Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I really liked the idea of the split system, and the idea that it could be a lot quieter than a window A/C. I needed the 25' hose kit since I was installing it on a second floor room (~250 sq ft), so I had to order through the distributor instead of Amazon.
It's now installed and it works - cools and heats really well. It's a bit noisier than I thought from the other reviews, but it's a lot quieter than the old window unit it's replacing. We use the room for meditation and yoga - we were hoping for something even quieter, but its internal squirrel cage fan seems a little off balance, and various plastic parts sometimes rattle.
It arrived in three packages - the outside unit, the inside unit, and the hoses. For me the hardest part about installing the outside unit was that I had to put in an outside disconnect box for power, and all the conduit and fittings that required, and a dedicated 15 amp circuit. It took a couple of days and about four trips back to the hardware store to get it right. It easily just sits on a couple of 12"x12" pavers from Home Depot - you could use cinder blocks - just something under the feet.
The indoor unit was hard to mount - it's heavy and awkward - you need two people. I had to buy a 2-3/4" hole saw to make the hole in the wall for the hoses (pipes), power cable, and condensation drain line (one hole for all). But it does snap onto the bracket when it's done.
The (amazing!) instructions are actually adequate, but they had me buy a torque wrench for the refrigerant flare fittings, which it turns out you don't need - a regular adjustable wrench (or two) is fine. It took a couple of trips up and down the ladder with soap solution and the wrenches to get the fittings snug and not leaking. The thing they don't tell you is that to get the air out of the system you press the Schrader valve stem for 3-4 seconds (it really blasts out) on the "T-branch valve" (which is closed, while the fluid line valve is open). Then you're good to go.
The tape you're supposed to wrap the hoses (pipes), cable, and drain line with is not sticky - it's just a strip of thin vinyl, and it's too easy to drop it from high on a ladder while you're wrapping. But it finally works.
The last thing that got me was when it was all wired up, nothing happened. I used a test meter and verified that power was going to the outside unit from the disconnect box okay, and to the cable to the indoor unit. I finally had the determination to open the cover on the indoor unit, remove the 5 screws, and remove the middle cover. Then I removed the metal cover from the electronics module (one screw) and discovered that the cable had pulled and one of the power connectors was now about one inch too short to reach where it was supposed to connect! Another trip to the hardware store and I had an extension (the cable could not be pulled back since it was now all wrapped tight with the hoses). It was hard to plug in, but with a long pair of needle-nose pliers I finally got it. Putting it all back together is tricky (a true Chinese puzzle) but patience works, and the air-direction vanes are not damaged, and everything fits nicely.
And it works!
I figure I saved $1000 by installing it myself (based on one bid from an HVAC guy), and I'm happy I did. I'd definitely do it again.
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