Wiring error, can I fix my mini split now?

[dolorm]

I have a 38 Seer Gree 9000 BTU Inverter Heat Pump I installed on my camper a few months ago.

We moved to our land from a rental location a couple days ago and I made a wiring mistake. I had about a 100ft of 2-2-4 aluminum wire and had about 140ft to go for a 50 amp circuit for the camper. The last 40 ft I had some 6/4 SOW heavy extension cord. We are pretty tight right now so to "save" money I did the following.

MY ERROR: I took the neutral and ground on the 6/4 and connected it to the neutral wire on the 2-2-4.


I assumed since they both went to same bar in the temp pole that it would be ok.

What happened? The first day, I commented that the A/C was not cooling that well and we thought maybe it takes time because of the move. Well, today, I did not understand why it was so warm as it usually cools VERY well.

I placed my hand in front of the indoor wall unit and it was pulsating about a second or so of cold and then no cold for a second or two.

I looked outside and the fan was not turning.

I spoke with someone and they said to drive a ground rod at the end of the 2-2-4 and connect the ground from the 6/4 to the rod. I did this, but the outside fan is still not turning on and I hear a little clicking noise in the outside unit. I have turned off the breaker for the mini split and in the morning I will slap a window unit in the doorway to the camper until I fix the minisplit... if I did not ruin it.

What can I do to fix the mini split?

Thank you kindly for your help.

 

[justinjoyal]

I’m not sure what effect(s) bonding the neutral and ground could have on the unit, it doesn’t use a neutral, just two hots and the ground.

Schedule a service call.

 

[TRWham]

That size unit could be either 120V or 240V- which is it? Is it wired straight to the pole, or through the trailer electrical and is all the other electrical behaving?

 

[dolorm]

That size unit could be either 120V or 240V- which is it? Is it wired straight to the pole, or through the trailer electrical and is all the other electrical behaving?

It is a 240V unit. It is wired straight to the pole. At the end of the 6/4 wire is a 50 amp receptacle plug that the camper cable plugs into. I branched off of the hots and ground at the receptacle.

I just finished installing an 8K BTU window unit to hold me off until I solve the issue with the mini split.

 

[dolorm]

I’m not sure what effect(s) bonding the neutral and ground could have on the unit, it doesn’t use a neutral, just two hots and the ground.

Schedule a service call.

Thank you. That is what I had thought, but a neighbor (electrician) told me it makes no sense logically as they go to the same bar in the box, but it matters.

As for service call, out of question for now. Need pennies. I just installed an *K window unit into one of the doorways of the camper to buy me some time while I try to figure this all out.

 

[tyme2par4]

It sounds like you may have switched one of the hot wires and the neutral.
I'm not an expert with HVAC, but personally it seems like it's not getting 240V.

As others have said, bonding the neutral and ground in this application shouldn't have any affect. It should only require 2 hots and ground connection anyway.
Also, driving the ground rod won't do anything for you.

 

[SALIV8]

Grab a volt meter and be sure you didn't drop a leg. You want 120v on each hot wire to the ground wire, and 240v across the two hots.

 

[justinjoyal]

It’ll throw a code if it’s getting voltage out of operating range.