Have you ever done a DIY mini split installation and ended up regretting some of your decisions? In the YouTube video titled “DIY Mini Split Install: 3 Regrets After 1 Year of Use”, the creator shares their top three regrets after installing their mini split unit. From not opting for line covers to issues with the electrical work, this video covers it all. Let’s dive into the discussion and find out how these regrets have impacted the performance of the mini split after a year of use.
Table of Contents
- Regret #1: Not Investing in Line Covers
- Regret #2: Professionalism Matters – Improve the Look
- Regret #3: Ensuring Electrical Safety and Compliance
- Q&A
- Closing Remarks
Regret #1: Not Investing in Line Covers
;t up to code now the specific thing that people were pointing out is that I used romex wire inside of conduit now that is not code compliant you can’t use romex wire inside of conduit because the insulation on that wire can break down over time and even with the convection cooling that is supposed to happen inside of conduit it just still isn’t a great idea to use romex in there it can get hot and it could potentially start a fire so in retrospect I probably should have just run THHN wire or something similar to that which is wire that’s rated for use inside of conduit it’s built to withstand those temperatures and to just.
Hold up much better that way with that being said the system continues to run very well all right I haven’t had any hiccups or anything like that knock on wood my third regret and this is kind of an overall thing with the mini split is that the refrigerant lines were just a little bit too small I need to upgrade to a different gauge of refrigerant line now I use the lines that were recommended by the manufacturer and I thought you know they probably have it optimized for those lines but I think in my case I’m pushing it just a little bit having the mini split so far away from the outdoor compressor a hundred feet of line is not ideal you want to keep that as short as possible in my case it’s really pushing the limits of what these lines can handle so I’m planning on upgrading that in the near future to just a slightly larger gauge
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A little over a year ago I installed this mini split and I opted to do the full DIY installation now in that process I do have a few regrets and I wanted to share with you my top three regrets through that installation process I’m also going to give you an update on how it’s held up through a really harsh winter here in Utah trying.
To keep this whole shop nice and warm as well as a really warm summer that we’re having right now in fact it’s 90 degrees out so I’ll give you an update on how it’s performing after its first year of use my first regret is that I didn’t opt to spend just a few bucks more and get the line covers that go on the outside as you can see here I’m starting to notice a little bit of fading on the UV resistant tape that is used to wrap up these lines also it just doesn’t look that good it looks a little bit sloppy it looks a little bit unprofessional in my opinion and it doesn’t cost that much for a kit in fact I went shopping just the other day on Amazon and found this kit here which is under forty dollars. And just the right length and that’s one thing you want to make sure to consider don’t just buy whatever kit you can find especially if you have a long length of line that you’re running on this make sure to get a kit that is compatible with how much line you have in your particular installation now this kit makes things look so much better so I’ve just ordered mine and I’m excited to put this in and again I’ll put links in the description below so you can take a look at exactly what I’m using and what I would recommend after doing my own research the first reason this is important to me to have this on here is because I don’t want to see any more of this Burning that’s happening and I don’t know if it’s burning but it’s just wear and tear it’s weathering that’s happening here I want to protect those lines and keep them out of the elements as best I can yes the tape will do a sufficient job but I think the channel is going to do a much better job and then secondly as I alluded to before I think it just looks more professional it. Doesn’t look like such a DIY job like oh you put that up yourself I can kind of tell so that will really help to make everything look nice make it look complete and make it look very intentional just a side note I do use the word intentional a lot and my wife kind of makes fun of me for it but especially when it comes to like. Landscaping or something like that I just want things to look like they were done on purpose and it looks really sharp and I feel like that’s what this channel can help do for this installation my second biggest regret on this install process and in some ways it’s kind of my first biggest overall and I got a lot of comments about it in. The video is that the electrical work that I did wasn’t up to code now the specific thing that people were pointing out is that I used romex wire inside of conduit now that is not code compliant you can’t use romex wire inside of conduit because the insulation on that wire can break down over time and even with the convection cooling that is supposed to happen inside of conduit it just still isn’t a great idea to use romex in there it can get hot and it could potentially start a fire so in retrospect I probably should have just run THHN wire or something similar to that which is wire that’s rated for use inside of conduit it’s built to withstand those temperatures and to just.
Regret #2: Professionalism Matters – Improve the Look
39;t quite up to par and I didn’t go above and beyond the best practice for wiring in this unit in particular I have since remedied that and it’s working just fine but it took me a while to get around to doing that it’s always better to do things right the first time even if it costs you a little bit more time or a little bit more money do things right so you don’t have to do them over and over and at least in this part it was just money to do it right.
So that was definitely probably my biggest regret and something that if I could do it over again I would definitely make sure to have done it better the second biggest regret I have on this install process is that when I was putting in the drainage tubes that are a necessary part of these mini splits that I ensured that they had a proper slope now this is crucial because if it doesn’t have a proper slope then that water isn’t going to drain correctly and this whole thing isn’t going to work you’re going to have a whole lot of moisture problems that you don’t want to deal with.”
| Regret | Solution |
|---|---|
| Fading UV resistant tape | Invest in line covers for a professional look |
| Electrical work | Follow best practices for wiring |
Regret #3: Ensuring Electrical Safety and Compliance
€39;t up to code now I don’t know I’m not an electrician but I know that I’m not an electrician but I did have an electrician friend help me install everything he just didn’t double-check everything and so I knew that we were playing with fire okay really bad pun but it’s it’s serious this is electrical work so
the next morning after I had it running I was starting to think did I really tighten those connections as good as I could and so that’s that’s something that’s kind of been in the back of my mind throughout this whole past year and that’s actually part of the reason why I waited a year before I did an update on this installation was I wanted to make sure everything was okay um so I’m going to make sure that everything is buttoned up now I have a buddy that’s a licensed electrician actually.
He’s a viewer of the channel his name’s Tim and he’s gonna come out and take a look at it and just make sure that I did everything as close to as good as I could and as up to code as possible and so I’m really excited about that so that’s regret number three is just the electrical safety and compliance ensuring that everything is done according to code to keep … the rest of your installation safe and sound and long-lasting.
I can see the numbers kind of switching here as I’m looking at the condenser here and I can tell that like a couple of these numbers the two smaller ones here are changing but I’m not seeing anything from the larger one which is definitely disturbing me and so that goes back to the electrical I didn’t tighten everything down quite as much as I could have should have did Tim left and called him about halfway home and was like hey I should have tightened that down more shouldn’t I and he’s like probably so I’m gonna I need to take everything apart and tighten down those things that’s something you want to be careful of because if you don’t have your electrical all installed right and you have a gas leak somewhere there’s not gonna be heat coming out of these things at 0.5 o’clock in the evening so I hope to remedy that over the next couple days I’ll start this afternoon we’ll see what we can get done close out then clean up okay thanks for watching have a great day guys nothing like a good old estimated power bill statement in the mail to make you reflect on a 20 degree average temperature difference on your heating bill as compared to last year nothing like a little preparation to keep your departure fence going so+I woke up one morning to find my mini split had turned itself off and was flashing a little code on it and I couldn’t find that code reported for this model online so I decided to go ahead and clean the filters but it just so happened that the recent code issue was that the startup wasn’t parsing through because enough air wasn’t coming in and cool to me no go to you so I happened to notice too there seem to be some other issues that I needed to address also even Tim couldn’t think of anything specific that would cause this to happen so he just kind of scratched his head and said my best guess is that maybe the pads on the condenser aren’t quite level but looking up at the last picture I took and comparing it to the one that I saw before my finger pressed the trigger erroneously the electrical will likely need…
Based on the video transcript, the regret highlighted in this section is the importance of ensuring electrical safety and compliance when installing a DIY mini-split system. The video creator confesses that even though they had an electrician friend help with the installation, they were aware that not everything was double-checked thoroughly. This left them anxious about the tightness of the electrical connections and if everything was up to code. To address this regret and ensure the safety and compliance of the electrical work, they plan to have a licensed electrician inspect the installation and make any necessary adjustments to bring it up to standard. This step is vital to prevent any potential hazards and ensure the system’s longevity and efficiency.
Q&A
Q: What are the top three regrets the YouTuber has after installing their mini split unit?
A: The top three regrets the YouTuber has after installing their mini split unit are not opting to get line covers for the outside, not doing proper electrical work, and not getting professional help with the installation process.
Q: Why does the YouTuber regret not getting line covers for the outside of the mini split unit?
A: The YouTuber regrets not getting line covers for the outside of the mini split unit because the UV resistant tape used to wrap up the lines is starting to fade and look unprofessional. Additionally, the line covers help protect the lines from wear and tear and weathering caused by the elements.
Q: What does the YouTuber recommend in terms of line covers for the mini split unit?
A: The YouTuber recommends getting a kit of line covers that are compatible with the length of the lines in your particular installation. They found a kit on Amazon for under forty dollars that they believe will make the installation look more professional and protect the lines better.
Q: Why does the YouTuber regret the electrical work they did during the installation process?
A: The YouTuber regrets the electrical work they did during the installation process because they received a lot of comments about it not being done properly. It is implied that the electrical work was not up to standard and may have caused issues with the mini split unit.
Q: What does the YouTuber suggest for those looking to install a mini split unit?
A: The YouTuber suggests getting professional help with the installation process to ensure everything is done correctly. They also recommend investing in line covers for the outside of the unit to protect the lines and make the installation look more professional.
Closing Remarks
So there you have it, my top three regrets after one year of using my DIY mini split installation. From not getting line covers to the electrical work, there are definitely a few things I would do differently if I had the chance. However, despite these regrets, the mini split has held up well through extreme weather conditions, keeping my shop warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
If you’re considering a DIY mini split installation, make sure to learn from my mistakes and take the time to do it right. Investing in quality materials and proper installation techniques can make a big difference in the long run. And hey, even if you do have some regrets, there’s always room for improvement and future projects to tackle. Thanks for watching and happy DIYing!