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

[jeremybarnes]

Question for the crowd here... Been on the site for a while as I've just completed construction on a 35x40' post-frame shop. So excited to finish it all up and move the toys in.

Going to install a 36k Mr Cool, and I've two questions:

- I'm trying to work out the drainage from the unit. Browneye had mentioned multiple gallons of condensed water draining a day, and that's in SoCal. I'm in middle Tennessee, where we have humidity by the gallon... I was thinking of running the drain line around the inside of the shop, and then go through the wall into the gutter downspout drain. Any reason NOT to do so (assuming the connections are all water-tight? Anyone know the diameter of the drain line, so I can plan? And any reason it can't be extended -- i'd be looking at about 60' of total line, and I'm sure the line off the back of the unit isn't that long? I assume that as long as the line is always headed downhill, I'd be okay, no?

- Wiring: i'm running 12/2 wiring in MC, from a 35-amp breaker to a 60-amp disconnect. I know 12/2 is normally too small for this size, but -- and please correct me if I'm wrong -- I'd read on here that it is allowed for AC. Is there a minimum/maximum height for the outside disconnect box?

Many thanks all. First post complete!

Jeremy.

 

[Browneye]

Okay, two year update, this is season three on the 2-ton Mr. Cool in the main part of the house.

It got up to low 90's today and the house wasn't as cold as I thought it should be, so I took a look again under the cover, the second time in a few days, both times it was iced over, and making a funny blower noise. Like it was intermittent or something. Not nearly enough air moving through it.

So I went to work, taking it apart.

The whole outer housing pops right off these, two screws in the front, the panel over the electrical connections, housing clips across the back at the top, and then remove the air deflectors and screens, and then there is easy access to the fan squirrel cage.

Sure enough, it was caked with dirt. I didn't think it was that dirty at first, and then didn't think it would affect it that much, but it surely does. I vacuumed it first, but not all of the gunk would come off the fan blades, so I used a soft brass brush and cleaned the whole cage. It was like dirt caked on, very odd, but came right off.

Put it back together and WHOOHOO, it blows a ton of air again, and ice cold.

So beware, you're going to have to service these air handlers - keep the filters clean, and take the front housing off and clean the fan blades. Any dirt or dust accumulation really affects air flow. Like night and day.

Now back to your regular programming...

 

[shade]

Maybe someone who runs through process can picture document?

 

[jjrbus]

Okay, two year update, this is season three on the 2-ton Mr. Cool in the main part of the house.

It got up to low 90's today and the house wasn't as cold as I thought it should be, so I took a look again under the cover, the second time in a few days, both times it was iced over, and making a funny blower noise. Like it was intermittent or something. Not nearly enough air moving through it.

So I went to work, taking it apart.

The whole outer housing pops right off these, two screws in the front, the panel over the electrical connections, housing clips across the back at the top, and then remove the air deflectors and screens, and then there is easy access to the fan squirrel cage.

Sure enough, it was caked with dirt. I didn't think it was that dirty at first, and then didn't think it would affect it that much, but it surely does. I vacuumed it first, but not all of the gunk would come off the fan blades, so I used a soft brass brush and cleaned the whole cage. It was like dirt caked on, very odd, but came right off.

Put it back together and WHOOHOO, it blows a ton of air again, and ice cold.

So beware, you're going to have to service these air handlers - keep the filters clean, and take the front housing off and clean the fan blades. Any dirt or dust accumulation really affects air flow. Like night and day.

Now back to your regular programming...

For something that has to be maintained the blower wheel is a horrible design! The first time I cleaned one I did it slowly through the openings and got all the dirt, or so I thought. Put it back together, had it running and put my hand on it, vibrating! Not so bad you could see, but obviously out of balance. It was the crud inside the blower wheel. Removed blower wheel and cleaned and all is well. Now using an AC cleaner and garden sprayer to rinse with plastic chute to clean and so far so good.

 

[Terry D]

Okay, two year update, this is season three on the 2-ton Mr. Cool in the main part of the house.

It got up to low 90's today and the house wasn't as cold as I thought it should be, so I took a look again under the cover, the second time in a few days, both times it was iced over, and making a funny blower noise. Like it was intermittent or something. Not nearly enough air moving through it.

So I went to work, taking it apart.

The whole outer housing pops right off these, two screws in the front, the panel over the electrical connections, housing clips across the back at the top, and then remove the air deflectors and screens, and then there is easy access to the fan squirrel cage.

Sure enough, it was caked with dirt. I didn't think it was that dirty at first, and then didn't think it would affect it that much, but it surely does. I vacuumed it first, but not all of the gunk would come off the fan blades, so I used a soft brass brush and cleaned the whole cage. It was like dirt caked on, very odd, but came right off.

Put it back together and WHOOHOO, it blows a ton of air again, and ice cold.

So beware, you're going to have to service these air handlers - keep the filters clean, and take the front housing off and clean the fan blades. Any dirt or dust accumulation really affects air flow. Like night and day.

Now back to your regular programming... [emoji481]

It has to be a poor design on the filter. I just ordered the non DIY 18,000 for my garage, i guess i will find out

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Browneye]

Question for the crowd here... Been on the site for a while as I've just completed construction on a 35x40' post-frame shop. So excited to finish it all up and move the toys in.

Going to install a 36k Mr Cool, and I've two questions:

- I'm trying to work out the drainage from the unit. Browneye had mentioned multiple gallons of condensed water draining a day, and that's in SoCal. I'm in middle Tennessee, where we have humidity by the gallon... I was thinking of running the drain line around the inside of the shop, and then go through the wall into the gutter downspout drain. Any reason NOT to do so (assuming the connections are all water-tight? Anyone know the diameter of the drain line, so I can plan? And any reason it can't be extended -- i'd be looking at about 60' of total line, and I'm sure the line off the back of the unit isn't that long? I assume that as long as the line is always headed downhill, I'd be okay, no?

- Wiring: i'm running 12/2 wiring in MC, from a 35-amp breaker to a 60-amp disconnect. I know 12/2 is normally too small for this size, but -- and please correct me if I'm wrong -- I'd read on here that it is allowed for AC. Is there a minimum/maximum height for the outside disconnect box?

Many thanks all. First post complete!

Jeremy.

Hi Jeremy,
Your breaker sizes seem too large for the wire size, but I'm no electrician.
You'll want to spec what is on the UL label on the unit, or the installation manual.

IIRC 12-2 is for up to 25a breaker max for AC. A regular circuit is 20a. If your unit requires a larger breaker size I'm relatively sure you'll need heavier wire to go with it.

I also learned that some years back all breakers were made to be AC rated. It was easier than having the two ratings/versions out there. The circuit has to be able to support a heavy start load without tripping. So the whole fuse argument was for not.

As long as your drain line drains you'll be good. It's a very flexible corrugated plastic pipe about 3/4" diameter. It is also not unusual to employ a condensate pump with a float switch - you can make the condensate water go anywhere you want that way. I ran mine into a pvc pipe for filling a watering can.

When the RA and temps are high it makes a ton of water. We've had a dry spell and the drain just drips. But yeah, we've taken up to four or five gallons a day out of it. Wifey waters her tomatoes with it.
When the can gets full it simply drains across the patio into a storm drain.

 

[jeremybarnes]

Many thanks Browneye, good comments. Further research suggests 10/2 wire to be the right size, so will swap to that (easy at this point, as all the walls are open and the run isn't super long).

On the condensate, I'll keep considering my plan. I like the idea of a storage vessel for the water, and may use a sump or condensate pump to get the excess to where the drain needs to go.

Appreciate the comment!

Jeremy.

 

[theoldwizard1]

- Wiring: i'm running 12/2 wiring in MC, from a 35-amp breaker to a 60-amp disconnect. I know 12/2 is normally too small for this size, but --

Penny wise and pound foolish. Go with 10/2.

Is there a minimum/maximum height for the outside disconnect box?

Many places now require a 120V outlet within 6' of the compressor so a technician can plug in a vacuum pump if required.

 

[theoldwizard1]

So I went to work, taking it apart.

The whole outer housing pops right off these, two screws in the front, the panel over the electrical connections, housing clips across the back at the top, and then remove the air deflectors and screens, and then there is easy access to the fan squirrel cage.

Both the outside and inside units require cleaning, probably twice a year.

Even a quick hose down on the condenser and compressor is worthwhile.

 

[theoldwizard1]

BUYER BEWARE !

Read the specs, ask questions. Not all Mr. Cool units will provide sufficient heat below 40F.

 

[akpingel]

Anyone know from experience if the dry mode is substantially cheaper to run continuously than cool mode?

 

[jjrbus]

Anyone know from experience if the dry mode is substantially cheaper to run continuously than cool mode?

No idea of cost of running in cool mode. I do lose temperature control with dry mode. Here in Florida I often set one of the 3 minis on dry to keep the RH down.

a WAG would be because the unit is running more the cost would be higher in dry mode.

 

[nealric]

You can find a guy cheap in between seasons, and during the whole Covid thing many were laid off. Now its getting hot, hard to find a side job guy.

Update on my install. Ended up paying $400 for vacuum, check-over, and warranty sign off. A bit more expensive than I was hoping, but I still saved $100 over the DIY and don't have to deal with an extra 10 feet of unneeded line set. HVAC guy caught a mistake with my cutoff switch wiring, so he added value beyond just connecting the lines and pulling a vacuum.

Overall, I'm glad I went with the advantage. Saved a lot over paying the HVAC company to do a full install- they wanted $1,500 to install from scratch! It was only a 4-5 hour job for the basic setup using a pre-made base (no concrete pour), and I could probably do it again in 2-3.

On a side note, the instructions for the advantage are WRONG in one place. They state that you should use a 2.5in hole saw for the lineset pass through. The provided pipe is 3.5in, and is really the size you want.

 

[Browneye]

As mentioned elsewhere, HF sells a carbon holesaw set for like $60, the largest cup is about 3". The set includes a hand file you can use to hog it out a little more.
My stucco is over an inch thick - cut thru it like butter.

On another note, even after thorough cleaning of my air handler, it is still icing up, not cooling, after an hour or more of running. Indication of low freon, so I'm trying to get a tech out for a leak check, vac and recharge. Hard to get these guys to call back.

If it's a cracked cooling coil in the air handler I'll have to make a warranty claim, replace it. Dayum...

 

[GRivera]

Update on my install. Ended up paying $400 for vacuum, check-over, and warranty sign off. A bit more expensive than I was hoping, but I still saved $100 over the DIY and don't have to deal with an extra 10 feet of unneeded line set. HVAC guy caught a mistake with my cutoff switch wiring, so he added value beyond just connecting the lines and pulling a vacuum.

Overall, I'm glad I went with the advantage. Saved a lot over paying the HVAC company to do a full install- they wanted $1,500 to install from scratch! It was only a 4-5 hour job for the basic setup using a pre-made base (no concrete pour), and I could probably do it again in 2-3.

On a side note, the instructions for the advantage are WRONG in one place. They state that you should use a 2.5in hole saw for the lineset pass through. The provided pipe is 3.5in, and is really the size you want.

Sounds good- Did you have the HVAC contractor charge it as well?

 

[nealric]

Sounds good- Did you have the HVAC contractor charge it as well?

They are pre-charged, so no charging to be done. Just vacuum lines and release the charge already in the unit. Basically, I installed the indoor unit, placed the outdoor unit on a pad, and did the electrical connections. The HVAC guy connected the lines, vacuumed them, reviewed my electrical work and started it up.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Anyone know from experience if the dry mode is substantially cheaper to run continuously than cool mode?

The Fujitsu Halcyon in my basement has been set to "Dry" mode from March to late October since I installed it. I can't give you energy usage numbers, but I can tell you when I'm outside by the condensing units, watching them shows me the basement runs far less on "dry" than the first floor unit which is set to "Cool". They're both set for 72° F. Granted, the basement naturally stays a little cooler, but it would be an easy 75°F down there if I let it.

I can also tell you that my basic energy usage is now pretty much the same all year round. It used to be a LOT higher when I had window shakers (not a big surprise). I can run the A/C all the time now and the bill pretty much shows little to no increase compared to not running the old window units and suffering.


Tommy

 

[akpingel]

Interesting. Im only 2 weeks in so I've got some time to mess with it. Right now, 80.4 and 46% RH and I cant be happier!

cheers

 

[Innovatorian]

Installing a 24k unit in my 30'x18' garage this weekend.

does anyone see any issue with the lineset being looped up from the inside unit so i can run it across the attic, then down and out to the outdoor unit? Rise of the loop would only be about 6 inches just out the back of the inside unit.

Drain would obviously be run separately so its always headed downhill.

 

[Browneye]

No issues. As long as you don't have vertical loops of liquid line where compressor oil could get trapped. The unit will pump the refrigerant up or down as needed.

The installation manual shows creating a small trap near the head unit if you have it mounted BELOW the outside condenser unit. Like for a basement.

 

[shade]

Installing a 24k unit in my 30'x18' garage this weekend.

does anyone see any issue with the lineset being looped up from the inside unit so i can run it across the attic, then down and out to the outdoor unit? Rise of the loop would only be about 6 inches just out the back of the inside unit.

Drain would obviously be run separately so its always headed downhill.

Make sure to post up pictures of the install

 

[Browneye]

As previously mentioned, I have had to bring an HVAC tech in to troubleshoot my 2-year old 2-ton split. This is season three for it.

Recently it has been icing up on the air handler coil, and stifling the blower, not blowing cold. The first thing for this condition is to thoroughly clean the unit, coils, fan blower, etc. So did all that, but still icing up - that means low on freon - too little carries too much cold and it freezes instead of cools.

It took over a week to get anyone to respond. I had four contacts, including a personal aquaintance and another referral. I couldn't even get these people to respond. Days would go by, I finally gave up on one, he texted a reply initially but then just went dark. I called his cell, no answer, and mailbox full so can't even leave a message. I don't know what it is about this industry. I guess they get busy and get overwhelmed.

Anyway, I managed to get an appointedment for a field-tech with one major contractor, in the meantime the referral finally came around, and said they could get a guy over that could troubleshoot it, recharge it. I said 'okay', didn't even ask for an estimate.

So he showed up yesterday, wife works from home. Turns out to be a family in the business and this kid really knows his stuff. Recharged the unit, put 3.5lbs in it, capacity is 4, so it was nearly out of freon. Ran his sensor probe up and down the lines, the compressor, and the coil, and found a leak where the flexible part of the lineset attaches to the fixed part near the air handler. The junction is welded there, no way to fix it. $120 total for the service/repair charge - I was really pleased at the reasonable charge, happy to pay for the work. At least I know what's wrong now. I also learned a thing or two about how these things operate, and shocked to see it would cool at all with 90% of the refrigerant gone.

So I have inquired with Ingrams, we'll see how long it takes for them to respond, or whether they will, and whether they'll honor the warranty.

Other options would be to simply buy a new head-unit and install it ($627), or have the technician replace the lineset - I have asked them for a quote.

At least now I have a reliable and knowledgable AC guy we can call on when we need help.

Oh, and the unit is blowing ice-cold again, but we got through our hot-spell, back down to normal temps where we don't need it. When it's hot, it's a breath of fresh air.
We just don't know when the leak started, and how long the charge will last. For all we know it's been like that since it was new, and took two years to lose nearly all it's refrigerant. It could work fine for another couple of years.


EDIT: Just got email order confirmation for a replacement air handler, no charge invoice. WOW!!!!
Next day response and shipping. IMPRESSIVE

 

[shade]

Damn nice turn around awesome customer service

 

[BAM2875]

Hi everyone. I'm nearing the 4yr mark for my 18k unit, so thought I would give an update. I may split this into a couple parts as I just replaced the indoor unit. First, I really love the unit. I have about a 20x27' garage. About a year and a half ago, though, it started icing up. I checked the most likely spots for leaks, like the connections outside, but couldn't really find anything. It needed a little less than a pound added (just guessing, not weighed in). It worked ok last summer after adding charge. This spring, same thing, icing. Needed about a pound of 410 added. So, I put more effort into checking for leaks. Took the inside cover off. Gas detector was going off in at least a couple places near the right side u-bend connections. Still couldn't really find anything outside with bubbles or gas detector. So, I submitted a warranty request to Ingrams for the indoor unit.

 

[BAM2875]

Ingram's was great on the responsiveness. I answered a few questions, and they very quickly put a warranty replacement for the indoor unit on order. I think I received the new unit about a week later. The packaging left quite a bit to be desired, though. The unit was in plain basic packaging. It was not a new retail unit in terms of packaging. It was practically falling out of the box with only 2 small styrofoam pieces. It had adhesive residue all over it. It had scuffs on the front panel. It came with nothing except what was attached to the unit, although anything else that may have been in the box surely fell out. It had new filters, and the mounting bracket, but that was it. One thing I wasn't sure about was what kind of charge was in that piece. I asked Ingram's a very specific question about that, and the response was "It's charged." Ok, not really an insightful answer. During the install, it was clear that it had 40 psi of vapor, so pressurized but no meaningful charge. At least it was obvious enough what the situation was.

 

[BAM2875]

The new unit was installed last weekend. Originally, I looped the lineset inside my garage wall because I needed very little to reach the outdoor unit. When I opened the wall before replacing, the rubber sleeve felt damp. When the unit was actually removed, there was a fair amount of water trapped in the sleeve around the lineset and some minor evidence of what appeared to be mold. That's not good. I hadn't really seen that documented as a reason not to loop the lineset before. Maybe most of that water came from the wall being open for a week. Not sure. At this point, I'd really like to just switch to a permanent lineset install since this unit is no longer really "diy", but I guess that will have to wait because the lineset has no flare connections on the indoor unit. So, for installing the new one, I did not want the lineset coiled in the wall. At some point, I want to try to drain the old lineset to see if there is any inordinate amount of oil in it. Actually, with the lineset looped outside, it doesn't look that bad. I do need to do some final mounting to the wall. The install was pretty uneventful. Charge was weighed back in. It's working great. I hope all the leaks were on the indoor unit and addressed now. I'll find out soon enough. All things considered, I'm happy with the unit and Ingrams. It really shouldn't have started leaking after about 2 years, though.

 

[Bradbilt]

Subscribing

 

[Browneye]

The new unit was installed last weekend. Originally, I looped the lineset inside my garage wall because I needed very little to reach the outdoor unit. When I opened the wall before replacing, the rubber sleeve felt damp. When the unit was actually removed, there was a fair amount of water trapped in the sleeve around the lineset and some minor evidence of what appeared to be mold. That's not good. I hadn't really seen that documented as a reason not to loop the lineset before. Maybe most of that water came from the wall being open for a week. Not sure. At this point, I'd really like to just switch to a permanent lineset install since this unit is no longer really "diy", but I guess that will have to wait because the lineset has no flare connections on the indoor unit. So, for installing the new one, I did not want the lineset coiled in the wall. At some point, I want to try to drain the old lineset to see if there is any inordinate amount of oil in it. Actually, with the lineset looped outside, it doesn't look that bad. I do need to do some final mounting to the wall. The install was pretty uneventful. Charge was weighed back in. It's working great. I hope all the leaks were on the indoor unit and addressed now. I'll find out soon enough. All things considered, I'm happy with the unit and Ingrams. It really shouldn't have started leaking after about 2 years, though.

There are flare connections at the air handler, or so I'm told.
My AC tech wanted to make sure the area around where a leak was found was well wrapped - I guess they make a lot of condensate if they're leaking. I suspect that's your water situation in the insulation tube of your looped lineset. I loathe the idea of AC linesets looped inside a wall.

I'm waiting on my replacement air handler.
And praying there's enough freon in the system to change it out without having to add more.

Glad to hear it all worked out.

 

[shade]

There are flare connections at the air handler, or so I'm told.
My AC tech wanted to make sure the area around where a leak was found was well wrapped - I guess they make a lot of condensate if they're leaking. I suspect that's your water situation in the insulation tube of your looped lineset. I loathe the idea of AC linesets looped inside a wall.

I'm waiting on my replacement air handler.
And praying there's enough freon in the system to change it out without having to add more.

Glad to hear it all worked out.

Wont your replacement air handler come charged and sealed?

 

[Browneye]

Wont your replacement air handler come charged and sealed?

Yes. But if all the freon leaked out already on the old one then there won't be enough in the system. I turned the gas valves off at the compressor on Saturday morning since we won't need to run it 'till the new unit comes in - we have a week-plus of 80/60 days.

Anyway, we'll know once we get the unit installed and turned on - it will either work properly or it will freeze up again.

I often wonder how much charge is really there on those head units and attached lines. Frankly I think they're just sealed lines. Perhaps they have a machine that vacuums them out and charges them, but I have my doubts. I just don't see that as feasible to do that with every unit as it comes off assembly. I think they're just sealed lines already connected to the air handler - so you hook up to the charged compressor unit and open the valves. Would be interesting to find out exactly how that works.

Compressor units come pre-charged with freon - enough for a 10-20' line set and air handler. If you buy any other non-DIY unit you have to account for any changes in lineset length - adjust freon charge accordingly.

 

[Browneye]

An update on my warranty claim...

A replacement head unit sat on their dock for ten days waiting to get picked up by UPS. Due in next Monday. It's going to end up taking 3 weeks for a replacement.

Like many other retailers, they are either short-staffed or a hobbled staff from covid19, or too many orders to process timely. Their customer service said they had 800 orders to ship and were running about ten days behind.

I've seen a bunch of these delays from online retailers over the past month. It's very frustrating when you order something and expect to get it in a few days, then takes weeks. The management of some of these businesses don't seem to be able to react to the challenges they have, while others are doing fine, same as they always did.

 

[BAM2875]

There are flare connections at the air handler, or so I'm told.
My AC tech wanted to make sure the area around where a leak was found was well wrapped - I guess they make a lot of condensate if they're leaking. I suspect that's your water situation in the insulation tube of your looped lineset. I loathe the idea of AC linesets looped inside a wall.

I'm waiting on my replacement air handler.
And praying there's enough freon in the system to change it out without having to add more.

Glad to hear it all worked out.

I believe the newer units have flare connections at the air handler based on the newer install videos, but the older versions do not. Mine definitely does not.

 

[BAM2875]

I often wonder how much charge is really there on those head units and attached lines. Frankly I think they're just sealed lines. Perhaps they have a machine that vacuums them out and charges them, but I have my doubts. I just don't see that as feasible to do that with every unit as it comes off assembly. I think they're just sealed lines already connected to the air handler - so you hook up to the charged compressor unit and open the valves. Would be interesting to find out exactly how that works.

My replacement unit with preattached lineset had 45psi in it, which is probably something like 1oz. of 410. Mine needed a fresh 10 or 12oz to reach the factory charge between leaks and whatever was lost in the whole replacement process.

 

[yeldogt]

The true DIY units have sealed line-sets ... I was told they have a tiny amount of refrigerant in the head and line set. But -- I'm not sure about that. The compressors are the same and they have enough for a set amount of line ... normally 25'. Don't see why the line or head would need to be charged -- evacuated --- yes

Remember -- mini-splits don't have the expansion valve in the head ... it's not like a traditional split system. That's why both lines need to be insulated -- otherwise they will both drip from condensation. Water will drip into the wall .... on a split system the liquid line is hot and the expansion occurs at the evap coil.

The original DIY units had the line attached to the head -- if you are not careful moving that line-set (and it can be a real pain) ... it will stress the connections inside the unit at the coil. I always thought this was a real danger with these units ... they now have the DIY connections for the head as well -- so now all three things are separate. Head/line/ compressor. Even the non DIY can suffer from this when installers are not careful -- that more often than not.

The newest DIY units have longer warranties and even a $ payout for labor. leaking coils in the head units are a problem with many of the cheaper units .... my guess is because of the way they get attached to the line set. Be careful -- the new units should be better even if they have not made the coil and internal lines stronger.

 

[jpr278]

Does Costco not sell MRCOOL anymore?

 

[Jakemedic]

Does Costco not sell MRCOOL anymore?

Not that I seen anyhow. Menards, Home Depot, and obviously Ingrams do.

 

[Browneye]

Replacement 2ton air handler received from Ingram's, installed (PITA) and working great. The new wifi app works great.

It's not as ice cold as I remember, so I've called the local AC tech to have them gauge it and recharge as necessary. My guess is that enough freon leaked out before I shut off the valves at the compressor, to run a little short. At least we have some AC now, it was 90 yesterday and the attic was likely over a hundred. Dripping sweat on the install. LOL.

Still very happy with my MrCool units - I'm in the two of them for about half what a hvac contractor would charge for one toshiba or daikin. I could buy them three or four more times and still be even. I highly recommend Ingram's, they obviously do stand behind the product. With the pandemic affecting their shipping department though, it took them over ten days to get the shipment off their dock and onto a ups truck. We only suffered a couple of 90* days with no AC in the main part of the house. Master bedroom was nice and chilly.

 

[houlster]

Those special fittings on the DIY charged lines... Do they re-seal if you remove the line? Wondering if the unit can be moved after the install without loosing the refridgerant.

 

[yeldogt]

Replacement 2ton air handler received from Ingram's, installed (PITA) and working great. The new wifi app works great.

It's not as ice cold as I remember, so I've called the local AC tech to have them gauge it and recharge as necessary. My guess is that enough freon leaked out before I shut off the valves at the compressor, to run a little short. At least we have some AC now, it was 90 yesterday and the attic was likely over a hundred. Dripping sweat on the install. LOL.

Still very happy with my MrCool units - I'm in the two of them for about half what a hvac contractor would charge for one toshiba or daikin. I could buy them three or four more times and still be even. I highly recommend Ingram's, they obviously do stand behind the product. With the pandemic affecting their shipping department though, it took them over ten days to get the shipment off their dock and onto a ups truck. We only suffered a couple of 90* days with no AC in the main part of the house. Master bedroom was nice and chilly.

I'm not sure how you can just add the line w/o redoing the refrigerant ??

Your was sone with the line attached to the head ...correct. Did they send you a new head with it attached?

The only way to recharge -- remove refrigerant and replace based on weight. They don't charge like a split system.

 

[Browneye]

Those special fittings on the DIY charged lines... Do they re-seal if you remove the line? Wondering if the unit can be moved after the install without loosing the refridgerant.

Yes, no problem removing/moving them.

I'm not sure how you can just add the line w/o redoing the refrigerant ??

Your was sone with the line attached to the head ...correct. Did they send you a new head with it attached?

The only way to recharge -- remove refrigerant and replace based on weight. They don't charge like a split system.

Yes, same unit with attached lines.
My AC tech adds freon based on pressure. At least that's how I understand it. The first service they did not evacuate, they charged and used a leak probe. It was working fine, but I thought since I was getting a replacement unit, that rather than let the freon leak out I would close the valves.

It's working great, but I have a hunch it needs a little more freon. 60oz capacity.

I have a call in for our local tech - he's great. Probly cost me $100. Well worth it.

The new wifi program is really great.