Above 1200 Sq/FT PNW off grid compound

[sjvicker]

I don't think I would have an issue with storing firewood under the array as long as you kept some ventilation so moisture didn't build up.
You are making great progress with your homestead!

Thanks! With how crunchy our summers have been, I'm thinking more and more about fire mitigation around structures.

 

[Adaylate]

I sure do understand fire mitigation living where I do on the prairie with the wind and hay fields all around! Been trying to keep the brush beat back but it can be a chore.

I'm quite impressed with the progress you've been making. The. Solar / battery set up you have is an interesting project. I worked with storage batteries on a daily basis but never any that were solar charged.

 

[runit]

I'm completely green when it comes to working with anything heat pump / AC related and have been wanting to learn how to install and repair my own mini splits so now's as good of a time as any.

The plan is to install Two 12k mini splits in the shop with the woodshop getting one and the game area getting another. Just about every youtuber I follow has been sponsored by Mr Cool so they've been on my radar as an option. The installs seem straightforward so I priced them up and was shocked to see it would be over $3k for the 2 units. $3k is more than I wanted to spend and I'm planning to put a unit in my shed and multiple units in my future house. From a cost standpoint, it was obvious that I needed to learn how to install the standard units.

So I went to youtube and internet forums and learned everything I could about installing mini splits. There's tons of information out there and I really liked the video done by Will Prowse:

that was extremely straightforward. How hard could it be, buy some tools, follow the process and reap the rewards of heat and AC?

I was wrong, there's way more to this.

Here's what I ordered to kick off this project.

Turbro 12k mini split - $540
Della 12k mini split - $777
Vac pump and gauges - $190
hose adapters - $12
Crowfoot torque wrench adapters - $32
Wall mount brackets - $75
leak detector and nylog - $45
Non fused disconnects and breakers - $60

Total Spend: $1731 (Basically 2 for the price of one MrCool).

Lessons learned so far:

1. HVAC "pro's" on forums are... interesting. Most trades give some guff to diy'ers encroaching on their skillset. HVAC is next level. It's a lot of "I know better", "you dont know what you're doing if you dont have X gauges" kind of stuff. The youtube video's seem to be the best.
2. It's way cheaper to diy these.

So what were the hiccups? Even with the issues, its still recommended to DIY?

 

[sjvicker]

So what were the hiccups? Even with the issues, its still recommended to DIY?

I have one of the splits up and running and will bring the second one online in a couple of days. Here's the issues I had (So far).

1. My mini splits require 10amp protection and the smallest 240v breaker for my panel is 20amp. I have to use fused disconnects with 10amp fuses. Home Depot by me sells the disconnect but not the correct fuses. I bought these fuses: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH9CH9M5?tag=atomicindus08-20
2. I bought the cheap adapters on amazon that I saw recommended online to connect the vac pump to the unit. I found that while they are mean to be hand tightened and seal, they need to be tightened with pliers to hit the schrader valve on the unit. I bought one of these to replace the cheapo ones: https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Yello...i_cmp=6016780053f77aa2~11973284~~~~~~&mi_sc=t
3. Because of #2, I am 95% sure that I didn't actually vac the system before adding refrigerant but instead only vacuumed the gauges and lines.

I really think these can be DIY installs and its worth doing the DIY install vs getting Mr. Cool units or paying someone to install them.

These installs can probably be broken into 2 categories. #1, follow the instructions and #2, instructions plus extra credit. The instructions only require the units to hold vacuum before releasing refrigerant. If you want to take this to the next level then for $50 you can get a set of Nitrogen gages and pressure test the system as well. I used Argon to test mine since I already had it for Tig welding.


To regroup and add a few lessons learned.

1. verify what amp disconnect is needed for the unit and if your breaker can go low enough. That will let you know if you need a fused or non-fused disconnect
2. Buy the better Yellow Jacket brand fitting for adapting the vac pump to the unit
3. R32 seems to be the standard refrigerant nowadays
4. Each unit comes precharged for X length of line set. If you want a longer line set and are DIYing then you'll need to figure out how to purchase and add the correct amount of refrigerant. The process of using a refrigerant scale and adding a qty based on the new line lengths seems pretty straightforward. Scales are on amazon and refrigerant is available from multiple places online.
5. After going through this, I'd say its 100% worth it to pay the extra and buy the regulator and a small Nitrogen or Argon bottle to pressure test the systems before releasing the refrigerant. A leak is much more likely to show at 300PSI and can be tested with a leak detector fluid and fixed before releasing the refrigerant than it is to show under slight vacuum.

 

[WisJim]

Regarding your fuse/circuit breaker situation--many mini-splits specify "fuse" not "circuit breaker", probably due to the differences in tripping characteristics between circuit breakers and fuses.