I am a licensed HVAC/Refrigeration contractor. I love your videos. One of the UA-cam channels that makes you to spent your time learning, not just wasting your time. Thank you!
The last one! This literally happened to me yesterday. Got called out for a water leak on a Mitsubishi. Cooling with 55'f supply temp before doing anything. Cleaned the clogged filters and evap coil. Also cleaned the drain pan, drain and tested for a fractured drain pan. All looked good so I assumed it was freezing. Turned it back on and now it had 65'f supply air. Went out to the CU (15ft in the air) and found it turning on and off. I thought "okay, cool it probably has a leak and it was indeed freezing." Found the CU turning off around 95psi. No Error codes. I added 1LB 410A to it and got the pressure up to 130psi (super heat was around 4-6'f I think). CU was still turning on and off and my supply temp was still about 65'f. "Why? I thought, and was concerned about the superheat but it should still cool, right?". Called tech support and got humbled 😮💨. Well, I guess I overcharged it. Recovered all the gas and weighed in new gas after measuring the liner-set. Now its got a 54'f supply, 112psi suction and I think it about 12'f SH. I ended up being there all day for a stupid water leak of which, I cant prove a root cause for other than the filters being clogged. All I know is, it wasn't cooling after I cleaned it with the CU turning on and off. Also did a leak search but didn't find anything. I don't work on a lot of mini splits and I just seem to struggle. I have to call tech support almost every time for them. I thought I was doing the right thing by adding the gas and getting it up to 130 like normal.
I have retired within the last couple of years after over 40 years of hvac/r work. I'm glad to see instructors as yourself sharing your knowledge. Most mini-split systems that I have seen installed are installed too close to the building to allow sufficient air flow, which, as you mentioned, is critical for cooling off circuit boards and heat sinks. They are also installed without keeping in mind the service technician who has to climb ladders to get to them. Of course, sometimes it is necessary. Keep up the EXCELLENT work! 👍👍
been watching for years! Love this channel. We are all getting older and it shows. Today I thought to myself, this is the 'THIS OLD HOUSE' show of HVAC. without the flannel shirts. Thanks for all of the years of teaching and knowledge you share. Been a tech for 5 years, 4 years residential and commercial for a year. I never stop learning thanks to you, Appreciate that! From Houston TX., where summer is 9 months out of the year.
another note, sometimes, error codes for one problem may lead you to something entirely different. Example, a reversing valve error code can be an indoor thermistor issue, the system may think its heating when in fact it is cooling! In other words, don't think that an error code is always telling you the exact issue.
Craig - big big fan , just bought your mini split book ❤❤❤❤ DAMN ITS GOT GIANT PRINT ...for old blind people ❤❤❤....EXCELENT BUY 10 STARS ...from a 30 year retired building inspector THANK YOU !!😂
Really enjoy your videos. I did a DYI back in February of 2013 of a 1.5 ton Gree Mini Split Heat Pump. Mistake I made was bolting it to the side of the House. It came with a 25 foot line set and I needed about 35 feet. So I bolted brackets to the House and the Mini Split is now about 6 feet off the ground. The mounting brackets transmit some noise into the Family room. Bummer. Should have bought a new longer line set! I did the whole install and bought HVAC tools to do it correctly. Bought a quality 5 cfm 2-stage Mastercool vacuum pump. Bought a torque wrench for the fittings. Flaring tools. Used Flare-tite seals on the 4 line set connections. I ran the Vacuum pump all day and got it down to 110 Microns. So here we are 11 years later and the China built Mini Solit works like new. I clean the outdoor unit at least twice a year. Clean the inside unit and filter annually. The seller I bought it from back in 2013 was surprised it has lasted this long. I've installed 2 more units for Friends since. I'll follow your care instructions.
Very good explanation. It's good you displayed the refrigerant used R410A, but need to emphasise that this video is only relevant to A1 class (non-flammable, non-explosive and non-toxic) refrigerants like R410A as some procedures are different (due to the safety of the engineer & of course the user) if the system is charged with A2L flammable🔥 like R32 or worse some are A3 explosive 💥 like R290. Refrigerant safety is as classified by ASHRAE 34 & ISO 817
This is the main problem with mini splits. The diagnosis and repair is more complicated than traditional split systems. Good luck finding a company that will service or repair a new mini split.
@@MattJMT most techs are not trained to diagnose and fix and they usually have three circuit boards in the outside unit. Which means most companies needs the most experienced person to come out and fix after ordering parts. If your customer has no AC during a heat wave they usually have to wait a week for repairs. This can be torture for customers.
too complicated, just like vehicles of today. you can have every test gear known to man and still not get a dead set diagnosis result, depending on the weather, humidity and intermittent functioning parts. you wouldn't want to pay a tech to sit there and babysit there for multiple hours and "maybe" catch the fault or replace what testing claimed was bad, only to find that wasn't the issue. which for example again, happens in automotive world endlessly. what else occurs is homeowner/poorly installed gear, the failing line-sets which leak down and allow moisture in, which then ends up ruining the compressor/oil and often shortly after it's been repaired. not to mention the repair cost of parts and labor, which is only covered for so long. it can quickly cost as much to repair as having replaced the system.
Great video Craig, I like the mini splits a lot more in theory than in practice and would only install one in my house attached to a traditional airhandler (which I’m looking to do). I just find the heads to be a junk design
The best fused disconnect/surge protector/voltage range monitor power management system is the RectorSeal RSH-50 VRMDC Kit. This is what I install on all Mini-split DUCTED heat pumps like the Daikin Fit, Amana S-Series and any other brand like Mitsubishi like systems. Any system that is running an inverter gets this unit installed on all of our systems and added to new clients that have an existing system with no protection.
Good information.. About a year ago I installed a C&H system with an indoor air handler and this summer I saw an ELOC error. This only happens very infrequently, goes for 2 weeks or more then the error pops up. I did a thorough leak check and didn't find anything. I recovered the refrigerant (weight was good), evacuated and added back per the nameplate. Still very infrequently I get the ELOC. I looked at the indoor coil thermistor and noticed it isn't attached very well to the coil. I was wondering because of that, is the thermistor not getting a good coil temperature thus causing the ELOC fault ? Instead of trying to remove the existing thermistor and risking coil damage maybe I'll get a new one. Does anyone know where to get C&H parts ? I know it's made by Midea but figuring out a cross reference might be impossible.
Really good explanation! In Australia most technicians are just too dumb to even change a capacitor. So most systems just get dumped after their 5 year warranty because of dumb repair techs and astronomical part pricing. R410 is crap. The thinner part of the gas goes out first then nobody even want to touch that crap anymore. R32 was the best but the industry already want a new gas to make more money.
hi, optimal refrigerant weight is given on specs for the provided pre-determined length of copper coil right, for example, what if we wanted to extend the copper coil (running extra length for odu) how do we calculate the extra required refrigerant to compensate the system? ty
Avoid installing these at all costs. It's a water problem just waiting to happen. You can do everything right, and they neglect maintenance, I've even seen properly maintained one's clog up and cause massive water damage. I've installed a few, no call backs on mine (knock on wood) but I take care of many. And they all suck. Even the ones that work fine, suck.
Water management is huge and our main worry every time we install them. I've poored a gallon of water through a new install's drain to test it only to have to come back a week later because it decided to stop draining after the fact.
Its not supposed to have liquid enter. It is a vapor compressor. Can a little enter during charging, maybe but the object is to have it vaporize before entering during charging. A vapor compressor cannot compress a liquid though, thanks!
Lets see if we can solve this mystery without watching the video by putting 2 and 2 together. Lets see now, uh......heat pumps are no good for regions who experience ACTUAL cold in the Winter and mini splits are costly but are very limited for cooling area as well so it follows that a mini split heat pump is TWICE as foolish and problematic to buy! And yes I am formally schooled in HVAC (meaning not through the mail) and have years of field experience.
I hate inverters only because the troubleshooting is so vague. You need to have those micro leads to check on some terminals and there is no way to know expected voltages on all connections. You got to call the tech support and even they suck at times. Anyway, the idea behind this technology is excellent but with bad installation practices, and the cost of trying to service these things, I can safely say I do not want to work on these things. I have worked with people that they NEVER use a micron gauge, pulling vaccum through the same manifold that they use for every single service/installation call and the gaskets are DESTROYED to make things WORSE, never use a torque wrench(which I would say that is the least bad of the above mentioned) and 99% do not install a surge protector. Most of the times is the first install that dictates how long this systems will last. I am tired of hack companies!
I am a licensed HVAC/Refrigeration contractor. I love your videos. One of the UA-cam channels that makes you to spent your time learning, not just wasting your time. Thank you!
Thanks 👍
I'm a 2nd year apprentice, I don't know what I'd do without your videos 😅
The last one!
This literally happened to me yesterday. Got called out for a water leak on a Mitsubishi. Cooling with 55'f supply temp before doing anything. Cleaned the clogged filters and evap coil. Also cleaned the drain pan, drain and tested for a fractured drain pan. All looked good so I assumed it was freezing. Turned it back on and now it had 65'f supply air. Went out to the CU (15ft in the air) and found it turning on and off. I thought "okay, cool it probably has a leak and it was indeed freezing." Found the CU turning off around 95psi. No Error codes. I added 1LB 410A to it and got the pressure up to 130psi (super heat was around 4-6'f I think). CU was still turning on and off and my supply temp was still about 65'f. "Why? I thought, and was concerned about the superheat but it should still cool, right?". Called tech support and got humbled 😮💨. Well, I guess I overcharged it. Recovered all the gas and weighed in new gas after measuring the liner-set. Now its got a 54'f supply, 112psi suction and I think it about 12'f SH.
I ended up being there all day for a stupid water leak of which, I cant prove a root cause for other than the filters being clogged. All I know is, it wasn't cooling after I cleaned it with the CU turning on and off. Also did a leak search but didn't find anything. I don't work on a lot of mini splits and I just seem to struggle. I have to call tech support almost every time for them. I thought I was doing the right thing by adding the gas and getting it up to 130 like normal.
I have retired within the last couple of years after over 40 years of hvac/r work.
I'm glad to see instructors as yourself sharing your knowledge.
Most mini-split systems that I have seen installed are installed too close to the building to allow sufficient air flow, which, as you mentioned, is critical for cooling off circuit boards and heat sinks.
They are also installed without keeping in mind the service technician who has to climb ladders to get to them. Of course, sometimes it is necessary.
Keep up the EXCELLENT work! 👍👍
been watching for years! Love this channel. We are all getting older and it shows. Today I thought to myself, this is the 'THIS OLD HOUSE' show of HVAC. without the flannel shirts. Thanks for all of the years of teaching and knowledge you share. Been a tech for 5 years, 4 years residential and commercial for a year. I never stop learning thanks to you, Appreciate that! From Houston TX., where summer is 9 months out of the year.
Thank you so much for your encouragement!! It is greatly appreciated!!
another note, sometimes, error codes for one problem may lead you to something entirely different. Example, a reversing valve error code can be an indoor thermistor issue, the system may think its heating when in fact it is cooling! In other words, don't think that an error code is always telling you the exact issue.
Aka treat the error codes like women 😂
Craig - big big fan , just bought your mini split book ❤❤❤❤ DAMN ITS GOT GIANT PRINT ...for old blind people ❤❤❤....EXCELENT BUY 10 STARS ...from a 30 year retired building inspector THANK YOU !!😂
Thank you for picking up my book! I'm so glad you have enjoyed it so much :)
I’d love to recommend these if manufacturers knew how to troubleshoot their own equipment.
Always try to avoid installing ductless split systems wherever possible.
I gotta stand behind my work and I can't stand behind these junk units.
Really enjoy your videos. I did a DYI back in February of 2013 of a 1.5 ton Gree Mini Split Heat Pump. Mistake I made was bolting it to the side of the House. It came with a 25 foot line set and I needed about 35 feet. So I bolted brackets to the House and the Mini Split is now about 6 feet off the ground. The mounting brackets transmit some noise into the Family room. Bummer. Should have bought a new longer line set! I did the whole install and bought HVAC tools to do it correctly. Bought a quality 5 cfm 2-stage Mastercool vacuum pump. Bought a torque wrench for the fittings. Flaring tools. Used Flare-tite seals on the 4 line set connections. I ran the Vacuum pump all day and got it down to 110 Microns. So here we are 11 years later and the China built Mini Solit works like new. I clean the outdoor unit at least twice a year. Clean the inside unit and filter annually. The seller I bought it from back in 2013 was surprised it has lasted this long. I've installed 2 more units for Friends since. I'll follow your care instructions.
Very good explanation. It's good you displayed the refrigerant used R410A, but need to emphasise that this video is only relevant to A1 class (non-flammable, non-explosive and non-toxic) refrigerants like R410A as some procedures are different (due to the safety of the engineer & of course the user) if the system is charged with A2L flammable🔥 like R32 or worse some are A3 explosive 💥 like R290. Refrigerant safety is as classified by ASHRAE 34 & ISO 817
"A lot of dirty power here in the U. S". Yes. This is much truer then one would want to admit. This is much more of a problem with ac to DC converion.
This is the main problem with mini splits. The diagnosis and repair is more complicated than traditional split systems. Good luck finding a company that will service or repair a new mini split.
Genuinely asking, why is it hard to get companies to work on them?
@@MattJMT most techs are not trained to diagnose and fix and they usually have three circuit boards in the outside unit. Which means most companies needs the most experienced person to come out and fix after ordering parts. If your customer has no AC during a heat wave they usually have to wait a week for repairs. This can be torture for customers.
@@drdickqueso I see what you mean!
too complicated, just like vehicles of today. you can have every test gear known to man and still not get a dead set diagnosis result, depending on the weather, humidity and intermittent functioning parts. you wouldn't want to pay a tech to sit there and babysit there for multiple hours and "maybe" catch the fault or replace what testing claimed was bad, only to find that wasn't the issue. which for example again, happens in automotive world endlessly.
what else occurs is homeowner/poorly installed gear, the failing line-sets which leak down and allow moisture in, which then ends up ruining the compressor/oil and often shortly after it's been repaired. not to mention the repair cost of parts and labor, which is only covered for so long. it can quickly cost as much to repair as having replaced the system.
VRV systems in multi story buildings can be 10s of thousands of dollars a service call.
Great video Craig, I like the mini splits a lot more in theory than in practice and would only install one in my house attached to a traditional airhandler (which I’m looking to do). I just find the heads to be a junk design
Not just mini-splits! But this is generally the same advice for all inverter style heat pump systems.
The best fused disconnect/surge protector/voltage range monitor power management system is the RectorSeal RSH-50 VRMDC Kit. This is what I install on all Mini-split DUCTED heat pumps like the Daikin Fit, Amana S-Series and any other brand like Mitsubishi like systems. Any system that is running an inverter gets this unit installed on all of our systems and added to new clients that have an existing system with no protection.
Nice information good knowledge in hvac technician
This guy’s the best. Great video and content as always.
Thank you!!! This is the video I was looking for! I own all your books and love all your videos!
Such a great video! Can you please put in the description the gauge you used to check the refrigerant. Thank You
Thanks for sharing this video and lots of information. You’re the best Craig
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!!
Those pre insulated line sets for mini splits seems to have an even thinner wall thickness than soft drawn copper.
Thanks for the info 👍👍
Thank you Craig. Another GREAT video!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Installing low voltage fans in proximity to the heatsinks can extend the life of the pcb.
Great video! Thank you once again. Keep up the great work
Thanks!!
Would you recommend having a Kool Guard on a mini split that would run off a generator?
Specifically a whole house generator for power outages.
Good information.. About a year ago I installed a C&H system with an indoor air handler and this summer I saw an ELOC error. This only happens very infrequently, goes for 2 weeks or more then the error pops up. I did a thorough leak check and didn't find anything. I recovered the refrigerant (weight was good), evacuated and added back per the nameplate. Still very infrequently I get the ELOC. I looked at the indoor coil thermistor and noticed it isn't attached very well to the coil. I was wondering because of that, is the thermistor not getting a good coil temperature thus causing the ELOC fault ? Instead of trying to remove the existing thermistor and risking coil damage maybe I'll get a new one. Does anyone know where to get C&H parts ? I know it's made by Midea but figuring out a cross reference might be impossible.
Love your work. God bless you
Thank you!
Really good explanation! In Australia most technicians are just too dumb to even change a capacitor. So most systems just get dumped after their 5 year warranty because of dumb repair techs and astronomical part pricing. R410 is crap. The thinner part of the gas goes out first then nobody even want to touch that crap anymore. R32 was the best but the industry already want a new gas to make more money.
Love your videos! Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Always informative material, here. Thanks, Craig.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
Thank you for your support and for watching the video!!
I like DC inverter air conditioner not traditional air conditioner
Always good 🤘⚡️🤘✨✨✨
In Australia, are you moving to other refrigerants that will take the place of 410a ?
Hey craig can you make another video how to test the pcb board
Check out our video here! ua-cam.com/video/v-6Mmat0tzM/v-deo.html
hi, optimal refrigerant weight is given on specs for the provided pre-determined length of copper coil right, for example, what if we wanted to extend the copper coil (running extra length for odu) how do we calculate the extra required refrigerant to compensate the system? ty
I knew the Mini Split was too good to be true. It's probably best to go with a full-sized system.
why are they still allowed to use the white insulation if its known to cause leaks?
I’ve also seen a few different white ones. I’m wondering which white ones are the bad ones?
Avoid installing these at all costs.
It's a water problem just waiting to happen.
You can do everything right, and they neglect maintenance, I've even seen properly maintained one's clog up and cause massive water damage.
I've installed a few, no call backs on mine (knock on wood) but I take care of many. And they all suck. Even the ones that work fine, suck.
Water management is huge and our main worry every time we install them. I've poored a gallon of water through a new install's drain to test it only to have to come back a week later because it decided to stop draining after the fact.
Yep I agree with you both I have had the same problems even when I serviced the units on a regular basis.
8057 Urban Park
Everyone installs. No one fixes. That’s why I make a fortune !!!!😂
I just decided no to sell minis they always leak regardless of the quality of your work
You sound like a MAGA brain
Please a technician told me compressor also compressors liquid refrigerant please is that true
Its not supposed to have liquid enter. It is a vapor compressor. Can a little enter during charging, maybe but the object is to have it vaporize before entering during charging. A vapor compressor cannot compress a liquid though, thanks!
Lets see if we can solve this mystery without watching the video by putting 2 and 2 together. Lets see now, uh......heat pumps are no good for regions who experience ACTUAL cold in the Winter and mini splits are costly but are very limited for cooling area as well so it follows that a mini split heat pump is TWICE as foolish and problematic to buy!
And yes I am formally schooled in HVAC (meaning not through the mail) and have years of field experience.
@@gregatkinson7276 I agree 💯 percent
At 8:31 minutes you show your book at $39.99 why is it on Amazon at $99.99???
That's the price for the companion workbook to use in conjunction with the main service book.
Voch your white?
MINI SPLIT'S SHOULD HAVE A SLOT FOR CARTRIGE AIR FILTERS. THIS CLEANUP INDUSTRY IS BULL SH_T! I HAVE TO TAPE FILTERS ON TOP OF THE INTAKE
Mini splits are horrible for home owners. They are ruining residential AC
I hate inverters only because the troubleshooting is so vague. You need to have those micro leads to check on some terminals and there is no way to know expected voltages on all connections. You got to call the tech support and even they suck at times. Anyway, the idea behind this technology is excellent but with bad installation practices, and the cost of trying to service these things, I can safely say I do not want to work on these things.
I have worked with people that they NEVER use a micron gauge, pulling vaccum through the same manifold that they use for every single service/installation call and the gaskets are DESTROYED to make things WORSE, never use a torque wrench(which I would say that is the least bad of the above mentioned) and 99% do not install a surge protector. Most of the times is the first install that dictates how long this systems will last. I am tired of hack companies!
"Most of the times is the first install that dictates how long this systems will last. I am tired of hack companies!" - Well said.