Office HVAC mini-split in progress

I've had the new Pioneer mini-split HVAC sitting around the office for some time.  I finally got started on the install a few weekends ago.  I won't claim to be fast but progress is slowly made each weekend - a bit like watching a 3-toed sloth run.

[2022/06/17 update] Been done for a while but just posting more pictures now.

Below is how final inside install looks:

Here is the wireless remote which works fine.

The mostly completed outside install looks like this. I still have to put the cover on at the point where everything comes out of the wall (note that condensate drain will exit a hole I added to the cover here as well - can't really have the drain going uphill).  I also have some more painting needed for the trim but functionally everything is complete.

The outside unit is extremely quiet. I've got the lines wrapped in the teflon tape here.

For the install process - first I installed the interior bracket and started the hole through the drywall for the refrigerant lines, power and control lines going to the outdoor unit. Note that I'm not using a cordless drill and it is actually a decently powerful corded drill with a masonry bit.  Don't use cheap bits or common cordless drills with masonry bits unless you want to finish the work with much more gray hair than you started with. Some will likely note that I haven't finished the trim around the ceiling yet either - I'd hate to run out of projects to work on..

For the stucco, I had to go through 2 different pieces representing the interior and and exterior of the stucco and concrete block.  I ended up with 2 concrete "plugs" like this. It took a good 10-15 minutes drill out each plug.  I also had to drill at a slight downward angle (from inside to outside) because the drain line empties via gravity.  I will credit a Lowes employee for reminding me to also drill from the outside to prevent any chipping/blowout around the exterior hole.

The HVAC unit comes with a sleeve to put in the hole in the wall to protect the lines and electrical but it is sized more for standard 2x4 wood construction than stucco so I had to figure out something else.  Some pipe and caps from Lowes cut down to a size that doesn't protrude worked out ok.

Below is the result with the PVC pipe in the wall with a cap on and spray foam to keep any wildlife outside.  And I'll admit that I wasn't paying attention and should have put the cap on opposite to what I did - it would have allowed me to simply use my channel lock pliers to take the cap off later rather than try to find some oddball item around the house that was roughly 1" x 3/4" and stout enough to be twisted to break the cap loose from some of the spray foam..  

Now I was able to hook the provided power/control cable to the interior unit in preparation for mounting it on the wall.

Below you can see the refrigerant lines, power/control and condensate drain line exiting the exterior wall.  I wasn't excited about the proximity to the exterior light but I'll deal with that a different day - I don't like the existing light fixture anyways which has been broken since we bought the place.   It is also a bit difficult due to the window but I'm making the best of it.  We'll see how it works out in the end.

Below shows the brackets mounted to wall which will hold the mini-split unit.  I didn't want to mount it on a pad - mostly because of dealing with lawnmower debris and other hazards at that height.

I have the unit mounted to the brackets here and you can see I have the 240v wiring ( 12ga solid strand THHN/THWN rated wire ) in Southwire 1/2-in x 25-ft Ultratite Non-Metal liquid-tite conduit coming down out of the soffit. 

Here is the disconnect box with conduit.

Somehow I ended up with a fused disconnect box instead of non-fused but after a bit of thought, I decided it is more help than harm other than needing fuses. 

The disconnect box itself had no information on it and I had thrown away the box it came in so it wasn't clear what fuses were needed.  After trying some class G fuses which were just a bit too small in diameter (but Lowes had in stock), I did some more research and determined that the fuse holders were for class H fuses.  This is a pretty good site to research fuses dimensions and such - and their glossary has info about the different fuse classes.  I also found that several other fuses are usable in the old style class H fuse holders.  The class H fuses are not generally recommended now from information I found so I decided that since this unit has some potentially sensitive electronics, I might as well go with the newer class RK1 fuses appear to provide better protection.  Fuse prices are all over the place so it took some research to find some online through Amazon that were not twice as expensive as the same items elsewhere.  I even found some with free shipping - we'll see how good the idea was when they arrive. The fuses I chose are: LTTELFUSE LLNRK-15 TIME DELAY 15 AMP RK-1 DUAL LIMITING [2022/4/1] Fuses arrived and inserted into holder - more work needed before testing though.

Below, The item on the left is a class G fuse and is 1-5/16" x 7/16". The middle item is called a midget fuse (or class 5AG) and is 1-1/2” x 13/32”. The item on the right is a class RK1 fuse and is 2" x 9/16".  Don't get con-fused and try to use the physically smaller fuses in place of those that are of the class H/RK1 size - the smaller fuses will basically fall down if fully inserted into an H/R class fuse holder.

I must admit that I am glad the wiring is at least run in the attic now.  I can't say that I enjoy hanging out in the attic - by time I was done I had bruises and scrapes everywhere.  I'm thinking that the one major benefit for older electricians would be having an apprentice. I just don't know why my kids won't be "unpaid apprentices" for me. Hard to imagine.

I still need to go back into the attic and add some conduit straps but I don't think I will have to be as far into the eve as when pulling the conduit up. [2022/4/3 Conduit straps done in attic!!]

Next, I need to run the refrigerant lines and such from the exterior hole in the wall over a window and then down to the exterior unit. I did buy a trim kit from Pioneer which I hope will make it look a bit nicer.  It is white plastic which I might end up painting to match a bit better.  I had a bit of dilemma with the condensate drain line though - it needs to maintain a downward slope to let gravity drain it and I would need to go up over the window though.  After discussing with my wife, I'm going to try and exit the PVC cover over the exterior hole in a direction away from the light fixture below and just end the drain line at the "relatively" small hole. I'll foam around it a bit I think.  All other solutions seemed worse - taking all the lines/electrical down past the light fixture and under the window would work but seemed like it would be even less visually appealing.  Taking the drain line straight down after exiting the wall would mean I either leave an ugly drain line exposed or need to hack together some type of cover which splits into the horizontal and vertical runs. The run going over the window still won't be "pretty" but is probably the best of the more feasible ideas.

[2022/06/17 update] This has been done for a little while now but here are additional pictures showing the more important and/or specialty tools/equipment/etc I used.

Corded drill with decent power - handle for added support / leverage is helpful. I have this for a number of years.

Open-ended torque wrench for the fittings. This was something I bought for this project and maybe another mini-split install for my workshop and maybe for my parents place. This was the most flexible solution at what I'll call a "reasonable cost"

 This was a DIY install mainly due to the availability / use of this product for evacuating the air / contaminants from the lines and enabling leak testing.  I recommend getting 2 bottles of the Kwik-E-VAC just to be safe.  I didn't use the entire thing but that was somewhat because I didn't want to run out at a critical moment so may have underused it it a bit.  If you have 2 of them at ~$34 each, it is pretty cheap insurance compared to having to call someone to help or try and find equipment to buy/rent to form a vacuum due to any issues.  

The Nylog blue is used on the face of the flared fittings to reduce the chance of scoring the copper when flaring and to lubricate the face when you tighten the fittings. Both of these are specialized for use with HVAC or refrigeration systems.

I bought the below tool just for working with mini-split flares.  The eccentric motion is less likely to score / damage the copper - especially if you apply  a bit of Nylog Blue to the tool face which works the copper into the correct shape / angle.  I didn't want to use my normal plumbing tool which is pretty old and seemed like a potential source for problems.

A different view of the flaring tool box.

For cutting the hole through the interior and exterior walls I used this bit with the drill above.  This can be used dry and it took me about 10-15 minutes per side to cut through the stucco / concrete. 

Below is the cover set I used - ended up basically getting 2 of them for the odd layout I had. Comes in white but I got some exterior paint to match the existing stucco.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

This is true even when you cut a hole in the soffit in the wrong location initially or cut your conduit with the wires inside it when you didn't plan to.