MRCOOL DIY Mini Split, Seriously, I Think...

[Spdstr280Z]

Pretty sure I am about to pull the trigger on an 18K version of the MRCOOL DIY mini split. I am put off a little by the lack of reviews, and the thing seems too good to be true, but... There aren't any negative reviews, either the things work great and almost no one bothers to post a positive review, or they have only ever sold about 5 of them. And if 2 of those 5 were bad, we all know there would be negative reviews all over the internet.

I have to do something, I had the garage insulated when it was built, and we are reaching the season where it is going to get hot in there and stay hot, plus as I was warned, the humidity is obviously high inside. We have seen upper 80's to low 90's so far, and I am sure I will not be using the space much without A/C.

I have a couple of quotes, one for a Trane (actually a rebadged Gree) and one for Daiken, each around 4 grand before we start talking about rebates and incentives and all. I think they got the Trane down to $3,600 and 0% financing for 36 months or such. I'm all about supporting good local companies, and yes, the expertise and warranty on the work is worth something to me, but I can't see over 4K for a unit I can buy on the internet for $1,200 with a different sticker. I was all but told that they essentially charge the same prices for mini splits as traditional split systems. I guess duct work and wiring separate thermostats is free. I have already spent way over what I intended on this garage, I don't see another 3 to 4 grand, even if it is financed at 0%.

So... For $1,200 I can have a pre-charged unit with a nifty pre-charged line set deal delivered to my door. If it lasts 3 or 4 years I think I still get my investment out of it. It is supposed to have a 5 year warranty on everything, 7 on compressor. Of course if it needs a compressor in 5 years, it's probably time to replace the whole thing.

I have thought about window units, but a window unit with heat and cool in the same BTU is $600 or so, and the mini split should be more efficient to operate. Plus I am not supposed to have a window unit in the neighborhood, and I don't really want to give up the window. I would likely still need a dehumidifier also.

Thoughts ? Encouragement ? Talk me down ?

If I go forward, I promise it will be posted and reviewed here for everyone to see.

Thanks for reading the rambling,

Jason

 

[gtae07]

Pretty sure I am about to pull the trigger on an 18K version of the MRCOOL DIY mini split. I am put off a little by the lack of reviews, and the thing seems too good to be true, but... There aren't any negative reviews, either the things work great and almost no one bothers to post a positive review, or they have only ever sold about 5 of them. And if 2 of those 5 were bad, we all know there would be negative reviews all over the internet.

I have to do something, I had the garage insulated when it was built, and we are reaching the season where it is going to get hot in there and stay hot, plus as I was warned, the humidity is obviously high inside. We have seen upper 80's to low 90's so far, and I am sure I will not be using the space much without A/C.

I have a couple of quotes, one for a Trane (actually a rebadged Gree) and one for Daiken, each around 4 grand before we start talking about rebates and incentives and all. I think they got the Trane down to $3,600 and 0% financing for 36 months or such. I'm all about supporting good local companies, and yes, the expertise and warranty on the work is worth something to me, but I can't see over 4K for a unit I can buy on the internet for $1,200 with a different sticker. I was all but told that they essentially charge the same prices for mini splits as traditional split systems. I guess duct work and wiring separate thermostats is free. I have already spent way over what I intended on this garage, I don't see another 3 to 4 grand, even if it is financed at 0%.

So... For $1,200 I can have a pre-charged unit with a nifty pre-charged line set deal delivered to my door. If it lasts 3 or 4 years I think I still get my investment out of it. It is supposed to have a 5 year warranty on everything, 7 on compressor. Of course if it needs a compressor in 5 years, it's probably time to replace the whole thing.

I have thought about window units, but a window unit with heat and cool in the same BTU is $600 or so, and the mini split should be more efficient to operate. Plus I am not supposed to have a window unit in the neighborhood, and I don't really want to give up the window. I would likely still need a dehumidifier also.

Thoughts ? Encouragement ? Talk me down ?

If I go forward, I promise it will be posted and reviewed here for everyone to see.

Thanks for reading the rambling,

Jason

I'm in a very similar situation, considering the same unit. I just can't justify several thousands of dollars to air condition my workshop, and trying to get professional services around here can be like pulling teeth sometimes. I understand that smaller jobs are often just revenue-neutral, but still...

For what it's worth, the manual seems to be largely cut-and-pasted from the Pioneer installation manuals. Many of the illustrations look the same.

 

[Jinks]

Ok, I paid the premium three years ago. Couldn't get an A/C guy with a license to turn up the unit, so I paid the full boat price to have a Mitsubishi installed by the "professionals". Larry, Moe, & Curley were more surprised at what came out of the boxes than I was..... They had to borrow my hole saw to cut through the stucco, & managed a half assed line run with the power & drain line. I had to oversee the line testing & back check everything they did. I finished wrapping & straightening the lines after they left. All for a warranty I don't want to use........

The unit works great, but I could have installed it myself in less time, & with a neater line run if the MrCool DIY unit had been available. You can also install about three MrCool units for the price of the local "professionals". If I ever have to replace this unit it will be with a MrCool. Go for it!!!

 

[aircommuter]

The Midea brand is excellent, I have also found the LG and YMGI, and Mitsubishi to be very good also. I just installed a 54000btu LG with 6 ceiling cassettes. The owner loves it.

 

[Kaizen]

I've got the 12k unit coming today. I agree the top tier would be great but with the same warranty i'll take two of these for a single of theirs.
Even the big outdoor units are coming with outdoor compressors completely charged as I have seen on this old house.
Hopefully going to install mine this weekend. Gotta take out a window and run a plug so might take awhile.

 

[mike93lx]

I went with a Freidrich Breeze 24k btu system, but for all the same reasons as you. I say go for it.

 

[aircommuter]

Keep in mind the compressors are only charged up to centain footage of tubing and you must still evacuate the system prior to allowing the charge to enter.

 

[jcthorne]

The DIY systems do not require the tubing and evaporator to be evacuated. They are pre-charged and sealed with quick disconnect fittings. IE no air or moisture enters the system when being installed. This perk is why they cost a bit more than the standard models but does make for an easier installation.

 

[aircommuter]

I did not catch the DIY , i use the regular version due to tubing length, ceiling cassette availbility, splitter valves and so on , but I DIY anyway.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

Well, I pondered it a little longer than I expected, but the trigger has been pulled. Placed an order with Ingrams Water and Air this afternoon. A few others have done these lately, so my install might not be all that exciting, but I will document the process as promised. I really like the DIY aspect of this unit, along with the price. I don't usually shop on price, but in this case I was not willing to spend a lot to get A/C in my shop. The DIY nature and price point of the MrCool DIY units places them where I want a mini split, a step above a window or through the wall unit.

So far Ingrams has been very good. I called to ask questions a couple of times, and talked to three different people. My questions were answered in what seemed to be an honest manner, one gentleman going so far as to go ask the tech support department when he was not sure of the answer. They say that MrCool is a independent Chinese company, but a little internet sleuthing makes me think that Ingrams is either the US distributor, or that this is an outright house brand that is labeled for them.

The unit should arrive mid-week, we'll go from there.

Jason

 

[justinjoyal]

Half-assed DIYs are as common as half-assed PRO jobs .. Hopefully you don't fall in that category.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

Half-assed DIYs are as common as half-assed PRO jobs .. Hopefully you don't fall in that category.

I would hope half-assed DIY jobs were far more common, but sometimes I do wonder. It's hard to get me to do something, even harder sometimes to get me to finish something, but when I do it, it's done as right I can do it.

Jason

 

[My Old Tools]

Mr. Cool is also sold by others, so not Ingrams brand.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

Order was placed Friday afternoon, shipment picked up Monday afternoon, and was at the closest hub (about 50 miles away) this morning. Home delivery scheduled for Thursday.

Meanwhile, here is why I'm doing this. These were taken the last couple of nights...





Jason

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[SALIV8]

Im looking forward to see this thread.

I, too, am in the same boat and still back and forth on which way to go.

These units have awesome reviews on the home depot's website also.

 

[Kaizen]

almost 2 months in with my 12k and zero issues. Well have a vibration issue i'm working on as its wall mounted and the wall hanger is attached to 100 year old wall. the unit itself is doing great.

 

[Oldgloryfirearms]

almost 2 months in with my 12k and zero issues. Well have a vibration issue i'm working on as its wall mounted and the wall hanger is attached to 100 year old wall. the unit itself is doing great.

Just curious what size space are you cooling? I am looking at the 12k for my 25x27 garage but not sure it will be big enough

 

[handymancanfixit]

Just curious what size space are you cooling? I am looking at the 12k for my 25x27 garage but not sure it will be big enough

If I were in your shoes, I would be looking at the 18k. JMHO

 

[Oldgloryfirearms]

If I were in your shoes, I would be looking at the 18k. JMHO

 

[justinjoyal]

Just curious what size space are you cooling? I am looking at the 12k for my 25x27 garage but not sure it will be big enough

Ceiling height? Windows? Doors? Insulation?

Lots of things come into play when sizing an a/c.

 

[Smoker]

I'm intrigued to see how this turns out, I'm looking for AC for my new 30 x 30 shop. Had both good and bad experiences with "professionals". Seems some think they need to charge the same as brain surgeons nowadays then throw in shoddy **** and leave you to fix it up. That said my concrete and roofer guys were excellent and very competitive on their pricing.

 

[gopokes]

I put one of the 24k units in my garage and it's worked out really well. I had some concerns initially because it wasn't getting below 73 after running all night. Ultimately I think the problem was that it needed time to get everything cooled off. Once I ran if for a couple days, it was able to hold at 71 or so and let the compressor kick off. This was all when it was ~100 outside also, so am pretty happy. Now i just leave it at 78 or so if I'm not going to be working out there, and a few hours before I leave work, I turn it down with the app on my phone. It will be down to the low 70's by the time I get home and go out to work.

 

[Kaizen]

Just curious what size space are you cooling? I am looking at the 12k for my 25x27 garage but not sure it will be big enough

This is cooling a 1 bedroom apartment of about 600 sq feet. Your garage will have a far bigger heat loss imo. I agree go up to 18.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

This is cooling a 1 bedroom apartment of about 600 sq feet. Your garage will have a far bigger heat loss imo. I agree go up to 18.

Agreed, although as others have mentioned there is a scientific way to go about it to be as sure as possible. If you are looking at the MrCool units, there is very little cost difference between a 12K and an 18K anyway, and there is much less worry about over sizing these inverter units as I understand it. I will be cooling 600 square feet in this garage, R19 in the walls and a bit better in the ceiling if I remember correctly, insulated steel door at around R9, three double pane windows, two man doors. 12K would have probably done it, but with the high ceilings my thoughts, and all recommendations, we to go to an 18K.

Jason

 

[justinjoyal]

I cool my 1275 sq ft home (excluding the basement of course) with a 12k mini-split heat pump...

Numbers mean nothing without proper calculations.

 

[MFortie]

Interested in the outcome of this. I'm looking a cooling half of a 24'SQ garage to process wine and am thinking about a mini-split.

 

[BAM2875]

I just installed the 18kbtu Mr Cool last weekend. Garage is about 20x27x10, fully insulated, doors facing south. I'm in Dallas. I really like the unit, but my initial reaction is that I wonder if I'm going to be happy with the 18k instead of 24k for the way I was intending to use it. I was planning on just turning it on when I might be working out there. We park 1 car in the garage.

With the car in the garage and everything at outside temperature, it takes hours to even budge the temperature. That is in 100F+ heat of day. Tried it again yesterday with no car. It got down to ~74F 12ft-15ft out from the blower in about 3 hours in the evening and wouldn't go any lower after that, but it was more like 80 around the periphery. Definitely worked alot better without the car in there. Had it on for about 5 hours tonight with no car. Very pleasant in there. About 74 in front of the blower at chest height. I believe that was full blast. Output was at 52F. Moral of the story is big thermal masses are going to take time to overcome, so adjust use case or expectations or capacity accordingly.

The blower works well for about a 20x20 area in my estimation. Beyond that size could probably use some sort of circulation fan if you care about the evenness.

I did a manual J that came out to 12-14kbtu for summer temps. With that and reading some of the threads, I felt good with the 18kbtu. I didn't consider well enough the capacity needed to cool down all the thermal masses "quickly". Based on my very limited experience so far, I think 18kbtu will probably be ok if I change my expectations and the way I was planning to use it during the summer. If I was ordering today I'd be seriously investigating if 24k would be a good fit. Hopefully I'll figure out how to use it most effectively. I'll ease into it to see how noticeable it is on the electric bill. I'm very happy with the unit itself. Really quiet, looks nice, and wifi is really nice. I'll try to put together some install details to post soon, but wanted to get my experience out there for those of you with questions.

Bryan

 

[justinjoyal]

Set it to desired temperature (or 4-5 degrees higher) and forget about it. Just don't forget to clean your filters and condenser every once in a while. Set it to a colder temp when you need it..

That's how it's gonna work best.

Of course if people leave the unit off for the week and expect it to cool down a hot, humid garage in 30 minutes on friday night because they wanna work on their (heat soaked) car coming back from work, they're gonna believe their unit is under-sized, which could be true if that's what they want/expect out of their A/C.

An inverter unit, properly sized, in a decently insulated garage, will maintain a comfortable, dryer air temperature and throttle down when the load is lower, thus consuming very little energy.

 

[dadsEH]

84deg??? thats just nice beer drinkin weather in these parts .!
I dont hit the overhead fans till its 90.

 

[larry4406]

....An inverter unit, properly sized, in a decently insulated garage, will maintain a comfortable, dryer air temperature and throttle down when the load is lower, thus consuming very little energy.

I had always heard that with conventional AC, oversizing was bad as the unit would drop the temperature to the set point quickly before the humidity was removed, and thus short cycle. With an inverter mini-split do they run at reduced speeds to prolong run time, thus not subject to the oversizing/short cycle concerns of conventional AC? That is, oversizing a mini-split will give quicker recovery times yet prolonged low speed operation for dehumidification?

 

[Oldgloryfirearms]

Ceiling height? Windows? Doors? Insulation?

Lots of things come into play when sizing an a/c.

Good point sorry about that.. 20 x 27 x 10. 1 steel door 2 insulated garage doors R19 on the walls and R38 in the ceiling

 

[justinjoyal]

To a certain extent, they can forgive some oversizing.

However the principle remains the same and if a unit that is much too large reaches the temperature set point very quickly, it will throttle down and yes, still remove humidity, but at a reduced rate.

Even at full blast an average mini-split is very energy efficient. Leaving it on (much of the time at reduced capacity) is not going to hurt one's wallet very much (considering reasonable electricity costs), and the comfort level will be optimal.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

At home this morning awaiting delivery. Outside it's 75 and 91% humidity (foggy and looks like rain). Insulation seems to work... Still feels much better outside than in.



Jason

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Drewstang]

I'm looking for a replacement for my GE window AC / Heat in the garage. We just had a Trane 24k unit installed in the house after our 18k was installed incorrectly last fall and failed to cool off this summer. $3600 must be a nice round number because thats what we paid for the first unit, but Trane was nice enough to cover the entire cost of the larger unit due to the bad install.

Try to post some pics of the install if you can.

 

[Spdstr280Z]

It's here... Averitt Express driver could not have been better. Unloaded with a lift gate and pallet jack up the driveway. Even helped me unbox and inspect. Sounds like he's interested in one too. Shared some stories on units he's delivered. Initial impressions are very positive. I have lowered my expectations a little, since i didn't go with a name brand, high end unit, but this thing looks very good at first glance. The only things I note that seem like they could have been done better are the rear and side guards on the outside unit. The rear could stand a few more legs / mount points, and the side just doesn't have a guard at all. I'll get pictures of what I'm talking about on those later. Right now I need to get to work.

Pics of arrival and unboxing...









And possible location...



Jason

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[gtae07]

I use the wireless function to turn it on Friday night, and leave it till the end of the weekend. It seems to work well that way.

 

[SALIV8]

I cool my 1275 sq ft home (excluding the basement of course) with a 12k mini-split heat pump...

Numbers mean nothing without proper calculations.

quick question. Does your home have many individual rooms, as opposed to a more open floor plan layout? If so, how do you get conditioned air into these rooms, if you have just one head unit?

 

[justinjoyal]

2 bedrooms and a bathroom, the rest is open.

We leave the doors open.

 

[SALIV8]

2 bedrooms and a bathroom, the rest is open.

We leave the doors open.

great info. thank you. I was figuring I would need multiple heads in each room. maybe i dont.

 

[Kaizen]

great info. thank you. I was figuring I would need multiple heads in each room. maybe i dont.

it all comes down to air movement. where I installed mine is the kitchen with 3 rooms off of it. so the kitchen is cooler then the rest but just a few degrees. ceiling fans do a good job of equalizing it.
As said above these units are designed to run at length. Not off and on like a window ac so it takes longer to get down to temp but less energy to maintain it. Mine has a dry mode which does a great job removing humidity with out cooling.