10-01-10, 02:22 PM | #161 |
Lex Parsimoniae
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For the down turn coming out of the wall (12 feet up), I pressed a 6" long round dowel
(2.5" to 3" OD round wooden handrail, IIRC) under the tubes and bent them down over the dowel. That section of the lineset is softer than the main lineset. Easy to bend. To bend the larger tubing near the outdoor unit, I used a larger round object. I think it was a bucket. The important thing is holding the tube tightly on the side of the bending form (bucket?) as you bend the copper. If it slides, you could end up with a big kink that pinches the ID. Don't get in a hurry. Take your time and go slow. I had one small dent form on the elbow of a turn, but it was very minor. If the lineset lasts for 20 years, I'll be happy.. (or RIPing). You might be able to use a conduit bender for the job, but you will need to split the insulating foam and re-glue it later. The insulating foam makes it a little harder to bend the lineset by hand. And about impossible for working it with a bending tool.. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Xringer For This Useful Post: | st2288 (10-01-10) |
10-01-10, 06:44 PM | #162 |
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Great thread. I'm just finishing up my Grunaire quad zone install this weekend. It's going to be nice going from a 70% eff. oil boiler and electric baseboard to a 2.4 COP heat pump.
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10-01-10, 07:45 PM | #163 | |
Lex Parsimoniae
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Quote:
4 zones must mean you have gone for the big BTUs.. You should start up thread about your install when you get time. This ductless+'inverter technology' is so amazing that just about every modern country is using it big time.. !! Except in the USA! I'll bet more people will buying these as energy costs go up.. Heck, I could practically heat and cool my home running my Sanyo off my little 500watt solar panel array.. But only in the daytime! LOL!! |
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10-01-10, 07:58 PM | #164 |
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Yep, its an inverter. It has 4x 9k cool / 9.5k heat indoor units. It was the smallest setup I could find with the 4 zones that I needed. I have no idea why more people aren't using these, especially in retrofit situations.
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10-01-10, 08:00 PM | #165 |
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I live on Long Island, NY. I hired a company for a 7.9KW solar installation last year. The rebate from the utility company was $3.00 a watt.. plus the 30% fed rebate.. Can't beat it.
They installed a net meter in April of this year. So far I already banked 900Kw. So hopefully with the split air system, I can cut my heating down to a half.. can't wait for all the tools and parts to come it.. |
10-01-10, 11:55 PM | #166 | |
Lex Parsimoniae
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especially in retrofit situations
Quote:
that could be cooled and heated with a system like yours. Especially in southern areas where the average winter temps aren't likely to be extra cold for long periods. My Sanyo seems near perfect for the climate in the Boston area. I'm convinced this type system, combined with the older existing heating system is the perfect hybrid system. With the older system acting as backup or to supplement the mini-split when it hits 4 degrees for a few hours.. (Which is rare around here). Now, I'm wondering what I should do with the wall mounted 18,000 BTU AC, and the two smaller room ACs in the garage.. (Those are like new)! Also in storage is an old 6,000 BTU AC we got in 1968! Before the Moon landing, and it still works, but I'm taking it in for recycling this month. (-$15). |
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10-02-10, 12:25 AM | #167 | |
Lex Parsimoniae
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Quote:
If you looked at my power usage for the Sanyo, you already have a good idea how many kw hours a mini-split system sized for your home is going to use. Our 1956 ranch house is small at 1,258 square feet, and we are spending peanuts for heating and cooling.. Beats the hell out of burning oil and using old-tech power-hog ACs for summer cooling. The way my Sanyo runs, it's average power usage on average winter days is so low, it's unbelievable. But, if things got pretty cold and it had to run at 500 watts all day, that's 12 kWh.. Times 20 cents= $2.40 a day! Which is less than one gallon of oil would cost. Which I could burn up in 1 hour.. If you have petty good insulation and your house isn't to large, I can't see why the PV can't handle all the heating and cooling. I'll be interested in watching your work.. Please post it.. Cheers, Rich |
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10-02-10, 09:13 AM | #168 | |
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Quote:
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10-02-10, 10:02 AM | #169 |
Lex Parsimoniae
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Hybrid mode
If you get a lot of blowing snow sucked into your outdoor coil, you could require some aux heating.
While your system does it's defrosting cycle(s). If I think that there is a chance that back-up heat will be needed, I'll pre-set my oil heat thermostat a bit below the Sanyo's lowest setting. It's a set and forget.. One thing I have done when I know it's going down near zero, is put my hotwater baseboards in free-flow mode. The thumb screw on top allows boiler water to flow upstairs to the baseboards. If I use just 3 turns up, the flow is very slow, so the percentage of contribution by burning oil isn't very high. So, it keeps down the burner run-time. The problem of my centrally located Sanyo not keeping distant rooms warm as the living room is gone during Hybrid mode.. And of course when it's super cold outdoors, that's when my north facing den (with less insulation and loads of glass) wants to cool down the most. I will be adding more insulation next year. Storms over the 4 sliders and more foam underneath. |
10-02-10, 10:32 AM | #170 |
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I got the solar system just in time. The utility company ran out of rebate money. it dropped from $3.00 to 1.75 in 2 months and still ran out. A lot of the customer waiting are ticked off. The company did my install is supposed to be the biggest here, but if I didn't do my homework. I would be screwed without the web. They didn't design the system correctly and I had to educate the designer .. unreal..
I will post some pict once I get started. With the 30% back from the fed... can't go wrong. My 24k btu is from Fujitsu (qualified for the 30% rebate). and my other 12k is from Shinco (i know it is cheap, but for the price it is worth a gamble) ($820 shipped and also qualified for the 30% rebate, just a few buck more than a window unit...why not) |
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air conditioner, diy, heat pump |
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