By the way Rookie Chips. You surely should be able to install the unit you purchased off of EBay and then locally find a licensed HVAC guy to evacuate the lines for you. Some units even come with precharged linesets.
I am licensed for automotive AC.... so I do have basic knowledge of refrigerant dynamics. And the early mini splits even instructed you to just purge the lines. These mini-splits have been installed worldwide for over 2 decades now. Watch any Netflix video of the Middle East and pay attention to the housing. I’m talking about movies made in 1990’s and 2000’s. There are mini-splits everywhere.
Even though I had the vac pump, gauges and knowledge.... once I read the instructions on my cheap ductless unit and saw how they instructed me to bleed & purge the line-set and inside unit using the precharged condenser.... that’s what I did, because I was lazy. Yes... I cut corners on my own crap all the time.
I did purge the line set. No vac pump. And it worked 14 years.
The biggest problem I had was my dog ate the remote. I could not locate another remote and the many of these mini split inside evaporators do not have separate controls. No remote and the thing is useless.
I highly recommend anyone buying any mini split to order at least one extra remote when they buy the unit. It’s a big problem if you loose or break the remote.
Or if your new puppy chews the remote.
I actually opened the remote and did micro surgery on the printed circuit board. But I never got the display working on the remote. I honestly think that’s what caused the compressor to finally lock up. I never knew what temp or mode I was setting the ac on. It was trial and error. But, I’m thinking I probably got a few more years out of it even with a hacked remote. It was on or off.
Tried about 6 different universal remotes from EBay but none of them worked. I’m sure a Mr Slim would have had a remote easily obtainable.
But.... no big deal in my opinion. For the price savings... just buy a couple of spare remotes whenever you get a new mini split.
Anyway....here’s a discussion on diy- installing mini splits.
Mini split & vac pump
And...if you plan on getting someone to charge unit after you do the installation yourself.... you’re going to do better trying to find a tech to do his for you while the weather is still cool. In the dead of summer those HVAC guys are up to their elbows in easy work. They’re not going to want to deal with a customer installed unit when they are already putting off other customers. Come winter time....their business slows down.
