Help me brainstorm a ductless AC/heat install

[ghitch75]

The EPA did mandate the change but if they are selling equipment to non-certified residential engineers we are all doomed.

looks like we are....

 

[hoosierdoc]

https://mrcooldiy.com/

precharged coolant line. No expensive HVAC person needed

i ran a 12/3 wire today from panel to the basement. Need a disconnect box and the unit now. Going with the 240/20a one. 18,000 btu

 

[ghitch75]

https://mrcooldiy.com/

precharged coolant line. No expensive HVAC person needed

i ran a 12/3 wire today from panel to the basement. Need a disconnect box and the unit now. Going with the 240/20a one. 18,000 btu

good luck with that.....someone will see you when the freon leaks out......

 

[hoosierdoc]

good luck with that.....someone will see you when the freon leaks out......

So you’re saying an air conditioner may lose coolant at some point? I saw a review where one guy is happy, that’s all I needed to hear

 

[churchmouse]

So you’re saying an air conditioner may lose coolant at some point? I saw a review where one guy is happy, that’s all I needed to hear

The pre-charged (and not legal) line sets have a propensity to loose refrigerant in the cold weather. Dissimilar metals with a simple rubber O-ring seal tend to let this happen. In the spring the unit may or may not be low on refrigerant but as it gets a few years on it yes, they will leak. This is why the EPA outlawed these line sets.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Why are they being sold if illegal?

hrm, you guys are making me rethink this DIY thing

 

[ghitch75]

Why are they being sold if illegal?

hrm, you guys are making me rethink this DIY thing

coming from China would be my guess....

 

[hoosierdoc]

coming from China would be my guess....

sold by american companies in american stores. Does country of origin get around EPA regs?

 

[churchmouse]

sold by american companies in american stores. Does country of origin get around EPA regs?

Heres the thing. There are so freaking many "EPA" regs even the "EPA" does not know them all. They pass rules/regs and scare the hell out of those who do this for a living. They make us take tests and become certified. We need to show certification to buy Refrigerant. Yet any dope can stroll into an auto zone and buy 134A and charge up their car. You can find and buy about any refrigerant on line and buy it sans cert. card. Pi$$es me right the hell off but there is no way the "EPA" can police it.
Hell Doc just have at it. If you hit a snag hit me up. I owe you a solid anyway.

 

[ghitch75]

sold by american companies in american stores. Does country of origin get around EPA regs?

i don't know for sure.....but i will make some calls tomorrow and find out....as me and cm said they will leak maybe not this summer but they will.......i have cut hundreds of the out....

 

[HoughMade]

Heres the thing. There are so freaking many "EPA" regs even the "EPA" does not know them all. They pass rules/regs and scare the hell out of those who do this for a living. They make us take tests and become certified. We need to show certification to buy Refrigerant. Yet any dope can stroll into an auto zone and buy 134A and charge up their car. You can find and buy about any refrigerant on line and buy it sans cert. card. Pi$$es me right the hell off but there is no way the "EPA" can police it.
Hell Doc just have at it. If you hit a snag hit me up. I owe you a solid anyway.

Imagine how I feel about LegalZoom.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I have someone coming out tomorrow to give me a quote.

The frustrating thing with licensed professionals paid by the hour, is the hours tend to rack up quickly. There are products that give lawyers boilerplate forms to start from so not everything has to be custom made. But the fees often seem as if everything was written from scratch.

The last plumber I had out I asked them to either fix the O-ring issue or The line off. He was unable to fix it and then had to run to the store to buy a cap. It was a standard line and standard cap. Why was that not on the truck already? Why did I have to pay an hour of service time for him to go buy something he should’ve had?

Same can be said for physicians. Though we usually bill by visit, not time. Or massage therapistS. When I book a 50 minute massage, the time it takes you to dislodge your hand from my back fat should be your own time. that is not massage time.

When you require a license to do something, you drive up the cost. Sure it probably offers protections, but what about buyer beware? Why can I not offer low cost medical care where the patient agrees to have zero standing to sue me? They can be reasonable and see if what I am telling them seems appropriate

 

[churchmouse]

I have someone coming out tomorrow to give me a quote.

The frustrating thing with licensed professionals paid by the hour, is the hours tend to rack up quickly. There are products that give lawyers boilerplate forms to start from so not everything has to be custom made. But the fees often seem as if everything was written from scratch.

The last plumber I had out I asked them to either fix the O-ring issue or The line off. He was unable to fix it and then had to run to the store to buy a cap. It was a standard line and standard cap. Why was that not on the truck already? Why did I have to pay an hour of service time for him to go buy something he should’ve had?

Same can be said for physicians. Though we usually bill by visit, not time. Or massage therapistS. When I book a 50 minute massage, the time it takes you to dislodge your hand from my back fat should be your own time. that is not massage time.

When you require a license to do something, you drive up the cost. Sure it probably offers protections, but what about buyer beware? Why can I not offer low cost medical care where the patient agrees to have zero standing to sue me? They can be reasonable and see if what I am telling them seems appropriate

Doc.........there is so much more to our trade than meets the eyes. Just so much more.
Like I said........put it in yourself. If you his a snag PM me. Seriously.

My comments about the EPA are pretty standard.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Doc.........there is so much more to our trade than meets the eyes. Just so much more.
Like I said........put it in yourself. If you his a snag PM me. Seriously.

My comments about the EPA are pretty standard.

Oh I’m not implying the trade is not full of expertise and skill. I am just lamenting what licensed trades has given us from a cost standpoint and limitation to the consumer. Or when a union dominates a trade and only way in is via union apprenticeship. Free market is choked out.

LegalZoom is bad or risky is probably a better word because those documents could be a picked apart by… Lawyers. See the cycle?

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I have someone coming out tomorrow to give me a quote.

The frustrating thing with licensed professionals paid by the hour, is the hours tend to rack up quickly. There are products that give lawyers boilerplate forms to start from so not everything has to be custom made. But the fees often seem as if everything was written from scratch.

The last plumber I had out I asked them to either fix the O-ring issue or The line off. He was unable to fix it and then had to run to the store to buy a cap. It was a standard line and standard cap. Why was that not on the truck already? Why did I have to pay an hour of service time for him to go buy something he should’ve had?

Same can be said for physicians. Though we usually bill by visit, not time. Or massage therapistS. When I book a 50 minute massage, the time it takes you to dislodge your hand from my back fat should be your own time. that is not massage time.

When you require a license to do something, you drive up the cost. Sure it probably offers protections, but what about buyer beware? Why can I not offer low cost medical care where the patient agrees to have zero standing to sue me? They can be reasonable and see if what I am telling them seems appropriate

The cost to the customer for technicians to drive around with a semi-truck full of every possible part they would need would be astronomical. Maybe he did have the parts he needed in his truck the other day but running residential calls can drain a standard truck pretty quickly. You called them; therefore, he is on your time. If you don’t have the skills or time or whatever to fix something, then you’ll have to live with paying someone who does have the skills and/or time.

 

[hoosierdoc]

The cost to the customer for technicians to drive around with a semi-truck full of every possible part they would need would be astronomical. Maybe he did have the parts he needed in his truck the other day but running residential calls can drain a standard truck pretty quickly. You called them; therefore, he is on your time. If you don’t have the skills or time or whatever to fix something, then you’ll have to live with paying someone who does have the skills and/or time.

maybe, or maybe if you don’t carry a standard part that was requested before you came out you should stock your truck on your own time.

2.5 hours of labor to attempt to reseat an o-ring.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

maybe, or maybe if you don’t carry a standard part that was requested before you came out you should stock your truck on your own time.

2.5 hours of labor to attempt to reseat an o-ring.

Sounds easy. Why didn’t you do it yourself?

And buy the parts yourself too. Save yourself all kinds of markup. They’re charging you 30 bucks for that 5 dollar cap.

 

[HoughMade]

I just replaced the run capacitor for my condenser and charged myself my normal hourly.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Sounds easy. Why didn’t you do it yourself?

And buy the parts yourself too. Save yourself all kinds of markup. They’re charging you 30 bucks for that 5 dollar cap.

It was a difficult to reach place, I could’ve capped it myself but my wife really wanted it fixed. When he got the O ring out it was actually some sort of fiber washer that is non-standard. Was not sure he would be able to even find them locally. That particular tub install they did not put water shut off valves in place. Did not want to leave uncapped water lines for the water shut off on the house for a few days. Wife later decided she’d rather use as us than capnit off. At the end of the visit Everything was the same as at the beginning

last time a plumber was in our in our bathroom I was charged hundreds of dollars just for the cartridge for our shower. That I later learned the manufacture will send for free.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Thinking outside the box, what about one of these? (just make sure you get a 2 hose model. Single hose models cause excess unconditioned air to be pulled into the space to replace what is exhausted out, making them less efficient)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028AYQD...844c-7d6411346558&ie=UTF8&qid=1527793482&sr=1