Forgot to mention, my second channel is Farmcraft102. This was a great addition to my shop. Installation was definitely easier than expected. My only critiques are that I wish the base was easier (maybe I should have looked into getting the wall bracket), and that I wish they sold a reasonably priced pre-filter for my dusty shop environment. Minor critiques, the base wasn't that bad, and I'll just build a pre-filter box. Have an awesome weekend everybody!
The thing about most multi split systems is they use inverter technology. Becsuse of this is the unit only uses the amount of cooling capacity that is necessary. Even tho it is a 2 ton unit if it only needs 1 ton to do the job the unit will effectively become a 1 ton unit by slowing the compressor using the inverter technology thereby using only 1 ton worth of electricity. One of the many advantages to a mini split system. It is like having a gas pedal, it throttles itself according to the needs of the area. Very cool. (no pun intended. Lol)
Thanks for the upload, as always! What the heck is up with like a 10% dislike in 30 minutes? you got some mad people at you or something for being too crafty and awesome?
A note for anyone subject to code compliance, or expecting to be in the near future - officially, you need a disconnect and outlet within a few feet of the outside unit. Generally people use conduit or romex through the wall into the back of the disconnect, and then an "appliance whip" from the disconnect into the compressor. Not a safety issue per se, I believe it's so that anyone servicing it can be confident that power is off. Also, good call-out on testing for leaks in heat mode - the pressures overall are higher in that case, IIRC.
Yeah, seeing that cable penetrating a wall not into a box gave me a bit of a shudder. Even more when I realized the missing box would be the disconnect. Oh well.
The need for an outlet near the equipment is for service tools… in these modern times of battery based tools the outlet just really isn’t necessary. Even the vacuum pumps for pump downs run on batteries. However most codes will still require an outlet on s separate circuit.
Spot on @karlanke...the exposed cabe with no disconnect was not the way I expected Jon to go....after watching countless hours of FC101 and seeing Jon always go the extra mile, I was pretty surprised at this.
I've had my mr cool for over a year and I couldn't be more happy. I went with the 36000 btu system and was able to install it by myself over a couple of days.
I’m a big fan of the mini-splits, I bought a different brand offered local to my state with a multizone setup combined with the old central hvac. My HVAC was not keeping the house cool during the summer months very well, but the cheapest price I was offered for replacement/repair was double the kit cost for mini-split. So I bought the kit and installed the ceiling cassette style in the ceiling of the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom myself over a week after work. That was 8 years ago that I installed those and the system still works perfectly. I did have to vacuum out the lines with my DIY kit, but was able to rent a a/c pump and gauge kit from auto parts store. I set the mini-split to my main temp temperature and the old HVAC to a few degrees above and it rarely ever comes on to aid the mini-split. I can’t remember the last time I heard the old hvac come on.
You might consider putting the external electrical wire in conduit. The environment you live has a lot of critters that will think anything soft is food. Nice installation, it will make time in the shop much more enjoyable. KOKO!
Mr. Cool - THAT'S HOW YOU SELL UNITS! This was one of Jon's best single videos so far. Sorry, my favorites are still the multi-part series... but what a great way to showcase the ease of your product's installation... and that trick with the pre-charged lines is AMAZING.
Contractor wanted 18,000 dollars to do this same type of system in house ,yea screw that im looking into doing this instead , thanks for the information !
Wrap the white wire with red tape. 240 volt circuits should be red/black. Someone unfamiliar could confuse it with a 120 volt. I know, doesn’t make sense but I have seen it happen many times. 😊
John. Most (all I've seen/installed as an hvac mechanic) of those split systems indoor units have cutouts for the lines to come out the side or bottom so they can be mounted to a wall without needing standoffs.
Hammer drill… I love it. You’re cooling problem upstairs. I wonder if it could be a problem with “heat compression“, that is where an attic space heats to the point where it progressively produces radiant heat through the ceiling and heats the space below. Improved convective ventilation, or forced ventilation could possibly relieve some of the excess heat. It’s no fun trying to read a tape measure with sweat running in your eyes.
in 1980 when I built my house, I ordered a complete precharged 5 ton split unit from Sears. Not really a typical DIY, but doable with a little duct and electrical knowledge.
For the benefit of other viewers when drilling joists always use the middle third, not the top or bottom thirds as this zone carries less stress than the other two.
I installed a mini split in my barn and looked at the Mr Cool DIY option. You pay a lot for the special pre charged lines. An Amazon bought vacuum pump was a little over $100. So I did with less expensive mini split. You need the vacuum to take the air out of the lines. The coolant is in the compressor and you just turn a valve after to release it into the line set. It’s been working for almost a year.
@@tombrownca If you look for it, there are videos showing the process. The refrigerant comes already in the compressor. You suck as much air as you can from the lines (half hour recommended) with the vacuum pump close the valves and then open a valve with an allen key to release the refrigerant that is under pressure into the lines.
John. Don’t get beating yourself up about how you mounted that main unit. You did a great Job. I knew an old couple who got paid a great deal of money getting one of these things installed, one time and they didn’t do any better than a few rough old house bricks as a base. The guy who did the fitting didn’t rip them off either. Had one hell of a new Tesla though, all the same.
John. Love the show and your low key style of delivery. After watching your AC project I thought you might get some flash rusting on your machines with that much cooling. I use a product called Dry Coat Rust Preventative. Just spray it on the steel surfaces and it dries fast to a clear coat. Stops rusting 100% , or as you say “ a good seal” . JC
Ok John you did a great job. So lets look at a few things that are the basics of heating cooling units no matter the system you are using. You have to have a disconnect at the outdoor unit. Code required. Your breaker location can't be seen from the unit. The next thing, the vertical loops in the line set at the outdoor units. They are oil traps and huge. The compressor pumps refrigerant as well it's oil. Your frig and freezer and house a/c do the same thing. You get a leak and the compressor keeps pumping but now doesn't have what it needs for oil return. Guess where the oil is. In those big loops. Locked up compressor with no oil. You willing to chance it. There is not a gallon of oil in the compressor. In Hvac world maybe less than 16 oz.
I just did one of these last week, 24k, and 3 9k heads. Im in NY north of the city. My friend was quoted 22k, and this is normal prices around here. His kit was 7 all in with an extra lineset and all the electric stuff. My only gripe with the kit is that it needs more length options. I'd even be willing to wait for custom hoses and wires. The 4 unit heads have a lot of coiled hose to deal with .
Hi ! Nice video - be aware that these unit CAN produce a lot of cendensed water and if you have low temps you'll get a frozen surfaces where the water drains out on the 'floor' - my SMALLER unit produces 10-12 liters running 24 hours !!!!! I collect the water and uses it for different purposes. Best Keld in Denmark
Thanks for another great video Jon. I am an all rounder like yourself and I enjoy learning from your posts. Some tips regarding concrete plinths. Tapping the formwork early with a hammer helps get rid of air bubbles and improves the finish off the form. Instead of gravel you could have used higher formwork placed directly on the ground with some blocks or bricks inside to reduce the concrete volume required. A day where you don't learn something is a day wasted IMO.
Oh I laughed all the way to the end of the video after the “Hammer drill” comment. You are so fun to watch. You have inspired me to tackle projects I would never have tackled. Thank you!
I wish so bad I was your next door neighbor. I would gladly volunteer to just follow you around learning as the day goes. RUclips is the next best thing. You’re a genius!
I very much love your channel and content. Been watching for years. This project was a piece of cake when compared to fixing the mechanics on the heavy equipment (tele handler, bulldozer, etc) …. and you’re right that concrete slab “isn’t going anywhere”. Most ac contractors would have considered those concrete block you had as over kill.
I think you made the right call on the slab mounting base. I have seen some vibration issues with the wall brackets once the fans get some imbalance from dirt. The mass of the concrete acts like a damper to mitigate vibration.
Love your videos. Regarding concrete: One of the most important things is keeping the concrete wet after you pour it. Preferably for 28 days, until it reaches it's design strength.
I installed a 18K do it yourself Mr.Cool mini split last summer. Has worked great and installing it wasn’t too bad. Heats and cools perfect. I built a unistrut bracket for the condenser to sit on, to keep it off the ground about 2 feet. Also I bought a plastic cover kit to conceal all the lines on the outside of the house.
Same here, the unistrut elevates it to prevent the feet from rusting, which wont take long when setting on concrete. Also, there is a condensate drain you need to install if you use it in heat mode so having it off the slab will facilitate installing and eventually unclogging the drain.
Master of the end-credit teaser scene... 👌 Jay Bates did some huge filter boxes on his minisplits a few years ago. Dozer is growing like a weed. Cane Corso or Mastif mix?
A white roof will reduce the heat inside building,and electricity consumption when cooling. Also, vibrations,even limited, will moove the concrete pad over time,being on a gravel rock wich is not supported on its sides or underneath ,being only on the ground,and not in. gravel will settle,and slide,the pad will tilt. Nice work otherwise,i hope it will content you.I'm impatient to see the digger video.
Splendid job John I installed a much smaller system many years ago and it is still working well I was quoted £1300 and so a unit was advertised @ £250 plus £20 for the Trunking for the line so you took the right decision for DIY job as I did.
You will definitely like the mini split over the window units. I've installed a three of these (one under the supervision of an HVAC tech and two myself). You will want to keep an eye on the filter, generally you want to clean them every 30 days, more often in a shop. If it ever feels like it's not working as well as it did, it's probably the filter. You will want to keep the condenser clean as well, I generally hose them off with just plain water ever spring. There are cleaning chemicals (for both indoor and outdoor) but I've heard it's best to avoid those unless it's absolutely necessary (things are really dirty). The indoor unit on the mini split is a great place for mold to grow, you'll want to keep an eye on that. You can get inhibitor sprays and some units you can get a UV light (I've never tried one). The line set isn't charged with refrigerant, it would have a vacuum pulled on them. When you install a traditional mini split you connect the line set purge and leak test with nitrogen and then pull a vacuum on it. The best way to run these units (for efficiency) is to set the temp and just let them run. Granted in your downstairs shop you would not want to do this because you'd just be heating/cooling outside. Your best bet (for efficiency) in that case is to insulate the shop. Heat pumps don't do well in the "only turn it on when I need it scenario." In your upstairs shop (which is insulated?) I'd set the temp and let it run. You can use auto mode to go from heating/cooling as needed but I just switch that manually in my shop, for heating I set it at 68 and leave it be. For cooling, I set it at 72 and leave it. It's more efficient (for a heat pump) to get the space to a set temp and maintain that temp then try to take a space that's 80 and bring it down to 72. If I'm going to be gone for a bit I will bump the temps to 65 (heating) and 75 (cooling). The coil of excess line set is the number one reason I don't like these units. Fine on a shop I suppose it's ok but it's generally makes for an ugly install (in my opinion). When I installed the two most recent units, my HVAC guy flaked out on my so I broke down and bought all the tools needed to do the install. It was ~$1,000 worth of tools but since it was a traditional unit I could trim the line set to just the right length. Plus I have to tools if I need to install another one, or do a repair.
I installed 2 of those (18k, single zone) at our ranch in south Texas. They are easy to install and work great so far. The line covers are a “must” in my opinion- they really give it a clean professional look.
You should have a disconnect outside behind the condenser unit. Use sealtight between the condensor and the disconect to prevent rodents from shortening their teeth on the conductors.
This one is right up my alley. I'm an HVAC guy and I've installed 200+ of these systems. Never Mr cool but Mitsubishi and Daikin. Looks like you're doing everything right. We use the wall brackets sometimes but 90% of the outdoor units just free stand on a plastic or concrete coated foam pad. They also sit on 4 inch snow legs here in Montana if its a heat pump system. You'll be alright if it snows since the unit is under a roof. The biggest thing we triple check is the drainage of the condensation from the head units. Yours just go straight down basically so no problem there. Props on drilling the hole at an angle, thats a pro move. keep in mind you'll get a big patch of ice around the outdoor unit if you run the heat pump a lot in the winter from the outdoor coil defrosting. I assume Mr cool is similar to other brands as far as heat pump efficiency. They'll heat pretty good down to 15f or so, then the heat output starts to drop as the outside temp drops. In cold climates (montana) its best to have electric or gas backup if there's water pipes in the building for the once or twice a year it gets sub zero. Nice install!
@@williwonti I think it will be fine as long as the front of the outdoor unit is clear. Jon mentioned parking his mower in front, I think 4-5 feet of space in front would be fine.
I never realise how long I watch this channel. From the era of canon and giant wood Lockpad. At that time I was learning english, and still not good with gramatics kkkkk
I have installed three mini-splits in my house up and down as well as my shop. They have been gaining popularity for twenty years or more now. DIY has always been a good option. It does require a bit of study and $800 in tools and refrigerant, depending on what you buy and what you have. Mine have been running between three and five years now without any real problems. The Air-Con unit in the shop developed some fan noise in the inside heat exchanger. Seems a poorly designed alternative to a bearing on the fan shaft is the problem but it is livable. It just went from unnoticeable on low fan to now hearing it a bit. The Air-Con units were sold as a model that could live well in the coastal salt air which was not at all true. My third unit was a Senville which was quite a bit better quality at about the same price (all ton and a half units). Mr. Cool sells a compromise. Very easy to install although it is very high priced compared to the regular units of the same size. The installation does not vacuum down the line set and compressor connections which can lead to a shorter service life but you won't see that as an obvious thing. Any moisture in an A/C install, and we are talking microns here, will displace oil and lead to increased wear. So although the lineset is sealed, the compressor is sealed, and the air handler is sealed, each of those joints contains very small amounts of ambient air with humidity in it as you hook them together without evacuating them. Another problem is maintenance with all minis. I haven't seen one that has a heavy enough grade of plastic to withstand assembling and disassembling each year to clean the fan when that means hopefully several years of doing so. They all overrate the compressors' ability to withstand the environment outside with no protection. Snow, ice, leaves, litter, blowing rain (any rain actually as the fan sucks it through) all markedly increase wear on electronic motherboards and all the components inside. They really need shelter and a good drain system that keeps ice from building up into the coils (not good). Linesets need more insulation, much more for top efficiency. Spacing a hot line less than an inch away from a cold line with minimal insulation is not good sense. Splitting them and adding much more is a very good idea. One of my main complaints about the design is that it is impossible to know what your charge is doing by glancing at a gauge. Because you never know where the valve (high side or low side, it shuttles between)is you never know what the flow is doing so gauges can not give you a state of charge reading like they can on a cool only system. You have to extract the charge and weigh it before you know how it is doing. You could have a very slow leak and be running at reduced efficiency for years. It would seem a simple design to have the motherboard time a pressure check with a low or high side to give you the figures in a read out. I have the equipment to weigh my charges but it is time consuming and the natural thing is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" tends to prevail. A large leak you will quickly know and or burn out the compressor but small ones lower efficiency hugely. I can also recommend and additional filtering medium at the top of your air handler. 3M makes a material (amazon) that comes in a small sheet you cut to fit. I have made all three of mine from less than one sheet which is washable and should last the life of the mini. I just cut mine to size and put a weight at each end. This prefilter saves a lot of dust and grime on the mini's which are inside the hood. As I said they all can be installed if you educate yourself and get the appropriate tools and refrigerant. This will save many thousands of dollars in my area and hundreds more in service calls for maintenance.
Dear Jon - please don´t push yourself to hard to get us video content every week! Last Video you saw it yourself - getting hurt by the woodstump cause you didn´t wear gloves to protect your hands! And where did it come from? When people are stressed or tired they become careless! Love all your content , doesn´t matter if 101,102 - or guncraft , but you should also find the time to rest a little bit and enjoy your life - What I´m trying to say is that it won´t hurt anybody to wait a week or two more for a video where we can find you healthy and entertain us with your incredible talents - Best Farmer on the planet
I used a wall bracket for a condenser, worked good. Also, I believe the wall unit have cutouts to run lines vert or horizontal so you can flush mount. Yep, past quiting time, nice jammers.
I installed one of these in my old single level home as it was not plumbed for Central Air. I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I had the 18k btu unit for a home just over 900sq ft and for the 6 years I lived there it kept the house very comfortable all winter and summer. I worked from home the entire time and ran it basically 24/7 and my elec bills were always at or below the average for those in similarly sized homes around me. I would 100% buy one of these again if the circumstances warranted.
just wondering, do you use the split for all heating and cooling or do you still run a furnace and maybe a window ac? what is your average electric bill? Im in New England, NH, we have the highest electric rate in the us. would love to have solar farm.
@@adam03110 I'm not who you asked, but I have a smaller unit that I installed last year. I've seen my electric use cut in half if not 1/3. I'm in Alabama so the cooling is priority. I did use it for heating for most of the cold weather down in teens and close to 0° F some nights. This is cooling/ heating 12'x26.5'x9' cabin with minimal of R19 insulation. My electric usage was less than 500 KW a month before now average maybe 200 KW. My next step is installing solar to unplug from power company.
I installed an 18k single zone one of these last year. I am happy with it overall. The next unit I am putting in will be one with plain tubing and I am buying the tooling to do it. Using a different brand.
Good thing you poured a concrete pad . If you had hung it off the wall, it would have sounded like a diesel idling outside your shop. You did a good job BTY.
I did similar to a mobile home we have on the property, but installed a Gree with 3 heads. It wasn’t very hard to install either, but not idiot proof like that Mr Cool is. I had a local guy come and cut the lines to length and charge the system. He didn’t charge much for that, so it worked out pretty good. When I do the shop, I may try Mr Cool and see how it goes!
Hi! On the inside unit, take away the front over the filter and make a bigger “box” and then you put in extra air-filters to collect the dust in your shop or the dust will destroy the inside unit! You talked about a filter in the end😄 When you leak checked the couplings running in cold mode you have low pressure in the pipes, run it in heat mode and you have much more pressure in the pipes. Always torque the couplings, and when you put on the adapter you need 2 wrenches to torque the adapter, the part that goes in the unit is only soldered! If you do a installation like this in Europe it’s illegal you have to be certified! God luck // Cheva-Pate🇸🇪
Thanks for taking us through the mini-split installation. It'll be helpful in the future when I help my sister install one in her house. Glad to see it worked out so well. Cheers from Oregon, Philip
I put in a 36k unit in my converted pole barn/shop, which has very poor insulation. It's been in for 18 months with no problems, never checked for leaks or bolted the unit down. It's a single zone so the outside unit is half the height and in a shed similar to your setup. Only problem I've had is remembering to turn it off at the end of the day it's so quiet. I mounted the remote next to the door to make sure I check it before turning off the lights. Very happy with both the heat and cool, mostly cool here in Tx.
Hey Jon, Blasting 4 tons to cool it fast is one thing, but it takes time to dehumidify. Better to cool over time to get rid of the humidity if you live in a high humidity climate. Cheers.
John, this was very informative. We are considering a mini-split system for the second floor of our house. This video will help me determine our requirements, even though we're having an HVAC tech do the work. Excellent. Much appreciated.
Jon, Thanks for the install and review video. Of course I would have made the same (probably more) mistakes, but you conquered the beast! That really is a nice system and (as you said) very well engineered. I’m thinking about getting one for my garage and would record it if Mr. Cool would like to help me out as I’m retired military and on a tight budget! Anyway, They really do seem to be nice units and well thought out. A neighbor of mine was asking what I would recommend for his garage and I told him to check out the Mr. Cool. He’s not very mecanically inclined, so I offered to help him if he does…haha. These Mr. Cool Units are another wonderful innovation that was invented and has becime popular during ny lifetime. Big Congratulations to them and to you Jon for getting one for your shops!
We had a mini-split installed in our garage and our FROG, which is where i spend most of my time. The one in the FROG is on the wall with the atic on the other side. (I had the HVAC guys do the install.) They ran the refrig, electric and drain lines out the exterior wall and down the outside wall. In our case, we don't have a roof to worry about the lines going through, so we don't need to worry about leaks. They did a good job of sealing the holes in the walls. Yeah, we paid $12k for about a 3-4 ton unit with install. The original one was a Samsung, which seemed to work very nicely, was very efficient and had tight thermostat control. Until it didn't. We had a new, less-expensice HVAC company by then, and they worked hard to repair it. Unfortunately, they replaced every single board on the unit , but it still wouldn't work. They had to call Samsung in Japan and discuss the troubleshooting each time. I suppose there was something lost in translation. And apparently they'd had similar poblems with other units of the same brand. To make a long story shorter, they ended up replacing the entire system, basically at cost 9f the system. In orher words, they did the install for free. It took several guys 2 days to pull out the old one and put in the new one. This time, they used a Motsubishi, which they've have better luck maintain8ng. Now, years later, it still works, but the temp control isn't as tight. Good luck with your system!
Some of these units have an app as well. You could turn them on remotely if wifi was available in advance of using shop. Speaking of shop... I'm envious. 😊 nice video.would recommend a service disconnect on exterior wall next to compressor just in case service call is needed.
Like a right of passage. Every RUclips channel needs a Mr Cool commercial and another for those damn battery/inverter units. Glad to get this out of the way on this channel.
I guess we could spend OUR hard earned money on jacked up four-wheel-drive diesel trucks to spew out black smoke all over you when you’re driving down the interstate. I guess we could spend it on two ATVs to ride our obese guts around on and pull it around with the above diesel truck.
27:15 Interesting design choice, they ask you to make the hole downwards (as with any aircon) but then you insert a cover from the outside which creates a lip.
OK Big Jon, Another video of fine content and very good editing. A couple things I thought about as you went about your installation. 1) Back in 1978 my Mom and Dad put together the plans for their retirement home. It turned out to be a 5,000 ft^2 brick house with a full basement and attached garage. Dad asked me and my older brother what he should heat it with since there was no natural gas. Dad and Brother decided to go with air-to-air heat pump doing double duty as an ac unit. I wanted geothermal. Dad had a well drilled that turned out to be "salty" to the taste and didn't use. The well driller went way way down deep and passed good tasting water and had to drill another time to get it right. So, to this day there is a wellhead for anyone to use if you don't mind a little salt taste. It could have easily been used for a heat pump. I remember being over at Dad's when it was -10°F and watching the steam come off the thing as it did it's defrost. Dad commented that doing that also costs money. So Dad duplicated my "passive" wood heater setup I had down in his basement. He got a mason to put in a flue in the same chase as the double sided fireplace and had dump trucks of firewood dropped by the basement windows. He paid 5 grandkids 1¢/ log to throw them thru the window. That worked for about 17yrs, then the heat pump took a dump. After rebuilding it Dad was not happy. He figured it hadn't paid back the extra cost of having the latest and greatest heating and cooling system. He decided to go with high efficiency Propane for heat and he quit the wood heater part altogether. So, even though the house had tons of extra insulation, code for Michigan electric heat, and he had a senior citizen discount on the electricity, he went to all that extra to make his air-to-air heat pump work. Moral: I sincerely hope things are better these days. Mini split systems weren't around back in the late 70's. And Dad was not poor, he just didn't like being wasteful about things, and using so much electricity bothered him. 2) I had a friend who's kid worked in heating and cooling. He got me a 4 ton AC setup for about $900. The compressor, A coil, tubes, electric box and a plastic pad to put the compressor on. So, unless things have changed pretty drastically, it sounds like the company you dealt with is cutting out the middle man, but giving themselves a bigger profit margin on sales to DIY'ers. It's pretty nice to have someone in the business who can provide wholesale prices, and if needed can lend a hand. Although he said he'd charge me if I needed him. Ha. OK, I've said my piece, let the trolls take it from here. ben/ michigan
Great job. You are an expert in so many areas. One comment on the new air conditioner for the shop. Where you have the unit sitting out in your outside area, I would definitely protect the compressor with some sort of guard to protect it from getting bumped with moving vehicles like lawnmowers, and anything that gets moved around. Note: I notice you do bump into things occasionally. You have a super program. Keep it up. Gary Yaley
An issue you may run into by running 4 tons of cooling in such a small space is humidity. You probably don't have a lot of humidity there, unlike here on the gulf coast, but if you cool it down too fast what you'll do is go from 10% humidity to like 80% very quickly because the system won't have time to suck out all the moisture. You might end up with mold growth.
I might be so bold to suggest using two Nest thermostats to automate the operation of the two units upstairs. These can be operated by cell phone or tablet using WiFi. They work great and are programmable for timing and temperatures for heat and cooling.
We installed a mini split on our boat. Totally not rated for that, but it's been going strong for 8 years. We live aboard full time, so it sees a LOT of use. The only issue we've had is that it's designed so the condensate drips into a pan and then into the drain hose. When we use it in heavy seas with the boat heeling hard to starboard, the pan overflows and it drips all down the interior wall. I suspect you won't have that particular problem, but when you mentioned 50mph winds...
Don’t know what the humidity is like in your neck of the woods. The only problem I see with running 4 tons of air in that small space you could have what they call flash cooling. It’ll be cool, but leave the humidity behind something to look out for. Keep on. Keeping on.
I've installed many of these types of units, as a subcontractor, helping a friend of mine who is in fact a red seal certified hvac technician. I wouldn't have worried about going through the roof personally, to each their own though, so long as its level/plumb, it doesnt really matter. I'm also a contractor, so everything is a hammer. Lol Edit: ah. Pre purged lines, should have watched a bit further, we always cut them to length, to make the install clean, not a fan of coiling them up behind the unit, mainly for esthetic purposes. That's just me however
That's the corect way then vac out the sure line set before releasing refrigerant even if Mr cool says not too many people run into issues by not doing that mickey pipes just did a video on another rebadged gree mini split which is what the Mr cool mini splits are and someone did not have the linesets cut and reflared properly and it got kinks in it and gut green corosian on it or acid. And finally I recommend you still have a Profesional hvac tech run the linesets and do the vacaum process if you do not have the equipment to do it.
Not sure your mice situation there, but we are in the woods and have a carrier mini-split, And we have had an ongoing battle with them Moving in and nesting using the internal insulation as bedding, eating the line set insulation and moving into the line guard chase, and chewing wires. Suggest using copper wool at the end of the line guard mouse entry point, and get creative with blocking ingress to the outside unit. I put copper wool over the bottom pan drain and the fan grille, which is extreme but so is replacing mother boards on the unit. Other than that these units are so much better than central, and they’ve been around for a long time in most other countries, so time tested,
FYI - instead of going back out and down (for the upstairs one), there is a cutout on the side where you can just go out the side, then go down much easier.
Forgot to mention, my second channel is Farmcraft102. This was a great addition to my shop. Installation was definitely easier than expected. My only critiques are that I wish the base was easier (maybe I should have looked into getting the wall bracket), and that I wish they sold a reasonably priced pre-filter for my dusty shop environment. Minor critiques, the base wasn't that bad, and I'll just build a pre-filter box. Have an awesome weekend everybody!
The thing about most multi split systems is they use inverter technology. Becsuse of this is the unit only uses the amount of cooling capacity that is necessary. Even tho it is a 2 ton unit if it only needs 1 ton to do the job the unit will effectively become a 1 ton unit by slowing the compressor using the inverter technology thereby using only 1 ton worth of electricity. One of the many advantages to a mini split system. It is like having a gas pedal, it throttles itself according to the needs of the area. Very cool. (no pun intended. Lol)
Thanks for the upload, as always! What the heck is up with like a 10% dislike in 30 minutes? you got some mad people at you or something for being too crafty and awesome?
What's your second channel called?
@@jcusak Yeah, I heard "second channel" and I'm over here searching, too.
@@thadkissick same, cant see link anywhere :D
ok its
FarmCraft102
Oh that teaser at the end! Also, Dozer is getting big!
A note for anyone subject to code compliance, or expecting to be in the near future - officially, you need a disconnect and outlet within a few feet of the outside unit. Generally people use conduit or romex through the wall into the back of the disconnect, and then an "appliance whip" from the disconnect into the compressor. Not a safety issue per se, I believe it's so that anyone servicing it can be confident that power is off.
Also, good call-out on testing for leaks in heat mode - the pressures overall are higher in that case, IIRC.
Yeah, seeing that cable penetrating a wall not into a box gave me a bit of a shudder. Even more when I realized the missing box would be the disconnect. Oh well.
Is the outlet supposed to be on the same circuit as the disconnect/compressor?
@@fakename287 officially no, so service equipment can still be used. I ran conduit for my install with both circuits inside.
The need for an outlet near the equipment is for service tools… in these modern times of battery based tools the outlet just really isn’t necessary. Even the vacuum pumps for pump downs run on batteries. However most codes will still require an outlet on s separate circuit.
Spot on @karlanke...the exposed cabe with no disconnect was not the way I expected Jon to go....after watching countless hours of FC101 and seeing Jon always go the extra mile, I was pretty surprised at this.
Haha we used to say “there is nothing more permanent than a temporary fix “. All the best - good job!
I've had my mr cool for over a year and I couldn't be more happy. I went with the 36000 btu system and was able to install it by myself over a couple of days.
I’m a big fan of the mini-splits, I bought a different brand offered local to my state with a multizone setup combined with the old central hvac. My HVAC was not keeping the house cool during the summer months very well, but the cheapest price I was offered for replacement/repair was double the kit cost for mini-split. So I bought the kit and installed the ceiling cassette style in the ceiling of the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom myself over a week after work. That was 8 years ago that I installed those and the system still works perfectly. I did have to vacuum out the lines with my DIY kit, but was able to rent a a/c pump and gauge kit from auto parts store. I set the mini-split to my main temp temperature and the old HVAC to a few degrees above and it rarely ever comes on to aid the mini-split. I can’t remember the last time I heard the old hvac come on.
You might consider putting the external electrical wire in conduit. The environment you live has a lot of critters that will think anything soft is food. Nice installation, it will make time in the shop much more enjoyable. KOKO!
Mr. Cool - THAT'S HOW YOU SELL UNITS! This was one of Jon's best single videos so far. Sorry, my favorites are still the multi-part series... but what a great way to showcase the ease of your product's installation... and that trick with the pre-charged lines is AMAZING.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but Jay Bates had a good video on making a pre-filter for his unit in his wood shop. Great video!
The hammer drill joke was good 😂
49:28 - The mini electrical tape roll on the socket.... Brilliant. ty.
Contractor wanted 18,000 dollars to do this same type of system in house ,yea screw that im looking into doing this instead , thanks for the information !
Wrap the white wire with red tape. 240 volt circuits should be red/black. Someone unfamiliar could confuse it with a 120 volt. I know, doesn’t make sense but I have seen it happen many times. 😊
John. Most (all I've seen/installed as an hvac mechanic) of those split systems indoor units have cutouts for the lines to come out the side or bottom so they can be mounted to a wall without needing standoffs.
Having your own sawmill means you have the nicest looking form boards ever!
"I don't always trowel concrete, but when I do, I wear Crocs and pajama pants." ~ Jon
LMAO
Is there a video so all of us can watch 😂😂
@@bombardier3qtrlbpsi 22:10 in the video.
My daughter was watching with me and said "Dad he works in Crocs too".
Thumbs up for this alone!
Mini roll of electrical tape!!! Genius!! Thank you!!!
Hammer drill… I love it.
You’re cooling problem upstairs. I wonder if it could be a problem with “heat compression“, that is where an attic space heats to the point where it progressively produces radiant heat through the ceiling and heats the space below. Improved convective ventilation, or forced ventilation could possibly relieve some of the excess heat. It’s no fun trying to read a tape measure with sweat running in your eyes.
in 1980 when I built my house, I ordered a complete precharged 5 ton split unit from Sears. Not really a typical DIY, but doable with a little duct and electrical knowledge.
For the benefit of other viewers when drilling joists always use the middle third, not the top or bottom thirds as this zone carries less stress than the other two.
I installed a mini split in my barn and looked at the Mr Cool DIY option. You pay a lot for the special pre charged lines. An Amazon bought vacuum pump was a little over $100. So I did with less expensive mini split. You need the vacuum to take the air out of the lines. The coolant is in the compressor and you just turn a valve after to release it into the line set. It’s been working for almost a year.
If you have a video showing how to accomplish the vaccum and charge of line (and where to obtain the proper fluids), I'd watch it.
@@tombrownca If you look for it, there are videos showing the process. The refrigerant comes already in the compressor. You suck as much air as you can from the lines (half hour recommended) with the vacuum pump close the valves and then open a valve with an allen key to release the refrigerant that is under pressure into the lines.
I used to come for the seals. Now I'm all about the goats!
John. Don’t get beating yourself up about how you mounted that main unit. You did a great Job. I knew an old couple who got paid a great deal of money getting one of these things installed, one time and they didn’t do any better than a few rough old house bricks as a base.
The guy who did the fitting didn’t rip them off either. Had one hell of a new Tesla though, all the same.
John.
Love the show and your low key style of delivery. After watching your AC project I thought you might get some flash rusting on your machines with that much cooling. I use a product called Dry Coat Rust Preventative. Just spray it on the steel surfaces and it dries fast to a clear coat. Stops rusting 100% , or as you say “ a good seal” .
JC
I love my MrCool unit! Easy to install, super efficient! 2 years running with no problems! Just make sure you clean it every once in a while.
Ok John you did a great job. So lets look at a few things that are the basics of heating cooling units no matter the system you are using. You have to have a disconnect at the outdoor unit. Code required. Your breaker location can't be seen from the unit. The next thing, the vertical loops in the line set at the outdoor units. They are oil traps and huge. The compressor pumps refrigerant as well it's oil. Your frig and freezer and house a/c do the same thing. You get a leak and the compressor keeps pumping but now doesn't have what it needs for oil return. Guess where the oil is. In those big loops. Locked up compressor with no oil. You willing to chance it. There is not a gallon of oil in the compressor. In Hvac world maybe less than 16 oz.
I just did one of these last week, 24k, and 3 9k heads.
Im in NY north of the city. My friend was quoted 22k, and this is normal prices around here. His kit was 7 all in with an extra lineset and all the electric stuff.
My only gripe with the kit is that it needs more length options. I'd even be willing to wait for custom hoses and wires.
The 4 unit heads have a lot of coiled hose to deal with .
Hi !
Nice video - be aware that these unit CAN produce a lot of cendensed water and if you have low temps you'll get a frozen surfaces where the water drains out on the 'floor' - my SMALLER unit produces 10-12 liters running 24 hours !!!!!
I collect the water and uses it for different purposes.
Best
Keld in Denmark
Thanks for another great video Jon. I am an all rounder like yourself and I enjoy learning from your posts. Some tips regarding concrete plinths. Tapping the formwork early with a hammer helps get rid of air bubbles and improves the finish off the form. Instead of gravel you could have used higher formwork placed directly on the ground with some blocks or bricks inside to reduce the concrete volume required. A day where you don't learn something is a day wasted IMO.
Oh I laughed all the way to the end of the video after the “Hammer drill” comment. You are so fun to watch. You have inspired me to tackle projects I would never have tackled. Thank you!
I wish so bad I was your next door neighbor. I would gladly volunteer to just follow you around learning as the day goes. RUclips is the next best thing. You’re a genius!
I very much love your channel and content. Been watching for years. This project was a piece of cake when compared to fixing the mechanics on the heavy equipment (tele handler, bulldozer, etc) …. and you’re right that concrete slab “isn’t going anywhere”. Most ac contractors would have considered those concrete block you had as over kill.
I think you made the right call on the slab mounting base. I have seen some vibration issues with the wall brackets once the fans get some imbalance from dirt. The mass of the concrete acts like a damper to mitigate vibration.
I agree, the ones I’ve mounted on the wall has a lot of noise transfer through the wall to indoors.
Love your videos. Regarding concrete: One of the most important things is keeping the concrete wet after you pour it. Preferably for 28 days, until it reaches it's design strength.
OMG the excavator teaser at the end!!!!! John is the man
Thanks for taking us along on this one. oh and masterful set up for the "next" project.
I installed a 18K do it yourself Mr.Cool mini split last summer. Has worked great and installing it wasn’t too bad.
Heats and cools perfect. I built a unistrut bracket for the condenser to sit on, to keep it off the ground about 2 feet. Also I bought a plastic cover kit to conceal all the lines on the outside of the house.
Same here, the unistrut elevates it to prevent the feet from rusting, which wont take long when setting on concrete. Also, there is a condensate drain you need to install if you use it in heat mode so having it off the slab will facilitate installing and eventually unclogging the drain.
Master of the end-credit teaser scene... 👌 Jay Bates did some huge filter boxes on his minisplits a few years ago. Dozer is growing like a weed. Cane Corso or Mastif mix?
Anatolian shepherd.
I really like the indoor conduit. Looks cleaner helps protect it, easier to inspect.
A white roof will reduce the heat inside building,and electricity consumption when cooling.
Also, vibrations,even limited, will moove the concrete pad over time,being on a gravel rock wich is not supported on its sides or underneath ,being only on the ground,and not in.
gravel will settle,and slide,the pad will tilt.
Nice work otherwise,i hope it will content you.I'm impatient to see the digger video.
Splendid job John I installed a much smaller system many years ago and it is still working well I was quoted £1300 and so a unit was advertised @ £250 plus £20 for the Trunking for the line so you took the right decision for DIY job as I did.
You will definitely like the mini split over the window units.
I've installed a three of these (one under the supervision of an HVAC tech and two myself).
You will want to keep an eye on the filter, generally you want to clean them every 30 days, more often in a shop. If it ever feels like it's not working as well as it did, it's probably the filter.
You will want to keep the condenser clean as well, I generally hose them off with just plain water ever spring. There are cleaning chemicals (for both indoor and outdoor) but I've heard it's best to avoid those unless it's absolutely necessary (things are really dirty).
The indoor unit on the mini split is a great place for mold to grow, you'll want to keep an eye on that. You can get inhibitor sprays and some units you can get a UV light (I've never tried one).
The line set isn't charged with refrigerant, it would have a vacuum pulled on them. When you install a traditional mini split you connect the line set purge and leak test with nitrogen and then pull a vacuum on it.
The best way to run these units (for efficiency) is to set the temp and just let them run. Granted in your downstairs shop you would not want to do this because you'd just be heating/cooling outside. Your best bet (for efficiency) in that case is to insulate the shop. Heat pumps don't do well in the "only turn it on when I need it scenario." In your upstairs shop (which is insulated?) I'd set the temp and let it run. You can use auto mode to go from heating/cooling as needed but I just switch that manually in my shop, for heating I set it at 68 and leave it be. For cooling, I set it at 72 and leave it. It's more efficient (for a heat pump) to get the space to a set temp and maintain that temp then try to take a space that's 80 and bring it down to 72. If I'm going to be gone for a bit I will bump the temps to 65 (heating) and 75 (cooling).
The coil of excess line set is the number one reason I don't like these units. Fine on a shop I suppose it's ok but it's generally makes for an ugly install (in my opinion). When I installed the two most recent units, my HVAC guy flaked out on my so I broke down and bought all the tools needed to do the install. It was ~$1,000 worth of tools but since it was a traditional unit I could trim the line set to just the right length. Plus I have to tools if I need to install another one, or do a repair.
Enjoyed the “aging wheels” style time-lapse.
Cool...Mr. Cool...Mini split... not forced. Love these things. Even an energy rebate in my area.
You are one of three RUclips’s that I watch that I check the thumbs up before I even start the video
Hammer drill ha ha ha lol
I installed 2 of those (18k, single zone) at our ranch in south Texas. They are easy to install and work great so far. The line covers are a “must” in my opinion- they really give it a clean professional look.
Your work ethics and knowledge make EVERY project look easy
You should have a disconnect outside behind the condenser unit. Use sealtight between the condensor and the disconect to prevent rodents from shortening their teeth on the conductors.
This one is right up my alley. I'm an HVAC guy and I've installed 200+ of these systems. Never Mr cool but Mitsubishi and Daikin. Looks like you're doing everything right. We use the wall brackets sometimes but 90% of the outdoor units just free stand on a plastic or concrete coated foam pad. They also sit on 4 inch snow legs here in Montana if its a heat pump system. You'll be alright if it snows since the unit is under a roof. The biggest thing we triple check is the drainage of the condensation from the head units. Yours just go straight down basically so no problem there. Props on drilling the hole at an angle, thats a pro move. keep in mind you'll get a big patch of ice around the outdoor unit if you run the heat pump a lot in the winter from the outdoor coil defrosting.
I assume Mr cool is similar to other brands as far as heat pump efficiency. They'll heat pretty good down to 15f or so, then the heat output starts to drop as the outside temp drops. In cold climates (montana) its best to have electric or gas backup if there's water pipes in the building for the once or twice a year it gets sub zero.
Nice install!
You think it would be worth the effort for him to point a fan across the outside unit on really hot days since it's so cooped up?
@@williwonti I think it will be fine as long as the front of the outdoor unit is clear. Jon mentioned parking his mower in front, I think 4-5 feet of space in front would be fine.
Love John’s videos. He’s a hard worker, very widely talented and interesting to watch/listen to.
Coming along nicely Jon The Conduit covers Look really clean 32:55 @FarmCraft101
I put my 18K BTU in 3 years ago. I had to add 2 lbs of freon this week. It sure does keep my 20x30 garage workshop cool.
I never realise how long I watch this channel. From the era of canon and giant wood Lockpad. At that time I was learning english, and still not good with gramatics kkkkk
I have installed three mini-splits in my house up and down as well as my shop. They have been gaining popularity for twenty years or more now. DIY has always been a good option. It does require a bit of study and $800 in tools and refrigerant, depending on what you buy and what you have. Mine have been running between three and five years now without any real problems. The Air-Con unit in the shop developed some fan noise in the inside heat exchanger. Seems a poorly designed alternative to a bearing on the fan shaft is the problem but it is livable. It just went from unnoticeable on low fan to now hearing it a bit. The Air-Con units were sold as a model that could live well in the coastal salt air which was not at all true. My third unit was a Senville which was quite a bit better quality at about the same price (all ton and a half units). Mr. Cool sells a compromise. Very easy to install although it is very high priced compared to the regular units of the same size. The installation does not vacuum down the line set and compressor connections which can lead to a shorter service life but you won't see that as an obvious thing. Any moisture in an A/C install, and we are talking microns here, will displace oil and lead to increased wear. So although the lineset is sealed, the compressor is sealed, and the air handler is sealed, each of those joints contains very small amounts of ambient air with humidity in it as you hook them together without evacuating them. Another problem is maintenance with all minis. I haven't seen one that has a heavy enough grade of plastic to withstand assembling and disassembling each year to clean the fan when that means hopefully several years of doing so. They all overrate the compressors' ability to withstand the environment outside with no protection. Snow, ice, leaves, litter, blowing rain (any rain actually as the fan sucks it through) all markedly increase wear on electronic motherboards and all the components inside. They really need shelter and a good drain system that keeps ice from building up into the coils (not good). Linesets need more insulation, much more for top efficiency. Spacing a hot line less than an inch away from a cold line with minimal insulation is not good sense. Splitting them and adding much more is a very good idea. One of my main complaints about the design is that it is impossible to know what your charge is doing by glancing at a gauge. Because you never know where the valve (high side or low side, it shuttles between)is you never know what the flow is doing so gauges can not give you a state of charge reading like they can on a cool only system. You have to extract the charge and weigh it before you know how it is doing. You could have a very slow leak and be running at reduced efficiency for years. It would seem a simple design to have the motherboard time a pressure check with a low or high side to give you the figures in a read out. I have the equipment to weigh my charges but it is time consuming and the natural thing is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" tends to prevail. A large leak you will quickly know and or burn out the compressor but small ones lower efficiency hugely. I can also recommend and additional filtering medium at the top of your air handler. 3M makes a material (amazon) that comes in a small sheet you cut to fit. I have made all three of mine from less than one sheet which is washable and should last the life of the mini. I just cut mine to size and put a weight at each end. This prefilter saves a lot of dust and grime on the mini's which are inside the hood. As I said they all can be installed if you educate yourself and get the appropriate tools and refrigerant. This will save many thousands of dollars in my area and hundreds more in service calls for maintenance.
Dear Jon - please don´t push yourself to hard to get us video content every week! Last Video you saw it yourself - getting hurt by the woodstump cause you didn´t wear gloves to protect your hands! And where did it come from? When people are stressed or tired they become careless!
Love all your content , doesn´t matter if 101,102 - or guncraft , but you should also find the time to rest a little bit and enjoy your life - What I´m trying to say is that it won´t hurt anybody to wait a week or two more for a video where we can find you
healthy and entertain us with your incredible talents - Best Farmer on the planet
This comment really should be at the top!
@@swede178 Oh, good grief!
Shut the hell up. You safety commies get on my nerves! Get some rest? Millennial BS!
I used a wall bracket for a condenser, worked good. Also, I believe the wall unit have cutouts to run lines vert or horizontal so you can flush mount.
Yep, past quiting time, nice jammers.
Been thinking about getting a heat pump for my shop once I have it finished ... This kinda sold me on Mr Cool.
I installed one of these in my old single level home as it was not plumbed for Central Air. I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I had the 18k btu unit for a home just over 900sq ft and for the 6 years I lived there it kept the house very comfortable all winter and summer. I worked from home the entire time and ran it basically 24/7 and my elec bills were always at or below the average for those in similarly sized homes around me. I would 100% buy one of these again if the circumstances warranted.
just wondering, do you use the split for all heating and cooling or do you still run a furnace and maybe a window ac? what is your average electric bill? Im in New England, NH, we have the highest electric rate in the us. would love to have solar farm.
@@adam03110
I'm not who you asked, but I have a smaller unit that I installed last year. I've seen my electric use cut in half if not 1/3. I'm in Alabama so the cooling is priority. I did use it for heating for most of the cold weather down in teens and close to 0° F some nights. This is cooling/ heating 12'x26.5'x9' cabin with minimal of R19 insulation.
My electric usage was less than 500 KW a month before now average maybe 200 KW. My next step is installing solar to unplug from power company.
Live in pittsburgh did it get cold like zero sometimes
I installed an 18k single zone one of these last year. I am happy with it overall. The next unit I am putting in will be one with plain tubing and I am buying the tooling to do it. Using a different brand.
I'm impressed by MrCool. Looks relatively easy to install and high quality.
Good thing you poured a concrete pad . If you had hung it off the wall, it would have sounded like a diesel idling outside your shop. You did a good job BTY.
I did similar to a mobile home we have on the property, but installed a Gree with 3 heads. It wasn’t very hard to install either, but not idiot proof like that Mr Cool is. I had a local guy come and cut the lines to length and charge the system. He didn’t charge much for that, so it worked out pretty good. When I do the shop, I may try Mr Cool and see how it goes!
Hi! On the inside unit, take away the front over the filter and make a bigger “box” and then you put in extra air-filters to collect the dust in your shop or the dust will destroy the inside unit! You talked about a filter in the end😄
When you leak checked the couplings running in cold mode you have low pressure in the pipes, run it in heat mode and you have much more pressure in the pipes.
Always torque the couplings, and when you put on the adapter you need 2 wrenches to torque the adapter, the part that goes in the unit is only soldered!
If you do a installation like this in Europe it’s illegal you have to be certified!
God luck // Cheva-Pate🇸🇪
Thanks for taking us through the mini-split installation. It'll be helpful in the future when I help my sister install one in her house.
Glad to see it worked out so well.
Cheers from Oregon,
Philip
I put in a 36k unit in my converted pole barn/shop, which has very poor insulation. It's been in for 18 months with no problems, never checked for leaks or bolted the unit down. It's a single zone so the outside unit is half the height and in a shed similar to your setup. Only problem I've had is remembering to turn it off at the end of the day it's so quiet. I mounted the remote next to the door to make sure I check it before turning off the lights. Very happy with both the heat and cool, mostly cool here in Tx.
Hey Jon, Blasting 4 tons to cool it fast is one thing, but it takes time to dehumidify. Better to cool over time to get rid of the humidity if you live in a high humidity climate. Cheers.
John, this was very informative. We are considering a mini-split system for the second floor of our house. This video will help me determine our requirements, even though we're having an HVAC tech do the work. Excellent. Much appreciated.
Subtlety and sarcasm are 2 of the reasons i watch this channel. also...the occasional Metal outtro is kinda cool🤘
Jon, Thanks for the install and review video. Of course I would have made the same (probably more) mistakes, but you conquered the beast! That really is a nice system and (as you said) very well engineered. I’m thinking about getting one for my garage and would record it if Mr. Cool would like to help me out as I’m retired military and on a tight budget! Anyway, They really do seem to be nice units and well thought out. A neighbor of mine was asking what I would recommend for his garage and I told him to check out the Mr. Cool. He’s not very mecanically inclined, so I offered to help him if he does…haha. These Mr. Cool Units are another wonderful innovation that was invented and has becime popular during ny lifetime. Big Congratulations to them and to you Jon for getting one for your shops!
Ive had my minisplit condenser unit outside on a wooden box for about a year now works great 🤣 I have the wall bracket but I never finish anything
Dozer didn’t hike his leg on your install, so you did great!
We had a mini-split installed in our garage and our FROG, which is where i spend most of my time. The one in the FROG is on the wall with the atic on the other side. (I had the HVAC guys do the install.)
They ran the refrig, electric and drain lines out the exterior wall and down the outside wall. In our case, we don't have a roof to worry about the lines going through, so we don't need to worry about leaks. They did a good job of sealing the holes in the walls.
Yeah, we paid $12k for about a 3-4 ton unit with install. The original one was a Samsung, which seemed to work very nicely, was very efficient and had tight thermostat control. Until it didn't.
We had a new, less-expensice HVAC company by then, and they worked hard to repair it. Unfortunately, they replaced every single board on the unit , but it still wouldn't work. They had to call Samsung in Japan and discuss the troubleshooting each time. I suppose there was something lost in translation. And apparently they'd had similar poblems with other units of the same brand.
To make a long story shorter, they ended up replacing the entire system, basically at cost 9f the system. In orher words, they did the install for free. It took several guys 2 days to pull out the old one and put in the new one. This time, they used a Motsubishi, which they've have better luck maintain8ng. Now, years later, it still works, but the temp control isn't as tight.
Good luck with your system!
Some of these units have an app as well. You could turn them on remotely if wifi was available in advance of using shop. Speaking of shop... I'm envious. 😊 nice video.would recommend a service disconnect on exterior wall next to compressor just in case service call is needed.
Like a right of passage. Every RUclips channel needs a Mr Cool commercial and another for those damn battery/inverter units. Glad to get this out of the way on this channel.
If you dont llike it dont watch it
I guess we could spend OUR hard earned money on jacked up four-wheel-drive diesel trucks to spew out black smoke all over you when you’re driving down the interstate.
I guess we could spend it on two ATVs to ride our obese guts around on and pull it around with the above diesel truck.
Good job! Yup Mr. Cool was sort of the start of the "DIY Minisplit" hence the pre-charged lines. I would torque the lines to spec.
Great job You obviously have numerous skill levels.
27:15 Interesting design choice, they ask you to make the hole downwards (as with any aircon) but then you insert a cover from the outside which creates a lip.
Man, Dozer got big! Thank you for another video!
OK Big Jon, Another video of fine content and very good editing. A couple things I thought about as you went about your installation. 1) Back in 1978 my Mom and Dad put together the plans for their retirement home. It turned out to be a 5,000 ft^2 brick house with a full basement and attached garage. Dad asked me and my older brother what he should heat it with since there was no natural gas. Dad and Brother decided to go with air-to-air heat pump doing double duty as an ac unit. I wanted geothermal. Dad had a well drilled that turned out to be "salty" to the taste and didn't use. The well driller went way way down deep and passed good tasting water and had to drill another time to get it right. So, to this day there is a wellhead for anyone to use if you don't mind a little salt taste. It could have easily been used for a heat pump. I remember being over at Dad's when it was -10°F and watching the steam come off the thing as it did it's defrost. Dad commented that doing that also costs money. So Dad duplicated my "passive" wood heater setup I had down in his basement. He got a mason to put in a flue in the same chase as the double sided fireplace and had dump trucks of firewood dropped by the basement windows. He paid 5 grandkids 1¢/ log to throw them thru the window. That worked for about 17yrs, then the heat pump took a dump. After rebuilding it Dad was not happy. He figured it hadn't paid back the extra cost of having the latest and greatest heating and cooling system. He decided to go with high efficiency Propane for heat and he quit the wood heater part altogether. So, even though the house had tons of extra insulation, code for Michigan electric heat, and he had a senior citizen discount on the electricity, he went to all that extra to make his air-to-air heat pump work. Moral: I sincerely hope things are better these days. Mini split systems weren't around back in the late 70's. And Dad was not poor, he just didn't like being wasteful about things, and using so much electricity bothered him. 2) I had a friend who's kid worked in heating and cooling. He got me a 4 ton AC setup for about $900. The compressor, A coil, tubes, electric box and a plastic pad to put the compressor on. So, unless things have changed pretty drastically, it sounds like the company you dealt with is cutting out the middle man, but giving themselves a bigger profit margin on sales to DIY'ers. It's pretty nice to have someone in the business who can provide wholesale prices, and if needed can lend a hand. Although he said he'd charge me if I needed him. Ha. OK, I've said my piece, let the trolls take it from here. ben/ michigan
Got to love concrete work its always Fun Jon 18:00 @FarmCraft101
Great job. You are an expert in so many areas. One comment on the new air conditioner for the shop. Where you have the unit sitting out in your outside area, I would definitely protect the compressor with some sort of guard to protect it from getting bumped with moving vehicles like lawnmowers, and anything that gets moved around. Note: I notice you do bump into things occasionally. You have a super program. Keep it up.
Gary Yaley
Keep it up!
Thanks. Such a good example for younger people. John really enjoys doing this.
That teaser at the end was perfect!
An issue you may run into by running 4 tons of cooling in such a small space is humidity. You probably don't have a lot of humidity there, unlike here on the gulf coast, but if you cool it down too fast what you'll do is go from 10% humidity to like 80% very quickly because the system won't have time to suck out all the moisture. You might end up with mold growth.
This is an inverter mini-split AC, they don't really have this problem. In fact, they are very good at making room bone dry at low fan speeds.
J-cloth makes a good dust collector and filter. I use it on my computer vents. Works great.
The Dream Collab, Farmcraft and Technology Connections talking about Heat Pumps!
Nice job Jon. BTW, Freon is R-12. Those units don’t use R-12. Just saying “refrigerant” is more accurate 😉.
Thanks for the mini roll tape trick
FC101, looks like a professional job installing the Mr. Cool System.. will keep ur butt cool in the summer and warm in the winter. great job..
Thank you Mr. Cool Good for you John I'm excited for ya.
I might be so bold to suggest using two Nest thermostats to automate the operation of the two units upstairs. These can be operated by cell phone or tablet using WiFi. They work great and are programmable for timing and temperatures for heat and cooling.
You're the third RUclipsr to install heat pumps. I have seen 🐿️
Condenser Drainage may benefit from a Gravel pit receptacle... Nicely Done, Thx for sharing.
We installed a mini split on our boat. Totally not rated for that, but it's been going strong for 8 years. We live aboard full time, so it sees a LOT of use. The only issue we've had is that it's designed so the condensate drips into a pan and then into the drain hose. When we use it in heavy seas with the boat heeling hard to starboard, the pan overflows and it drips all down the interior wall. I suspect you won't have that particular problem, but when you mentioned 50mph winds...
Don’t know what the humidity is like in your neck of the woods. The only problem I see with running 4 tons of air in that small space you could have what they call flash cooling. It’ll be cool, but leave the humidity behind something to look out for. Keep on. Keeping on.
Hey John, There's a broken bridge in Baltimore Harbor you could tackle!
I've installed many of these types of units, as a subcontractor, helping a friend of mine who is in fact a red seal certified hvac technician. I wouldn't have worried about going through the roof personally, to each their own though, so long as its level/plumb, it doesnt really matter.
I'm also a contractor, so everything is a hammer. Lol
Edit: ah. Pre purged lines, should have watched a bit further, we always cut them to length, to make the install clean, not a fan of coiling them up behind the unit, mainly for esthetic purposes. That's just me however
That's the corect way then vac out the sure line set before releasing refrigerant even if Mr cool says not too many people run into issues by not doing that mickey pipes just did a video on another rebadged gree mini split which is what the Mr cool mini splits are and someone did not have the linesets cut and reflared properly and it got kinks in it and gut green corosian on it or acid. And finally I recommend you still have a Profesional hvac tech run the linesets and do the vacaum process if you do not have the equipment to do it.
To meet NEC code, you need to wrap the white wire by circuit breaker and by AC with red or black tape to designate it as a second hot.
Not sure your mice situation there, but we are in the woods and have a carrier mini-split,
And we have had an ongoing battle with them
Moving in and nesting using the internal insulation as bedding, eating the line set insulation and moving into the line guard chase, and chewing wires. Suggest using copper wool at the end of the line guard mouse entry point, and get creative with blocking ingress to the outside unit. I put copper wool over the bottom pan drain and the fan grille, which is extreme but so is replacing mother boards on the unit. Other than that these units are so much better than central, and they’ve been around for a long time in most other countries, so time tested,
FYI - instead of going back out and down (for the upstairs one), there is a cutout on the side where you can just go out the side, then go down much easier.
I forgot it was Friday until I saw John's video!