How well does it heat when it is below freezing? I was hesitant about ordering it since the operating range of the heat pump is only down to 15f. Others on the market had much lower operating ranges down to -22f (not that it will ever get that cold here in Austin).
@@robbie31580 yes those have a coil so no need to run defrost cycles. And it never gets to freezing here, I'm in Vegas. I run everything off the sunshine here
@@WillProwse will i believe the coil is just to ensure the base pan doesnt freeze before draining when it is really cold. They will still run defrost cycles
I just bought the same EG4 2 ton unit (July 2023). It now comes with all the lines pre vacuum evacuated and precharged with R410a. No HVAC tech required. Also if you are a Android user like me (S21) I contacted Signature Solar and they sent me the work around link to get the app to work on my android.
I'm not a pro-solar kinda guy, but in the South direct solar A/C makes a lot of sense for taking load off the grid at the exact time the grid needs help in the summer. Thanks for showing this product. Just imagine the grid load curve in July-August if we all had this.
There’s literally zero reason to be anti solar. It has shortcomings and isn’t perfect, but there’s not a better solution available that an individual can implement to satisfy their energy needs at the price of solar. On an individual level, solar makes more sense than any other form of energy production.
@@CrypticCabalThe initial startup cost of solar is what makes a lot of people cringe at solar. Calculating what you'll save on solar and how long to see a profit from it is 10+ years
I like this SO much. I've been struggling as I want to get into Solar, but don't have the capital to invest in $20k in batteries to get started. One of these, with some panels on my roof could immediately start reducing my electric bills without nearly as much up-front capital.
I installed the 9k Pioneer mini split last summer in my 28' RV, I love it. It's quiet and cheap on power. I've seen a review once before and would love to switch over to the 12k version. It's only $300 more than what I paid for mine. I have someone I could sell this one to. Thanx Mr. 775 for the review. Screw a plate to the wall, drill a hole in the wall and wire it up. So simple to install. Oh.. I got the Bluetooth module for mine too.. it's connected to my home wifi.. so I can control it from anywhere with an internet connection.
I have about 4 of these, 1 Deye and the others are Zamna (aka Hotspot Energy). I have been using them for more than a year now and have no complaints. In fact, we're moving one today to another location. I'll do another video of us taking it down and reinstalling it at teh new location.
I wonder if it’s possible to use a cool bot or something like it and use it for a walk in cooler. Would be a real game changer for someone who wants a lot of refrigeration or a market garden .
When Installed my minisplit I torqued to factory spec and a year later I had lost most of my refrigerant. I called an AC guy in to refill it and he just have it some hell with a couple wrenches recharged and it’s been working great for the last 7 years. Moral of the story is don’t trust the torque specs the manufacturer recommends.
Those power readings are astounding for a 2 ton unit. It is basically 600 W for running. MY efficient dual inverter 8000 BTU unit uses that much on medium. It often runs at less than 200W. But maxes out around 1000W. It would be interesting to see the maximum draw vs minimum.
@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegritythere’s not enough correlation between tonnage and power draw to claim a 2 ton can’t pull 600w’s under full load. Idek where you’ve gotten that idea from.
Hi, @@CrypticCabal. @rv10flyer84 is right. The online spec sheet for this model shows max wattage draw just north of 2000w. It turns down to about 25% of that so 500 watts and change for lightest load.
I recently learned there something called a heat recovery unit that recovers concentrated high temperature heat from your air conditioner's condenser circuit and pumps the recovered heat directly into your hot water tank. I would love to see something like that incorporated in an off-grid system, because otherwise all the heat from that condenser is just wasted.
I like the idea, for those just getting into solar. However, for those who already have solar, it's likely better to hook the panels to your inverter so that you are still harvesting even when the compressor isn't running. If it'd DC direct, you are only harvesting when the A/C is running
I want one in my rv like your saying.When it catches up on cooling ability to store power for night time.I think I can do all this easily on a 400ah battery.
I'm doing it with 24 leaf modules and it's at 24 volts. It'll take more than a 400 amp hpur battery if you live where you get any cloudy days. Mine will do ok but I can't run constantly. I need to triple my bank for sure
Not a problem really..i bought a skid of 200 watt used panels for $35 a piece and turned around and sold about half of them for $100 a piece and have no problem dedicating 4 of them strictly to the EG4.. It's cooling my entire 1500 sq/ft during the day at 85f outside.. Had no idea it was going to be able to do this? It's only the 12k
@@Bobotrucker Which model number did you purchase and how many Watts max are your panels rated for? We have a small home in North San Diego and want to what you did with just solar panels directly wired. Thank you.
@@benkanobe7500 I have 4 200 watt panels and the smaller 12k unit.. It never seems to draw much more than 700-800 watts.. That's another thing I like about these mini splits is even on grid power they are so efficient but that is probably the case with most modern units
A fuzzy logic option for reducing AC could be programmed by EG4 to accommodate usage scenarios which are not temperature equilibrium prioritized, for further savings and independence from the grid. A desirable temperature range could be specified by the user and ac electrical usage estimates presented. The unit could track solar availability over months. In this case, maximum fluctuation could be permitted for specific dehumidification priority.
I've been wanting to supplement my current heat pump with something like this for extra redundancy. I'm pretty happy with the cyboinverter heating my water and I would definitely add this. I would have mounted the condenser up higher and even added a hood to protect it from rain and snow.
@@chrisneibauer I'm pretty happy with it. Seems to do well even in wintertime up here in the PNW. I hooked it up to 4 renogy 320w and plumbed two tanks together. A 55 gallon primary with an AC element sized for the cyboinverter and a final 50 gallon propane tank. Keeps my propane bill down, but you can always wire a second element if you want just a single tank.
Cyboinverter: $1300, Solar Panels: $1400, roof rack system: $300, water heater $800, plumbing and wiring $500. So $4300 total without my time included. Propane for the year was about $2500. Noticed about a 75% reduction in use. $1875 in yearly savings. Payback around year 2.5
I really like the video great install. The only comment I have is to make sure you clean the ducts every 2 or 3 months or so. They really build up with nastiness quickly. I have seen hundreds if not thousands of the mini splits being used in Iraq and Afghanistan and they work great when clean, but can start smelling really nasty if not kept clean.
@@kartencarter8135 sorry not ducts it is the coils or fins inside the internally mounted unit. The fan pulls air from inside the room cools or heats the air and these coils get dirty fast. It depends on the environment also.
I installed the 12k unit on my house. Its honestly a great unit! It pulls about 360 watts most of the time, when the sun is out we just crank the heat while its free. Also the Deye (EG4) mini split heat pump comes in a hot water heater and they make a 48v direct drive mini split heat pump as well. Hope EG4 gets these units, future is bright.
I came across their hot water mini split about a week ago but figured it was for existing boiler applications. Do you think it could be used for potable domestic use w/o a heat exchanger?
Yes, they are all the same for units like these, I think it's around 30 inch pounds. What you want to do is seat the flare on the fitting by hand,.( Slide the nut back on the copper line and put the flare to the fitting, then hand tight all the way ) In this video at 5:55 on the suction line , he just put the nut to the fitting and screwed it on. That is a big no no. You are asking for a future leak down the road. However he is not a hvac guy, and did not know this.
We're running a 9k BTU in a lightly insulated 8x14 art studio shed run off 1200 watts of panels, and 5.1kw of lifepo4 batteries. It's just about enough, but now I'm experimenting with linear actuator lifts and tracking to get another, hopefully, 20-30% more morning production. We also have an automatic transfer switch if we do run out of battery.
When I had a mini split installed I got many bids. Every HVAC installer told me I had to buy one from them and they wouldn't install anything bought myself.
Very Nice! Why don’t AC units have some kind of gauge or indicator to alert you when they’re low or out of refrigerant? We were running our downstairs unit for a few weeks this spring but finally called a HVAC tech who said it had a tiny leak so was basically empty!🤦🏻♂️
Really nice video and very helpful, thank you. I wanted to throw this out there my cousin has a pole barn that he took 4 x 8 sheets of 2 inch Styrofoam and used his backhoe to dig down 4 feet all the way around the pool shed put it in the Styrofoam and he said it is really helped keep the heat bill down. He does have hot water heat tubes in the cement so it was almost necessary for that but I would think it would help any pole shed especially with moisture coming through the cement. Just a thought
just a reminder for increasing value when limited to digging depth. Remarkably, placing panels horizontally on bottom of ditch extends the equivalent insulation as vertically installed panels. This is a technique used in crawlspaces where you can't dig down. Of course, in the basement or crawl space, this horizontal insulation extends inwardly, but I hypothesize this may work outside and horizontally outward by the same principle.
I get the concept, but frankly, I just use window AC and then space heaters. More portable, I can move around as necessary, and I can take with me. I built the handcart LV6548 set up per Will's video with used panels, and can run 2 window units...roughly 20000 btus and get the job done.
Cool product. Next steps... integrate a grid-tie inverter into the unit to make use of unused solar capacity (such as when the unit is "off"), or, less desirable, have some logic to divert solar to an alternate load (heating element in a water tank, or external inverter). I'd hate to see solar energy wasted when the HVAC system is satisfied.
Too much of a fuss really in my opinion.. I keep my systems separate.. I am using 4-200 Watt used solar panels that I paid $35 a piece for and am currently cooling my entire 1500 sq/ft with one EG4 12k unit and it's 85f outside right now.. it will run between eight to nine hours on a sunny day strictly on solar alone..
They say there are no stupid questions, but this might qualify. This question would apply to a cold climate where the average temperature is 20F in January and February. If it is possible to construct a passive solar shelter around the condensor, would that help with cold weather efficiency. I'm guesding it would be problematic or it would have been done. I realize the condensor has to have air flow, so Im thinking of something a good deal larger than the condensor itself, maybe even like a solar oven in terms of reflection.
The real question here is, When you run it 100% on solar, does it turn its self back on the next day when the sun comes out? I was pretty bummed that the acdc18c won't turn its self back on when running solar only. You have to physically turn it back on with the remote every day.
While I’ve had a few occasions when my unit didn’t wake up and initiate operations those events were shortly after installing in September 2023. While they are all Deye my 24k unit came from AU, prior to SS offering their labeled version state side.
You mention the app for the mini-split. Is the wifi on the unit inside the shed our outside? If inside, how do you get the signal out? I've got a metal shed and the darn thing acts like a giant Faraday cage and won't let signals in or out.
For better filtration, take a 12x30 air filter, the lowest micron; like a 5, and stick it over the air intake. This will help I’m not clogging the coils up with dirt, that will bypass the mesh filter with the unit. Nothing fancy, just cut it to fit flush, or set it up with out cutting.
You cannot use air! The oil in these things is hygroscopic and will grab the moisture from the air and do damage…the manufacturers do not allow the use of filter-driers to mitigate moisture.
Question: I have Solar grid tie with the enphase IQ7+ Inverters. How would I run that AC on solar only when the closed inverters have already converted the solar to AC current? From what I understand, I can't do batteries as backup because the solar won't charge without grid power. Please help me understand this.
I've seen once at temp, this thing will modulate itself to run at a lower power to just maintain the set temp. When on DC only, will it also dial itself back to use whatever power is available in the morning / evening hours when solar production is low? Or if it wants to run at full power but there isn't enough power available, will it just shut down?
Interesting the total wattage consumed dropped from 619w DC only to 580wdc+ 19wac= 599w total. I'm wondering if the load on the inverter compressor changed? Just an observation
minisplits inverters are already dc, they don't use ac for anything. so most should run fine with 300v dc but some do have sensors to monitor the mains frequency and those needs to be bypassed.
Better to cut those flare connections off and braze in the lines with hard solder. When I got into hvac the flare fittings were being phased out and new units were all braze in type connections which are much less prone to leaks over time. I've had some mini-split systems develop leaks in the top connections over time. If they are covered with conduit it's a bear to repair them. I guess we're going backwards to meet Chinese standards these days.
What happens to excess power generated from panels, if the AC / Heat pump is off, or drawing a small amount of solar power compared to production? Does it go to the grid?
I would love so much to have a system like this...but my property has pretty much zero southern facing sun. As a renter I can't really cut the trees down either.
What are your thoughts on only using solar only and having the clouds rolling in and out turning off the inverter motor. Wouldn't this be hard on the unit?
Wonder if I can get your advice, I’m building a mini home inside a 45 high cube shipping container in the high desert of Utah. I’ll only have about 360 sq ft of living space, I’m completely off grid, I will be having my container spray foam insulated. What mini split would you suggest? For construction I’m only running a 600 watt array, with two 12 volt 200 Ah LiFePO4 batteries, enough to run all my tools and Miller welder. I’m planning on a 7,000 watt array with two EG4 6.5kW Off-Grid Inverters, and four 5.12kWh 48 volt LifePower4 UL Listed Lithium Batteries
Thanks for the video, looks like a sweet little setup you've got there. It's been four months now how has it been holding up? I doubt I'm the only one wondering, but what is the SEER rating on these units? We all know that you've got to have checked the surge and verified the running Watts. Will you please share that with us?Also, what is the lowest, and highest temperatures it will work at, and finally will it work with a battery? Please forgive me if I missed it in the video. Thank you.
You can figure about 1000W per ton in cool mode. So, his two ton max consumption in cool mode is about 2000W. It’s probably less than 18 SEER. They typically last 5-15 years depending on brand, how they are installed and maintained and how much you run it.
I have a Sol-ark 15k. I would like to use the dump load to run a mini split. What mini split will turn on automatically when given power? When it is running and looses power and regains power turns back on without me having to be there to turn it on.
I've got a pair of Outback Radian GS8048a-01's, going towards a system that can provide 200A for new residential construction; Add two more Radian units? Add four more Radian units? Is there some better inverter technology out there I should consider?
Nice video. 👍 If you have the 12 panels, from your old outback system, could you not use them all and put an inverter between the panels and the Airco? With more panels and more power, you be able to use the system longer all day and year around....🤷♂️ But I get, this was more of a "proof of concept" video. 👍
@willprose I’m starting to research similar setup. It my question is I thought when you connect the panels to the enphase trunk cable doesn’t it convert that to 240 coming out? Also I heared you say it’s going into 15k sol ark. Is the sol ark for your house or you went from panel to enphase to sol ark to mini split. Sorry if this question has already been asked.
Great video,I am new to this and want advice.I want a2 zone mini split 2-12000 btu 220 , Or 2 single 12000btu 110 . Looking to run on dc solar.I do not need to run at same time.witch would be more efficient?,would 5 -400 w panels run the 220? Thank you for advice.
Wonderful idea, but is there a model with stronger cooling? I need to augment my home's AC usage. Need about twice the cooling this can do (24k btu's would be nice).
I'm not really happy with the 12k btu Hotspot Energy unit I bought from you, (not your fault) I will probably replace with one of these. I've been waiting over a year for promised parts for my Hotspot unit.
What is the max distance that you can have the indoor unit from the outside? Do they sell an extra long custom kit or anything like that? I have a need for a long run through an attic before the line set will be outside.
Pioneers website sells everything you need. There are other sites, and local supply houses that sell line sets and cabling. Every manufacturer is different, I want to say 50-100 feet. It should be in the specs for what ever unit, and will tell you the max length allowed.
Im looking into this exact 2 ton unit for 40x50x14 shop like yours with minimum insulation. Im wondering if 1 2ton unit would be enough or would I require 2 of the 2 ton units? Located in Texas
Do clouds and interruptions in the sunlight strain the A/C motor? I always thought the "off/on/low voltage" situations were terrible on traditional A/c units. Have they made enough improvements now to allow for power interruptions?
What AC motor? These units use all dc components..fans, compressor, etc.. you can literally shut off the grid power and it will run on the solar panels.. I just leave the grid on because it can run on solar, grid or a combination of both..
@@Bobotrucker A/C as in air conditioner compressor... If you're running on solar and clouds come over, I assume the panel voltage drops and the a/c compressor stops. Is this ok for the motor longterm? In a regular home a/c unit, any power interruption stops the outside compressor from turning back on for many minutes due to head pressures. I wasn't sure how the solar panels direct to a/c unit handled this.
@@aussie2uGA oh ok.. I guess I don't know the answer to that one? I always leave the grid power connected to the EG4 so I do not believe it will ever get a low-voltage condition because the unit decides whether to use AC or DC or both depending on what temperature you have it set to and whether solar is available.. I would guess the designers have considered some customers will be running this on solar only and have built-in safety systems to avoid short cycling the pump
We are off grid in the desert in west Texas. we are looking at the eg4 12000btu for cooling our 12 x 32 cabin, how much ac from our off grid set up would it use?
I'm new to the solar game. Being a total solar run, then it will not operate during cloudy days and night since there is no power storage battery bank and inverter? Again, I am just now trying to wrap my mind around a solar system. Nice video, well done
The DC voltage requirement is so high it can't be run off batteries w/o an inverter (unless you use stack cell modules from a hybrid vehicle bank) so what good is the DC input ? Without batteries clouds will kill it. I guess you could set up a two pole relay activated by a CDS cell with adjustaable sensitivity to switch between the panels and the grid; but that won't cover outages and clouds the way batteries can. You can put 12v DC supplies across every 12v in a bank, set your panel charge-voltage a bit higher, and (as long as the grids on) seamlessly transfer the load current draw from panels to battery power supplies whenever clouds show up. The best part is the batteries always stay topped off during solar operation and the power supplies wil never over-charge them. Switch to grid for storms or night time and the batteries will last way longer from not constanly being cycled. I'm presently looking into making my own split outside unit with the AC system fro a pickup truck salaged at a yard being diven by one of those 3000 Watt brush-less motors from China. You can get one with a 72vdc controller for just $200 and run DIY servicale 134 A to boot. That should be good for at least a ton and a half and inside units for splits can be bought seperately.
I didn't think any of those for a pre set I mean I watch some people out doing that but argues a vacuum at least that's why I'm buying one of those action just doing that to replace when I got I got one air conditioner heater and I think I'm buying four or five more which Hammer use to heat up my whole house and cooling in the summertime well truthfully I'm just going to set it at 75 degrees and leave it at that all year and for as long as it would last I think it'll last 30 years like my lead acid batteries did and some of them are still going.
I could see doing this if I had excess solar, but I am suspicious of dedicating panels to that use as opposed to being part of the bigger pool. I suspect putting all those panels to use charging batteries and being able to use it for anything would be more effective use of that power, plus I could continue running the minisplit at night, plus a normal minisplit is cheaper. If the batteries were fully charged and so the minisplit was running via solar to inverter to minisplit, how much loss would that have compared to solar to minisplit? Does running direct save enough to pay for the more expensive minisplit? If so, is there a way to switch the panels over when the battery is full? Frankly, I'm just seeing a novelty product here.
Exactly! I looked at a similar mini-split before I installed my Pioneer but, without the ability to easily redirect the unused solar when no heating or cooling is required, it didn't make sense in my case.
@@580guru Now with NEM 3.0 coming into California, adding "extra" solar panels are not an option. Yeah batteries could be used, but I would much rather go directly to my HVAC system then worry about storing energy. Things are always changing, however going directly from solar to my mini split is now more attractive then ever in California.
@Frank Marian I know NEM 3.0 sucks in that regard but it only comes into play when you deploy in a grid-tie scenario. I suppose you could start with a direct to panel setup and look to add a battery later as prices come down.
This type of unit is mainly designed for off grid buildings or for people that want a dedicated system and get their feet wet. Not everyone is trying to go off grid or think the world is ending. They just want a little light bill relief.
Does this unit actually use a dc brushless motor on the compressor or is it a common inverter that lets the DC current bypass the bridge rectifier and sends it to an inverter?
So can the software be set to do PV only? I am thinking of doing some RPi project or Adrino to only do PV, but to do it as cold as it can while the solar is out, then allow it to do what it has to, up to a certain temp like say 80 degrees. I'd like to incorporate that into a couple of shipping container projects I've done. Just got out of HVAC school. Got those gauges for your self, it's not that hard.
But what about when you aren't running it... seems like the panels would be better used in a grid-connected arrangement so that everything in the home could benefit from the panels, not just the AC.
I've been using mine all winter and love it! Run it at 100% all day. Heats up most of my home
How well does it heat when it is below freezing? I was hesitant about ordering it since the operating range of the heat pump is only down to 15f. Others on the market had much lower operating ranges down to -22f (not that it will ever get that cold here in Austin).
@@robbie31580 yes those have a coil so no need to run defrost cycles. And it never gets to freezing here, I'm in Vegas. I run everything off the sunshine here
@@WillProwse will i believe the coil is just to ensure the base pan doesnt freeze before draining when it is really cold. They will still run defrost cycles
@@chrisE815 oh good point
If I remember correctly you made the first video.
I just bought the same EG4 2 ton unit (July 2023). It now comes with all the lines pre vacuum evacuated and precharged with R410a. No HVAC tech required. Also if you are a Android user like me (S21) I contacted Signature Solar and they sent me the work around link to get the app to work on my android.
I'm not a pro-solar kinda guy, but in the South direct solar A/C makes a lot of sense for taking load off the grid at the exact time the grid needs help in the summer. Thanks for showing this product. Just imagine the grid load curve in July-August if we all had this.
I'm curious why you're "not pro-solar" ?
There’s literally zero reason to be anti solar. It has shortcomings and isn’t perfect, but there’s not a better solution available that an individual can implement to satisfy their energy needs at the price of solar. On an individual level, solar makes more sense than any other form of energy production.
Not pro-solar? What an idiot.
@@CrypticCabalThe initial startup cost of solar is what makes a lot of people cringe at solar. Calculating what you'll save on solar and how long to see a profit from it is 10+ years
I like this SO much. I've been struggling as I want to get into Solar, but don't have the capital to invest in $20k in batteries to get started. One of these, with some panels on my roof could immediately start reducing my electric bills without nearly as much up-front capital.
Absolutely. Also less hassle, and no real reason to connect if there is not grid power at that building yet.
I installed the 9k Pioneer mini split last summer in my 28' RV, I love it. It's quiet and cheap on power. I've seen a review once before and would love to switch over to the 12k version. It's only $300 more than what I paid for mine. I have someone I could sell this one to. Thanx Mr. 775 for the review. Screw a plate to the wall, drill a hole in the wall and wire it up. So simple to install. Oh.. I got the Bluetooth module for mine too.. it's connected to my home wifi.. so I can control it from anywhere with an internet connection.
I have about 4 of these, 1 Deye and the others are Zamna (aka Hotspot Energy). I have been using them for more than a year now and have no complaints.
In fact, we're moving one today to another location. I'll do another video of us taking it down and reinstalling it at teh new location.
*Engineer775* Bravo well done, thank-you sir for taking the time to bring us along. GOD Bless.
I wonder if it’s possible to use a cool bot or something like it and use it for a walk in cooler. Would be a real game changer for someone who wants a lot of refrigeration or a market garden .
Nice, finally an affordable option for solar heating and cooling
When Installed my minisplit I torqued to factory spec and a year later I had lost most of my refrigerant. I called an AC guy in to refill it and he just have it some hell with a couple wrenches recharged and it’s been working great for the last 7 years. Moral of the story is don’t trust the torque specs the manufacturer recommends.
Those power readings are astounding for a 2 ton unit.
It is basically 600 W for running.
MY efficient dual inverter 8000 BTU unit uses that much on medium.
It often runs at less than 200W. But maxes out around 1000W.
It would be interesting to see the maximum draw vs minimum.
619w is not full power for a 2 ton. You can figure about 1800-2000W in cool, more in heat mode.
@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegritythere’s not enough correlation between tonnage and power draw to claim a 2 ton can’t pull 600w’s under full load. Idek where you’ve gotten that idea from.
Hi, @@CrypticCabal. @rv10flyer84 is right. The online spec sheet for this model shows max wattage draw just north of 2000w. It turns down to about 25% of that so 500 watts and change for lightest load.
I recently learned there something called a heat recovery unit that recovers concentrated high temperature heat from your air conditioner's condenser circuit and pumps the recovered heat directly into your hot water tank. I would love to see something like that incorporated in an off-grid system, because otherwise all the heat from that condenser is just wasted.
I like the idea, for those just getting into solar. However, for those who already have solar, it's likely better to hook the panels to your inverter so that you are still harvesting even when the compressor isn't running. If it'd DC direct, you are only harvesting when the A/C is running
I want one in my rv like your saying.When it catches up on cooling ability to store power for night time.I think I can do all this easily on a 400ah battery.
I'm doing it with 24 leaf modules and it's at 24 volts. It'll take more than a 400 amp hpur battery if you live where you get any cloudy days. Mine will do ok but I can't run constantly. I need to triple my bank for sure
Not a problem really..i bought a skid of 200 watt used panels for $35 a piece and turned around and sold about half of them for $100 a piece and have no problem dedicating 4 of them strictly to the EG4.. It's cooling my entire 1500 sq/ft during the day at 85f outside.. Had no idea it was going to be able to do this? It's only the 12k
@@Bobotrucker Which model number did you purchase and how many Watts max are your panels rated for? We have a small home in North San Diego and want to what you did with just solar panels directly wired. Thank you.
@@benkanobe7500 I have 4 200 watt panels and the smaller 12k unit.. It never seems to draw much more than 700-800 watts.. That's another thing I like about these mini splits is even on grid power they are so efficient but that is probably the case with most modern units
A fuzzy logic option for reducing AC could be programmed by EG4 to accommodate usage scenarios which are not temperature equilibrium prioritized, for further savings and independence from the grid. A desirable temperature range could be specified by the user and ac electrical usage estimates presented. The unit could track solar availability over months. In this case, maximum fluctuation could be permitted for specific dehumidification priority.
I've been wanting to supplement my current heat pump with something like this for extra redundancy. I'm pretty happy with the cyboinverter heating my water and I would definitely add this. I would have mounted the condenser up higher and even added a hood to protect it from rain and snow.
How is your cyboinverter? I am getting ready to hook mine up...
@@chrisneibauer I'm pretty happy with it. Seems to do well even in wintertime up here in the PNW. I hooked it up to 4 renogy 320w and plumbed two tanks together. A 55 gallon primary with an AC element sized for the cyboinverter and a final 50 gallon propane tank. Keeps my propane bill down, but you can always wire a second element if you want just a single tank.
Cost?
Cyboinverter: $1300, Solar Panels: $1400, roof rack system: $300, water heater $800, plumbing and wiring $500.
So $4300 total without my time included. Propane for the year was about $2500. Noticed about a 75% reduction in use. $1875 in yearly savings. Payback around year 2.5
And hail.
I really like the video great install. The only comment I have is to make sure you clean the ducts every 2 or 3 months or so. They really build up with nastiness quickly. I have seen hundreds if not thousands of the mini splits being used in Iraq and Afghanistan and they work great when clean, but can start smelling really nasty if not kept clean.
Thank You!
Yes, buy one of the bag catchment systems for your self, makes it a lot less messy, and then you can really get in and clean well.
Where are the ducts located?
@@kartencarter8135 sorry not ducts it is the coils or fins inside the internally mounted unit. The fan pulls air from inside the room cools or heats the air and these coils get dirty fast. It depends on the environment also.
@@brianredding9160 A pole building is about the dirtiest environment outside of a desert :)
EG4 should post how much this saves on conversion losses vs grid-tied or AC power. solar to AC and back to DC is like 0.92x0.92=85% efficiency!
Brilliant! Thank you Engineer 775 for sharing. Greetings from Madang, Papua New Guinea!
That AC/DC Rocks so hard.
I installed the 12k unit on my house. Its honestly a great unit! It pulls about 360 watts most of the time, when the sun is out we just crank the heat while its free. Also the Deye (EG4) mini split heat pump comes in a hot water heater and they make a 48v direct drive mini split heat pump as well. Hope EG4 gets these units, future is bright.
Totally Agree!
I came across their hot water mini split about a week ago but figured it was for existing boiler applications. Do you think it could be used for potable domestic use w/o a heat exchanger?
So how many solar panel did you use for the 12k btu??
@@580guru @practicalpreppers7798
Can you point me to some info on the Deye unit
Nice, finally an affordable option for solar heating and cooling. Nice, finally an affordable option for solar heating and cooling.
Scott, congrats and kudos on the mini split AC/DC A/C install. I'm looking forward to the next video! Cheers, Mate.
Thank you! I beleive you have this unit in Australia but I do not know the name brand? That's where I first saw it.
@@practicalpreppers7798 Scott, I'm on the Left Coast and T-shirt person.
Awesome let us know how it goes... Im fixing to buy 2 for our bigger cabin almost done ... Keep it up brother
When using a flar connection... there are specific torque values based on the lineset dimensions.
Yes, they are all the same for units like these, I think it's around 30 inch pounds. What you want to do is seat the flare on the fitting by hand,.( Slide the nut back on the copper line and put the flare to the fitting, then hand tight all the way ) In this video at 5:55 on the suction line , he just put the nut to the fitting and screwed it on. That is a big no no. You are asking for a future leak down the road. However he is not a hvac guy, and did not know this.
Nice work. Definitely on my list of improvements for the ranch!! Thanks for the video.
You are welcome
Here in South Carolina we put plastic down before pouring a concrete slab....this helps with condensation....
Thank you for this review, I have wondered how much solar is needed, they should list that on the spec for theses units., Thanks Again
We're running a 9k BTU in a lightly insulated 8x14 art studio shed run off 1200 watts of panels, and 5.1kw of lifepo4 batteries. It's just about enough, but now I'm experimenting with linear actuator lifts and tracking to get another, hopefully, 20-30% more morning production. We also have an automatic transfer switch if we do run out of battery.
It's cool how you keep everything tidy, I could never work in a mess.
It's not tidy while building! lol
When I had a mini split installed I got many bids. Every HVAC installer told me I had to buy one from them and they wouldn't install anything bought myself.
Great unit for this summer and all future seasons . Looking 👀 to get one to run off my DIY solar system .🤙
Very Nice!
Why don’t AC units have some kind of gauge or indicator to alert you when they’re low or out of refrigerant? We were running our downstairs unit for a few weeks this spring but finally called a HVAC tech who said it had a tiny leak so was basically empty!🤦🏻♂️
Really nice video and very helpful, thank you. I wanted to throw this out there my cousin has a pole barn that he took 4 x 8 sheets of 2 inch Styrofoam and used his backhoe to dig down 4 feet all the way around the pool shed put it in the Styrofoam and he said it is really helped keep the heat bill down. He does have hot water heat tubes in the cement so it was almost necessary for that but I would think it would help any pole shed especially with moisture coming through the cement. Just a thought
just a reminder for increasing value when limited to digging depth. Remarkably, placing panels horizontally on bottom of ditch extends the equivalent insulation as vertically installed panels. This is a technique used in crawlspaces where you can't dig down. Of course, in the basement or crawl space, this horizontal insulation extends inwardly, but I hypothesize this may work outside and horizontally outward by the same principle.
I get the concept, but frankly, I just use window AC and then space heaters. More portable, I can move around as necessary, and I can take with me. I built the handcart LV6548 set up per Will's video with used panels, and can run 2 window units...roughly 20000 btus and get the job done.
Cool product. Next steps... integrate a grid-tie inverter into the unit to make use of unused solar capacity (such as when the unit is "off"), or, less desirable, have some logic to divert solar to an alternate load (heating element in a water tank, or external inverter). I'd hate to see solar energy wasted when the HVAC system is satisfied.
Thats a great idea. I'd agree, when the unit shuts off, that solar should go somewhere else.
Too much of a fuss really in my opinion.. I keep my systems separate.. I am using 4-200 Watt used solar panels that I paid $35 a piece for and am currently cooling my entire 1500 sq/ft with one EG4 12k unit and it's 85f outside right now.. it will run between eight to nine hours on a sunny day strictly on solar alone..
They say there are no stupid questions, but this might qualify. This question would apply to a cold climate where the average temperature is 20F in January and February. If it is possible to construct a passive solar shelter around the condensor, would that help with cold weather efficiency. I'm guesding it would be problematic or it would have been done. I realize the condensor has to have air flow, so Im thinking of something a good deal larger than the condensor itself, maybe even like a solar oven in terms of reflection.
The real question here is, When you run it 100% on solar, does it turn its self back on the next day when the sun comes out? I was pretty bummed that the acdc18c won't turn its self back on when running solar only. You have to physically turn it back on with the remote every day.
Is that true? I need to check. This unit comes back on everyday without grid.
While I’ve had a few occasions when my unit didn’t wake up and initiate operations those events were shortly after installing in September 2023. While they are all Deye my 24k unit came from AU, prior to SS offering their labeled version state side.
You mention the app for the mini-split. Is the wifi on the unit inside the shed our outside? If inside, how do you get the signal out? I've got a metal shed and the darn thing acts like a giant Faraday cage and won't let signals in or out.
For better filtration, take a 12x30 air filter, the lowest micron; like a 5, and stick it over the air intake. This will help I’m not clogging the coils up with dirt, that will bypass the mesh filter with the unit. Nothing fancy, just cut it to fit flush, or set it up with out cutting.
Buy a 1/4” foam filter, spray with silicone filter spray to help pre-filter.
@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity why would you want to use foam? Just set a proper air filter over the intake. I don’t know why anyone would want foam.
You can use normal air to check for leaks. Doesn't have to be nitrogen. Just hold the vacuum long enough to dry out the system afterwards
You cannot use air!
The oil in these things is hygroscopic and will grab the moisture from the air and do damage…the manufacturers do not allow the use of filter-driers to mitigate moisture.
@@rodgreene2687 yes you can. Dry it after you are done. This isn't rocket science.
@@rodgreene2687 you do understand that these oils were never ever kept away from air, Right?
Awesome.
Fun to see a new video from you.
Somehow I you have not been piping up much lately.
Question: I have Solar grid tie with the enphase IQ7+ Inverters. How would I run that AC on solar only when the closed inverters have already converted the solar to AC current? From what I understand, I can't do batteries as backup because the solar won't charge without grid power. Please help me understand this.
That is awesome! Has anyone ever set one up with a PV panel mounted rapid shutdown system? Tigo or ?
I've seen once at temp, this thing will modulate itself to run at a lower power to just maintain the set temp. When on DC only, will it also dial itself back to use whatever power is available in the morning / evening hours when solar production is low? Or if it wants to run at full power but there isn't enough power available, will it just shut down?
Interesting the total wattage consumed dropped from 619w DC only to 580wdc+ 19wac= 599w total. I'm wondering if the load on the inverter compressor changed? Just an observation
What are you using to attach the rails to your walls? are you drilling through the wall and painting the hole before you put the bolt through?
Thanks for sharing.
Gotta use a drop of oil on flare connections.
minisplits inverters are already dc, they don't use ac for anything. so most should run fine with 300v dc but some do have sensors to monitor the mains frequency and those needs to be bypassed.
Better to cut those flare connections off and braze in the lines with hard solder. When I got into hvac the flare fittings were being phased out and new units were all braze in type connections which are much less prone to leaks over time. I've had some mini-split systems develop leaks in the top connections over time. If they are covered with conduit it's a bear to repair them. I guess we're going backwards to meet Chinese standards these days.
What happens to excess power generated from panels, if the AC / Heat pump is off, or drawing a small amount of solar power compared to production? Does it go to the grid?
I would love so much to have a system like this...but my property has pretty much zero southern facing sun. As a renter I can't really cut the trees down either.
What are your thoughts on only using solar only and having the clouds rolling in and out turning off the inverter motor. Wouldn't this be hard on the unit?
Wish I could have seen inside the electric cover to see where you put the neutral
Wonder if I can get your advice, I’m building a mini home inside a 45 high cube shipping container in the high desert of Utah. I’ll only have about 360 sq ft of living space, I’m completely off grid, I will be having my container spray foam insulated. What mini split would you suggest?
For construction I’m only running a 600 watt array, with two 12 volt 200 Ah LiFePO4 batteries, enough to run all my tools and Miller welder.
I’m planning on a 7,000 watt array with two EG4 6.5kW Off-Grid Inverters, and four 5.12kWh 48 volt LifePower4 UL Listed Lithium Batteries
got this same unit waiting on my panels . just on grid power now. maybe do a battery bank when i can afford it.
Thanks for the video, looks like a sweet little setup you've got there. It's been four months now how has it been holding up?
I doubt I'm the only one wondering, but what is the SEER rating on these units? We all know that you've got to have checked the surge and verified the running Watts. Will you please share that with us?Also, what is the lowest, and highest temperatures it will work at, and finally will it work with a battery? Please forgive me if I missed it in the video.
Thank you.
You can figure about 1000W per ton in cool mode. So, his two ton max consumption in cool mode is about 2000W. It’s probably less than 18 SEER. They typically last 5-15 years depending on brand, how they are installed and maintained and how much you run it.
I have a Sol-ark 15k. I would like to use the dump load to run a mini split. What mini split will turn on automatically when given power? When it is running and looses power and regains power turns back on without me having to be there to turn it on.
I am assuming all of them will once power is restored from the smart load
I went with a 120v mini split so it would be easier to adapt to generator or solar
I've got a pair of Outback Radian GS8048a-01's, going towards a system that can provide 200A for new residential construction; Add two more Radian units? Add four more Radian units? Is there some better inverter technology out there I should consider?
Not sure what part of the US you are in but do you have any concerns about the heat pump only working to 15 degrees F?
Good job, inquire can used solar as. Basic and ac power together
Nice video. 👍 If you have the 12 panels, from your old outback system, could you not use them all and put an inverter between the panels and the Airco? With more panels and more power, you be able to use the system longer all day and year around....🤷♂️ But I get, this was more of a "proof of concept" video. 👍
Excellent video. How did you connect the array to the EG4 outdoor unit? MC4 connections into the EG4 ?
That’s COOL!
@willprose I’m starting to research similar setup. It my question is I thought when you connect the panels to the enphase trunk cable doesn’t it convert that to 240 coming out? Also I heared you say it’s going into 15k sol ark. Is the sol ark for your house or you went from panel to enphase to sol ark to mini split. Sorry if this question has already been asked.
how many watts of solar panels and watts do you recommend for grid only?
You get to play with all the new toys!
Well you get to play with all the Old toys. Which one is more fun?
@@practicalpreppers7798 (ha ha) Good point.
Great video,I am new to this and want advice.I want a2 zone mini split 2-12000 btu 220 , Or 2 single 12000btu 110 .
Looking to run on dc solar.I do not need to run at same time.witch would be more efficient?,would 5 -400 w panels run the 220?
Thank you for advice.
Wonderful idea, but is there a model with stronger cooling? I need to augment my home's AC usage. Need about twice the cooling this can do (24k btu's would be nice).
I'm not really happy with the 12k btu Hotspot Energy unit I bought from you, (not your fault) I will probably replace with one of these. I've been waiting over a year for promised parts for my Hotspot unit.
What is the max distance that you can have the indoor unit from the outside? Do they sell an extra long custom kit or anything like that? I have a need for a long run through an attic before the line set will be outside.
Pioneers website sells everything you need. There are other sites, and local supply houses that sell line sets and cabling. Every manufacturer is different, I want to say 50-100 feet. It should be in the specs for what ever unit, and will tell you the max length allowed.
Great tuto but what about total cost and breakdown ...? 👍
Im looking into this exact 2 ton unit for 40x50x14 shop like yours with minimum insulation. Im wondering if 1 2ton unit would be enough or would I require 2 of the 2 ton units? Located in Texas
Do clouds and interruptions in the sunlight strain the A/C motor? I always thought the "off/on/low voltage" situations were terrible on traditional A/c units. Have they made enough improvements now to allow for power interruptions?
What AC motor? These units use all dc components..fans, compressor, etc.. you can literally shut off the grid power and it will run on the solar panels.. I just leave the grid on because it can run on solar, grid or a combination of both..
@@Bobotrucker A/C as in air conditioner compressor... If you're running on solar and clouds come over, I assume the panel voltage drops and the a/c compressor stops. Is this ok for the motor longterm? In a regular home a/c unit, any power interruption stops the outside compressor from turning back on for many minutes due to head pressures. I wasn't sure how the solar panels direct to a/c unit handled this.
@@aussie2uGA oh ok.. I guess I don't know the answer to that one? I always leave the grid power connected to the EG4 so I do not believe it will ever get a low-voltage condition because the unit decides whether to use AC or DC or both depending on what temperature you have it set to and whether solar is available.. I would guess the designers have considered some customers will be running this on solar only and have built-in safety systems to avoid short cycling the pump
We are off grid in the desert in west Texas. we are looking at the eg4 12000btu for cooling our 12 x 32 cabin, how much ac from our off grid set up would it use?
Very good review. Just curious, what is the square footage of your warehouse? Does the EG4 keep up OK with cool and heat?
I guess my only question is what about night time what do y'all do at night when there's no solar for these units
Put some PV solar panels on the ware house roof to power your ac/DC air conditioner
It doesn't face south and there's too many 3. I had seven panels sitting there facing south.
I'm new to the solar game. Being a total solar run, then it will not operate during cloudy days and night since there is no power storage battery bank and inverter? Again, I am just now trying to wrap my mind around a solar system. Nice video, well done
So, knowing that you have also installed the Hotspot brand, how would you compare the two?
put a roof over the heat pump so you don't have to shovel it out when it snows - pv powered heat pump is a good idea
No snow here
The DC voltage requirement is so high it can't be run off batteries w/o an inverter (unless you use stack cell modules from a hybrid vehicle bank) so what good is the DC input ? Without batteries clouds will kill it. I guess you could set up a two pole relay activated by a CDS cell with adjustaable sensitivity to switch between the panels and the grid; but that won't cover outages and clouds the way batteries can. You can put 12v DC supplies across every 12v in a bank, set your panel charge-voltage a bit higher, and (as long as the grids on) seamlessly transfer the load current draw from panels to battery power supplies whenever clouds show up. The best part is the batteries always stay topped off during solar operation and the power supplies wil never over-charge them. Switch to grid for storms or night time and the batteries will last way longer from not constanly being cycled. I'm presently looking into making my own split outside unit with the AC system fro a pickup truck salaged at a yard being diven by one of those 3000 Watt brush-less motors from China. You can get one with a 72vdc controller for just $200 and run DIY servicale 134 A to boot. That should be good for at least a ton and a half and inside units for splits can be bought seperately.
I thought the EG4 hybrid mini splits were pre-charged, or are you reviewing an older model maybe?
I didn't think any of those for a pre set I mean I watch some people out doing that but argues a vacuum at least that's why I'm buying one of those action just doing that to replace when I got I got one air conditioner heater and I think I'm buying four or five more which Hammer use to heat up my whole house and cooling in the summertime well truthfully I'm just going to set it at 75 degrees and leave it at that all year and for as long as it would last I think it'll last 30 years like my lead acid batteries did and some of them are still going.
Exactly! Android, not Apple! 👍
I laughed right along with him when he said that. :)
I could see doing this if I had excess solar, but I am suspicious of dedicating panels to that use as opposed to being part of the bigger pool. I suspect putting all those panels to use charging batteries and being able to use it for anything would be more effective use of that power, plus I could continue running the minisplit at night, plus a normal minisplit is cheaper. If the batteries were fully charged and so the minisplit was running via solar to inverter to minisplit, how much loss would that have compared to solar to minisplit? Does running direct save enough to pay for the more expensive minisplit? If so, is there a way to switch the panels over when the battery is full?
Frankly, I'm just seeing a novelty product here.
Exactly! I looked at a similar mini-split before I installed my Pioneer but, without the ability to easily redirect the unused solar when no heating or cooling is required, it didn't make sense in my case.
@@580guru Now with NEM 3.0 coming into California, adding "extra" solar panels are not an option. Yeah batteries could be used, but I would much rather go directly to my HVAC system then worry about storing energy. Things are always changing, however going directly from solar to my mini split is now more attractive then ever in California.
@Frank Marian I know NEM 3.0 sucks in that regard but it only comes into play when you deploy in a grid-tie scenario. I suppose you could start with a direct to panel setup and look to add a battery later as prices come down.
This type of unit is mainly designed for off grid buildings or for people that want a dedicated system and get their feet wet. Not everyone is trying to go off grid or think the world is ending. They just want a little light bill relief.
Question:
Do you have a video or something on your website showing how to size a generator to keep while home batteries charged up? Thanks!!
Does this unit actually use a dc brushless motor on the compressor or is it a common inverter that lets the DC current bypass the bridge rectifier and sends it to an inverter?
So can the software be set to do PV only? I am thinking of doing some RPi project or Adrino to only do PV, but to do it as cold as it can while the solar is out, then allow it to do what it has to, up to a certain temp like say 80 degrees. I'd like to incorporate that into a couple of shipping container projects I've done. Just got out of HVAC school. Got those gauges for your self, it's not that hard.
But what about when you aren't running it... seems like the panels would be better used in a grid-connected arrangement so that everything in the home could benefit from the panels, not just the AC.
What were the results of those Ice Banks you were working on? Were they just not practical enough on a small scale?
So Engineers 775 it’s PV Direct during the day when the array generating sun power and switches over to grid at night automatically?
the TCO of this unit is NOT much higher than a regular 220 one. That puts in ony my definite check out list soon.
Can you cut and flare, these line sets. I know their precharged.
How far can the solar panels be from the main gear?
It takes that many solar panels to run 1 split air conditioner heater how many watts is each one of those solar panels 100 watts maybe less.
Wait... so you have Enphase micro AC inverters running directly in to the mini-split ?
For the 24k/2-ton unit what is the MAX start load amperage draw? What is the MAX amperage draw at start on PV power?
Does the app not have a battery option?