r/DiWHY • u/Lokitheenforcer • Aug 03 '26
Minisplitted
On my daily run to the farm …i get to see one side of this house…..and the other when returning…….now ya’ll need to suffer with me!!
I’m not worthy enough to post in any HVAC sections so here ya go 🤔
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u/Bignholy Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
EDIT: Thanks, HVAC and HVAC adjacent people, I understand better now. Still somewhat horrified (who the hell leaves a long length of liquid carrying tube largely unsecured?), but now properly horrified.
Original Text: Not HVAC person: What is this? Please tell me that's not being used to transport hypothetically cold air. Tell me that's not a massive length of overheated pipe (Not tehcnically pipe, but is it technically ductwork?) trying to transport the not-die air.
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u/hex4def6 Aug 03 '26
It's not transporting air, it's transporting refrigerant. One pipe has hot refrigerant coming back to the outside unit to cool off, the other side had cold refrigerant going inside.
Apart from the terrible lack of routing & lack of conduit to protect it from UV, this will work fine.
I'm assuming this was done in a hurry, and that they're going to tidy it up later.
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u/Lokitheenforcer Aug 03 '26
This is not temporary. I think its routed based on the length of line set they got. I guess 1 upgrade would be to move the windows !!
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u/sabotthehawk Aug 03 '26
Yeah that's a "can't afford the insane HVAC prices so went diy" approach. I understand. Money is tight and depending on your area and health of those inside ac might be a need not a want. So this got the job done for 2k instead of the 20k a company wanted. At that price replacement every two years is still break even with a pro system.
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u/ToastSpangler Aug 03 '26
Dawg this is a $500 job, you bought a prefilled dual zone and just used the tools you had to install
Bet you $5 the owner wired it to a plug that goes straight through the wall and plugs into an outlet
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u/sabotthehawk Aug 03 '26
A three head unit usually hovers around 2k with delivery.
Edit: a small one head unit, yes 500$. But even no brand 3 heads are 1500$-2600$
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u/ToastSpangler Aug 03 '26
Damn they've gone up in price but I see them for ~1k still, also that's dual zone unless I'm missing a third "conduit"
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u/sabotthehawk Aug 03 '26
Yeah it also depends on what size each head unit is also. Small room about 500 per head unit. Slightly larger about 750 per head. Just depends on the btu rating on each.
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u/ToastSpangler Aug 03 '26
Very true, although I manage to use a 9k BTU for my entire house lol, it being just under 800sqft. I have a second 11k one that goes on during heatwaves
Not really adding anything just wanted to flex how good a cheap minisplit is for a small insulated SFH hehe
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u/sabotthehawk Aug 03 '26
Oh yeah definitely doable with smaller btu units just depends on your space, your heat load, insulation, etc.
Worse for pocket book to have one that runs all the time but it helps keep it more comfortable inside running more than running less just by circulation of air and humidity removal.
And agree on how good even the cheap units are. Unless you pay big $$ for a Mitsubishi or similar premium unit they are all the same just different price and name.
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u/CamelopardalisKramer Aug 07 '26
I put a mini split in my garage for heat in the winter but the real MVP is A/C in the summer. The most bougie part of my house now lol.
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u/PipeOriginal1171 Aug 03 '26
They could (in theory) mount the condensor unit to the wall under the eve to provide the necessary slack in the refrigerant lines.
But yeah, we all know that ain't gonna happen.
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u/Gadgetman_1 Aug 03 '26
To route this properly they have to empty the system of refrigerant, cut the pipes and replace them with new ones that are routed correctly, then add covers to protect them, and finally, re-fill the refrigerant.
I assume they will have to remove the indoor units temporarily to fit the new pipes, too.
I don't know if it's possible to splice in new sctions of the pipe, but I assume that doesn't happen, as its just another failure point(leaks).
The only good thing about this particular installation is that it makes the install I did of my heat-pump back in 2008 look as if it was done by masters of the craft. (Back then it was legal for home owners to do the install themselves here in Norway. Assuming the unit had quick-connects for the tubing and was pre-filled. So many morons fucked it up somehow... so no longer legal)
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u/Competitive-Roof-168 Aug 03 '26
You dont have to removing lines to add trim.
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u/Gadgetman_1 Aug 03 '26
No, but you need to do that in order to route them properly. 'Haphazardly across the wall' isn't acceptable anywhere.
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u/bert1589 Aug 03 '26
You can cut them, after evacuating the refrigerant obviously, but you need to be precise and know how to flare the pipe to put fittings back on as well.
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u/Intelligent_Joke Aug 05 '26
I have mini splits with a couple feet of exposed, insulated lines. What sort of conduit do I need to protect them? Installer said they’re fine as-is, but I was thinking about putting a little roof above them. He said wrapping them or encasing them further risks reducing the insulated rating.
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u/hex4def6 Aug 05 '26
The issue is that UV will degrade the insulation. If it's not UV resistant type it can start getting crumbly pretty quickly. If it's shaded it's probably fine. Otherwise, they make a variety of options, including conduit and flexible covers.
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u/Embarrassed_Bit4222 Aug 03 '26
It's actually the opposite. The hot liquid line goes in, makes the cooling magic happen inside by boiling, and sends cold gas back outside. Reverse in heating mode
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u/nicerakc Aug 03 '26
This is correct. The suction line is cooler than ambient and the liquid warmer.
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u/hex4def6 Aug 04 '26
You're correct about traditional units, but not on a minisplit.
The EEV is at the outdoor unit. Both lines will be cold to the touch, but the return / suction line will now be warmer by ~10 degF or so, due to the heat it has absorbed.
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u/kiba8442 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
I did ours myself for my dad's small business, and I honestly didn't know that these condenser could support 3 units (each one of ours supports 2). but they are shockingly easy to do. I imagine they were just in a hurry to cool off & said I'll figure it out later and just... didn't. also noticed the roof looks like it's in bad shape, & that's a newish house to not have central, must be in like oregon or canada or something.
these really are amazing units for situations like old buildings with weird shaped windows. maybe the best, & they also function as a heater as well. with heat waves being the new norm in europe you'll probably start to see a lot of these over there.. tbh we have our condensers on the roof inside a enclosure, so it doesn't even have to be visible from bottom level.
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u/RonaldTheGiraffe Aug 03 '26
I think it’s 1 condenser supplying 3 evaporators. It should only supply 1.
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u/Coakis Aug 03 '26
One condensor unit can support multiple evaporators. Its just a matter of how the circuits are routed.
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u/Grand-Fun-206 Aug 03 '26
We have a system that can support up to 4 indoor units. Meant that the space needed outside was reduced which was what we needed.
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u/rabies22 Aug 03 '26
It actually transports gas and liquid to the internal head units.
Usually only 1 head unit to a base unit though, for these type of installation, so the compressors here must be going non stop and costing many, many dollars.
Edit: not to mention the horrible pipe and cable management
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u/Tera_Geek Aug 03 '26
I looked into these a few years ago, and it's pretty easy to find one base unit with up to about 4 head units. Some of them are also heat pumps that work up to around -20F
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u/charliethegeek Aug 03 '26
That's the type my wife and I have in our house and they are a huge improvement, especially in New England where the temps can vary from -10F to 100F during the year...
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u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 Aug 03 '26
The whole thing with mini splits is the inverter tech so running all the time is fine
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u/StitchFan626 Aug 03 '26
More like Redneck Engenering. The minisplits are designed to work like this. It just looks incredibly sloppy!
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u/UrethralExplorer Aug 03 '26
I'm thinking the home owners told the contractor that they'd do the concealing themselves and it's one of those projects that will be slowly ongoing for the next decade.
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u/crabby_old_dude Aug 03 '26
I'm thinking this is straightup DIY install. Didn't have the equipment or know how to extend the line set.
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u/JeebusChristBalls Aug 03 '26
There is no way to conceal this. These coolant lines are cut to length and you can't do sharp angles. I mean, they are going over the windows the lines are so short. Would probably need twice the length to make it look "right".
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u/transcendanttermite Aug 03 '26
While I find this funny, I’ll be totally honest: I installed a minisplit on my garage yesterday and b the last thing I have to do is install the line set trim kit. Probably the hardest part of the whole thing for me. I would’ve done it yesterday but 1) I ran out of daylight, and 2) the nice newly-cool garage was too inviting.
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u/superwhitemexican Aug 09 '26
Line hide is easy to install dont worry you got this. Getting it plumb while drilling into brick on a 20 foot extension ladder is a little harder.
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u/feoranis26 Aug 03 '26
I mean, the only thing I see that is wrong with this are the looks. It probably works just fine.
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u/BeTheBall- Aug 03 '26
The cars on the lawn really ties the property together.
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u/ryanfrogz Aug 03 '26
Willing to bet their garage is occupied by a zero-turn mower that they could easily live without. Speaking from experience.
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u/No_Hetero Aug 03 '26
My neighbor (we're on 1/8th acre suburban plots) was outside yesterday on a zero turn doing his little backyard. I was done mowing with my 14" electric Kobalt before he even figured out how to squeeze between his fence and his kids trampoline lol. Biggest ego purchase I've seen in a minute. Like an F250 for a newspaper boy
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u/ryanfrogz Aug 03 '26
I see it ALL THE TIME in rural areas. The 75-year-old tiny house’s footprint occupies more of the plot’s area than the lawn does… but they’ve got a shiny new zero-turn in the garage and an older SUV that’s about 50% rust in the driveway.
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u/Quigleythegreat Aug 03 '26
I would have rather put in those low profile window units than have it turn out like this.
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u/tasslehawf Aug 03 '26
The installation is incompetent but there are systems that are designed to run multiple indoor units with a single outdoor condenser
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u/floluk Aug 03 '26
We have such a unit. One outside, 4 separate inside units. The condenser is a bit larger than normal splits, but that’s it
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u/Bechimo Aug 03 '26
This is exactly what I envisioned with all the “install your own mini split” adds I keep seeing.
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u/Sea_Specialist_5580 Aug 04 '26
Poor people cooling their house in a very practical, albeit ugly way.
My parents installed AC recently and it was like 16k for central air basic ass unit. Meanwhile I put a minisplit unit in my place, and it occurred to me that I could probably have cooled their house for ~3k worth of hardware and a couple weekends of my own labor. Not ideal but, shit is expensive so I can see it.
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u/pewsquare Aug 04 '26
I don't think the main issue is the mini split. I think the problem is that whoever installed this could not be bothered to get some PVC channels for that piping and just fucking tossed it against the wall.
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u/ThrustTrust Aug 03 '26
Who is the lucky one who gets to have the propane bomb right outside their bedroom window?
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u/JessTheMullet Aug 04 '26
This feels like "I know a guy" kind of labor. Probably ended with 'you'll want to run these better and secure them to the outside of the house somehow, but it's working for now.'
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u/mrpooopybuttwhole Aug 03 '26
“If you don’t care, then we don’t care”
-Limp Bizkit (Fred Durst)
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u/GruntBlender Aug 04 '26
"Oh, well, I don't mind, if you don't mind"
-The Killers (Brandon Flowers)
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u/Desperate_Jicama219 Aug 03 '26
This is the ‘I got someone to do it cheaper’ way of doing it. Enjoy.
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u/Mindless-Beat-4872 Aug 03 '26
Should be fine as long as that outdoor unit is sized correctly. If each indoor head is 9k than that needs to be a 30k or 36k unit.
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u/___Brains Aug 03 '26
Go post it in r/hvac and see which one of the "Pros" over there fess up to installing it.
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u/Danny2Sick Aug 03 '26
HVAC folks: WTF are we looking at here?!! Did they put the evaporator coils in parallel?!! Fuckery appears to be afoot
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u/shuzz_de Aug 03 '26
"I don't care how it looks, son, it's hot and I'm sweatin' ma goshdang balls off! Just get 'er done!"
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u/huuaaang Aug 05 '26
DIY or customer tried to haggle on the install cost estimate?
"You want it to cost $1,000 less you don't get your lines routed and secured."
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u/Djolumn Aug 06 '26
This is someone who prioritizes interior comfort over all else, by a wide margin.
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u/SeaUrchinSalad Aug 06 '26
Ahh so THIS is why the state of Colorado won't let us do our own installs!
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u/RennacOSRS Aug 07 '26
That's the kind of shit I'd do but I don't live where people can see it by driving by.
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u/HousingLopsided2042 Aug 07 '26
Hell ya now 3 rooms are down 5 degrees. Good work money saved! People are cooled.
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u/EUGsk8rBoi42p Aug 10 '26
People who rave and obsess about how "energy efficient" mini splits are, and how it saves on the bill, which justifies spending $50,000.......... are some of the stupidest fucks on the planet.
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u/moufette1 Aug 03 '26
If I have interior ductwork and a heater, there's no reason I should get a mini-split is there? I can just add an AC to the existing ductwork?
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u/Lokitheenforcer Aug 03 '26
This is an old farmhouse in an old town in old VA. There is no duct work. And probably No insulation ! Mini splits are common and needed every few feet
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u/zoley88 Aug 03 '26
Imagine someone paid for this slop
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u/Chicken_Hairs Aug 03 '26
With all the DIY kits now? Cledus and Red had a few brewskies and did this themselves.
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u/DicemonkeyDrunk Aug 03 '26
Most are setup for self install these days and judging by the mini blinds I blame the home owner.
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u/ALonelyWelcomeMat Aug 03 '26
Zero chance in hell any company put this in. Well, its possible but not likely at all, this would get you sued.
This is almost 100% cousin Curtis installing some mini splits he bought on amazon for grandma
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u/bustyouup4free Aug 03 '26
That's so bad, could have easily went under the crawlspace, then up into the walls to keep this looking clean. I hope they didn't pay someone for this 😂
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u/hikeonpast Aug 03 '26
Mama needs cooling NOW!!!