How to choose an air conditioner?

[wafflehouselove]

Killbud, trust me do not buy that peice of crap! First of all it breaks down on you in a about 3 harvest. And for 1500!!! You rather buy 3x 24kbtu window units w/exuast fans!

and yamaha is right you need to know how to run copper tubings and also the split the end and wilder. If you fuck up frion will leak everywhere and you will seriously need a AC tech to come out to fix the problem and to pump more frion into your system.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION KILBUD.

 

[ogatec]

Killbud, trust me do not buy that peice of crap! First of all it breaks down on you in a about 3 harvest. And for 1500!!! You rather buy 3x 24kbtu window units w/exuast fans!

and yamaha is right you need to know how to run copper tubings and also the split the end and wilder. If you fuck up frion will leak everywhere and you will seriously need a AC tech to come out to fix the problem and to pump more frion into your system.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION KILBUD.

i disagree with you on most points, i think most of your problems with the mini-split came from improper instilation, although i cant really say since i was not there to see it. i can only vouch for 1 kind of unit that is the freidrich brand. split systems are like anything else windowunits included, you get what you pay for.

i do agree with you 100% on the last paragraph, IF you dont use proper tools/ IE, a vacume set, you will fuck up & a tech will have to come out & fix the leaks & recharge. but if you are holding a vacume, this wont happen, & its not really that hard to install properly with the proper tools...

a minisplit instillation shouldn't be attempted if you are not good with your hands, or familiar with a/c type setups. its not as simple as slapping a windowunit into a window, but then again getting the modified window unit setup to work properly has been no picnic either.

i guess me & waffle are comming from opposite ends of the spectrum, he has had problms with a split, & moved to a a modified window unit. I started with a modified window unit & want to move to the split because of all the problems i am having.(burnt up a/cs. inefficiant operation/runs all the time,leaking ac,freezing up in cool weather)


here is a pic of my current incarnation, i tried the box/fan on the back of the ac & it didnt work for me & i moved to the current design. You can see the old 465cfm dayton in the pics..the current setup has worked for over 2.5 years, but i have had the problems listed above & i am ready to move to the split. my friends love theirs & had no problems installing.

in the end i guess this goes back to what kind of person you are, If you are good at DIY & like to fiddle with things go with a modified window unit, if you are lazy like me & like a professional store bought 1 time installation solution, go with a mini-split(mabey profesionally installed).

 

[wafflehouselove]

ogatec, awesome reply i respect everything you say. I actually had a trizone which is a huge outside unit with 2 fans and splits into 3 inside units. I was pissed off because my shit failed on me after abusive use after 3 harvest. So thats when i went back to window units. AFter going back to window units that is when i made my "boxed" window unit more efficient to work better. That is when i supply cool air intake from outside to the window ac and the back of the ac i exaust it with a blower that is actually more powerful then the window ac fan. What this does is that it exchanges more heat when the cool air is pulled through the radiotor thing with your fan blower in the exaust line. I find this method to be the most superior also controlling your grow room temperature without exausting expensive CO2. The split unit have this advantage also but one thing that is forsure, the window ac has a blower that moves more air then the split unit, and also a fraction of the price.

 

[ogatec]

. What this does is that it exchanges more heat when the cool air is pulled through the radiotor thing with your fan blower in the exaust line. I find this method to be the most superior also controlling your grow room temperature without exausting expensive CO2.

what size/cfm exhaust blower are you using?, it would have to be really powerful to move more air than the a/c fan..

what about a/c size& btu?


i am very cuiorus about your design, and am having a hard time visualizing the setup, can youdraw a diagram or take a pic to better explain?

is it simular to this setup? -
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=57828&page=2&pp=15

 

[ogatec]

like this?

 

[wafflehouselove]

the sides and the top of the ac is where the intake is, if i supply the top with the intake then i'll alluminum tape the sides so that its only using the air from my intake. Then the back of the ac is a completely covered box with the outlet exaust being anywhere with a blower. I have a 25k btu ac and i use 6inch ducts with i think around a 700 cfm blower in the exaust duct. The 700cfm blower i think may be too powerful you might can go lower but i have not yet to try it because i dont have anymore money for a smaller blower.

 

[Kilbud]

AC Installation

AC Installation

How do you install the mini-splits. I checked the site and couldnt find any instructions. It seems like any split system I have looked at online, requires a A/C tech to finish the install.

Hey Yamaha,

Let me say 1st I'm really handy and can install and build about anything.

I called and spoke with sales and was getting to technical for them. The man I spoke with told me to call Ken he was the 30 year AC expert and we spoke on the phone on a Sunday for 30 minutes. The only reason you need a AC tech to start the unit is to vacume the line to remove any moisture which screw everything up. He explained to me that 50% of there customers do their own installations and have a tech come out to finish the job. For obvious reasons we don't want a tech in our houses.

I'm going to pick up a vacume unit which should cost me around $100 - $150 and do my own install. Ken said he would walk me through the whole process. I explained to him that I grow tomatoes and can't have an AC tech at my house during normal business hours. They could only come between 8PM to 8AM.

I'm going to purchase the Sanyo unit because it varies the speed of the compressor and will run from 2 amps up to peak 10 amps depending on need. I'm going to purchase the low ambiant unit which allows the unit to run down to 0 degrees. This will allow me to use the AC in the winter if I need it. Ken explained that most of the AC units pull full amps at all times even if your running on low. Hope this helps Yamaha.

Ogatec be smart and save yourself a lot of agravation and install a mini split.

Peace all

 

[Kilbud]

Install Instructions

Install Instructions

How do you install the mini-splits. I checked the site and couldnt find any instructions. It seems like any split system I have looked at online, requires a A/C tech to finish the install.

The installation instructions are in PDF format on the bottom of this page in a box listed manuals.

http://www.minisplitsystems.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=12KLS71#Features

Ken is very helpfull and if you read the reviews everyone say the tech support is 1st rate.

http://www.minisplitsystems.com/reviews.html

In my limited dealings with this company I would have to agree with what everyone says about ken.

I will be buying my unit in a week or 2.

 

[wafflehouselove]

Well its your decision and those reviews are from people that doesn't use it abusively. But when your using it to cool a grow space it tends to run more than normal usuage. I of caurse did have the correct installation of my tri-zone and like i said have 3 run it broke down on me. And the prices on those things are rediculous!

 

[Kilbud]

Mini Splits

Mini Splits

Well its your decision and those reviews are from people that doesn't use it abusively. But when your using it to cool a grow space it tends to run more than normal usuage. I of caurse did have the correct installation of my tri-zone and like i said have 3 run it broke down on me. And the prices on those things are rediculous!

Hey Waffle

The reference to reviews were only to show the customer service which is offered by this company.

I'm curious which mini split unit did you use?

I'm very familiar with split mini units because my wifes from Thailand and I travel to asia a lot. They use mini splits almost exclusively. I asked last time I was there about there reliability and was told they were very good so long as they were installed correctly.

One thing I didn't reference in the above thread was a topic I discussed with Ken. I told him I don't want to use an AC company to do my installation because of poor service I recieved in the past. I had to do a lot of work to fix their screw ups in my house and they were all stupid mistakes caused by lake of experience. A close friend of mine is a expert in AC/refrigeration and when I complained to him he told me there's a good reason for the poor service. Most AC companies have an expert who holds the license and he hires helpers to work under his license. These guys don't have vast experience and the quality of there work is often mediocre. When my friend had his big AC company he let his employees do all the work and spent the day going from jobsite to jobsite correcting there work if needed.

 

[wafflehouselove]

this is the one i was useing. http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/M36TCE.html

Exactly that model my plan was to use that one unit for 2 of my flower room and one veg. It works well but after months of abuse it gave up on me. I live in the south so heat is crazy during the summer so thats why it was constantly on. My ac guy that help me installed the units told me to use get a 3 ton next time its alot cheaper almost the same install but you have to run some ducts and a WHOLE LOT CMEMORYER! So yea thats what i suggest you to do go to excelair.ca check how much btu you need ask your ac guy to buy you a nice 3 ton stand up unit thats where the inside unit is standing up and work with that.

 

[Hydropimp]

The stand up unit you are talking about is the one n the excel website?

If you got a pool or well water go with a water cooled a/c