Ideal-Air Pre-evacutated Mini-Split

[Midwilshire]

Anyone have any experience or hear any rumors about this mini-split?  http://www.greners.com/i/new-products/ideal-air-mini-split-12000.html

It is an inverter model that comes precharged and pre-evacuated, so it's plug-and-play. 

Thanks!

[TomC]

Expensive for a mini split!

[dukegrad98]

I'm trying to figure out how they ship a line set pre-evacuated, without it being connected between the two units.  Or even if they could, how do you connect the two when running the lines without losing the vacuum?  Pre-charging within the outdoor unit is easy, but pre-evacuating everything else is a bit of a puzzler. 

As noted above, it's also a bit on the expensive side for a 1-ton unit.  I think I paid about $700 each for mine of the same capacity (Soleus).  That savings should cover what you pay the local installer to evac and charge your system.  Call and ask first, but that was my experience.  I have two units running (12k apiece) in the main area of my bus, and am still waiting on mounting the outdoor unit for the 9k unit in the bedroom before we can run the lines and start the system.

Cheers, John

[luvrbus]

They ship ac units every day pre charged just order the length of line fwiw Ideal air is made by a greenhouse supply out fit my wife buys from the co named Sunlight Supply they sent some literature to her on the Ideal units they also make a portable,

I think they will better units than a China made Soleus you never know when the Soleus or any China made unit may go away all they make is throw away stuff 

I only know what the AC guys in my area told me when I was looking for a unit and Soleus when I asked the answer was not good but they are not bus converters either lol I believe Tom has the Soleus in his apartments in AK and is happy even with a couple of failures

[Oonrahnjay]

I'm trying to figure out how they ship a line set pre-evacuated, without it being connected between the two units.  Or even if they could, how do you connect the two when running the lines without losing the vacuum?  Pre-charging within the outdoor unit is easy, but pre-evacuating everything else is a bit of a puzzler.   (snip) 

     Yeah, I was asking myself the same thing.  I suppose that you could have two shut-off valves on the end of each of the lines in a way that would isolate both "halves" of the system; connect them up and then open the lines.  But you'd never get 100% exclusion of outside air -- I'm guessing that the designers would call this "good enough".  Also, you wouldn't have the benefit of doing a leak test as you installed and did a normal evacuation.

     I think that if I bought one (or two) of these, I'd still do a regular evacuation of the half that wasn't pre-filled with coolant/oil.  Maybe I'm old-fashioned in my thinking, but it just seems worth it to me.

[Oonrahnjay]

(snip)   I think they will better units than a China made Soleus (snip)

      I'm going to investigate this further.  If they are indeed US-made, it would be worth the extra $300 each for me.  Thanks for this info, Clifford.

[dukegrad98]

You're kidding yourself if you think that most of the internals aren't made in China, regardless of brand.  Or so goes my dim and cynical view of manufacturing these days. 

I, too, view these mini-splits as largely disposable devices.  If I get a few years out of each unit, I'll be plenty happy.  The odds of all three going down at the same time are relatively small, so I've got redundancy built into the system.  We rarely get more than a 5-6 years out of each of my multiple (I think there are four?) several-ton central household units, either, regardless of brand (I think I'm on Trane 20SEER units right now, which I know are assembled here of imported parts).  Put whatever badges you want on the Chinese parts, and assemble them wherever you like, but it's still Chinese stuff.  We live in a disposable society.

Cheers, John

[Oonrahnjay]

You're kidding yourself if you think that most of the internals aren't made in China, regardless of brand.  Or so goes my dim and cynical view of manufacturing these days.   (snip) 

     Yeah, I found the Ideal-Air home website and they have the installation booklet posted.  The language is very much "Engrish as she is spoked in Shang-hai".  I'm guessing that the box you open is sealed in China (i.e.  no US assembly/manufacture/quality control at all). 

[TomC]

As was printed on my Duotherm Penguin A/C's-assembled in USA.  The compressor was made in Indonesia and the fan motor in China.  International parts!  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

The literature she got shows the Ideal made in Monterrey Mexico so that would be the Fredrick plant there I guess 

All China made products or any other country we import from have a rating number 5 being the best, at HF you buy China made stuff it will be a 1 or 2 the Taiwan will be a 5 

I don't know much about the splits my AC guy tells me he will not service one of the cheaper China made units of any brand, he does like the Japan mini splits probably because he sells the Mitsubishi and Panasonic to the casinos in the area lol and those are not cheap he was going to sell me one at his cost

[robertglines1]

Would like to offer up your buying air compressor quality that basically determines quality of unit. I like Toshiba or mitishibuti (Sp) no matter what brand name case it is in.  No guarantees in anything any more.  was some advice was given by hvac friends in past. As far as pre charger lines. I go buy refrigerant lines the proper size (I think I pair of coils covered all three units) and do my own flaring.  It is not rocket science and your loaner vacuum pump from the parts house will tell you how good you did.  if they don't hold 20 minutes  redo them.   Precharged lines are a joke in our case because of how many turns etc we need to make. Not a real believer. What if your evaporator plug wasn't tight and let moisture/air in during shipment.(happen to me)   I just evacuatwated the tube evaporator system for about 45 minutes in this humid weather.. Another simple thing in design that has evolved that is being compared to more massive complex systems.   Have you picked place for condensers?? Have some suggestions if you need.   Bob

[luvrbus]

I seem to recall and I am not for sure though wasn't Ace the first to use a house type mini split when he had his Eagle ? 

If I thought you were going to need to change the unit every 7 or 8 years me personally I would go with Cruise Air they last forever mine were 20 years old and never gave a problem and if I was converting a bus today they would be my choice YMMD

good luck