So a word of advice with installing these Mini Split / Ductless systems . Be careful installing them yourself and then trying to get a company to come behind you . Part of the reason for the price is the warranty you are getting when the install is done by a professional contractor with Mitsubishi if your a diamond sealer the customer will get a 12 year warranty!!! As far as more info on the Mitsubishi systems check out My Link Drive .com that’s what I use for info and parts / service etc.
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Mini Split install
- Thread starter alloy
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 8,320
that's how my son bought it. He found out and joined Costco. again very happy. His bedroom is above a 3 car garage, apparently the bedroom was added after possibly, and the duct was a single 4 inch tube (uninsulated) in the attic, and the return was right near the inlet. We understand why, if it were added after the fact, because the attic where it ran had no room between the 2 roof lines for more. It could have been insulated though, but too late unless you rip out the ceiling in the bedroom.
As far as the mini split, this one minisplit serves a bedroom over a 3 car garage, so big area, cold floor. it does a great job of heating and cooling.
One more thing I learned putting in the units: The torque wrench.
I can't recommend strongly enough getting the specialty torque wrench. I got one of these because I had 4 line sets to do, which counting two ends on each side is 16 fittings to do and if any of them leak or fail... the install is toast. I didn't pay as much as this link currently shows (it was $170 two years ago) but I wanted a name brand tool for this job too much time invested in the work. There's plenty of generics that are half the price also.
But in my opinion if you are going to do your own installs you really should force yourself to use this on all the fittings. There is a very specific torque value in the manual for the fittings, and the charged line sets are up to $400 a pop. Even if you aren't using Mr. Cool getting the fittings right is still everything. There's no way I would have guessed correctly on feel and both too loose and too tight will mess things up. I know you can just wing it by feel but the reasoning is trying to get as much of the install dead on right as possible to get the most years possible out of each unit.
I can't recommend strongly enough getting the specialty torque wrench. I got one of these because I had 4 line sets to do, which counting two ends on each side is 16 fittings to do and if any of them leak or fail... the install is toast. I didn't pay as much as this link currently shows (it was $170 two years ago) but I wanted a name brand tool for this job too much time invested in the work. There's plenty of generics that are half the price also.
But in my opinion if you are going to do your own installs you really should force yourself to use this on all the fittings. There is a very specific torque value in the manual for the fittings, and the charged line sets are up to $400 a pop. Even if you aren't using Mr. Cool getting the fittings right is still everything. There's no way I would have guessed correctly on feel and both too loose and too tight will mess things up. I know you can just wing it by feel but the reasoning is trying to get as much of the install dead on right as possible to get the most years possible out of each unit.
After reading all these post I will add a few points for the guys that will try to do this themselves!!
If you have to Cut and Flare the line set MAKE sure you use a orbital flaring tool that will make the proper flare also make sure you use some( Lite Machine Oil )on the threads(Or NyLog is what I also use) and where the brass nut meets the copper flare !!! I have been back to fix many where weekend warriors / DIY guys have installed them and don’t know what they are doing and will have spun the flare on the nut and have a leak because they tightened it way to much !!!! Read the instructions it’s all In there even Torque Values!!!
This is one topic where I get a upset with people because this is definitely one of them things that should be done by the Professional / Licensed people and also to to insure you get the full factory Warranty!!!!
Beware buying the off brand / Amazon / Mr. Cool
You get what you pay for and it could cost you a lot more in the end when you have problems!!!!
Just an opinion from someone that has been in the trade since 1994
If you have to Cut and Flare the line set MAKE sure you use a orbital flaring tool that will make the proper flare also make sure you use some( Lite Machine Oil )on the threads(Or NyLog is what I also use) and where the brass nut meets the copper flare !!! I have been back to fix many where weekend warriors / DIY guys have installed them and don’t know what they are doing and will have spun the flare on the nut and have a leak because they tightened it way to much !!!! Read the instructions it’s all In there even Torque Values!!!
This is one topic where I get a upset with people because this is definitely one of them things that should be done by the Professional / Licensed people and also to to insure you get the full factory Warranty!!!!
Beware buying the off brand / Amazon / Mr. Cool
You get what you pay for and it could cost you a lot more in the end when you have problems!!!!
Just an opinion from someone that has been in the trade since 1994
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2014
- Messages
- 2,776
I looked at costco and the biggest unit they list is 24k, mine is a 36k.
Yes there have been problems with the mr cool unit. 2 circuit boards, the compressor shorted out and they sent me a new one, and now the braided line blew and lost all my refrigerant.
My options are a different brand for $5k to $6k. I can't get anyone out here to charge the unit I have. The compressor is over 5 years old and out of warranty. They sent me a new air handler and lines. I think I was just under the warranty cut off when they did.
So I have a new air handler. I can get a new compressor and lines for $1147 plus tax, free shipping. And it comes with the 5 year warranty.
I'm 66 now and had a stroke 4 years ago so I really don't know how long I'll be able to be in the shop, so another 5 years for $1147 seems like the best way to go. I am not changing my position on mr cool, I wish I would have did something different when i first bought it, but i had just bought our house but i was all in and not much to spare so mr cool was the only option for us at the time. Anyway I have better uses for the $5k I'll save going this way. Maybe I'll find that first gen camaro I've been wanting.
Yes there have been problems with the mr cool unit. 2 circuit boards, the compressor shorted out and they sent me a new one, and now the braided line blew and lost all my refrigerant.
My options are a different brand for $5k to $6k. I can't get anyone out here to charge the unit I have. The compressor is over 5 years old and out of warranty. They sent me a new air handler and lines. I think I was just under the warranty cut off when they did.
So I have a new air handler. I can get a new compressor and lines for $1147 plus tax, free shipping. And it comes with the 5 year warranty.
I'm 66 now and had a stroke 4 years ago so I really don't know how long I'll be able to be in the shop, so another 5 years for $1147 seems like the best way to go. I am not changing my position on mr cool, I wish I would have did something different when i first bought it, but i had just bought our house but i was all in and not much to spare so mr cool was the only option for us at the time. Anyway I have better uses for the $5k I'll save going this way. Maybe I'll find that first gen camaro I've been wanting.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2018
- Messages
- 8,408
Man, that’s awful.Well my final opinion on MR cool is DO NOT BUY ONE.
The final straw for me is one of the lines blew and it lost all the refrigerant. So I called and the lines are under warranty, but the newer units the lines are separate from the air handler, so I needed new lines and a air handler. But shipping was not covered and they charged me $395 for shipping. Screwed me good on that.
So I get the lines and installed the new parts and the lines are different length and will not fit. They told me to gently pull the one line. There is no way to do that. So they sent me another line set and the same thing. Second pic.
I called an hvac company to come out and try and help me al they all laughed at me because I had a MR CR*P unit. I asked one company how much to put a new mini split in after I send him pictures of the shop and he said $11,000.
So I have a fiend that has a friend that does hvac and he suggested I put an oil furnace in. Says they are cheap and put out about 90,000 btu of heat. That part I like, but I don't like the idea of going to get oil all all the time, and no cooling and the added fire danger in my shop. So I have been looking at higher quality mini splits like dalkin and mitsubishi. Our house has a mitubishi and I always feel cold with it.
If I get a new mini split I plan on putting it in myself and having an hvac company come out and vac the liens down and check for leaks. I believe most of the labor is actually installing the unit which is easy. I already have the concrete base for the compressor and and new line covers.
So anyone have any suggestion on higher quality mini splints, 36,000 or higher btu?
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My Mr cool is going on five years old with zero issues.
I recently purchased a Della 18,000 BTU heat pump unit which I purchased from Amazon.
I'm happy with it. The line kit was way too long for my instalation so I picked up a flare kit from Lowes, shortened my lines and installed the unit. The condensers come fully charged. There are shut off valves on the condenser fittings. I didn't have my vacuum pump so I cracked the ac condenser's shut-off valve of the liquid line before I tightened my low side line on condenser. This way I was bleeding the air out of the lines and evaporator. I know it's not kosher, but if I had a dollar for every time I saw auto mechanics doing this on vehicle ac systems I'd be rich. A lot of times, dealerships only have one vacuum pump in the whole building. In any case, my unit is working just fine. And considering that I cut about 10' of copper line off my 16' line kit, I doubt I'll need any more freon. The only thing I don't like about mini-splits is that they don't have great filters. I like having a 20"x30" filter on a Central HVAC system. But, I'll make that sacrifice for 900 bucks. Mini-splits are awesome IN MY OPINION.
I'm sure I might be a slight bit low on freon from my bleed tactic. I'll top it off if I feel it's not cooling sufficiently. That said, I'll wait till its 90 degrees outside before I even go down that road. I'm sure Mitsubishi is a great unit. But I think they are overpriced.
FWIW Alloy- AMAZON/Della has a 36,000 BTU unit for 2,000 dollars.
Or $166.66 /mo (12 mo).
Select from 3 plans
DELLA 18000 BTU Wifi Mini Split AC Work with Alexa 19 SEER2 Cools Up to 1000 Sq.Ft Energy Efficient Ductless Inverter System with 1.5 Ton Heat Pump Pre-Charged & 16.4ft Installation Kits
Visit the Della Store 899.00I'm happy with it. The line kit was way too long for my instalation so I picked up a flare kit from Lowes, shortened my lines and installed the unit. The condensers come fully charged. There are shut off valves on the condenser fittings. I didn't have my vacuum pump so I cracked the ac condenser's shut-off valve of the liquid line before I tightened my low side line on condenser. This way I was bleeding the air out of the lines and evaporator. I know it's not kosher, but if I had a dollar for every time I saw auto mechanics doing this on vehicle ac systems I'd be rich. A lot of times, dealerships only have one vacuum pump in the whole building. In any case, my unit is working just fine. And considering that I cut about 10' of copper line off my 16' line kit, I doubt I'll need any more freon. The only thing I don't like about mini-splits is that they don't have great filters. I like having a 20"x30" filter on a Central HVAC system. But, I'll make that sacrifice for 900 bucks. Mini-splits are awesome IN MY OPINION.
I'm sure I might be a slight bit low on freon from my bleed tactic. I'll top it off if I feel it's not cooling sufficiently. That said, I'll wait till its 90 degrees outside before I even go down that road. I'm sure Mitsubishi is a great unit. But I think they are overpriced.
FWIW Alloy- AMAZON/Della has a 36,000 BTU unit for 2,000 dollars.
DELLA 36000 BTU Wifi Enabled 19 SEER2 Cools Up to 2500 Sq.Ft Mini Split AC Work with Alexa, Energy Efficient Ductless Inverter System with 3 Ton Heat Pump Pre-Charged and 16.4ft Installation Kits
$1,999.96Or $166.66 /mo (12 mo).
Select from 3 plans
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2014
- Messages
- 2,776
Well I bit the bullet and made a deal with the devil again 
I just bought a 36k 4th gen scratch and dent compressor and line set from mr cool. Cost was $1355. The 4th gen was around $100 more than the 3rd gen, but the 4th has a higher seer rating. According to the energy cost chart the 4th gen for the average user saves $238 per year, so if it lasts 5 years that's $1190 in energy cost savings for an additional $100 cost.
This was the least expensive option for me to get it working again.
What's that old saying "The devil made me do it"
I just bought a 36k 4th gen scratch and dent compressor and line set from mr cool. Cost was $1355. The 4th gen was around $100 more than the 3rd gen, but the 4th has a higher seer rating. According to the energy cost chart the 4th gen for the average user saves $238 per year, so if it lasts 5 years that's $1190 in energy cost savings for an additional $100 cost.This was the least expensive option for me to get it working again.
What's that old saying "The devil made me do it"
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 8,320
good luck
