My Minisplit Install

[jyl]

This thread is going to be about installing minisplits in the bedrooms of my house. As usual, it will be a combination of diary, notes to self, cries for help, and endless entertainment for those of you who actually know how to do things. I’ll put “????” on things that I’d especially like thoughts about.

The units are 2X Gree 18,000 BTU outdoor heat pump/compressor, each with 2X Gree 9,000 BTU indoor air handler/ condensor. These are R32 units, bought shortly after tariffs announced, they were sadly a fair bit more expensive than if I’d done this a year ago.

One outdoor unit will serve the two bedrooms on the north side of the house (master on NE corner, and daughter’s on NW corner; daughter’s bedroom has the attached former sleeping porch that I mentioned in another thread). The other outdoor unit will serve the two bedrooms on the south side of the house (son’s on SW corner, and spare/guest on SE corner).

The north side of the house isn’t seen much and the south side faces the garage and has lots of “stuff” on it already (electrical service, vent fan, etc), so these seem like good places, aesthetically, to place the outdoor units. The east side is the front of the house, and the west faces the backyard, neither have good locations for (unattractive) outdoor units.

Here’s the north side. This looks pretty straightforward (famous last words). I’m thinking of hanging the outdoor unit on the lowest part of the siding, to keep it above vegetation. Lines will run straight up the wall then do a “T” to the bedrooms.



Here’s the south side. This seems slightly more complicated. The walkway between house and garage (garage is at my back when taking the photo) is narrow (4’?) so I don’t want the outdoor unit taking up space at walking level. Instead I’m thinking of hanging the outdoor unit up higher, maybe below the kitchen vent hood exhaust fan you see. It will be an eyesore, but that side of the house is already covered with ugly. It will also be in direct sun, and I don’t know if that is a problem???? Lines will have a more complicated path, like a jog in the vertical leg then a wide “T” top because there is a bathroom between the bedrooms. I am unhappy about doing more than the minimum while that high on a ladder, but I did get a lot of ladder time when stripping the siding in 2023, and I still have the Baker scaffold that I can use when installing the outdoor unit .



I’m happy to see the house paint is holding up. I’ll do a bit of touch-up while “in there”.

Now, how to cover up the lines and wires on the outside on the house? I don’t like the look of the white plastic line channels that you can buy, and would at minimum have to paint them. I’m thinking of fastening the lines directly to the siding, then having a local sheet metal shop make me simple folded-metal covers from sheet copper, with flanges that I can just nail or screw to the siding. Some caulk and I figure that will be weather tight enough, look good, weather to an obtrusive brown, and be a little bit classy. Good / bad idea ????

[rfuerst911sc]

I installed two mini splits in two different garages myself . I did have a pro come in to pull vacuum and charge the systems . Take your time , think about each step and move forward . Make all pipe connections TIGHT !!!

I was lucky , no leaks on either one . I love mini splits . Good luck with your installs .

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The house looks fantastic!

[cabmandone]

I've hidden lines inside of aluminum gutter before. It's not the easiest thing to do. As far as the unit being in direct sunlight, no worries there.

[jyl]

Thanks! The Gree outdoor units come pre-charged for a certain line length. If I need a pro, I’ll find someone. I know that I’m not going to want a bunch of excess line coiled up behind the outdoor unit, so I will probably buy and use a flaring tool. A friend has the tool to pull and test vacuum and will lend it to me.

Shaun, I think you saw it before the strip-n-paint?

[jyl]

Now for the indoor units. One complication is the bedrooms have windows occupying much of the exterior walls, so I can’t put the indoor units there, and the rest of the bedroom walls have picture molding right where the indoor unit needs to be, and I don’t want to cut away molding that’s been there since 1911, as dumb as that sounds.

In two rooms, I’ll have to put the indoor unit on an interior wall, then run the lines through the closet to reach the exterior wall. Example here is the master bedroom. The indoor unit will go over that armoire thingy, the lines will go into closet then turn and run to the exterior.



Another example is the spare bedroom. Indoor unit above the dresser thingy, lines will run through a short surface chase into closet then to exterior.



The two other bedrooms can accommodate the indoor units directly on an exterior wall.

For the picture molding issue, I think I’ll use about 2” thick scrap wood to space the mounting plate out from the wall to clear the picture molding. The mounting holes are spaced just right. The pragmatic reason I don’t want to cut off the original picture molding is that in this neighborhood, people are looking for old houses that are nicely original and unmuddled. Also, I’m a little concerned the indoor units hanging on the wall will be ugly. If that’s the case then maybe someday I’ll replace them with the kind that sit in the ceiling. I’m too lazy to do that now, though. I spent the entire spring-fall 2023 working on the house, then summer-fall 2024, I want to have a break in 2025 which means keeping this minisplit project as simple as reasonable. It already seems more complicated than the Youtube videos . . . which are always on the ground floor and usually in garages.




Simple . . . and cheap(ish). The next project is going to be converting the finished attic with two low dormers into a third floor master suite with bathroom and standing height dormers. Even with as much DIY as I’m capable of, that’s not gonna be simple or cheap. But we’ll then go from a 4 bd 1.5 ba to a 5 bd 2.5 ba which is a lot better. And I can convert the master bedroom into a really good home office, and have the option of giving up my current rented office should that be sensible.

[Baz]

Lot of info here - might help:

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1139258-another-mini-split-question.html

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1122946-window-air-conditioner-mini-split-my-garage.html

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1125146-mini-split-ac.html

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1070287-heat-wave-do-you-have-ac.html

[jyl]

Although . . . it just occurred to me that having the indoor units sitting clear of the wall might be really ugly. If that’s the case, I’ll just cut and save the picture molding :-(

[peppy]

That's a heck of an exhaust fan. How big is the stove?

[jyl]

36” range. Not quite commercial, but as close as is residential legal. 4’ restaurant hood. The hood is a pretty small CaptiveAire unit, I wish I’d gotten a higher model.

[Cajundaddy]

Alright, gentle suggestions from a guy with exactly one mini-split install in Oceanside CA:

Because of the vintage nature of your home which is quite elegant, I agree with hiding the outdoor compressor units as best you can. Sticking on the siding like a barnacle is sure to disappoint so give this some thought.

Also, due to the ceiling height and custom moulding this install screams for ceiling registers. If I hung a wall register across the moulding my wife would give birth to a live baby cow for all to see. I think the mini's can work here and will transform your comfort levels but you need to make them disappear as much as possible. It is a clash of cultures that should be addressed. The wall registers can be hung lower like below a window as long as there is good airflow but I would still greatly favor ceiling registers for a completely clean look. I assume you have a boiler and radiators for heat which is period correct. Ceiling registers would blend into the room great.

This might be a really good project for a pro with years of experience making modern mini-splits disappear into a vintage home environment. A very different job requiring finesse compared with adding a mini to a garage or workshop.

[Arizona_928]

They sell ceiling cassettes. Keep in mind of the drain

[URY914]

I'm getting my shop insulated with closed cell foam in preparation for a mini-split.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

They sell ceiling cassettes. Keep in mind of the drain

An excellent way to drain them is into the vent pipe from a nearby bathroom (if a downward slope can be maintained), and if that doesn't work, the drain can be routed into under sink drain pipe, above the P-trap, if one is willing to do some additional wall drilling. The second option is what I did, after initially draining it outside, but was concerned with the drain hose freezing during our occasional freezes during the "winter" months here (I use my mini-split year round, and it is almost always very humid here so the condensation water produced is impressive).

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by jyl

Now for the indoor units. One complication is the bedrooms have windows occupying much of the exterior walls, so I can’t put the indoor units there, and the rest of the bedroom walls have picture molding right where the indoor unit needs to be, and I don’t want to cut away molding that’s been there since 1911, as dumb as that sounds.

In two rooms, I’ll have to put the indoor unit on an interior wall, then run the lines through the closet to reach the exterior wall. Example here is the master bedroom. The indoor unit will go over that armoire thingy, the lines will go into closet then turn and run to the exterior.

This is exactly what I did - ran pipes and wiring through interior wall, through a walk-in closet (secured to underside of a high shelf that runs the length of the closet) and then through exterior wall. That complicates things, and adds to the work needed, but with planning and patience works out very well with minimal ugliness and obstruction in the closet.

[jyl]

What do you all think about building wood “enclosures” for the outdoor units, with a slat front and sides to permit airflow, painted house color?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by peppy

That's a heck of an exhaust fan. How big is the stove?

What am I missing? Where that pic?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by jyl

What do you all think about building wood “enclosures” for the outdoor units, with a slat front and sides to permit airflow, painted house color?

Works well to cover ugly items as long as you give it enough air flow. I usually built them with a larger lower opening about 3" off the ground to give it enough.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by jyl

Thanks! The Gree outdoor units come pre-charged for a certain line length. If I need a pro, I’ll find someone. I know that I’m not going to want a bunch of excess line coiled up behind the outdoor unit, so I will probably buy and use a flaring tool. A friend has the tool to pull and test vacuum and will lend it to me.

Shaun, I think you saw it before the strip-n-paint?

you were in the middle of stripping the outside. Great color for the house.

[rfuerst911sc]

There's nothing that says you can't paint the outside unit to match the house . Same for any chase you use to hide the lines . While it won't be totally invisible it will blend in nicely . I wouldn't build an enclosure as you need excellent air flow around the unit for maximum efficiency .