Mini Split install - Page 4

pinballlooking · 10-23-13, 06:45 PM

I let it stay under 200 Microns for over 1 hour it got to 138 Microns. I then used Xringer procedure on the last operation (Thanks!)
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/geothe...roject-45.html

I rechecked for leaks released some more check for leaks then let it loose.
It is up and running it was putting out 127 heat and it is quietly purring right now.
A big thanks to all those that posted here about their installs!

Xringer · 10-23-13, 08:40 PM

Congrads! 138 Microns is excellent!
It's going down to 47F tomorrow night in Charleston..

Both of my Sanyos are 'quietly purring right now' too..
It's 43F outside now, so a lot of idling is going on..

pinballlooking · 10-23-13, 09:06 PM

Thanks I was pretty happy to see it get to 138 microns. I would have liked to Left it at that for a hour and seen if it moved but my valve was leaking so I could not use it to do that. I still felt good about doing the over night pressure test so I just went with it.

It is going to get in the high 30's tonight here so it will be fun seeing how it does. I need to move my thermostat out of the Master bedroom so the rest of the house will get heat.

Xringer · 10-23-13, 09:34 PM

Lately, I've left my den Sanyo running overnight at 19C (66.2F),
and it does take the chill out of the rest of the house, while keeping the den at 19C..

So, if you have open doorways to rooms you want to heat, and the house
has pretty good insulation, the heat will slowly find it's way into those rooms.
Of course they will be cooler than the area where the MS is installed,
but for sleeping, some people don't like it to be too warm..
If the bedroom was too cool at night, I could crank up the den a notch..

I guess the heating season is really here as of today..
It was overcast, so there wasn't any solar gain.
When we got back from bowling and lunch, it was
quite cool indoors. Like 17-18C...

Both Sanyos have been on since then..

jeff5may · 10-24-13, 06:48 AM

Congratulations on a job well done by yourself! This is the time of year (swing season) that these units perform at top efficiency. My central unit hasn't run since the last time it was above 90. OTOH, my home-brewed, repurposed, recycled beige box window unit has been running like a dishwasher, saving money over the central air and energy and money over the gas furnace.

I too had a knock-off gauge set, and experienced the same types of problems. I had pinhole vacuum leaks that came and went with the valve o-rings' moods. I had a line pop while I was doing a pressure test with inert gas. That was the last straw. I gave that gage set to my dad and now it hangs pretty in his garage. I have since replaced the manifold set with a robinair unit, which works like magic. They and yellow jacket have lifetime warranties on their stuff, so if you buy 'em new you can get free repair kits or replacement shwag for free for life. More importantly, the counter guy at the refrigeration supply shop will remember you when you return.

pinballlooking · 10-24-13, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff5may

Congratulations on a job well done by yourself! This is the time of year (swing season) that these units perform at top efficiency. My central unit hasn't run since the last time it was above 90. OTOH, my home-brewed, repurposed, recycled beige box window unit has been running like a dishwasher, saving money over the central air and energy and money over the gas furnace.

I too had a knock-off gauge set, and experienced the same types of problems. I had pinhole vacuum leaks that came and went with the valve o-rings' moods. I had a line pop while I was doing a pressure test with inert gas. That was the last straw. I gave that gage set to my dad and now it hangs pretty in his garage. I have since replaced the manifold set with a robinair unit, which works like magic. They and yellow jacket have lifetime warranties on their stuff, so if you buy 'em new you can get free repair kits or replacement shwag for free for life. More importantly, the counter guy at the refrigeration supply shop will remember you when you return.

Thanks.

I was going to buy a yellow jacket set and got these knockoff ones that came with 410 adapters. (bad place to save money!)
So you were able to use your good gauge set to do the vacuum test and get it down under 200 Microns without it leaking?
If so I am going to try to send these gauges back and get a good set.

pinballlooking · 10-24-13, 09:03 AM

We had a heat pump about 15 years ago and I we did not like it at all. It put out cold heat and it really turned use off heat pumps.

This mini split is 100% different this morning it was 38’ outside and the mini split was putting out 120’ air, very nice.
I want to give it some time before I review it but we are off to a good start.

jeff5may · 10-24-13, 07:56 PM

Yes, I have a Supco VG60 micron gage I found at a pawn shop for 10 bucks. I guess it sat around forever before I walked in and knew what it was! This is another indispensible tool I JUST NEED. Without it, i wouldn't have been able to tell my manifold gauge set was leaking. With it, you can tell when your system is pulled as low as it will reasonably go. With the smaller, somewhat portable systems I rig up, I can stop my vacuum pump in as little as 5-10 minutes. After sitting half an hour, the micron gage will tell if I'm good to go or not.

A good gauge set is another tool that will make or break your day. With an industry-leading set, troubles happen rarely. The robinar set I got is circa 1970's vintage and will hold whatever vacuum or reasonable pressure I throw its way. If it ever goes south, the parts house has fixit parts in stock. With its original hoses, it registered below 100 microns and stayed there for an hour. Both sides open, pulling vacuum thru the middle. The only reason I got some yellow jacket lines is because I wanted hoses with valves on the far ends. The new lines obviously seal sooner than the old ones when screwing the service fittings on and off.

Once you get a rig that works, you can add adapters or couplers to the ends to fit whatever you're working on. Then it works even better....

pinballlooking · 10-24-13, 08:05 PM

$10 bucks. You sure got a great deal on that gauge. I would have loved to found one for that price.
I think that gauge was a must. I sure would not have know I had bad equipment without that gauge. (The same as you)
My pump is very slow but it worked real well.

jeff5may · 10-24-13, 08:23 PM

I had much the same story as AC Hacker with vacuum pumps. Borrowed from friends at first. Once I got the vacuum gage, I figured out that they wouldn't pull under 200-250 microns. Rather than spring for a real one, I use an ancient refrigerator's guts. It pulls down to below 100 and is quiet. If I'm working on something large, I borrow my buddy's pump, quickly pull down to around 300, then valve off and swap to the mini-mite. At deep vacuum levels, all pumps are slow. It takes a while for all of the water and junk to boil out of the oil i guess.

10-23-13, 06:45 PM	#31
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I let it stay under 200 Microns for over 1 hour it got to 138 Microns. I then used Xringer procedure on the last operation (Thanks!) http://ecorenovator.org/forum/geothe...roject-45.html I rechecked for leaks released some more check for leaks then let it loose. It is up and running it was putting out 127 heat and it is quietly purring right now. A big thanks to all those that posted here about their installs! Attached Thumbnails Last edited by pinballlooking; 10-24-13 at 12:36 PM..

10-23-13, 08:40 PM	#32
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Congrads! 138 Microns is excellent! It's going down to 47F tomorrow night in Charleston.. Both of my Sanyos are 'quietly purring right now' too.. It's 43F outside now, so a lot of idling is going on.. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

10-23-13, 09:06 PM	#33
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Thanks I was pretty happy to see it get to 138 microns. I would have liked to Left it at that for a hour and seen if it moved but my valve was leaking so I could not use it to do that. I still felt good about doing the over night pressure test so I just went with it. It is going to get in the high 30's tonight here so it will be fun seeing how it does. I need to move my thermostat out of the Master bedroom so the rest of the house will get heat. Last edited by pinballlooking; 10-24-13 at 10:31 AM..

10-23-13, 09:34 PM	#34
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Lately, I've left my den Sanyo running overnight at 19C (66.2F), and it does take the chill out of the rest of the house, while keeping the den at 19C.. So, if you have open doorways to rooms you want to heat, and the house has pretty good insulation, the heat will slowly find it's way into those rooms. Of course they will be cooler than the area where the MS is installed, but for sleeping, some people don't like it to be too warm.. If the bedroom was too cool at night, I could crank up the den a notch.. I guess the heating season is really here as of today.. It was overcast, so there wasn't any solar gain. When we got back from bowling and lunch, it was quite cool indoors. Like 17-18C... Both Sanyos have been on since then.. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

10-24-13, 07:56 PM	#38
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Yes, I have a Supco VG60 micron gage I found at a pawn shop for 10 bucks. I guess it sat around forever before I walked in and knew what it was! This is another indispensible tool I JUST NEED. Without it, i wouldn't have been able to tell my manifold gauge set was leaking. With it, you can tell when your system is pulled as low as it will reasonably go. With the smaller, somewhat portable systems I rig up, I can stop my vacuum pump in as little as 5-10 minutes. After sitting half an hour, the micron gage will tell if I'm good to go or not. A good gauge set is another tool that will make or break your day. With an industry-leading set, troubles happen rarely. The robinar set I got is circa 1970's vintage and will hold whatever vacuum or reasonable pressure I throw its way. If it ever goes south, the parts house has fixit parts in stock. With its original hoses, it registered below 100 microns and stayed there for an hour. Both sides open, pulling vacuum thru the middle. The only reason I got some yellow jacket lines is because I wanted hoses with valves on the far ends. The new lines obviously seal sooner than the old ones when screwing the service fittings on and off. Once you get a rig that works, you can add adapters or couplers to the ends to fit whatever you're working on. Then it works even better.... Last edited by jeff5may; 11-04-13 at 01:35 PM.. Reason: details

10-24-13, 06:48 AM	#35
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Congratulations on a job well done by yourself! This is the time of year (swing season) that these units perform at top efficiency. My central unit hasn't run since the last time it was above 90. OTOH, my home-brewed, repurposed, recycled beige box window unit has been running like a dishwasher, saving money over the central air and energy and money over the gas furnace. I too had a knock-off gauge set, and experienced the same types of problems. I had pinhole vacuum leaks that came and went with the valve o-rings' moods. I had a line pop while I was doing a pressure test with inert gas. That was the last straw. I gave that gage set to my dad and now it hangs pretty in his garage. I have since replaced the manifold set with a robinair unit, which works like magic. They and yellow jacket have lifetime warranties on their stuff, so if you buy 'em new you can get free repair kits or replacement shwag for free for life. More importantly, the counter guy at the refrigeration supply shop will remember you when you return.

10-24-13, 09:03 AM	#37
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	We had a heat pump about 15 years ago and I we did not like it at all. It put out cold heat and it really turned use off heat pumps. This mini split is 100% different this morning it was 38’ outside and the mini split was putting out 120’ air, very nice. I want to give it some time before I review it but we are off to a good start.

10-24-13, 08:05 PM	#39
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	$10 bucks. You sure got a great deal on that gauge. I would have loved to found one for that price. I think that gauge was a must. I sure would not have know I had bad equipment without that gauge. (The same as you) My pump is very slow but it worked real well. Last edited by pinballlooking; 10-24-13 at 08:11 PM..

10-24-13, 08:23 PM	#40
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	I had much the same story as AC Hacker with vacuum pumps. Borrowed from friends at first. Once I got the vacuum gage, I figured out that they wouldn't pull under 200-250 microns. Rather than spring for a real one, I use an ancient refrigerator's guts. It pulls down to below 100 and is quiet. If I'm working on something large, I borrow my buddy's pump, quickly pull down to around 300, then valve off and swap to the mini-mite. At deep vacuum levels, all pumps are slow. It takes a while for all of the water and junk to boil out of the oil i guess.