Self installed Air Conditioner

[Annker]

Has anyone self installed an Air conditioning system on a project?

I am considering a small AC system in my victorian refurb project, AC in the master bedroom and open plan kitchen/dining/snug area.

 

On the face of it the ducting, containment and general fixing seems doable. I'm a carpenter so will be doing the required builder work myself anyhow, but I have no idea how involved the "plumbing" part of the system is.

Is it just a matter of compression fitting together pipework and have my electrical liven the system up or will there be soldering and a more technically challenging installation.

 

Perhaps it is an item where it is just much better to get the professionals in?    

[joth]

There's two types of self-install, the all in one with a large external duct (effectively the same as the "stick a pipe out an open window" portable AC unit), and the pre-charged minisplit with a length of refrigerant pipework you hook up between the indoor and outdoor unit.

I went for the latter, but even though I used the soapy water leak test, I did a poor job tightening down the the compression fitting so the refrigerant leaked and I needed to get it professionally recharged. I couldn't find a local AC engineer that would touch R290 so I had to go via the distributor (appliances direct) and pay an arm and a leg for it. It would have been cheaper to have it professionally installed in first place I expect, but hey, learning opportunity!

The monoblock hole in wall solution is much more idiot proof, but puts all the noisy gubbins indoors and obv needs a much larger hole core drilled.

 

Whichever you choose the electrics is simple, plug into a 13A socket. The minisplit you do need to connect a flex from indoor to outdoor unit, but it's like two screw terminals - no harder than wiring a plug.

 

 

Edited July 1 by joth

[Annker]

Thanks @joth, useful to hear your experience.

I PM'ed a domestic project a few years ago, and there was as you call it a mini-split system installed.

The suppliers/installer were very competent so I let them at it and didn't pay much attention to how it was done, hence questioning now.

 

Like you I'd go for the minisplit system and good to hear it's not rocket science to install.

 

Just had a quick look on Aircondirect.co.uk. was it one of the electriQ iQool units you bought?

Prices look reasonable but I see it says that The unit must be installed by a F-Gas qualified AC engineer, but perhaps that is more or a recommendation than requirement......

 

 

 

[Mr Punter]

22 minutes ago, Annker said:

Prices look reasonable but I see it says that The unit must be installed by a F-Gas qualified AC engineer, but perhaps that is more or a recommendation than requirement......

 

F gas regulation is law.

[JohnMo]

30 minutes ago, Annker said:

Just had a quick look

You need to find the R290 versions, these can be self installed, anything else is covered by F-gas rules and CANNOT be self installed.

 

R290 is not a F-gas.

 

Such as https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/eiq-9wminv/electriq-eiq9wminv-air-conditioner?refsource=apadwords&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=22547259545&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=22547259545&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22550830981&gbraid=0AAAAAD9z1-3QTKHge6o0Ghos-COyYa2ow&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjo7DBhCrARIsACWauSlh7hYyhbBpFfYGkXsuY0rfa8ZEzg2dcAcbQv2hdl2iRtp-u5p6tyUaAo-qEALw_wcB

[Annker]

1 minute ago, Mr Punter said:

 

F gas regulation is law.

Actually found a couple of threads here on the site and elsewhere and it seems to a regulated installation.

R290 charged systems may be ok to self install but not R32 systems (which may be preferred?)

 

Seems similar to installing a boiler, perhaps I could find an supplier/installer willing to let me do the grunt work of the install at which point they do the final connection, inspection, commission, etc. However that setup can get messy and I have a lot of other work to do, so I'm thinking this is a job I needn't get involved in.  

[joth]

1 hour ago, Annker said:

.

 

Just had a quick look on Aircondirect.co.uk. was it one of the electriQ iQool units you bought?

Prices look reasonable but I see it says that The unit must be installed by a F-Gas qualified AC engineer, but perhaps that is more or a recommendation than requirement......

 

 

 

 

I got one of these

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/eiq-12wminv/electriq-eiq12wminv-wall-split-air-conditioner

 

electriQ Easy-Fit 12000

 

As other say R290 so no FGAS engineer needed. (But clearly, needed someone more competent than myself 😂)

 

It's in the garden room / gym so currently doing nothing as it's too hot to consider an indoor workout. But I might go sit in there  later with a cold drink and set it on 100%  

[HughF]

I’ve installed 2x r290 mini splits with a third one about to go in. Dead easy (but I’ve watched a lot of YouTube)

[SteamyTea]

Is it possible to get a small ASHP that does cooling, then just pipe in the wet side to a Water to Air heat exchanger (basically a car radiator) or a fan coil unit.

That was no F Gas to worry about, easy plumbing and you can.

Really just depends on how much space you have.

[-rick-]

25 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Is it possible to get a small ASHP that does cooling, then just pipe in the wet side to a Water to Air heat exchanger (basically a car radiator) or a fan coil unit.

That was no F Gas to worry about, easy plumbing and you can.

Really just depends on how much space you have.

 

Seen someone take the dehumidifier/AC components out of a 'broken' heatpump dryer to do that with. They are commonly r290 (so no f-gas) and fairly beefy 3-4kw heat output and come in a nice package. Apparently lots of people are throwing these things away when still fairly new because the heat exchangers get clogged with lint and therefore stop working properly but the mechanical side is all good.

[SteamyTea]

12 minutes ago, -rick- said:

Seen someone take the dehumidifier/AC components out of a 'broken' heatpump dryer

Someone in here modified a heat pump from a Ford S Max, not sure if it is the same person that wrote up how they made their own HP from old bits, I downloaded the instructions, and noticed there is an old fridge at work.

Actually, an old fridge is all that is needed for AC. A coil of pipe inside it, run water through and what comes out will be chilled.

Not very powerful, but cheap.

[-rick-]

I think the guy I saw doing the heatpump dryer paid about £100. Benefit vs a fridge setup is twofold:

1. r290 is a much better match for A/C temp ranges. R600a found in fridges is going to get too cold. If you want to break into the circuit and do the maths you could likely regas with r290/propane, but that is a huge amount more work than just taking a working system and bending the pipes around a bit to fit a new use.

2. The heatpump dryers are designed to run continuously while the dryer is running (2+ hours?). A fridge compressor usually has a low duty cycle so and much lower energy (200W vs 3-4kW).