Hello all I tried to do a minsplit install myself and I think I messed up when vacuuming down the system and pumping the refrigerant out of the storage bay into the lineset and compressor,
I'm not getting any cold just ambient temperature on coldest setting
I started by vacuumed it down for about 35 minutes then left overnight to make sure pressure did not change,
The next day I opened the valves and added the refrigerant but I think this is where I messed up I opened the first line but did not go to the stop point, I then opened the other and did not go to the stop on that one either
I then switched to the first one but I believe I got mixed up while doing this and closed either 1 or 2 instead opening them all the way, when I disconnected the gauge from the condensor liquid refrigerant shot out that's normal correct?
What would be my next step?
Reconnect guages and see what levels are at?
If that is what I did I'm assuming there's a bit of refrigerant in the lineset and alot of air
Hope someone can help
Quote from: Tastygrass on July 09, 2024, 02:42:21 AMI started by vacuumed it down for about 35 minutes then left overnight to make sure pressure did not change,
This is the part I don't get. You did a 35 minute vacuum and then left it overnight in a vacuum hoping your pressures didn't change?
Quote from: Porcupinepuffer on July 09, 2024, 05:04:08 PMQuote from: Tastygrass on July 09, 2024, 02:42:21 AMI started by vacuumed it down for about 35 minutes then left overnight to make sure pressure did not change,
This is the part I don't get. You did a 35 minute vacuum and then left it overnight in a vacuum hoping your pressures didn't change?
Yes I watched this video which was the most in depth I could find and he mentioned it, I wanted to be sure it held a vacuum which it did, is this wrong?
Here's video link
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DgaPPyAZSTs
It's a good way to verify you are leak free by checking that the vacuum holds.
Likely your hoses don't have check valves or shut off's and you lost a little bit of refrigerant while disconnecting which is probably not a big deal.
You should always open the suction valve first. A lot of manuals out there are wrong and say to open the liquid valve first. It's always wise to open the suction valve first to reduce the chances of siphoning oil out of the compressor into condenser creating issues at TXV at start up.
I suppose if it held in a vacuum overnight it should be ok. I would have did a positive pressure test with nitrogen overnight and vacuum it good before opening the valves. This is also if I was using a micron gauge to actually see a good vacuum level reached. A very small leak could give a high micron reading under vacuum overnight that you would never see on your gauges, but it really shouldn't be an issue that would prevent the unit from not cooling. Backing out the 2 way valves not quite all the way shouldn't be a problem either. Just go back and make sure they're fully backed out. Based on what you're saying, I don't see how you introduced air into the system. If you opened at least one of those valves to let refrigerant through, it should have quickly put both lines in a positive pressure with refrigerant that no air should have got in... If you heard refrigerant rush through the line of the first valve you opened, you should be good.
Can you gives the model and serial of the out door unit you installed?
Quote from: Porcupinepuffer on July 10, 2024, 07:33:11 PMI suppose if it held in a vacuum overnight it should be ok. I would have did a positive pressure test with nitrogen overnight and vacuum it good before opening the valves. This is also if I was using a micron gauge to actually see a good vacuum level reached. A very small leak could give a high micron reading under vacuum overnight that you would never see on your gauges, but it really shouldn't be an issue that would prevent the unit from not cooling. Backing out the 2 way valves not quite all the way shouldn't be a problem either. Just go back and make sure they're fully backed out. Based on what you're saying, I don't see how you introduced air into the system. If you opened at least one of those valves to let refrigerant through, it should have quickly put both lines in a positive pressure with refrigerant that no air should have got in... If you heard refrigerant rush through the line of the first valve you opened, you should be good.
Can you gives the model and serial of the out door unit you installed?
Yeah I know nitrogen would have been the best bet but I'm taking the chance I did everything correctly, I spent a lot of time.on flare ectopic making sure everything was to the t, then I got to this point and we'll I messed up
But sounds good I'll go out after it cools down a bit more outside and make sure there open and not closed, just didn't want to do anything before asking, and it's a senville cd24
Not sure serial number but if you Google that it'll bring you to it
Quote from: Porcupinepuffer on July 10, 2024, 07:33:11 PMI suppose if it held in a vacuum overnight it should be ok. I would have did a positive pressure test with nitrogen overnight and vacuum it good before opening the valves. This is also if I was using a micron gauge to actually see a good vacuum level reached. A very small leak could give a high micron reading under vacuum overnight that you would never see on your gauges, but it really shouldn't be an issue that would prevent the unit from not cooling. Backing out the 2 way valves not quite all the way shouldn't be a problem either. Just go back and make sure they're fully backed out. Based on what you're saying, I don't see how you introduced air into the system. If you opened at least one of those valves to let refrigerant through, it should have quickly put both lines in a positive pressure with refrigerant that no air should have got in... If you heard refrigerant rush through the line of the first valve you opened, you should be good.
Can you gives the model and serial of the out door unit you installed?
So my problem was that I closed them back off instead of having them opened, but I didn't realize that and now I have opened them again but I didn't vacuum it down again did I just mess it up or will it be okay since there was refrigerant that came out when I took off the connection?
I think I'm overthinking it I just want to be sure
You should be fine. I'm assuming when you saw your gauges show it held a vacuum, you removed the brass cover caps off the valves and you then turned the allen head valve counter clockwise to let the refrigerant out of the outdoor unit and enter the lineset and the indoor head? Whether you re-tightened that valve down after shouldn't matter as you almost certainly let in enough refrigerant to fill the vacuum'd part of the system to a higher pressure that won't allow any atmospheric air to enter it. You just need to make sure that you have counter-clockwise turned both those allenheads to fully open those valves, then thread the brass caps back on and tighten them down. You should also have a brass cap covering the schrader port you did the vacuum on and it should be tightened down... Turn on the unit and see how it goes. Let it run for a good 10 minutes, at least. Should have air leaving it in the low 50 degree F area... Don't worry about the spurt of refrigerant you lose when you disconnected the gauges from the system. It's normal and happens all the time for a quit second or two. Unless you really messed up and tons of it was spewing out allover the place with a frozen schrader that wouldn't close off.