Carrier 5 Zone Mini Split Review
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- Me briefly talking about my Mini Split installation and why I chose it to replace my existing HVAC system
Link to Winter Update
• Minisplit Winter Update
Time Codes
00:00 Intro
00:12 Disclaimer
00:37 Intro Continued
00:52 What is a Mini Split
02:43 Specs
03:16 Why I Chose a Mini Split
05:45 Is it Right For You/Conclusion
So how much was this unit, also did you install it yourself?
That's a good Question I accidently left that out.
For the 4 wall units with a 5 zone condenser it was $15,661.26. However since I gave them a hand with running lines in the crawlspace/basement etc they took $1600 off my bill. So only ended up paying $14,061.26.
Also Electrical was not included in my bill since I have Certified electricians in my family to do the permits and that part of the install.
That is the catch, most whole house mini splits are more expensive than a traditional HVAC system because the parts are more expensive.
"That is if you are not replacing the ductwork just the unit"
Bids that I got on redoing the ductwork and replacing furnace and AC was all in the 20G plus range. To me that was over improving nor did I see that being the best option.
I will talk about this in my winter update video,
one again thank you for your question!
@@CrazyRick250 lucky you...I was quoted $24k for a five zone mini split by the same company who did totally shoddy work on my electric space heater install. That included a 30% mark-up on the equipment itself which is reasonably priced if I buy it myself.
@@waynr Sorry to hear that it also depends on the contractor I shopped around and got 5 bids before I picked who was going to do it. One company I called which is a large HVAC contractor in my state took 30 days to give me a bid. By that point I already picked someone else and had the job done by then. On top of that they kept trying to advertise "financeing" surprise surprise their bid was in the 20k range it was by far 10k plus more expensive then all my other bids. So keep in mind the most expensive bid isn't always the best.
They are easy to install. you must be careful not to kink the copper, it's easy to kink. go to the auto parts buy AC oil to use on the tubing connections, both flare mating surfaces and threads, no pipe dope or tape You must know how to vacuum lines. It's not hard but most DIY videos do it wrong. A good vacuum is the difference between long life and a pissed off customer. No such thing as too much vacuum. Watch the videos but vacuum for 4hrs after a 15 min check to see if it's leaking.
@@davebrunson125 When I see how much contractors charge , I can not sleep at night waiting for the morning to start working on my projects
Thank you!
I can say that mini split are very common in Asia. There are several brands to choose from.
Good choice for an Older Home needing an update for HVAC.
Really helpful video, thanks! We have electric heat but need AC in the summer. Thinking of using a mini split with heat pump system, but really want one that can have different temperatures in different rooms/zones. Sounds like a system like yours might be the best (but with some ceiling cassettes - don't like the big boxes).
Thanks!
Make sure to check the spacing on your ceiling joists mine is 16 inches which was too narrow to mount ceiling cassettes! I was originally going to go that route and that's why I didn't.
@@CrazyRick250 ooh yes, good point. thanks!
Let me add something. There is no difference between brands except the assembly line. All components for all brands come from a few vendors. I've bought units and they ask me what brand sticker do I want! The warranty is only as good as the relationship between the contractor and his distributor. So if you choose to DIY you can buy cheap from ebay or Amazon and save enough to buy a unit if it fails. You will be charged for warranty work. I've replaced with new cheaper than many contractors wanted to repair under warranty
I have been a general contractor for over 30 years. I put over 100 mini splits in my projects in that time. First off, the unit needs to be sized to the heat load! Second, buy a brand that will be around in 5 years. I purchased Fujitsu for many years but switched to LG during covid. Third, avoid Chinese junk. No parts, no service.
They all get their parts from the same people no matter the manufacturer. I NEVER use manufacturer model and serial num to get parts, I use the part number. Sizing you're right heating is the factor. The absolute beauty of these new variable speed compressors there is no over sizing
Hey great video. My question is… what happens with the rooms like baths, offices or bonus rooms that don’t have an actual wall unit? Do the still heated and cooled as well as the rooms with the units?
Good question! It depends on how far the "non temperature" controlled room is from the wall unit along with how big the room is. I have one bathroom upstairs that doesn't have a wall unit in it, however their is a wall unit outside the bathroom and as long as we kept the door open the bathroom stayed at a normal temperature year round.
Very insightful video. I happen to be installing a mini split system in my 700 square foot condo to replace my baseboard heating. Do you know if Carrier is a good brand? Thanks
So far it seems to be working for me with no problems. Aside from the living room minisplit fin not closing all the why when you shut it off but that is a cosmetic issue not a function issue.
Can't help but notice the similarity of the indoor unit with the Midea All Easy Pro. I wonder if they have one factory.
Maybe?
Out of curiosity, how do you know that those materials you pointed to in your basement are really asbestos? How do you plan to remove it if it is asbestos? Thanks, great channel.
The boards have asbestos board stickers printed on them. As far as removal goes I will Isolate the air from the rest of the house put in the correct PPE and wet the board before removal.
It's winter here in New England. When will your winter update be released? I am seeking information about the FP mode for freeze protection. Wondering if you can use it on a multi-head unit, etc. My contractor doesn't seem to know much about this mode of operation. Also, I would like to add remote access to my mini split heads. Again, my contractor is not aware of how to do this or if it can be done with a multi-head system. Thank you for The good information you are providing here!
Thanks!
Winter update will be coming soon. We are supposed to get into the negatives next week. I want to get snow storm coverage and low temperatures in the video before I release it. Plus I am still learning about the defrost feature that's automatic.
Do Not believe their claims of how much cold they work at. 30F is pretty much their limit. You will be disappointed. If you have gas heat stay with it.
@@davebrunson125 are you basing this on an experience of many years ago? Yes, they're reputation is still suffering from those bad old days when 30F was the limit. But technology improves. I used to have a coal furnace that had been converted to gas. If I advised people about newer gas furnaces based on this old converted unit, I'd have been quite negative, too.
@@squirlmy since the late 70s. Heat pumps start to struggle at 40F this is due to freon design temp. Yes they tweak a little here and there but you're limited to the type of gas. They could use a different gas for heating in lower temps but then it won't work in AC mode with summer temps. Heat pumps are primarily AC that produce a little heat, which makes them great down south. I personally use mini splits and prefer them over conventional units, mine couldn't keep up last week when it was so cold it dropped to low 20s to high teens. They are deceptive on their claims. Yes it can produce heat at -10f but not enough BTUs to keep your house warm.
Some of them can work down to -10 degrees. The people that are saying 40 must be thinking of the standard A/C heat pump that looks just like your normal outside A/C. Those are for down south or out west when it gets 50 outside and people start to freak out. Mr. Cool for example can work at -10
I assume the condensent lines follow the refrigerant/power/signal line channels?
They do however they also can flow separately. If you look closely at the shot of the back of the house you can see the small pipes
I'm HVAC I like minisplits. A couple problems, they seem to be under rated, so go up a size or 2, their variable speed design makes it no such thing as over sizing. Being able to control temps in different rooms is a MONEY saver. I prefer single units over multi zone for 3 reasons 1 price single units are cheaper than multi zone. 2 you can place the condensers wherever you want for cleaner install. 3 if 1 goes out the others still work and you know they fail at the worst times
Question.....wouldn't running multiple condensers like you speak of use way more electricity than running one condenser? Thereby diminishing electrical efficiency one might get from the units?? I understand your point that if you have one condenser running all the zones ,if it fails, you lose all cooling. But, if I run 5 zones, that means I need 5 condensers. I can't imagine how 5 condensers lined up outside my home. Now, granted, I'm not a hvac pro, so I don't know if running 5 condensers would cost more than running 1, but it just seems like it would. Thanks 😊
@@number1pappy GREAT question with both a simple and complicated answer. Simple answer no/ maybe. So many factors to take in. Single units are about 35-40% cheaper to start with. Add that into total 10 year use. Smaller units are more power efficient, 21-22 seer compared to 17-19. On the other hand if you run all zones hard the bigger one is more efficient as far as overall power draw. More fans and compressors running under a heavy load draw more power, but if you only run 3 zones or less hard the singles are better. Depending on the situation that can go either way. 1-5 zone draws less than 5- 1 zones if everything is equal. As soon as a couple zones need less that's when single units shine. Next factor is Copper price. If you mount the condenser close to the air handler, it takes less copper saving money, but you have condensers mounted all around your house and it can be ugly. You sacrifice looks to save money. The longer the copper run the less efficient. Years ago I received my law degree in Murphy NC you may have heard of it Murphy's law. When your unit fails it's at the worse time, extremely hot or cold. Now add in your own factor of how much is redundancy worth. The final complicated answer comes down to you need to do the math for your personal expectations. Your neighbor could have a similar house and get different results, but it'll be very close
@Dave Brunson thank you for your response! You make some really valid points ! The chances I'll ever run all five zones at the same time would be very small. As cool air is going to travel from room to room. The only issue that I have now is, like you said ,having 5 condensers outside my home will be an eyesore. I, however, do have a 4 foot clearance crawlspace, and in some ereas, it's closer to 5 feet. Can you place condensers in a crawl space. I have a plastic sheeting barrier on the ground, and the perimeter is concrete block with a stucco exterior??? If this is viable, it seems like my solution . I could also save on copper lineset this way as I could install the condensers directly under the room. Thanks again!
I'm currently on the fence if I want to go with mini splits in my home. I'm struggling with how to condition my bathrooms and walk-in closets. Without condition air in these rooms, one can get mold and mildew at worst and just stale musty odors at a minimum. I don't know......seems like an issue I haven't heard of a solution to. Thanks 😊
Do you live in a very humid area?
@@CrazyRick250 yes I do.
Oh dear these may help however sometimes mold can build up on the blower fans on your wall units and may need cleaning. They do have a easy open mechanism on them so you can remove the fan and clean it. I live in a very dry climate so I don't think I will ever have that issue. You might be better off putting a dehumidifier in your closed and bathroom :/ but what do I know.
Why didn't you run all the connections through the basement and didn't drill all the way up to the first floor? Yes, - you would need to open drywall, - but installation would be neat. Since you have a basement, - I'd say that the central HVAC in your house still will be okay. Yes, - you wouldn't be able to control room by room, - but the bill still will be pretty low. I'm thinking to install ceiling cassettes from Daikin or Mitsubishi. Ceiling ones, - cause they have pumps to remove water into the drain pipe above + installation in the attic, - which would not require to drill anything in the walls and think about how to get drains installed. Plus outdoor unit will be standing outside at one location and no multiple runs/units would be needed. Still will keep the central hvac as the backup.
Sometimes that's not as easy as it seems. He has a typical install. Ceiling units are nice but drainage can be a problem. Installing a sump is best but sumps have a kill switch to turn the unit off if the pan fills too high not to over flow. If that happens it causes error codes that may cause more issues than good diagnosing the problem. Hopefully 1 day they will add a kill wire and overflow code to the units
@@davebrunson125 ceiling cassette (daikin) has a pump already built-in. So you are running the pipe higher than the unit and connecting hose to it.
@@arishem555 that's good I complained and stopped using them. They didn't tell me they fixed it. I'll look into it to. Mini splits are still new and still evolving. Even with wall and floor mounts drain lines need care when routing
@@davebrunson125 mini splits is very old tech ) we are using them forever in Ukraine for example. When we installing wall unit, just drilling little hole to the outside and water dripping like that. No need in any fancy route for the water or any sump pumps. Just install on the outside wall and run the pipe. We are leaving on the outside 10 to 20 inches hanging.
Nice video. Do you have the capability to control all 5 zones via cell phone or app on cell phone?
No, however there is a Carrier accessory you can buy separately to hookup to this unit that does just that.
@@CrazyRick250 I'm planning to build a new custom home and your video is very helpful. 1. Do you know how much more the ceiling cassettes are compared to the wall mount air handlers and 2. Did you consider Mitsubishi? Why did you choose Carrier? Thanks.
@@tamil1001 The Ceiling cassettes were about 3 to $500 more expensive per unit. (don't quote me on that I no longer have the bid for that one) However the reason I didn't go for the cassette wasn't the price but the clearance. My ceiling joists are 16 on center and ceiling cassettes require 24 on center, and I wasn't going to modify the structure to get them to fit.
The reason I chose carrier was like Mitsubishi its easy to get parts for it but also after all the bids. I chose this contractor to do this job and they solely provided carrier products. Keep in mind some contractors only provide certain brands. Also I chose this contractor not because of the brand, but the price of their bid and how easy it was to work with them compared to their competitors. Hope this helped Thanks
I own the same one. Only concern I have my set for heat 73 blows good heat for about 5 min then blows cool air? Not cold just cool maybe about 2 min or more then back to high heat? Idk if this a save energy issue or normal?.
It depends sometimes its just blowing the last heated air out from the system before shutting off.
@CrazyRick250 Yeah, I had concerns about the brand new system, They came 2 months after the installation to check it out. They said is normal to blow room temperature air once in a while also the df. Is crazy to me because this is our first source of heat & not great at all lol. But does blows cold ice ac lol
it must be nightmare to install 5 line sets vs central ac only need one set when your lucky got one set without leaks ...it all takes one set then entire 5 units go down with it
One they can work down to -10 degrees, these are totally different than the normal A/C heat pump. Now let's get on to cooling, it is easier and cheaper to maintain cooling then it is to remove heat. Example : You go to work in the morning and just shut your system down, until you get home because no one is their. Now your A/C is hauling ass to remove all that heat, and depending how well your home is insulated and the type of window's you have this can be costly. If you have a room that's not in use, you should have a feature called dry mode, you run that for an hour and it will remove all the water and condensation from the inside head, then shut it down if it's not going to be used for a long period of time. And I mean a long time month or more. And I would have split that unit up into two system's incase one goes down. Also I did not see a surge protector on your outside disconnect, I highly highly highly suggest you get one, they are for power spikes and brown out's they are cheap.
Thanks! Didn't know they made surge protector service disconnects I will look into that!
@@CrazyRick250 For your system ICM 493 it's a easy install you can do yourself.
That carrier is made by midea .. that's alot of $for that system
For a Midea 48kbtu, 20.5 Seer 5 zone, with line sets & covers, pad, misc parts & accessories that set up is $6k factory direct /pick up at freight line.....add in labor, permit, taxes, HVAC contractor's materials, P&O & punchlist ....that's not way out of line around my area. I'd expect bids between $14k-$18K. Mini split HP's are hot items & HVAC contractors are busy so they are pricey now with these systems.
@@muskyful I got 2, 27 k btu three zone systems installed for less than 8. They are hyper heat 22.5 seer also. I like that better than 14 to 18 k $
HVAC tech 18 years. Heat pumps don't work very good for heating because they don't have auxiliary heat strips like a normal heat pump system would have. Once it gets down to 20 degrees and below theyre totally useless. They were made mostly for tropical type climates but also the desert where it doesn't get very cold. Also you need to constantly clean the air filters in those things every month. I like mini splits but now you have kinda 5 times the problems that can go wrong. And you don't have adequate heating now so you need to reinstall or install a new gas furnace and run that back to those old ducts. Heat pumps are more efficient than gas until it is 32 degrees then gas is better. So I'm liking your situation in the fact that you have much more control over all the rooms and can have each room as hot and cold as u want and so for that you get the comfort, convenience, and efficiency. But for your heating no this isn't right. And im sure that you live where it gets real cold or else you wouldn't have had an original oil furnace.
What is a 5 head multi zone? Its about a $600 leak search in 3 years 🤣🤣🤣
I don't think im going to have that problem.
Same as any other heat pump/mini split over the last 20 years. Nothing new here....
I do believe they heat better in the cold now than they did 20 years ago however. That's why I think they were really popular in countries like Malaysia, and places in Central America, where they needed cooling but the heat pump was a nice additional feature to have.