How To Connect Mini Split Line Set

How to DIY Mini Divide Installation & Save Big!

Every homeowner is looking for the best cooling and heating selection for their home. Though cardinal air conditioning was all the rage once, mini-splits are becoming increasingly popular because of their convenience and efficiency. The countless advantages of ductless air conditioners makes mini-splits a no-brainer for most people, and easy mini-split installation is an added advantage.

Mini-divide installation is much easier than key air workout since in that location is no ductwork involved. If you're even mildly handy with tools and electronics, you lot can DIY most of the mini-split Ac installation and save big bucks. While you may need to purchase carve up equipment for some mini-splits, there are DIY mini-separate options available that include a consummate package.

Factors to Consider When Buying & Installing a Mini-Split

Earlier y'all make your buy and get on with the installation process, the post-obit factors are important to consider:

1. Size of Mini-Split

You volition demand a professional person to gauge what mini-carve up size would be the best for your needs. Under sizing or oversizing a mini-split is a common mistake homeowners make, leading to poor cooling and higher bills. A properly sized air conditioner volition come across your heating and cooling needs for the foreseeable future.

2. Blazon of Mini-Carve up

You need to consider the infinite and your needs earlier purchasing your mini-split air conditioner. The most common mini-split choices include unmarried-zone and multi-zone mini-split air conditioners as well as wall-mounted, flooring-mounted, and ceiling cassette types. You'll have to place the expanse and specify your heating and cooling needs before making the final choice.

3. Placement

A split arrangement air conditioner must be placed on an exterior wall for effortless installation and preferably near the center of a room to provide even cooling throughout. Leave at least two inches of empty space higher up the indoor unit.

Outdoor units should take plenty of open space around them for ease of airflow. Choose a shaded area that is easily accessible for maintenance. It's best to place them slightly higher than the indoor unit to foreclose the compressor from fighting gravity every bit the refrigerant is circulated.

4. Energy Efficiency

EER and SEER ratings are an indicator of an air conditioner's efficiency. Equally a general dominion, the higher the rating, the amend. For example, upgrading from a SEER rating of 9 to thirteen can reduce full power consumption past an impressive 30%.

Mini-Dissever AC Price

A ductless mini-carve up costs $1500 to $2000 per ton of cooling capacity. This is approximately 30% more than the cost of a primal Air conditioning, excluding the ductwork. However, ductless mini splits make up for it with their piece of cake installation and energy efficiency.

Mini-Split Installation Cost

A professional mini-split AC installation can fix you back a couple of grand. The average ductless mini-dissever installation costs $3000 for a 12,000 BTU system. This figure can get upwards to $xiv,500 depending on the type of unit of measurement you are installing and the complication of the installation.

If you lot don't desire to spend a lot of money on mini-dissever installation, the advent of DIY-friendly mini-splits, such as those fabricated past MRCOOL, has made it easier than ever to install your mini-split yourself.

How to Install a Mini-Split AC Yourself?

If you're planning to DIY your mini-split installation, you must choose a mini-dissever that supports the DIY installation. In conventional mini-splits, fifty-fifty though y'all can complete most of the installation yourself, yous still need a professional to come in at the end and charge the refrigerant lines. A DIY-friendly mini-split up volition come with the refrigerant precharged.

A mini-dissever has two components, an indoor air handler, and an outdoor condenser unit. The two components are continued together by copper tubing, which allows the refrigerant to flow betwixt them.

The following is a general guide for mini-dissever installation; still, most mini-splits come with their own installation manual. You must read information technology thoroughly before commencement any installation work. Pay special attention to the tools required as well equally the safe instructions.

Once yous've done that, unbox the mini-split and cheque the components for any defects. Once you've made sure all the parts appear in order, y'all can get started with the installation process.

Tools Required for Mini-Divide Installation

For DIY mini-divide installation, y'all will need the post-obit tools:

• Adjustable Wrench
• Torque Wrench
• Drill & Drill $.25
• Hole Saw
• Level
• Utility Knife
• Wire Cutter & Wire Stripper
• Phillips Head Screwdriver
• Apartment Lay Screwdriver
• Level
• Safety Glasses
• Piece of work Gloves
• Ladder

Step-past-Pace Guide to Mini-Split Installation

Once you've read the instructions and gathered all the tools, y'all can follow this step-by-step guide on how to install a mini-split air conditioner:

1. Decide the Location

The outset and most crucial step when installing your mini-split is deciding the location. Install your mini-split on an exterior wall for all-time results, then y'all have no trouble connecting the indoor unit of measurement to the outdoor unit. For wall-mounted mini-divide air conditioners, the indoor unit should be at least 6 feet above the ground.

ii. Clear the Surface area Around the Outdoor Condenser Unit

Afterwards yous've decided the wall you will be installing your mini-split on, clear the surface area where you program to place the outdoor condenser unit. Shrubs near the outdoor unit can cause performance issues in the long run by clogging the outdoor unit. Clearing the surface area of any leafage will save you a lot of headaches in the future.

3. Stabilize the Outdoor Condenser Unit of measurement

The outdoor condenser unit needs something to rest on. That can either be a concrete pad or a plastic pad. Fortunately, you tin build the physical pad yourself if y'all practice non wish to involve a professional. If you practice not desire to place it on the ground, y'all tin as well mountain it to a wall using condenser wall brackets.

Some prefer to proceed information technology on the basis to prevent wall vibrations. If you lot get a lot of snowfall during winter, it's platonic to keep the condenser above the ground.

4. Locate Wall Studs & Install the Back Plate

One of the near important things to consider when installing a mini-dissever is the location of your wall studs. To deeply hang annihilation heavy, you need to attach it to your wall studs.

Follow these steps to find a wall stud:

• Tap the wall with your knuckles. If you lot hear a hollow sound, tap to the left or right until you hear a deadened sound. That is the wall stud.
• Tap to the studs' sides to figure out their width. Marking with a pencil where you retrieve the wall stud ends.
• Where the wall stud ends, mensurate 16 inches to the side to locate the other wall stud (wall studs are required to exist xvi inches autonomously by code).
• Mark the edges of each wall stud with a pencil.
• Finally, drill a minor hole where y'all believe the wall studs are. If you hit wood, you've located a wall stud correctly.

Your AC manufacturer volition have included a backplate and a cardboard template in the mini-divide packaging. The indoor unit will be mounted on the backplate. Place the cardboard template on the wall. The cardboard template only acts every bit a guide; utilise it to figure out where you lot volition drill the backplate into the wall. The holes on the template (which indicate where the backplate will be drilled into the wall) demand to be on the studs. Adjacent, utilize a pencil to marking the wall where you lot volition attach the backplate.

At present it'southward time to attach the backplate to the wall:

• Place the backplate on the wall. Drill it into place on one side.
• Apply a level to cheque if the backplate is perfectly horizontal.
• Then drill it into place on the other side.
• Ensure the backplate is deeply attached to the wall as information technology needs to comport the weight of the indoor air handler.

5. Determine the Location of the Hole

Next, you demand to decide the location of the hole that volition connect the indoor and the outdoor unit. The wall template will specify the pigsty's location. Use a drill to mark a pocket-sized spot according to the template. The mark will serve as your guide for the next stride.

vi. Drill the Hole

Next, use a iii.five-inch hole saw to drill a hole through your wall. The mark you made in the previous step should be the center betoken for your hole saw.

7. Insert the Sleeve into the Pigsty

Once the hole is ready, push the provided wall sleeve through the wall. Notation how far information technology sticks out on the other side. Ideally, it should be as close to the wall as possible. Use a utility pocketknife to cut the excess wall sleeve.

8. Position the Refrigerant Line and Drainpipe Correctly

On the right-manus side of the AC, you lot will find the drainpipe and refrigerant lines. Advisedly curve the pipes and then they course a 90-degree bending with the back of the air conditioner.

9. Mount the Indoor Unit

Now it is time to mountain the indoor unit.

• Stand on a secure ladder (it would be best to take at least 1 person to support the ladder).
• Lift the air conditioner, and pass the drainpipe and the communication lines through the sleeve.
• Then, deeply connect the indoor air handler to the wall plate. You should hear a click audio when the air conditioner has been deeply attached to the wall plate.

ten. Add together Neoprene to the Wall Sleeve

Neoprene is a synthetic safety that volition create a secure seal effectually the drainpipe, refrigerant lines, and communication lines.

• Adjacent, go outside and bend the drainpipe and connection lines another 90-degrees so they are flush with the wall.
• Then add the protective neoprene inside the wall sleeve.
• Deeply adhere the outside wall sleeve cover.

11. Connect the Condensate Drain Hose and Refrigerant Lines

• Attach the condensate drain hose to the pipe.
• Yous will notice a line set up precharged with a refrigerant with your DIY-friendly mini-split. Uncoil the amount yous think you lot will need to accomplish from the indoor handler to the condenser.
• Unscrew the color-coded caps at the end of the refrigerant lines near the indoor air handler.
• Utilise ii wrenches to adhere the line set to the refrigerant lines securely. Do the aforementioned thing for the refrigerant lines near the condenser.

12. Release the Refrigerant

• Once the refrigerant lines are secure, remove the valve covers on the condenser.
• Use an Allen wrench to open up the valve past turning it anticlockwise until information technology stops.
• Adjacent, use soapy water to check for leaks. Spray soapy h2o over the joints, if you see any large bubbling forming, you accept a leak, or you lot did non connect the refrigerant lines properly.

In case there are no leaks, replace the valve covers and tighten them with a wrench.

If you exercise see large bubbles forming, utilise two wrenches to ostend the refrigerant lines are securely attached. If the refrigerant lines are securely attached, you nearly likely damaged the line set during installation. In this instance, you will have to contact a seasoned HVAC professional who volition identify the source of the leak, patch it, and recharge your system with refrigerant. Never try to fix a refrigerant leak yourself, every bit handling Air-conditioning refrigerant tin be hazardous unless you lot are an expert.

13. Soundproof the Refrigerant Connections

• Wrap the refrigerant connections well-nigh the indoor air handler with sound dampening pads.
• So thoroughly wrap them with vinyl tape. If you lot want a sleek expect, you lot tin can as well apply a line prepare cover.

fourteen. Install the Electrical Connection

Unless you lot are a certified electrician, installing the electrical connection yourself is not something yous should ever attempt. Any local electrician can assist you wire your newly installed air conditioner, and you'll be all set to enjoy perfect temperatures within your room.

Brand Your Mini-Split up Air Conditioner Smart

Now that your mini-split air conditioner is up and running, it'due south fourth dimension to accept your comfort to the next level. You lot tin make your mini-split smart in no time just by connecting it to a smart AC controller. With features like geofencing, weekly scheduling, Comfy Fashion, you can automate your home climate without worrying about dwelling house temperature anymore!

Here's how to DIY a smart air conditioner!

Now that yous know how easy information technology is to install a ductless mini-split, there's no doubt that your side by side mini-divide installation will get without a hitch. Merely make your prophylactic a priority, and you lot should be proficient to go! Once you install your mini-split and make it smart, your air conditioning should be economical every bit well as comfortable.

November 17, 2022

Source: https://cielowigle.com/blog/mini-split-installation/

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