mini split airlines

[uemjg]

I'm in the planning stage of mounting my mini-split ac system with 1 outdoor unit and 3 indoor units.  I was hoping to get pictures of how/where people ran their refrigerent lines and how they mounted the indoor units.

Anybody?

[Lee Bradley]

Posted my install a while back.  Lots of information if you search on 'mini split'.



http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=25893.0

[uemjg]

Briefly saw the pics and so far looks very helpful...thanks.

[Seangie]

Ill post what I "had".

We ran the mini splits for about 2 months. After 2500 or so miles the lines kept coming loose and we pulled them and went to roof airs.

When they worked they were great.  Very quiet, kept the bus dry and made for a clean roofline.  But in the end, as we are fulltiming- I didn't have time to screw around with constantly having to replace freon and tighten the lines so we ended up with roof airs

Here are some pics of what I had setup -
Front inside unit - ran the lines right between the windows.


Here you can see the outside unit.  We cut a hole in the bay floor to force the warm air out. System works best with lots of forced air into and out of the bay.  Outside unit/CompressorTemps ran about 120 degrees with no forced air on a 90 degree humid day in FL.  They ran about 97 degrees on an 86 degree day with forced air.


Here is the outdoor unit from the first one I installed.  The manufacturer sent me a unit that never worked from the get go.  After doing all of the work, this one came out and another one went in.


Here is another pic of the first system inside evap unit installed


Here is a pic of the lines running down the wall behind the fridge.

I'm sure there are more pics running around somewhere.
If I do another build -  I'm not sure I'd try a mini split again.  I really loved them for function but just not sure they are made to last 5 years on the road.  They work amazingly when they do work.  It was just a lot of money and time to have them fall apart.  I put rubber isolators under the footing.  Set down tightly on a rubber pad, left loops in my lines to absorb the vibrations, made sure the lines were fastened on tightly.  Again - It didn't last 2 months on the road.  If you part time, rarely move or have some AC tools and skills you'll probably get a little more mileage out of them.

I don't think anyone on this board has Mini-Splits and has put 5k miles on their bus.

We ended up with roof airs which are loud, don't have all the cool features and digital temp sets and displays and don't dehumidify.  But they work, were cheaper and easier to install and can be easily replaced.

Good luck.  Make sure you wrap your line good!  Please let us know how it turns out when you are finished with the project!

-Sean
www.herdofturtles.org
1984 Eagle Model 10S

[uemjg]

^ Thanks for the photos/post...this info will come in handy.  Keeping sending if you find more pics/info.

[sledhead]

My 9000 btu heat pump is on its 3rd year with 15 k on the road with no problems at all .  I use a 2000 watt inverter to power it on the road .      dave

[luvrbus]

I think the jury is going to be out a long time on the mini splits I have never installed a set I only know of people that have and they have all since been removed and gone back to roof tops.

My biggest draw back to the split is the space it take to install one and the copper they use is some thin crap for refrigeration copper, the inside units mounted on the walls to me are just ugly sticking out in a bus, in time someone here will get it right I have no doubt

I have a friend here he reads only never will he post he told me 1 summer was enough for him they are coming out this winter

Me I would not rush out and buy a set that is what I told him last year, I don't care for the roof tops either but they do work with very little maintenance for years and 100,000's of miles 15,000 miles would be a month for Taylor with his coaches  

[Seangie]

My 9000 btu heat pump is on its 3rd year with 15 k on the road with no problems at all .  I use a 2000 watt inverter to power it on the road .      dave

Dave -  do you have braze on or screw on connections for your lines to the outside compressor unit?  Curious if you did anything to secure the llines there.

-Sean


www.herdofturtles.org
1984 Eagle Model 10S

[Sam 4106]

Sean
Were you experiencing leaks, at the connections, at the inside units or at the outside unit? My guess is the outside unit, mounted on rubber feet. My thought is that if both inside and outside units were mounted solidly to the bus structure, and the lines were well anchored, you wouldn't have connections loosening up. Brazed joints would be better yet. Remember that almost every car and truck has long functioning air conditioning systems. There has to be a way to make a mini-split system work reliably.

Just my thoughts, Sam

[luvrbus]

One problem people I know are having is trying to use the pre-charged lines they have been sold a bad bill of goods,we found  that out the hard way on a friends bus  

Then Mitsubishi would not honor his warranty because they were not fully charged by one of their factory installers his line always broke off at the compressor he just tossed in the towel he spent so much money on the units and they were not cheap units  

The cooper lines are thin type Z some manufactures say they use type K but it's not if the unit is made in China,  with the heat, cold and high pressure of the freon plus cycling off and on they break I would not use the China made refrigeration copper that stuff is 100% junk  

[Seangie]

Sam -

Issue was at the outside compressor.  Im sure that there was something I screwed up in the install.  I think Bob G. menitoned
To me that having the isolators might cause an issue.  I would really liked to have kept them in cause they are really nice when they work.  Someone else on the board just posted pics of his install and he had a 3 zone unit.  Id love to see how that one turns out.

-Sean

www.herdofturtles.org
1984 Eagle Model 10S

[sledhead]

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/crane66/bth_moto_0047_zps4089949a.jpg?t=1378586084


http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/crane66/bth_moto_0049_zps1ea0833f.jpg?t=1378584358


http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/crane66/bth_dc8955e9-7913-41b5-af5e-12c5a3e2e32a_zpsb716b28a.jpg?t=1378585711

This is how the a/c is vented       dave

[sledhead]

The lines are a/c copper 1/4",  3/8 " with flare's on inside unit , outside unit

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/crane66/bth_9503627c-21d6-433d-b3bd-713c9511cfe9_zps8b956e6a.jpg?t=1378585617

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a484/crane66/bth_227978_10151104741849213_168920432_n_zps6a070d76.jpg

After I installed the lines ( 25' I had them charged  added  16 oz of 410 at a service call       of $ 99.  and that was in 2010      dave

[sledhead]

The green thing just above the floor is a booster fan that helps push all the hot air out of the bay from the a/c unit     so far so good!                  dave

[uemjg]

sledhead: Do you have to signup to photobucket to view pictures?  Those links are either invalid or you have to login to photobucket to view.

I'll send you my email so you could email them to me...thanks!