Whole House Air Conditioner and Heating System Installation. MrCool Universal, Is it a DIY Project?
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- čas přidán 1. 03. 2022
- I demonstrate how to install the MrCool Universal central heat pump split system. Well, I show how I installed the air conditioner in a Do It Yourself style for the most part.
AC Systems and Tools:
MrCool Universal (2 or 3 ton) System = amzn.to/3vurog5
MrCool Universal (4 or 5 ton) = amzn.to/3ETfzD3
Adjustable Torque Wrench = amzn.to/35pXhvp
Disclosure: The above are Amazon links. "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."
I was able to install the whole house air conditioner system however the project did require assistance from profession HVAC technicians. The DIY project required some basic tools including wrenches and power tools and also some specialized HAVC components. The ac and heat system is working great now and I learned a lot during the installation process. I am excited for the efficiency performance of the MrCool Universal and look forward to my utility bill savings. - Jak na to + styl
Finally got it up and running. The only delays we had was because we realized we needed some extra parts (I’ll list that below) czcams.com/users/postUgkxihMYiJNXcHdbH-7ihymsLz61l7jVyb5O . So we have a loft where our current hvac just couldn’t seem to keep cool during the summer. We have been using a window unit since we bought this house over 6 years ago (all the houses in this neighborhood were built in the 80’s and majority of the houses built like ours use a window unit). I hate window units because they are just so noisy and the one we had really only cools one side of the loft. I had contemplated upgrading our current HVAC, but with all the rising prices these days, it would take years before saving up enough to do that. With the advice of my father-in-law (used to run an HVAC business), he recommended we get an inverter instead. We thought we bought everything we needed, but there were just a few other parts we didn’t anticipate needing (which is what caused most of our delay). My friend and father-in-law did all the work to get it installed and running and now we have nice cool air circulating nicely throughout the entire loft. It is very quiet and even the outside unit is much quieter than our main HVAC unit. Saved ourselves thousands getting this.
been working well since installation
I was cringing when you tightened those air handler lines without holding the valve, At the end I saw why.
Great video though ,you give me confidence on my install.
Looks easy. I know who to call when I need a new HVAC unit.
Thanks and send me that person's number, HAHA!
It's a great how you can still film as the fan was running in the beginning of the video.
Thanks for noticing. Ya these systems are pretty quiet.
this is the video that's actually useful
Thanks!
U hv great ambition & courage.. good 4 u😊
Thanks Jon. A nice benefit to doing DIY projects is the insight gained. It makes it possible to more easily troubleshoot and repair things down the road.
I also found a company who works with mini splits and they were willing to come out. Spent an hour with me for about 110 bucks
Good to know, thanks for sharing.
You make these projects seem easy!
Thanks, and thanks to the power of video editing!
Nice install. Im going on 3rd yr with mine. Love it .we just had during Christmas weekend the coldest here in a long time. 50/60 below wind-chill. The mr cool universal 18/24/36. Kept the house at 73 degrees. No electric heat kit assist, house insulation not so great working on that. Im still pretty happy .
Thanks for the comment and sharing your experience. I am happy with this unit as well. I may install the larger 4-5ton unit in another house at some point.
On my way to install now. Great video. Too late now but the blower motor slides out easily too. I didn't know the A coil could be removed so it was a bear to get the air handler into my attic. I had to use a chain hoist.
What type of material did you use for the supply side plenum box you made? It doesn't look like sheet metal. Thanks.
O wow, I thought I looked at the blower and to me it didn't seem easily removeable. Good to know it is. I was lucky with the supply side intake. I was able to use the existing set up the old handle used. It was a foam box set-up with metal framing.
I wish this video was available when I installed a similar system back in Dec of last year. I had to find info the hard way, but I did it. The heather worked great and the AC couldn't be any better.
I still learned a lot from this video... thank you for sharing.
Congrats on your DIY AC system installation and thanks for comment.
Great install! I'm just about to finish my installation in the next day or so. I had the help of a pretty skilled handyman who came in for some of the heavy-lifting and did the hammer drill for the 3 1/2" hole through brick to the basement joist space just above the basement door. He also helped with removing the old A-coil on the old gas furnace and helped me lift and fit the new A-coil in place. I'm installing the Universal 3-ton compressor and Universal A-Coil with the 25ft pre-charged line set. I've watched nearly every youtube video on the subject, yours too. My end result will be a dual-fuel heat pump configuration (hybrid heat pump) which should provide a very efficient system even in the coldest and snowiest of deep winter Jan-Feb. Everything has gone very well and smoothly until we unrolled the 25ft Line set. The smaller of the 3/8" line was easy to work with, but that 3/4" line set is like wrestling a 25ft 200lb anaconda! For small bends and general shaping, the 3/4" piping requires a lot of muscle. As it turned out, the 3 1/2" hole in the brick was too small for the two sets to go through together, so I drilled out a second overlapping 3 1/2" hole and trimmed it up to make an over/under 5 1/2" tall, 3 1/2" wide oval. Then I had to feed the 3/4 line set first, then the 3/8 line set, bend it down, then to the left, and then up into the compressor from the side panel of the compressor. Getting the line set to the proper length and bending to fit through the side panel with the electric and thermostat wire, and then up to the quick-connect adapters is a feat of strength! What is really challenging right now is simply lining up the 3/4 line set to the quick connect to hand screw the two together. My arms are like silly-putty after wrestling the tubing. So I'm taking a break right now. So how did you do it? You make that look so easy.
Congrats on your ac install project. Yes I found the manipulation of the line set a bit challenging as well. It was a bit difficult to line things up just right so the connections threaded properly. Of course it is very important have the threaded connectors line up perfectly to avoid stripping the threads and to ensure a proper connection. You may need to make adjustments in the line set further away from the connection end to have the play required to manipulate the connector positioning.
The update. I finished my install today with the quick connect line set. It all seems to be working; no leaks, drips, or errors as best as I can see. I had my thermostat plan ready and because of the gas furnace, I was debating about what to do with the W (heat signal) at the heat pump. As it turns out Mr. Cool, now calls W1, 'D' for Defrost signal, so it goes to the W of the furnace. I Programmed my new Nest Gen 3 Thermostat for the dual-fuel configuration (I did the Nest thermostat because it knew dual-fuel and had the option for controlling it. The downside with Nest is the need for constant internet as it doesn't trigger the gas furnace on (and shut down the heat pump) until it is told what the outside temp is from Google. I'm OK with it, but as a backup, I have an iO-DFK kit with a physical outdoor thermostat that can be mounted inside the heat pump, in case a winter night goes sideways with the internet.
Anyway, my installation is finished and all looks A-OK.
So as a final follow up, I'm just making everything look tight and neat now. I need to find some of that Insulating tape others use with the line set's bare parts leading to the compressor. Of particular excitement was testing the Mr. Cool HP in heating mode. The compressor blew out very cold the air and it was 74f outside, 77 inside going to 79. In front of the compressor exhaust, it had to be about 50F! I've never experienced that before. SO...this one is a thumbs up big time! My advice; be prepared for the line set struggles and absolutely finger tighten the quick-connect halfway before using the wrench. Also don't wrestle the solder joints, just the tubing. It also looks like the small quick connect shows about 1 to 2 threads to spare where the larger shows none. Torque wrench to grunts; the 3/8" tube; 50N is a grunt, the 3/4" 70N is tongue to the side, butt-clench grunnnntt.
Just an addon ... Lefty Loosey, Righty Titey but on the compressor, the connectors are pointing down so with the quick connect coming from the bottom, it's just the opposite Beware of that.
@@cbsites4127 Thanks for sharing your install experience and congrats on your AC install
air will contaminate the refrigerant and shorten the life of the unit. after the leak repair the tech should have evacuated the system with a vacuum pump. then add refrigerant. air has moisture and moiture will damage the unit over time or immediately in some cases
thank you for your insight Richard
You should be good topping it off if the system still had pressure in it. In theory you should pump it down and draw a good vacuum before putting the refrigerant in but these systems seem to handle not doing that better than most. Also charging it in the winter is hard than the summer. The problem with the VRF type systems is getting a good reading on refrigerant. I would say just get someone to come out and check it in the summer. Also, my LG has the option of getting installer software which works a lot better on these systems that running gauges.
thanks for the insight
When I did my install in 2011 I had an old Trane 3ton that still worked. The indoor air handle was what was shot. So I pumped it down and sold the entire thing with the R22 still in it for $500. Was a win win.
goodstuff
Hello. Thank you for the video . Please 🙏 if you could answer this question for me . When you were speaking behind the condenser. Did you have to reduce the condenser sound in post. How loud is condenser. Much appreciated
It is very quite, I did not do anything in post production to reduce sound from the condenser.
You make it look so easy. I am trying to take on this project in a few weeks. But stuck on the power line. Did you have to run new power line to the air handler and condenser? We have 60amp with our old condenser.
I was able to reuse the existing power as it ran my previous system. Best of luck with your project and thanks for commenting.
GOOD job overall, better than some licensed companies do
Hope these advises will help you to make new video on corrections and help your system last 30 years! :
1. forgot u-trap at drain line. it is negative pressure inside the coil(blower) and it will suck sewage air in through the drain pipe, also airflow inside drain line will prevent it from draining properly.
1A. vent on the drain line should be couple inches higher than the outlet port on the coil. water sensor has float in it, so if drain gets clogged water will just start leaking from drain vent before water sensor triggers.
2. also should've put surge protector by the units or inside electrical panel. it is INVERTER unit with sensitive electronics.
3. these units are charged by weight using scales!. tech with refrigerant jug in the video doesn't have digital gauge to read proper readings to charge by superheat/sub cooling, but again should've recover all refrigerant, pull vacuum and charge by weight using scales!!!!
4. use pipe wrap UV tape 10mil and wrap outside lines for insulation to last longer
Thanks for the insights as they are much appreciated. Perhaps I should have mentioned specifically in the video but this unit's condensation line goes under the house elevation and then comes back up above ground to drain directly outside. So there is always water in the low point in the drain line assembly that would function as a trap and it is not attached to sewer so no issues there. great tip on drain vent height i will double check this one. I did add a surge protector to the condenser circuit after filming for the video as it seems like solid insurance. I am a bit concerned about the refrigerant levels in the system and debating vacuuming out and refilling by weight as you describe. Thanks for the tape tip and thanks again.
@@MrKistelkeep in mind, 2" deep u-trap should be installed between the coil drain connection and t-vent, otherwise airhandler will suck non-filtered+non-conditioned air in through the t-vent and airflow inside drain pipe will prevent coil from proper draining, because through the same hole there will be water flow and air flow.
@@airbluehvac thanks
Ok just watched this video from your other video and like I said after connecting the refer lines if you would have pressurized with nitrogen, you would have found your leak in the A Coil. Fixed it then pulled a vacuum (regardless of brand new or not) then open the condenser valves to release the refrigerant into the system.
This system was installed based on the manufacture instructions for this specific system. My understanding is the condenser unit, the air handler coil, and the line set come with refrigerant in them before installation.
@@MrKistel they got you. Think about it honestly. If the air handler coil came pre charged (wouldn't it have been leaking before you open the valves there.) It only started leaking once you opened up the valves at the condenser where it's charged with refrigerant. If you have a 30ft lineset and need 3 additional feet to make your entire lineset length 33ft does the 3ft come pre charged with refrigerant from Mr cool with there quick connect fittings. No this is just a way they get people like you (DIYer). the mass majority of professionals don't use them. Home depot special. Have a good one 👍🏻
@@SOUTHCO4ST this is one of the dumber things I've read today which is saying something considering this is the CZcams comment section.
They got him how? They gain nothing by selling bad systems.
It started leaking refrigerant after he opened the lines? Whaaaat!? It's almost like the a coils was defective and when he released the refrigerant from the lines it started leaking out.
Amazing video!! I hope to pursue installing a slightly larger system in the next two years. Did you attempt to apply MrCool warranty to the A Coil leak? and what was their responses please??? thanks!!
Thinking about doing a 4 to 5 ton unit this year perhaps as well. The vendor made things right regarding the issue shown. It was a smooth process.
Did the line set or hvac come with m1 m2 flat adapter, if sold separately do you have a link?
Wow....wasn't aware a Mr Cool unit had a central AC option vs minisplit only. Should be much more efficient while still using the existing ductwork!
Worked well for this application.
Excellent video, thank you. Tightening all of the lines are you saying they need 50ft.lb torque for each piece?
I believe each connection had an unique recommended torque value according to the product manual.
Remember the Rhoden will crawl up your dockwork from outside.
Hi great video I have a 4-5 ton unit arriving soon. Do you have any update on how the system is performing?
System is working great. Have had it operational now to have gone through both cold and warm months. Heat and AC seem to function as intended.
So I opened up my replacement condenser top today before swapping it out to see the part that had failed (believe to be pressure relief pop-off valve). Unfortunately it looks the same. I believe whatever causes this line to heat up will melt the solder again resulting in another failure. Was hoping they had replaced the part entirely.
Thanks for sharing. Hoping your system performs well.
Just a thought, so if the reversing valve gives you trouble when its ten below, who is going to go out and solder in a new one for you? Back up heat sounds too good to be true?
Thanks for posting your installation. Do you believe the leak at the coil was due to not torquing with a wrench to support the mating piece OR a manufacturer defect?
The unit was purchased as "scratch and dent " model and the coil was pierced on arrival. The warranty was honored in any case so no big deal.
Is the power to the indoor unit coming from the outside condenser like in the regular mini splits or does the indoor unit get power from its own source / circuit?
The air handler and air condenser units have two separate and independent circuits.
Mr Cool central air handlers for ducted systems come either with single stage motors "PSC" in the CTA line and with modulating motors "ECM" in the ETA line. The air handler that come in the "Universal Series" does not specify what type of motor it comes with; is the air handler that comes with the Universal Series a PSC or a ECM motor? Doing again, would you do the same set up or go Dual Fuel?
Based on my experiences up to this point I would likely do the same again. I am not real familiar with the duel fuel options however in this region I think electric the heat pump works well for both heating and cooling.
I have the 3 ton units!How did you connect the thermostat wires between the condenser and air handler and the thermostat?
Different brand thermostats will have different wire configuration and programing. You will have to verify with the instructions of your particular unit. The documentation provided with the air condenser and air handler should explain the wiring process between the indoor and outdoor unit in more detail than I can provide in this comment.
A resident here in Central Florida was decrying the Mr Cool heat pump installed in house but did not explain the multiple problems he was having. He got the installer to agree to replace it with something else that would work for him. First guess is run time was excessive due to high demand out of synce with the variable speeds and a low EER of around 11 which is piss poor. Units should yield 13.5 EER minimum in my book from owning a Bryanr Evo;ution Extreme (3T). This past Christmas long week of cold should have yielded decent heat results for you. The Cooling side of things could be otherwise if the house isn't well insulated like mine. Looking forward to your review re-visit!
Things have been working well with the HVAC system shown in the video
Question about this indoor air handler. Does the indoor fan speed change or does it just turn on and off when the thermostat calls for it? Thinking how a mini-split both the indoor and outdoor units ramp up and down as needed. I was wondering if this does the same?
The indoor unit is 100% all the time it has dip switches to change the fan speed
i will defer to EP1CNELOSON's remark
This is why I recommend using a cheap vacuum pump to pull vacuum and do a leakdown check to make sure you have no leaks. Problem with these DIY systems is the HVAC guys are a real PITA to deal with and make it seem like these units are unserviceable.
For like $100 you can save yourself the hassle and just check vacuum and address any leaks before releasing the refrigerant
Thanks for the tip. However, I believe the air handler coil in this system is supposed to come with refrigerant "pre-charged" in it as well as the condenser unit.
@@MrKistel aah good point. Usually the lines are only nitrogen charged, so you can hook the lines up and pull vacuum, before opening the service ports and charging the system. Not sure if you can pull vacuum through the service ports if the evap coil is also charged
How exactly do you pull a vacuum and leak check it for under $100? You'll need gauges, a vacuum pump, and a micron gauge...
@@Holler_Rat I never invested in a micron gauge and I've installed 10 units that have run flawless the past 5 years. I just let my lil harbor freight pump vacuum it down for an hour straight and then I let the system sit for 3 hours to see if I have any leaks. Works like a charm.
What did you do for the indoor unit power? Wasn't your old furnace running on 110V while your new air handler on 220V?
In my case I simply replaced the old air handler with the new one. The old one had a 240 volt supply and I reused it.
Bold to be installing an air handler with sandals bud
It provides the motivation not to drop it.
@@wardhall6595 😂😂😂 I love it. My feet get hot with boots on lol
Good video. Sucks to see your evap was leaking. I would say that your evap probably wasn't filled with air.. I'd think once it hits atmospheric pressure, there shouldn't be too much air exchange through that tiny leak.
I just fired up my 2/3 ton universal. I reused the existing lineset after rx11 flush, vacuuming to
Thanks for the insights John. Do you mind sharing what surge protector you are currently using?
@@MrKistel Seems youtube doesn't like it when I post links. I got the Mars 83905 from KTool
John, it is not shown in the video but the evaporator coil was filled with nitrogen during the solder repair process. So I assume the nitrogen is in the system. Not sure if nitrogen is much better then air considering air is mostly nitrogen.
@@MrKistel oh right. In that case, after repair it should’ve been vacuumed down to under 500 microns and then refilled/service valves opened. Nitrogen is inert so there won’t be any scaling from oxygen in the air when he brazed/patched the coil. Otherwise, that scale can clog the TXV, especially with no filter drier.
@@John-Paul732 Yes. That is my main question about this great project. With DIY, manufacturer support is critical.
ordered a 20 SEER // Mr.Cool unit yesterday....quesion...where I can find those aluminum square beams for use as a montage surface?
I went to a local metal supply shop and they happen to have the aluminum square pieces in the cuts offs section. Worked perfect for me.
@@MrKistel thakk you, ended ordering some online...proably a waste of money since won be able to return them if I need so
How long did it take from start to finish altogether? 🤔 If there wasn't any hiccups or extra HVAC helpers, what would the time frame be then?
Awesome video by the way, I've been looking into doing something like that for my family, but I have no idea where to start.
The overall process is relatively straight forward. It comes down to the unique variables associated with your install location and so on. If you are replacing an existing system you likely have power in place for both the condenser and air handler. If so this eliminates running new circuits. The rest depends on how simple or complicated it will be to run the line set and connect the ductwork. I like the system and actually recently installed the bigger 5-ton system at another location. I will be posting a video showing that install soon.
I'm replacing an older original 3.5/4 ton Trane heat pump system that lasted 36 years. I have a question about the gas/return line at the outside unit is 7/8 inch while at the air handler is 3/4 inch.
Somewhere in the attic it was obviously spliced for unknown reasons. Replacing the line will obviously add to the install cost.
I plan on installing 4 ton heat pump that calls for 7/8 inch line. Should I reuse the line the way it is or replace it with 7/8.
Any advice appreciated.
In my case I chose to run new lines even though I potentially could have reused my old lines. Part of my reasoning was the age and potential degradation of the old lines. My lines were approximately 14 years old.
@@MrKistel Thank you! But I'm not sure the need for new lines unless they are damaged somehow. For me it would be very difficult to put new lines going up to the attic and down to the garage, will also need to drill holes on the stucco. However, I didn't know that metal pipes degrade over time.
Hopefully, someone can answer my initial question about gas line width.
What part of the country to do you live in? I installed a C&H 18,000 BTU mini-split to my 24x36 garage that I bought off FB marketplace for $600 last summer. Was an amazon return I think. Put it in cause I was working from home plus it's my ham shack and workshop and was a hot summer. Worked great as AC and heated my garage all winter. Was pushing heat on the coldest day I saw -5F. Very impressed. Never ran propane heat in my garage all winter. Western NY Bills country lol.
Wow that is a big space. Awesome to hear your AC and heat system is working well. Thanks for sharing.
Ham Shack? You are close enough to me to join in our net if you have HF - 80 meters. 🙂 3.961 - every night at 16:45hrs.
@@garysmith8455 Thanks Gary I'll see if I can join. Been doing a lot of FT8 lately
My question is, did Mr. Cool send you a new replacement coil? How was that procedure? Did you just hire a hvac company to repair the coil? Thanks 😊
The vendor the equipment was purchased made good on the situation. It was a pretty simple process and was made right in my opinion.
What are you using for a filter on this thing? I see it comes with a metal mesh that sits below the coil, but it doesn't look designed to filter very well...
I removed the metal mesh frame you mentioned and replaced it with a 20"X20"X1" insert filter. The basic filters you find at most hardware and home stores.
@@MrKistel Thanks. Your unit must be a smaller size, or the hole in your plenum below the air handler would be smaller. Though 20x20x1 would cover the coil area, it would drop right down in to the plenum for me because its opening is much bigger than that.
Did you contact Mrcool when you found there was a leak in the coil? Would they have covered it since it seems issue with the unit itself.
The warranty was honored. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Idealy you should take all the refrigerant out and put in the proper amount. As far as air getting into the system, since the system has a much higher pressure than the outside air, air isn't going to go into the system assuming you didn't lose a ton of refrigerant.
Thanks for the insight.
Do you know if there are any restrictions on mounting that unit with the fan facing up?
I don't think it is designed to be mounted in that sort of orientation.
2nd Mr Cool video I've watched, 2nd time installer complained about manufacturer defect causing refrigerant leak.....is this common?
This unit was advertised and sold with cosmetic defects. The vender advertised full warranty regardless of the blemishes. It turned out the air handler coil was damaged on arrival. Although it caused some installation headaches, the vendor honored the warranty and made things right. I sort of anticipated higher risk of potential defect purchasing the "scratch and dent" system. I do not take issue with the vendor nor the manufacturer for this situation as the warranty was honored. The system has been running great ever since.
You are the professional.
Where did you put the inside air filter under the intake to the inside unit?
In the bottom of the air handler there is a space for a filter
Do you get any type of warranty on the Universal series if you install it with out a licensed tech? I am pretty confident I can do this myself (maybe with another hand), but I am nervous about something failing, due to manufacturer error. Thank you, Melanie
the system I purchased came with a warranty and it was honored in my situation.
@@MrKistel Okay thank you
@@MrKistel Did you make a warranty claim for the leak in the evap - losing the 410? What caused that leak, or did you find out. I noticed you did move the coil for ease of installation. Is it possible the damage to the coil was done then? The leak makes me very nervous-very hesitant to purchase if they did not make a warranty adjustment of some kind for the defect.
@Ward Hall same here. I won't buy one until I find out if mr cool honored the warranty and sent him a new one.
aren't you suppose to evacuate the two copper lines before releasing the freon coming from the outdoor unit?
They are pre vacd and sealed line sets.
Great video, I'm looking into doing this install. I'm curious, did you approach Mr. Cool about the leak in the air handler/evaporator? Their warrsnty seems to say that if you are using their precharged lines then DIY installs have warranty coverage.
Thanks for watching. I discussed with the vender I purchased the unit from and they worked out an arrangement which I felt was fair
@@MrKistel Thanks!
You’re lucky wherever you live that a hvac tech will actually service it. I live in ct and have tried over 15 hvac companies and not 1 of them will touch the mr cool unit.
Actually I called several local HVAC companies. Most seemed unfamiliar and not interested in working on this system. I ended up finding a guy who was familiar with mini-split installs and he was the one that help top off the system.
When they didn't charge you 3 to 4k to install it, they won't service it.
@@thomazz1976 Its beyond that most companies treat service as service. The red flag with these are we know its a non professional installation. Its more of a liability than anything as he who touches it last owns it. There are lots of shade tree or even very poor installed systems most won't service also. If I walk up on one where basically everything is wrong no I won't touch that ethier. As for my company I don't service things I don't have easy access to parts or support. My suggestion to some of you having a hard time finding someone tell tell you'll accept a taillight warranty and you might get someone
I agree with Daniel. My dad and brother are both HVAC contractors and there is nothing difficult about this system. The fact that it is installed by a homeowner does not increase their liability. All techs service thousands of units without knowing who installed it or who has touched it after install. Charging a system is easy and I would be floored it someone said no. We are also not working with R22 here. A good tech should be capable of a few simple repairs and charging the system. If not, I question their ability as a tech.
@@jonsaircond8520 Besides the electrical there's absolutely nothing that a homeowner can do it wrong as long as he or she follows the directions. There are even videos on what to purchase and how to vacuum the system professionally. Just because a so called professional didn't do it, don't be mad at the homeowner. As so called professional had to learn it somehow and so are the homeowners that don't want to pay these over inflated installation prices.
Where in the coil was the leak? Did they not replace it or did it happen when you removed the coil from the air handler?
The leak was in cracked solder joint. The unit arrived damaged, and the vender made it right. It was quicker to make the repair then to wait for the warranty process however.
@@MrKistel sure it wasnt you tightening the lines without holding the valve ?
I am replacing a 23 year old unit and the duct work is fiberboard and I will need to reconfigure to make it fit the distribution lines. Can you please post or send me pics of the top of your unit so I can get an idea of how you tide yours in?
I am working on editing video showing the installation of the larger version of this system and the top looks similar. I will try to incorporate visuals into it that show the top area better. The opening for airflow is rectangular, roughly half the area of the top dimensions of the air handler itself. I believe the manual shows the dimensions and can be found online.
I'm missing something here. So you get a defective unit and you have to pay to get it fixed? I was almost sold on this unit until I saw that and no mention of the company sending you a new replacement.
A bit of clarity: So this system was purchased as a "scratch and dent" unit but sold under warranty. The vender made things right and honored the warranty as advertised. The overall install ended up being more complicated because of the initial defect but I assumed that a possible outcome when purchasing a scratch and dent version. The unit shown in video has worked great since install and I am considering installing another one in another house.
is it possible to just replace the heat pump and keep the old air handler?
I believe the outdoor condenser unit can be used with other air handlers.
Nice install! We installed the 4/5 ton unit (big brother to the your unit) ourselves. Unfortunately the compressor went bad in about 8 months. Mr Cool sent us a BRAND NEW outdoor unit under warranty. They advised us to re-use the lineset and the second outdoor unit just failed again (about 6 months later). We are waiting now on a third outdoor unit (again covered under warranty). This time, we are replacing the lineset and the evaporator coil also so we will have an all-new system... suspect contamination might be the cause... so hopefully this time, we will be all set. We love the system when it's working but it hasn't been a great experience so far... and we did everything by the book! Any reason you didn't just close the refrigerant valves when you noticed the leak and have Mr Cool send you a replacement evaporator instead of calling a tech to braze on it?
Thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you have been sent replacement units when you had issues. Mind if I ask what the symptoms you observed that pointed to a failed compressor? Did the outside unit fail abruptly at once or get worse over time? Did both air condensers fail in the same fashion? Thanks. And yes we did close the valves once we noticed the leak in the evaporator coil.
@@MrKistel The first unit started exhibiting intermittent P5 error codes (overcurrent protection) and then one day I happened to be outside nearby it and it was making a terrible noise... I pulled off the cover just to make sure it wasn't something obvious or loose. I shut the unit off from the thermostat and as it was winding down, it sounded like gravel was inside the compressor. While ramping down it threw an H7 (driver out of step) and never started again. The second unit worked fine for a few months but then we got the intermittent P5 code again. Mr Cool sent us a new outdoor control board that they said had updated firmware on it that addresses this newly-recognized issue; and it did... unit ran great right up until a week ago. Unit just stopped working one day and when I pulled the cover, I was looking at a PH code. I swapped out the inverter driver board (a different board from the controller... there are three large circuit cards in these things!) from the previous unit -- which they let me keep for spare parts -- as the service manual suggested, but that didn't fix it. Unit tries to start (fans come on), but right when the inverter drive board tries to start the compressor, it just won't turn over and it flashes the PH code and shuts down. So we are again assuming compressor failure. These units are re-badged Gree Flexx units and Gree is the largest manufacturer of ACs in the world so I'm confident they aren't garbage; I'm just hoping we've had bad luck. I can say Mr Cool's tech support via email has been extremely responsive and warranty support has been great. I'm strongly considering vacuuming down the lines between the condenser and evaporator this time just to make absolutely sure there is no moisture or non-condensables present. There is enough refrigerant in the outdoor unit for up to 25' of standard lineset, so I'm comfortable pulling a vacuum on the lines even though they are pre-charged. I'm sure our case is isolated; this can't happen to everyone or Mr Cool will go broke!! :-)
@@hedge605 thanks for you insight. For the repair I show in the video we added refrigerant to compensate for what was lost. The HVAC tech did this by simply watching pressure levels on gauges , he said he added about 3 pounds of R410a. I mentioned concern about potential remaining air in the system and he said it should not be a problem. He said if it was he would see it on his pressure gauges. I am hopeful he is right. My handler coil was sent to me damaged with a breach. So no refrigerant was in it. Additional refrigerant was lost once lines were open and before leak was detected. So I assume the coil was full of air.
@@MrKistel Yeah, I would assume the same... which is not good, at all... sorry. Moisture is the biggest killer (from what I read online) by which the liquid-air separator supposedly helps with (and is installed in the unit, although I can't find anything about a filter dryer being installed).
Cross your fingers and hope for the best! Please ping me back here if you experience an issue, because Mr Cool is convinced this is not wide-spread. Note too (to your benefit) that precise charge amount is not that important on these types of inverter systems because there is an accumulator that keeps excess refrigerant to be able to meet different cooling and different heating demands which depend on all kinds of things like indoor and outdoor temperatures, etc. The system will watch the temperatures (to deduce head pressure), compressor output temperature, suction and liquid line temperatures, and use that along with ambient temperature to keep sub-cooling and super-heat in check.
@@hedge605 I believe the installation manual says to install a filter dryer when installing the system using a traditional line-set method. I guess this is when custom lines are run and vacuumed. Wonder if it would be worth trying add one on my system now in retrospect? any thoughts?
Your water drain (lower ) should have a p trap . The water won’t drain , when the air handler is on it will pull the water from the negative pressure .the unit is only precharged with refrigerant for up to 15 feet . Also you can’t get a correct charge unless the weather is at least 80 degrees outside .if you add refrigerate when it’s cold , you probably will over charge the system and it won’t run correctly in the summer .( cool mode)
I hope he pulled a vacuum on the system.
That was a big leak on the video. By the time he came to patch it, the system would be a 0 psi unless there’s a close solenoid trapping some refrigerant in the condenser.
After brazing the leak, pull a deep vacuum using a micron gage. Then add refrigerant by weight. Need to see how much is takes on the condenser. And also how much the pre charge line set took by calling the manufacturer. Add both weights to get the best results.
The system consisted of the condenser, the air handler, and the line set. The condenser came with about 10lbs of r410a refrigerant and the evaporator coil and line set each should have come pre-charged as well. The problem was the coli in the air handler came with a hole so presumably most refrigerant escape from the air handler before I ever installed anything. Once everything was connected and the pre-charged lines were open additional refrigerant leaked out through the small hole for about 8 hours before the system was closed off. So at that point the evap coil was refilled with refrigerant from the lineset condenser and then some more was lost. When the Air handler coil was repaired it was filled with nitrogen. Then more refrigerant was added to the entire closed system. So I would anticipate there is still at least Nitrogen in the system. It seems to be operating fine regardless at this point. So my overall question is do you think the systems is ok operating as it is assuming there might be some nitrogen in it? It seems like it would be very costly to add fresh refrigerant to refill the entire system.
@@MrKistel Depends on how much is in the system. Its a all or nothing if it is contaminated you remove all and recharge. More than likely you don't have much. Compressors don't like squishing stuff that doesn't condense from vapor to liquid
@@jonsaircond8520 Thanks for your insight
Never heard of pre charged lines set and coil, needed to vacuum down system before you opened valves. Vacuum would have revealed leak. Once air is in system, all 410 needs to be removed, vacuumed down, then charged fresh. Won’t benefit to just adding 410 after it contamination. Good install just missed the last step👍🏻
do you have a aux heat or not, where you located, thanks
No this system did not require the aux heat component for the milder climate region.
With these mini split systems you shouldn't top them off and be confident it has the proper amount of refrigerant. The method to fix this is to recover ALL the refrigerant, after this step you can vacuum out the lines and get that air out, then you need to weigh back in the proper amount of refrigerant the manual states the system should have.
Thanks for the insight
What voltage does this run on and what is breaker size?
The system operates on 240volts. I believe the condenser is on a 30amp 240 circuit and the air handler is running on a 15amp 240 feed. The air handler would need a larger amperage circuit if the emergency heating element were also installed.
Why couldn't you use the old handler. Was it a different BTU?
The old coil was pretty nasty. Figured best just to replace the entire system.
I just installed a 3 ton universal. I noticed it pulls 0.7 amps even when off!! This amounts to $180 a year in wasted energy. Do you know what your current draw is to the outdoor unit when off?
Maybe try to check the power usage at different times when it is off and see if it fluctuates. I believe there is an occasional heating process that can activate from time to time. I assume this would happen more in cold weather.
@@MrKistel I setup my system with a MrCool gas furnace and a separate coil. Usually it is sold with the air handler you used not my duel fuel setup. How much refrigerant was in the air handler coil you installed? It should say on the data plate. I'm trying do some diagnostics because the outdoor units is pulling 21 or 22 amps each cycle, which is way over the Rated Load Amps (RLA) of 16 on the compressor data plate. I'm trying to make sure I have the same refrigerant charge as what the default system you installed has. Thanks!!
@@mtbphil168 Hmm, I am not sure exactly and don't have immediate access to the data plate.
This air handler is 240v correct? You can run it with 12/2? No neutral is required?
240 volt is correct
@@MrKistel and no neutral? All the electronics in the air handler work fine?
After 10 months now how's it holding up, and how are your energy bills?
Adam, thanks for checking in. The system has been working well. I would like to think it is considerably more efficient than my previous more traditional HVAC system, however I have not been able to monitor energy usage in enough detail to compare. I do watch energy usage through a "Sense" energy monitor, and you can tell the system runs using different amounts of power at different times depending on AC or Heat demands. At a high load the system draws just over 2000 Watts if I recall correctly.
How’s the mini split holding up so far?
The system shown installed in the video is doing great
I have to replace my 4ton 15yr unit and was giving this a hard look, I like the 4/5 ton option as our house struggles on those 98 degree days to keep the upstairs at 76. However, after reading through this thread of comments I'm losing faith in the Mr Cool system. It seems more people than not have issues with these units for a host of reasons. Seems like this tech is not yet reliable to count on, the last thing I want to deal with is aggravation of replacement under warranty and live through 2-3 weeks of no AC waiting on things. We all have enough aggravation in life, this seems to be another source. Not one person here has a 3 yr track record of installing and loving this product. Please tell me I'm wrong....
The system shown in this video has done well since the publication of this video.
Where can you buy the torque open wrench?
see the video description area
the whole system should off been recovered, pulled vacuum, and recharged by weight, the guy only head a low pressure gauge hooked up while charging, no way he could off charge properly its ever overcharged or underchared
When a system is recovered is the refrigerant that is removed able to be reused in addition to what ever new refrigerant needs to be added? Or is the old refrigerant considered contaminated because of the potential air in the system? I am not clear on the understanding of where the air goes in a situation like this. Thanks
@@MrKistel air and moisture will contaminate a refrigeration system, if a recovery tank was clean, and refrigerate it self is not contaminated it could be put back into a system after repair, but its always better to recharge with new especially r410a because its a mixture refr. and a mixture leaks at a different rate.
It should have been vaccumed to get the air out. Now you will have moisture in your system
thanks for the insight
Hi, just wondering why the two lines are different in size? I want to rough in lines in my new build and was thinking about leaving two half inch copper lines and insulating them. I do have to have them go through some tight spaces using 90s. Will the two half inch lines be ok? And also if I have soldered 90s joints, will those pose any problems ? Your feedback would be appreciated.
Larger diameter line is the gas line and the smaller diameter line is the liquid line. They need to be sized to spec for the size system you are installing.
@@robschannel9229 ok thanks for that info. I'm gonna educate myself more on that. Thank you
This is fkn comical
@@JuanZ-ClipZ it sure is. I just learned about gaseous and liquid states and their velocities and howif they are not properly sized the compressor is at risk of burnout. I'm building a 4000 Sq ft home and majority of the work is done by myself. I have wired it for control 4 and Luton mix, did all plumbing, framing and will be doing my own finishing. I also repair electronics at a component level. In my life iv learned to ask questions, not be ashamed to educate myself. We all need to learn from one another. What's comical is that you had nothing positive to add. Please just relax and help others if you can and doing so will give you so much joy. Peace
@@paulgill7222 Shaddup
Blended refrigerant shouldn’t be topped off but it’s probably fine
I've had mine working great for two years (installed 6/2020) and now the outside unit is not starting. It is showing an E3 after a minute or two after connecting the disconnect. There is some light ticking/knocking sound before it goes from 00 to E3. I've contacted MrCool a day ago and still waiting on a response.
Thanks for sharing and please let us know what you figure out and how you proceed.
@@MrKistel no reply as yet, tried several forms of communication all morning.
@@MrKistel still no response from mrcool - day 5. 96 degrees in house.
@@tradewinds8607 Keep us posted. Having some kind of support is important
I also have the e3 error code. My system never started. Did the installation, made sure there were no leaks, opened valves, etc. I have left messages and emails for a month with no reply.
In Florida you have to have a license. So I’m a licensed contractor why does it cost 2-4000$ over equipment cost. It’s easy we have work-truck all sorts of INSURANCE $$$ and last we have to warranty are work for 1 year. This equipment is horrendous compared to the equipment I started with in 1990. Chances are something May break within the year. So you’re paying for knowledge , licensing ,insurance warranty labor. Im all for the person who tackles a project themselves. I’m just giving some insight into Why it cost what it does!!!
Thanks for sharing. To clarify... When you mentioned the equipment not being good compared to the stuff when you started in the 90s, are you referring to this type of equipment shown in the video are generally referring to all modern-day equipment?
Won't using stainless bolts to mount the condenser to an aluminum block cause galvanic corrosion? Might want to check that now that it's been in place for a time, see if corrosion is happening.
Good insight. I used rubber washers to separate the two dissimilar metals.
he'll be lucky to have this thing last 20 years, the stainless bolts will last 2x longer, so basically nothng to worry about.
Is the air handler using a txv or piston? Trying to determine if this is superheat or subcool charging method.
So adding refrigerant has been a mystery to me. I have had three different techs out and none were clear on the appropriate way to do so but each tried there own method. The way I see the problem is that the inverter condenser is constantly fluctuating pressures based automated operation. So a traditional tech just wants to hook up gauges and add refrigerant based on the pressures reading. This probably works well enough for most traditional ac condensers that operate at 100% on when they are running, their pressure readings should be constant. Simply adding gauges to a running inverter condenser (operating normally) will not give you reliable pressures to determine refrigerant "levels." My guess is you have to figure out how to operate the condenser in a full throttle mode but I am not clear how you do that. The last tech I had was able to get the system into a high output operation using the dip switches in the condenser (we found some maintenance document buried in the internet that described this). In this mode it operations more aggressively however things still fluctuate. He felt he got solid enough pressure readings from this to determine the system was low and he arbitrarily added 1 pound of r-410a. System seems to be running fine but I am still not clear if I have a proper amount of refrigerant in it.
@@MrKistel yep, that is what I'm thinking also. I asked Ingram's about an override to allow the system to start but they said there wasn't any. I guess since you don't get an E3 you're probably fine. I tried digging around the internet and also search under Gree but nothing much to help with how to startup and recharge successfully. Something about some special cable is needed to troubleshoot. Let me know if you can share the document you found. Thanks.
@@tradewinds8607 send an email to the email address shown in the about section of this youtube channel
@@MrKistel looks like comments are getting sensored and deleted.
@@MrKistel the issue is that all the refrigerant has leaked out from the valve above the compressor. What seems like a blob of solder on top of the valve pop up leaving a hole for the refrigerant to leak out.
Are you still happy with unit? Any issues?
working as intended, no further issue other then what was addressed in the video
The condenser probably got damaged when you removed it (for no reason but to reduce weight) and placed it back in.
I think I see him use that pipe as a handle @4:16 in the video, so you might be right.
@@trace9130 he thought it was a pony tail on a girl lol
a Love Handle
4:37 condenser coil looks beat up!
It was a "scratch and dent" unit sold with some cosmetic defects.
Here is our Playlist of the MrCool System we installed by our selves. It is a multi-unit system.
czcams.com/play/PLkmO_DrGWs-Kkk8YFGC-oHVSennYYOgiH.html
All Stores Please Lower the cost of all Military and Local for all Brands of Central Heat & Air Units and Production Cost Now That's too much $$. The Whole World Now 🙏🙏🙏
Air handler has a white plug what’s that
Does anyone have a source for the plenum boxes he used?
was purchased at a local HVAC supply house
@@MrKistel what type of material is the plenum box that it can support the weight? I just bought a system and need the same setup with bottom side return connection
What I have learned is that - a small % of guys are smart and skilled enough - generally- to DIY install a system like this. Most are not. If you are smart enough...yes you can save a lot of HVAC expert installation fees/labor.
However for most people out there, they are not skilled or knowledgeable enough to DIY one of these units/ or a mini split system.... and/or they find that after the install, many issues may arise, and few if any HVAC guys, will then mess with their self installed system... due to legal liability issues.
So for most people, having a licensed HVAC person, and one with years of experience ideally, install your next HVAC system is suggested. Thats what I will do.
Appreciate your thoughts, thanks for sharing
Heard that these units are rebaged gree flexx units
Not sure but this unit has been running great. I just installed a larger version in another house and will be posting that video soon.
Is this system air conditioning air handler and heat pump?
The system came with an air handler (inside blower) and an air condenser (the outside unit). It functions as a heat pump.
Then the air condenser will run in cold months and hot months. The air handler will push forced heat from the air condenser through the house with out having a standalone heat pump unit?
How much and how much money did you save on electricity?
I regret not pulling a wattage used reading on the old traditional AC System before installing this new one. So I do not know the power consumption use of the old system to compare with the new. The inverter condenser with the new system throttles itself routinely so it is never using the same amount of power. For example, right now it is running and using about 1800 watts however I have seen it read near 2300 watts at higher demand times (i have the settings set to max output by the way). The old system was always running full throttle likely using considerably more power than this unit at its peak usage periods. .
i see with those type of lines there wasnt a need to pull a vacuum maybe…
Yes the line set comes "pre-charged" with R-410a refrigerant.
Forgot to vacuum the system before charging or turning on
The lines come prefilled with refrigerant with this system.
I did this install myself. The Mr Cool videos are misleading about how easy the install is. I would not consider it a DIY project for most people. You have to know how to run new electrical lines, how to plumb a drain with a p trap, how to make a plenum, etc. The pre charged line set I believe is a better and less leaky design than the flare fittings, but the traditional (inferior) flare fittings do work if you use a an eccentric flare tool and nylog goo. That being said I do like the system. One WARNING for people installing these. My experience was that Mr Cool was NOT available to answer the phone and took more than 1 week to answer questions I left for them. Also, on their website it says any Nest thermostat will work, while HVAC professionals are saying thermostats with a conservation function have been FRYING MOTHER BOARDS! I ended up with the Ecobee thermostat. Thank you for posting this video. It helped me. That being said, next time I think I will install the Mitsubishi as it is higher quality. I'm not deterred by having to make flares. I learned how to do that on a minisplit. The eccentric flare maker tool and nylog are the secrets to no leaks.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. I am thinking about installing this same system somewhere else and was debating on whether to consider using a traditional line-set vs the pre-charged. For this system, I am using a typical off-the-shelf thermostat and had to go into the programming to configure it to work properly with the Mr. Cool. It was not the simplest thing to figure out but works fine once configured right.
All Stores Please Lower the price of all Military and Local for all Brands of Central Heat & Air Products and Accessories and Production Cost Now That's too much $$ The Whole World Now 🙏🙏🙏
Did MrCool reimburse you for fixing the leak?
The warranty was honored.
Why Removing the air handler? They are factory pre-charged, must be the 1 in 100,000 units with a leak.
Is it 110V or 220V ?
This ac system runs off 240volt supply
@@MrKistel Thank you so much I'll get one of this units for my house.
@@Themastermind-bc1oq Separate breakers for outdoor unit and indoor unit on the Mr Cool. Most inverter heat pumps send power to the condenser with just one breaker and then from the condenser there's another 14 gauge wire set providing 240V, Ground, and a red wire for serial communications between the indoor and outdoor unit.
Is it an obligation to have the duct insulated in order to have a ducted heat pump?
The duct work could condensate if it is not insulated and create water problems.
All Stores Please Lower the price of all Military and Local for all Brands of Central Heat & Air Products and Accessories and Accessories and Production Cost Now That's too much $$ The Whole World Now 🙏🙏🙏
I'm not a tech but from what I've learned about HVAC is the system should have been evacuated, nitrogen should have been flowing through the system while it was brazed, then vacuumed down, then recharged.
Absolutely insane to have a brand new unit from the factory, have a leak in the coils.. Absurd