000 x 3.41 = 37,510 btu heating.

 

[yeldogt]

Ok, this is going to sound like I REALLY don't know what I'm doing but how did you determine this was a 9k BTU unit? I contracted for a 36k unit to power my 3 12k heads.

I goofed .... quickly looked at the tag and it's in watts ..... 10000w at 220 = 36k btu

 

[yeldogt]

So, what if I told you all this wasn't a multizone mini split but instead was a VRF system?

You are going to have to look for more information ...... is that in the manual ?

That needs the boxes

 

[dnsta]

According to the supplier it does not. I did a bunch of research on VRF systems and they do not employ branch boxes or any other form of valve controlled distribution. All functions are handed by the head units.

 

[dnsta]

I figured out most of the hookup question I had. I think I'm good to go on the installation of the outdoor unit. Now for the heads, or more specifically the ducted head. I'm planning on cooling my loft office with this unit via two diffusers off of a single duct. I plan on putting the air handler just outside of the room to help with noise which would put the air intake side of the unit outside of the room as well. I'm wondering if there's a standard install method or rule of thumb in terms of where the inlet side of a ducted unit should be placed in relation to the outlet/s. Should they be in the same room to capitalize on recirculating increasingly cold/warm air depending on the mode selected or can/should they be further away, even outside the room to avoid circulation of different air temperatures?