[nw_guy]

Thanks Xringer for taking all the time to post so much detail about your split system project! Lots of great info! I just put in the smallest Sanyo 9000 BTU split heat pump which is the baby brother to yours.

I'm curious if you had any warranty issues with Sanyo as it was a DIY install? Did you pay an HVAC tech to "sign off" on it to make Sanyo happy? Or the issue never came up? Technically that's the big downside of a DIY install as it voids the warranty.

Also, for those shopping for split systems it's worth mentioning a couple other things:

The "big brand" systems (like Sanyo, Panasonic, etc.) have MUCH better warranties, documentation, support, parts availability than the cheaper models (i.e. Shinco etc.). If a no-name system dies, you might have to junk the whole thing if you can't get a critical component replaced. And most have only a 1 year warranty (vs 5 years for Sanyo) on everything but the compressor.

In my case the Sanyo was efficient enough to qualify for the current federal tax credit and none of the cheaper no-name systems did. With the credit, the Sanyo was actually slightly *cheaper* than the much less efficient no-name inverter systems.

And for those who don't know about inverter vs non-inverter, the inverter systems have variable speed compressors which allow the unit to "throttle" itself down as less cooling (or heating) is needed. This saves a lot of energy (and noise) compared to just slowing down the indoor fan. It allows MUCH lower indoor fan speeds as a standard unit would ice up from too little airflow. It also tends to maintain a more constant indoor temp versus the harsh on/off cycle of standard units. Finally, the lights in the house don't flicker every time the compressor kicks on because the inverter units "soft start" the compressor.

And yes anyone can buy R410A. I would advise caution, however, as the systems run at high pressures and I've read stories of someone doing something as simple as over tightening a flare fitting, causing it to crack the flare with the pipe blowing out, and being hospitalized from having their face instantly frozen by the escaping refrigerant from the failed joint. Frankly I think flare fittings are a poor choice in this application but they're cheap.

And R410A is more eco-friendly but still hard on the environment if it escapes. So you're supposed to use an expensive recovery system if you have to open the system up for any reason and have the used refrigerant properly recycled.

So for anyone considering a system, I'd try to get an estimate to have the refrigeration line set connected, vacuum pumped, and charged by a pro. Then if it leaks, it's their problem, not yours. And Sanyo will also honor the warranty.

Using a pro can save you the (potential) cost of a vacuum pump, manifold gauge set, micron vacuum gauge, tubing cutter, special R410A flare tool, spanner torque wrench, nitrogen tank and regulator, electronic leak detector, and having to buy a $200+ tank of R410A if any refrigerant leaks. True you can probably get by without some of those things, but you may also well end up needing them. So the price of a DIY install can snowball. If you buy all of the above, you can spend $1000+ which is well in excess of the $200 - $300 a pro might charge.

On the other hand, if someone lives in a very remote area where a service call would be really expensive, or you want to roll the dice and try to get by on the cheap, or you have several systems to put in, then doing the refrigeration work yourself might make sense. Just know what you're getting into first and be safe.

Back to your system...

As for using too much power at times, I wouldn't worry too much about it as it's supposed to protect itself from that. The ratings are somewhat arbitrary because the actual power fluctuates with a variety of conditions (as you've discovered).

If you look at the power consumption charts, you'll see the indoor air temp is a big factor. So the warmer you have your set point, the more power it will use in full power mode while in heating. So a lower set point will also lower the peak power needed. Forcing a lower speed will also reduce peak power.

I'm not sure about your model, but the 9000 and 12000 BTU models use the exact same compressor. The 12000 BTU unit simply has a bigger outdoor coil and they run the compressor and fans slightly faster on high to get more BTUs. So it might be similar with your unit having a compressor from an even larger model? If so, I'd worry even less about it using more than the rated current.

The only risk of the system drawing more than rated power is either it going overpressure or exceeding the capacity of the inverter and/or compressor. It supposedly monitors all of the above and will reduce the compressor speed, or shut down completely, if needed.

Another thought is if your lineset is less than 25 feet, your system is slightly overcharged which will also increase the power consumption somewhat.

I agree about the parasitic losses of the crankcase heater. It's only a 20 watt heater in my unit but I think that's an area they need to improve on. Supposedly if the unit runs regularly the normal operation will keep the compressor warm enough. But if you were say away on vacation or it's mild weather when little heating or cooling is needed, it's wasted energy. At least the Sanyo actually monitors the temp of the compressor itself not just the air temp like some systems. So, in theory, the heater only comes on when it's really needed. Some older systems just left the heater on ALL the time.

I have a TED 5000 system with 3 sensors and intend to move one of them to my Sanyo to monitor it. So far I've only used a current probe which isn't very accurate as it doesn't take into account the power factor (A/C units, especially inverter models, are a very "non linear" load so volts times amps does NOT equal watts). But the TED corrects for power factor.

If your energy monitor is not connected to the 240 supply (as well as the inductive pick up) it can't measure the true power. For true KWh it needs to know the phase angle of the voltage with respect to the phase angle of the current. If you look at Sanyo's service data, you'll see the volts time the amps does not equal the watts they list. This is because of the power factor not being 1.0.

I agree with you in Quiet mode the unit is almost certainly less efficient overall. It is probably difficult to measure by how much outside of an A/C lab, but the low airflow, and parasistic losses, are certain to have a negative impact. But at least inverter units can slow the compressor down as well so its drawing much less power (as you've discovered). Non-inverter units suffer horrible efficiency losses at lower fan speeds (which don't go all that low as they'd ice up otherwise).

It's a bit scary that you had an internal failure on your unit but I've been impressed with Sanyo's quality so far. And like you, I'm blown away at how quiet it is. In terms of the noise specs, the 9000 BTU unit is their quietest model. When I first powered it up I thought it was defective it was so quiet.

And your icing problem on the first outdoor unit might have been related to a leak and it being low on charge. Especially when the icing is uneven on the coil (as it was in your picture) that's often a sign there's not enough charge in a heat pump.

So, again, nice job! I'm glad you're saving lots of money over oil heat and doing something good for the environment.