Thank you very much Norman and the most important info that I picked up in this comment is that the wife is happy! And when you can do that, you're making lots of progress in life :)) Have a great day Norman and glad to hear that your unit is working well!

Yep, pretty good system and thanks for the comment! Have a great day!

It's really great Carl to hear that you did a great job with the installation of your mini-split. I'll tell the wife about her filming and wish the best for you and your family! Have a great day!

Thank you very much Douglass and good luck on your install! Have a great day!

10K to install a single stage unit is pretty high. Good for you to install the system yourself and save some money. Since your last unit was taken out by a lightning strike, you may want to consider installing a suppression unit on the voltage input side of the system. Good luck with your install. Thanks for watching and sharing a comment. Have a great day!

@@stuzman52 ​ Thank you for the reply, Terry. I'd like to ask you a question, sir. Why is your BluVac micron gauge mounted the way that it is? Is that a special adapter you're using to get more clearance for the gauge?

Thank you very much Douglas for the kind words!

Thanks Emily for the comment and have a great day!

wyattoneable It’s not bad at all Wyatt, and I know that you could do the same thing with no problems. I just picked things up over the years; nothing special. 😀👍

Scott Merrick Thank you Scott and glad you liked the video!

Hayward's Automotive Thanks Bob and should be much more comfortable now. 😀

Thank you Mike for the kind words!

Thank you Edward for the comment and glad to hear that you found the videos informative. Just trying to get information out there for viewers like yourself who wants to install their own unit. It sounds like you're way ahead of the game to do the job right. Good luck on your install.

Good luck Carlos with your installation!

I do have a couple of follow up questions. 1) I have purchased a dual zone Gree heat pump. After reviewing installation guides and on line tutorials I have concluded that given that the install will have line sets less than 25 feet, adding refrigerant will not be required.....is this correct? 2). This installation will be a swap out of an older existing mini-split. I am assuming that there will be special processes in handling the refrigerant lines and disposal of the heat pump. Is this correct?

Bill Broadway Glad to help out Bill!

Thank you very much Patrick and glad to hear that the videos were helpful!

Badgertronix Thanks Jonathan and should be more comfortable for sure. 😀

Glad to hear that you found the video helpful! Be sure to have a super great day!

Thank you very much T C! I appreciate it!

Humm! This is the first video I've watched. You did a fantastic job, but Craig over at A/C svc may have you beat. Lol. Seriously though, I just subscribed and I'm looking forward to watching more of your content.

steve bates And thank you Steve for taking the time to watch the video! 😀

Thank you very much Dottor and glad that you found the videos helpful!

Really? Genius? That makes me a Genius too!!

Glad to help William and thanks for watching!

Thanks JG! I'm sure the wife will understand! Have a great day!

You're quite welcome Bob!

Good for you Derek! Glad to hear that the videos helped you out!

Thank you Barry for the comments! As you are an engineer, you know that any project is all about the details. I'm quite sure that if you were to install your own unit, you would research those details that you weren't sure about, and you would have an installation that you would be happy with. Thanks again Barry and have a great weekend coming up!

Thank you very much Maurice and I appreciate the comment. I apologize for the delay as KZfaq did not notify me as it should have.

Sorry alb for the delay as KZfaq did not notify me. Thank you very much for your comment!

Thank you Chris and not many people willing to take the extra steps as you did to do it right!

Yeah I got a robinair on eBay for $75 guy only used it a couple times tired of renting them!

Thank you fatnate1000 and I always believe that if one wants to do a job, I'll try to make it detailed so that an individual can see the steps involved. Yes, if I was to make a three minute, what would be the point of making the video if you don't know how to do the job. Thanks again for watching the series as I appreciate it!

Good for you Bobby and don't knock yourself! Hell, me and countless others have done things that we would never admit 😊 Have a great evening!

Glad to hear that you found the video helpful! Have a great day!

Sounds like you did a great job! Yes, you want the fewest connections when you're pressure testing or pulling a vacuum. Keep up the good work and have a great day!

@@stuzman52 Thanks. I think one thing I would change is that instead of replacing the valve at max vacuum I'd bring up the pressure slightly so that the it's just slightly positive 410A side so it's pretty much in balance. I did check the Appion valve tool and with vacuum it's showing ~18 microns with the valve opened. By the way the CPS Vg-200 meter is good for 450 psi with a burst of 3k psi, so even if it was full pressure from the mini it still wouldn't have a problem although I don't like to test that. As always you've been great help and I very much appreciate your videos and input.

@@mosfet500 Thanks for your comment and sharing your experiences with your mini-split. Have a great day!

Thanks Glen for the comment and have a great day!

Thank you Frank and best wishes on your install!

Thank you very much TG and have a great day!

Thank you Russell for the comment and be sure to have a great day!

One or twice before Gary... :)

Thank you for the comment! Unit still works great today. Have a great day!

You are quite welcome Mathieu and thanks for leaving a comment!

Thank you very much Ali!

Willian Portela Thank you very much!

It's not a bad job at all. As you said, just a few tools, take your time and you should have a great installation.

Yes, that is a good point Fentago. Thanks for the comment!

Thank you Eric!

Thank you very much!

Thank you very much Gary for liking the video and sharing a comment!

You're welcome...

Thank you very much!

Yes, Matthew, you can use the setup as you're referring to.

N Smith Thank you Norman!

Thank you Trent!

Thanks Richard and never hurts using the Nylog on any threads. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Thank you Ryan and trust me, we have our share of half-asses over here too 😊Have a great day!

@@stuzman52 haha, yeah I bet.

You are correct Neal! Without a micron gauge, you never know how much vacuum is pulled on a system.

I think this video and use of correct equipment are top notch. That said, as a DIY guy, and not thinking I would install more than 1 or 2 units, for myself, i chose not to buy a fancy vacuum pump or micron gauge. Instead I unscrewed the intake valve on my air compressor and screwed in a couple of fittings to connect to a cheap set of gauges. I do purge with nitrogen and bubble test and then vacuum down to almost neg 30 " HG with my old compressor and regular gauges.. I don't let all of the nitrogen out before vacuuming- i vacuum it out so no air and moisture can enter. Having now installed 7 in the last few years, and with 2 more to put in soon (all for family for free) I could now have justified the real vacuum pump and micron gauge, but I have gotten by fine with only the manifold gauges. A micron gauge would be sweet to have, but if you clearly have no leaks in the bubble / pressure test and then you vacuum it all out, you will be fine with only rudimentary gauges. The expensive tools are great if you want to do a bunch, but not essential. Great video Mr. Stuzman. Many DIYers will benefit and step up to do this now.. I even had two units need recharging (one developed a pinhole leak in the factory brazing around the reversing valve after 3 years and one had a faulty expansion valve). I was able to buy a bottle of R410 at a decent price on-line and ship from USA to Canada no issue. Brazed in new parts each time, pressure/bumble test, vacuum and weighed out refrigerant charge on a good (borrowed) set of scales as i charged unit... that was several years ago and still going strong. Its not rocket science- watch good videos like this one, but basic tools and save some cash!

@@jdarrellsteele3264 I wouldn't let you install a heat pump in a dog house. Yes your setup may let you know if there's major leaks, BUT that's all. Most heat pump manufacturers call for 500 microns or less, (which you can't even read with a dial guage) and there's a reason for that. There could be moisture in the system for example and you would never know it without the micron guage. When your cousin tony's compressor dies after 2 years you'll be like, man we won't be getting that brand again! When in reality it's actually your fault because you were just rolling dice hoping for the best. I installed ny first pump with dial guages 4 or 5 years ago and it's still going strong, but I realized later that I got lucky, simple as that..

@@neallyons9515 I do appreciate you saying that you have previously installed them with dial gauges and have since learned better. Learning is the reason I re-searched youtube, after not having installed any in about 3 years now. The 7 that I have installed have all been running between 3 and 7 years, but as I have 2 more to do soon, I wanted to see if any better videos existed than what was out there several years ago. I am glad I did. I am considering buying the CPS digital/micron gauge but will likely not put in many more after these two. As mentioned, I have only done this for family members for free.. they know our setup is crude and I will talk to them about the option of chipping in a bit to cover the costs of the gauges if they want to ensure success or if they prefer to do as we have before. I agree that I do not know how complete of a vacuum I have achieved, when using the dial gauges. But, the compressor is strong enough to pull the dial gauges down quickly and then I leave it running for a good length of time after that, knowing that it is continuing to pull finer amounts out the longer it is left on. re: possible moisture left in there, I doubt that would be the case, as I have purged the lines (and indoor coil) with nitrogen (cracking the opposite line fitting and letting all of the air out followed by a couple of minutes of nitrogen before tightening the fitting and pressure testing.) Then this is all vacuumed out, without letting air back in.... I release enough of the nitrogen to be at a few psi and then I turn the compressor on, and slowly open the valve. So, i could have some small amounts of nitrogen in there (knowing this is not ideal either..) but there is no chance of moisture being in there. If I do decide to buy a micron gauge, It looks like it's best to then buy 2 core removal tools and the reviews on cheaper ones are not great... the ones linked in this video have great reviews but at about $53 USD or $90 Cdn for me, two of these plus the CPS micron gauge( least expensive one i have seen with good reviews) adds another $220 Cdn so all totalled it would be pushing $500 Cdn for this added ability. If i have 5 more to do, it would be an easier choice. Still I would then be increasing chances of success and would have them for the future, if any of the others need work/ recharging, etc.

The condensate line under the compressor was cut off at the top of the mounting bracket. It's about 12" off from the concrete pad.

Hi Steve! Since you probably won't make this mistake again, you probably wouldn't use the scales again and it may be an issue to buy R410a if that's what your system is using if you don't have a certification license. Maybe the service call would be the best. Have a great day Steve!

Thanks Neal for leaving a comment!

Or they don't even own a vacuum pump, heaps of countries just "purge" no vac

@@Froggability I think this video and use of correct equipment are top notch. That said, as a DIY guy, and not thinking I would install more than 1 or 2 units, for myself, i chose not to buy a fancy vacuum pump. Instead I unscrewed the intake valve on my air compressor and screwed in a couple of fittings to connect to a cheap set of gauges. I do purge with nitrogen and bubble test and then vacuum down to almost neg 30 " HG with my old compressor.. I don't let all of the nitrogen out before vacuuming- i vacuum it out so no air and moisture can enter. Having now installed 7 in the last few years, and with 2 more to put in soon (all for family for free) I could now have justified the real vacuum pump and micron gauge, but I have gotten by fine with only the manifold gauges. A micron gauge would be sweet to have, but if you clearly have no leaks in the bubble / pressure test and then you vacuum it all out, you will be fine with only rudimentary gauges. The expensive tools are great if you want to do a bunch, but not essential. Great video Mr. Stuzman. Many DIYers will benefit and step up to do this now.. I even had two units need recharging (one developed a pinhole leak in the factory brazing around the reversing valve after 3 years and one had a faulty expansion valve). I was able to buy a bottle of R410 at a decent price on-line and ship from USA to Canada no issue. Brazed in new parts each time, pressure/bumble test, vacuum and weighed out refrigerant charge on a good (borrowed) set of scales as i charged unit... that was several years ago and still going strong. Its not rocket science- watch good videos like this one, but basic tools and save some cash!

Thank you very much!

Thanks Tom!

In a case like that, I would remove the valve core and installed it one more time and recheck for bubbles. If there were still bubbles, then I would replace the valve core with another one. :)

That is correct that this unit along with other manufacturers comes precharged with the correct amount of refrigerant stored in the condenser. The unit is charged for a maximum line-set length of 25'. You can go as short as 10' in the line-set length without any issues. If you go shorter or longer than indicated, then you'll have to evacuate the refrigerant and adjust the amount according to the installation manual. For example, 0.16 oz/ft if the length exceeds 25'. As for the size of the tubing, that is shipped with the unit and it's size is based on the BTU rating of the unit. And as for their being no high side, if there is a suspicion that the low side is reading too low indicating maybe a low charge, then the system must be evacuated and recharged by weight, same as on an automobile.

Glad to hear Tim that you're enjoying the videos. As for the outdoor unit stand, it was ordered from Amazon where the link is here. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0192298O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I shortened the legs a little, replaced all the fasteners with stainless steel and repainted the assembly. As for the pad, I poured a concrete slab for it. Have a great day Tim!

Ace Thank you Ace!

Thank you Mike for the kind words and glad to hear that you had quite a few successful installations. Keep up the good work!

No particular reason on the 200psig. Even at this pressure, you'll still be able to see a leak. In your case, I wouldn't push the pressure near the maximum of your lowest test pressure that was used at the factory. In your case, I would go for about 250psig and you'll be fine. At 300psig, you'll be getting pretty close to 340psig. At 250psig, you'll be allowing yourself a little margin of safety. Good luck on your installation!

Muito obrigado pelas amáveis palavras. Fico feliz em saber que o vídeo ajudou. Tenha um ótimo dia!

It's not necessary as the amount of refrigerant in taking off a line is minimal which is not going to effect the low side pressure to the point where the unit will not work.

Not the best idea as you will allow the atmospheric pressure back into the system. Always best to install the valve core while system is pressurized.

Thank you Kevin and greetings back at you from NC.

You can use a one stage vacuum pump. It will just take a longer time to reach a deeper vacuum. But a micron gauge will let you know when you reach at least 500 microns.

Sorry Douglas Knutsen as KZfaq did not contact me. It's getting a little late Douglas, but if you send me a private message with your email address, I'll look up the parts and answer your questions tomorrow. And thank you very much!

I'm sure that you only have one valve on your system and that valve is going to be where you would add the refrigerant.

You'll only have one port to add the refrigerant. I would just put the refrigerant in as a liquid without the unit running. It's the same procedure when charging a vehicle. It's charged with a liquid without the engine running. As the liquid goes into the system, it will flash into a gaseous state. And since the unit is not running, you don't have to worry about flooding the compressor.

You'll need to know how much more refrigerant is needed based on your line length increase and size of the tubing. This should be in the manual. Then you'll need the container of refrigerant on a scale to measure the weight that's added. You can do this after you pull a vacuum on the system. After the correct weight has been added, then you can open the valve to allow the other refrigerant in the outdoor unit to come in with what you added.

Thank you Jarrett! Yellow Jacket or Hilmor offer professional tools in all categories of refrigeration. You can go to their websites to see what they offer and good luck with your installations.

Thank you very much Richie! I just work on my own stuff and now retired.

Hi Dave! The stand was ordered from Amazon and is located here www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0192298O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I made some modifications to the stand where one was to shorten the legs. Yes, it helps to have the correct tools to do the job and you are correct that it's not a guarantee that a professional will do the job correctly. For the same size unit as mine, my neighbor says that a contractor wants $5000 to install it. That's a pretty hefty price. Have a great day and good luck on your install.

If you can recover the refrigerant from the lines, everything will be as you mentioned except maybe doing a pressure test of the line set before evacuating.

To install the valve core under vacuum with minimum contamination, I'd say put the gauge on side port 2 and the vacuum hose on extremity 2 instead of 1, and keep pulling while you open 1 and install the core. Better to install it without vacuum. Crack the gas service valve until the gauge reads ATM, close the valve, remove the gauge and install the core.

Jay Landry It’s a recommended procedure done in the industry, but it can be done without a valve core removal tool.

Yes Ted, you are correct! The manufacturer wants a minimum length based on the precharge that's in the outdoor unit. The same holds true for a maximum length of line-set too. Glad to hear that you liked the videos.

Koko Magic Toys You’re quite welcome!

No problem at all at applying a very small amount of Nylog blue to the seal on the schrader valve. Also, you could apply a small amount of Nylog to the cone of the flaring tool as a lubricant when making your flares. And you could apply a small amount around the flare fitting. And be sure to torque the flares and not use an adjustable wrench to be sure that they're not over tightened.

@@stuzman52 Did a pressure test this morning (250 psi for 3 hours; rock solid! Pulled vacuum down to 64 microns in about 25 minutes (new pump and oil). Will see what the vacuum level is tomorrow. Maybe even do a test run! Thanks for the videos!

All sounds good! Good luck on your installation!

@@stuzman52 Up and running! I have a brand new Appion MegaFlow suction hose (p/n MH380006EAB) 5/16" one end / 1/4" other end. I will never use it since the pump I got has just 1/4" fittings. If you could use it, it's yours - no charge. Look at as a token of my appreciation for the excellent mini-split videos you posted! Let me know...

Sorry for the delay Gary as KZfaq did not notify me. All is well and coming up with some ideas for new videos :)

If you could rig it up, I'm sure it would work. Have a great day!

It's a standard practice in the field which allows the vacuum pump to pull a deep vacuum without the restriction of the valve core and it does speed up the evacuation process. I have seen others in the field not do this in order to save time, but in my opinion, it's a better method when doing a evacuation.

Yes, Abhinav, the manuals for mini-split units are written towards people, (DIYers) who do an installation themselves. The manufacturer realizes that most DIYers will not have a supply of nitrogen, pressure regulator, etc. for the test. So, they will mention to pull a vacuum on the system and if you see the pressure rise, then you have a leak. The issue is that under a vacuum, you can have a very small leak and will never know it. Once I had a system under a vacuum for 24 hours and never saw the gauge pressure rise. After about one month when the cooling was insufficient, I found a leak. So, to be sure there isn't a leak, the valid test is to pressurize the system with a high pressure of nitrogen. Also, the reason that you see nitrogen pressure testing on standard HVAC units is because most of these units are installed by professional a/c service techs who will have that test equipment. Great question and thanks for the comment!

@@stuzman52 Thank you for your prompt response. Listening to you and another great channel called "AC Service Tech LLC", I finally understood why Testing for leaks under high pressure and under high vacuum are testing different design aspects of the system. Furthermore, your video where you have explained the difference between a Vacuum Gauge and a Micron Meter was amazing which clarified a lot of things, that's why the question. :)

Abhinav Gaur Glad to help Abhinav and AC service tech is a great channel where you have access to a wealth of information!

STEVE ROB REVIEWS It’s pretty cool now and I seriously doubt that I’m the only one with ac in their shap. 😜

In regards to your question #1, no, the micron gauge should not be used to measure the pressure of nitrogen in the system as the micron gauge is designed to measure vacuum. And you'll find that it can't measure pressure above atmospheric pressure. On mine it won't register any pressure until it gets to below 20,000 microns which is about 0.38psig. As for triple evacuation where one begins the evacuation with nitrogen is not really needed as it takes hours to assume that the nitrogen will absorb the moisture. Or that it really doesn't absorb the moisture but displaces it. The vacuum pump will lower the pressure, boil the water vapor at a lower temperature and then the pump will evacuate the water vapor. Here is an article where this is discussed it and in my opinion, triple evacuation is not really needed. hvacrschool.com/triple-evacuation-and-nitrogen-facts/

This is normal because of the very small amount of volume inside the tubing. Take a look in the description for a link which explains it further.

Having pressure on the valve core would ensure there wouldn't be any chance of the atmosphere coming back into the system. It's a standard practice to install the valve core while under pressure.

You can use an analog gauge, but you'll never know how deep a vacuum the system is being pulled. An analog gauge will tell you that you're producing a vacuum, but won't tell you how much. A micron gauge will tell you how much vacuum is being produced. Since you want to save money, let the vacuum pump run for about an hour. That should give you a pretty good vacuum if you don't have any leaks.

@@stuzman52 Thanks for the advice. I will go with a good digital micron guage.

Ok, I can infer now that the system has been pumped down before this video was done. So I have two questions, if you have a minute- If it's been stored for a while, how can you know how much refrigerant is in it? And second, whe you pump it down and vacuum it, are you vacuuming just the low side? I only see people talking about leaks in the low side. Does the high side never have leaks, or are they super rare or something? Thanks!

Sure Jennifer, if you take a look at the timeline at 7:00 you'll see that I used an allen wrench to open the valves. This allows the refrigerant to go into the line-set.

Thank you very much!

I've never done one with multiple zones, but each zone should have a separate valve. I would suspect that you would pressure test and vacuum each zone separately.