1 BIG MISTAKE All DUCTLESS Owners Make!

Ductless, mini splits, do not operate like conventional HVAC units. In this video, Joshua discusses the biggest mistake, most ductless owners make when operating their ductless mini split. Why is this such a big mistake? Humidity is the main reason. Most ductless unit owners are not as comfortable as they should be when operating their air conditioning. Josh discusses why this is such a big mistake and how to remedy it in this video.
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---------Chapters------------
0:00 Intro: Mistake ductless owners make
0:42 Ductless Fan Setting
2:09 Two reasons to run in auto
3:44 Mini-splits are oversized
4:17 Advice to ductless owners
5:58 Outro
#hvac #secrets #tips

[@trustbuster23]

When we put in a large ductless system, the biggest thing we had to learn was to just leave it alone. It has plenty of power to keep up with even the hottest days when you let it do its thing. What it doesn't do very well is rapidly shifting the temp down 15 or 20 degrees. It is sort of like trying to fill a pool with a garden hose. It'll get there but it takes a while. And if you turn the temp way down to rush the process, you'll eventually find yourself freezing to death if you forget to set it back up. You will be much more comfortable if you just set it and forget it, or make only small temperature changes throughout the day.

[@cpnmikes]

this makes a lot of sense.. been struggling with how to operate my split system since i had it installed a few months ago.. i came to the conclusion on my own that the AUTO setting was the way to go... good video!!

[@mikep5701]

Excellent video Sir. The other thing I see with friends who have installed them is improper routing of their refrigerant tube run which creates an oil trap as they do not know. That will cause a premature failure. I am called after the fact

[@danpszeniczny9664]

Great advice.

[@jackclouse9339]

Mini split units that offer heating as well are not really the best heaters, so when your doing your heat load calculations for your rooms, you need to consider the heating side as well and not just the cooling. This is why you will often see an oversized unit for cooling capacity than typically what’s needed because the installer is also trying to meet the room’s heating requirements as well.

[@andreas_kyburz]

Thanks for this!

[@NewHVACGuide]

You’re welcome!

[@bdf49]

Thx for the pro tip

[@garysmith8455]

Ok, this topic really applies to ME. I am in my second winter with a 30K BTU Mitsu system for my raised ranch. The air handlers on the wall are the flagship, Hyper Heat. The ODU is standard. Anyway, I run the fan in AUTO in the summer for AC, does just fine. Since this is my primary heat source, running the fan on auto, not so much! The fan speed is too conservative (CFM TOO LOW) and the temp in my home will drop by nearly 3 degrees and that is on a 30 degree day with solar gain in the home! So, I run all 3 units on 3rd speed which is considered high. At this fixed speed, I find the CFM output is a little different between the 6, 9, 15 k BTU units, but that works best at maintaining my temp settings. I may only loose 1.5 degrees during the overnight if outside temp is in the teens. Just my own experiences so far. Perhaps if I run AUTO fan during heating, I should push the remote temperature 3 or 4 degrees higher then usual to force the fan to move more air? Would be good to know. I know that once the set temp is reached and the handlers are satisfied, the blowers will stop completely, something some HVAC guys did not know!

[@moneyparhar]

I have daikin aroura 36k BTU 2 units outside and six indoor units. Now in winter time I use for heat my main source. I been running in in heat mode and fan on auto. Should I use auto mode for temp also

[@bettyboop1524]

I've had my Mitsubishi mini split for two years. There is a large system with iSee in the living room, all other rooms (2 bedrooms and kitchen) have smaller units. When sitting in the living room my feet are always cold, it seems no matter what the heat/fans are set at doesn't reach my feet. I wish I would have gotten the floor model for the living room, at least it would have given heat towards the floor. I've read the instructions many times, but I still struggle with the system keeping me comfortable. I've just set it to Auto as many say to do, also set the temperature - is that all I need to do? Will this keep the room comfortable by my feet and when I stand up? This system was set up by a "gold" HVAC Mitsubishi dealer. Thanks for the video.

[@SEEMORE45]

The Mr Cool has the"dry" setting which I have used before in the room closest to the shower room, and in the dinning room when cooking a lot . Not sure if every brand has this option . In this setting it doesn't take long to pull the moisture out of the air . Thanks for the great help and videos .

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

are you saying a dry mode makes the air dry?

[@SEEMORE45]

@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld It acts as a dehumidifer.

[@elgringoec]

My pioneers have that mode.

[@buckytheelk]

How often should this Dry feature be used?

[@coldjello8436]

Have you made a video about how to do a heat load calculation? Or is that beyond the capabilities of a home owner?

[@elgringoec]

It's easy enough, simple arithmetic. It's outlined in one of those manuals, J or H, I forget exactly, but should be discoverable online somewhere.

[@MsVictory1945]

Hello! I finally had a mini-split (Daikin) installed this winter and don't really know the best/most cost effective way to run it. I basically only want to use in really cold winter and really hot summer. I heard you should not turn it off, so what is the best method to use when needed, but not waste $$ when not needed. (Did not really come with a manual, just one big sheet) Thanks so much from Maryland USA!

[@kathykiene13]

I’d like to know his answer also.

[@adbeck2872]

So I'm confused what did the guy do. Just run the fan and not the ac circulating moist air?

[@donnadavis1538]

I am wondering, which setting on these units are more finaically cheaper, should you leave it on automatic or on the coolest setting. I have a 18,000 BTU and I am only cooling one small bedroom, on the coolest setting it gets to cold and I have to turn it off, then back on. I set it at 30 and I live in Europe so the temp. setting may be different than in America where I am from. If I have it on Automatic it doesn't seem to get cool enough, this is also a new unit. I just need to know which setting is the most economic way, and which is beter, to trun it off when it gets to cold then back on when it gets to warm, the unit never shuts off automatically. 🙃🙃🙃

[@krjohnson29]

My wife wants the house AS COLD AS POSSIBLE. (This sounds like an exageration or a joke, but it is not I assure you.) So in our house it is cranked down to the lowest possible temperature pretty much all the time... Even in the winter. It gets really cold. I am very cold. Always very cold. We live in Oregon so in the winter it gets so cold. Is this going to hurt our system? I just wonder because I just had to spend $20k replacing a (admitedly badly designed, badly installed) system with a new one with about 3x the capacity after only about 8 years of running. I feel like our use case is potentially not great for the lifespan of these things...

[@grassmastersllc2558]

I can't get a set temperature, I'll set it to 70 degrees in auto, cool, or comfy and it just keep blowing cold air down into the lows 60s, only way to stop that is to shut it off.. what's up with that as I read this is a common problem

[@matthewweatherby2914]

What about when you have multiple heads/zones on your ductless mini split system each with their own thermostat. Wouldn’t that cause issues when in auto mode (one may want to cool while the other heat leading to error and shut down)?

[@happyheart2871]

I'd love to know the answer to that. Good question.

[@NewHVACGuide]

Most mini split zoned systems need all the indoor units to be in the same mode or the outdoor unit will not operate. The only exception I’m aware of is systems with “heat recovery“. There may be some VRV or VRF systems as well. But again, this would be very unique and most systems do not allow.

[@LNMD93]

My installer told me to NEVER set it in auto. Why?

[@joel6427]

I need some help with this problem. Mini split manuals say the minimum height of the inside unit is 98.5" from the bottom of the unit to the floor. The instructions say the full cooling effect won't be reached if placed lower than 98.5". My ceiling height is less than what they say is required. I am trying to think about the reason for a reduction in the cooling effect. I noticed they did not use the word performance or mention a reduced heating effect. I doubt the coolant knows how high the indoor unit is, so the only thing I can think of is the fact that hot air rises, and whoever wrote the height requirement might have been thinking about a layer of hot air floating above the unit that would cause a perceived loss of cooling effect. The instruction says to leave 6" between the top of the unit and the ceiling for, I presume, door clearance. It seems to me that regardless of the floor-to-unit height if the unit is as tight to the ceiling as required, there would be no reduction in the cooling effect. Then again, maybe there is something I don't understand about coolant flow requirements in mini split air conditioners. What do you think?

[@NewHVACGuide]

Clearances are usually minimums. A minimum for airflow or servicing. Height requirements have more to do with comfort. Most systems are designed with the algorithms understanding that they will be mounted high to blow low. Heat rises and so comfort in the space takes that into account. Mounting it at a different height, may require you to set the temperature higher or lower than typical to get the desired comfort

[@robind8164]

Hey guys, i have a fugitsu mini split 5 zones unit. Can I have it set on auto on one head and dry mode on another head at the same time without damaging?

[@NewHVACGuide]

I did a video recently on this exact topic that you should check out. Most multi zone systems cannot be in different modes and operate properly. Although this would not necessarily create damage to the system, it will usually just not operate at all, if the systems are in different modes.

[@kevinsollars6653]

Can the lead line be to long? 26 to 30 ft

[@heidipeters8205]

my new mini split doesnt seem to heat the foot area, should i use a mini vent to keep my feet warm?

[@nerdwhispererscottyj.3912]

I had the same problem myself. Because a mini split draws air from up by the ceiling and warm air rises, it keeps recycling the same warm air, leaving it cold down by the floor. I solved the problem by putting a small fan that can tilt straight up on the floor off to the side of the unit so it would push the cold air up to the ceiling and into the unit. Works fine.

[@joshuaolander201]

I would love to have a user's or owner's manual the mini split was installed three months before I moved in and they didn't leave me an owner's manual I spent all winter trying to figure out the remote control

[@NewHVACGuide]

Are you a subscriber to newhvacguide.com?

[@elgringoec]

Yeah auto is best. Except... One of the ones I put in my son's house doesn't throw the heat through the whole kitchen/dining room unless I set the fan on fast. It still cycles, only goes fast when actually heating. On auto it has a tendency to be satisfied when just the area in the immediate vicinity of the unit is up to setpoint. Then it short-cycles. Probably would be wiser to use an aux fan for wall mount motor longevity. But this is way easier. 😋 These high wall mounts are great for cooling, but for heating it's better to introduce the hot air at floor level.

[@chrisE815]

What brand? I have a Fujitsu and found i have to do a temp offset for heating because of the thermostat location. Sometimes the offset is 10 degrees above desired temp depending on outdoor temp.

[@elgringoec]

@@chrisE815 The Pioneers do a pretty good job of maintaining setpoint. I did notice when it's really cold out they seem to have some kind of anticipation where they heat a little higher than the setpoint, but that's better than being too cold. It has an "I feel" option where it references the temp of the remote, and that's pretty neat to keep the environment around the remote at setpoint, but it times out after a couple hours so I can't just mount the remote across the room and use that full time as the thermostat.

[@chrisE815]

@@elgringoec my fujitsu is so old school. Wish I paid more attention when i was buying. I would have bought a wifi connected unit and a head with a remote thermostat.

[@elgringoec]

@@chrisE815 I think you got a good unit. Those accessories may be available. Pioneer has optional thermostats (I forgot about those) and WiFi interfaces. I bought two WiFi boards for my son's units, he likes that kind of silliness, I've pretty much outgrown it, but they're still in the box, haven't tried them yet. I wanted to be sure the units worked fine without them first before installing them, and we've been so busy that the WiFi control hasn't come up. I learned a long time ago to set and forget, I think my kids are finally coming around to that realization after loving the fact that they could diddle around with their own thermostats. (They were not allowed to touch the thermostats when growing up, only I could make changes, anyone else would request I make them which rarely happened)

[@chadd587]

I think people just like the white noise. If we stay at a motel, we run the fan in the on position all night

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

i am sorry, but fan speed has NO bearing on output. yes, higher fan settings ALLOW more heat to be transfferd but its not the reason it uses more power. it will still want to hold the setpoint because that is the only thing it cares about and higher fan speeds allow the system to get to it faster. but once its there the power reduces even if the fan stays high. just advising blindly to set it auto is not good advice. setting it to forced low speeds also helps comfort and take away big temperature swings even if it reduces power output. the best advice is the one is the one you have not given: its to KEEP the system on so the room gets to temp and stays there. holding a temp is MUCH more efficient than turning it off and on constantly.

[@NewHVACGuide]

Hello. I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I didn’t say anything about power consumption. I was pointing out the humidity removal is lower if the system is set on high versus auto

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

@@NewHVACGuide i am talking about how you think the system controls itself. and yes, high fan speeds dont remove meaningful amounts of water, that is what the dehumidify mode is for. that forces the fan even lower than normal and allows the evaporator to get down to 2~3 degrees above freezing. the outdoor unit does not care that you set the indoor unit to dry or its fan to low. it does not know you did that. it only wants to keep the evaporation temp on the low side to 1~3 degrees above freezing. nothing more or less.

[@NewHVACGuide]

That may be true for some ductless systems, but most of them are using communicating, inverter technology. I encourage you to read the instructions for a high end Daikin or Mitsubishi.

[@hkgonra]

I added an 8000 btu window unit to my master bedroom because my home units can’t keep up in the summer. I have a 3500 sq ft home with 7 tons of cooling. A closet would eat up 1000 btu.

[@elgringoec]

It takes 7.67 tons to cool 3500ft2???Good grief your house is inefficient as all getout!!! I can cool my 5000ft2 with *one* ton.

[@hkgonra]

@@elgringoec built in the 80’s. And I am dealing with summers that get over 100 with over 70% humidity. I like my house at 65.

[@bobboscarato1313]

@@hkgonra You're way off system design temps. For cooling 70 should be the lowest setting.

[@elgringoec]

@@hkgonra That's got me thinking Florida weather. I suppose if you don't have cold winters then 65F might feel comfortable, but for me, that would be unpleasantly cool any time of year. My personal preferred temperature and my wife's as well is around 75F year round. We burn far more energy heating in the winter than we do cooling in the summer. But I take other measures to reduce the load on cooling in the peak summer heat.

[@hkgonra]

@@bobboscarato1313 I remember 25 years ago when I was the helper for a much older seasoned HVAC guy. The average house we worked on was built in the 70’s. He would first ask what temp do you want to keep your house. Then he would look at the age of the house (how insulated is it) as well as how many kids and dogs they have. A house from the 70’s with a couple kids and or dogs were going to get about 400sq ft per ton of cooling. He said the quickest way to ruin your reputation is to have a customer house that they want at 70 to be 75 on a 100 degree day. They will never call you back and make sure to run your name in the ground to anyone who listens.

[@Garth2011]

Too many folks in society do not read instruction, period. I know people who have spent $75,000 on a brand new vehicle and simply refuse to read the owners manual. I have to laugh at those who won't because they will never know the capabilities and functions of their new vehicle vs. what they think they knew about their previous vehicle. Same goes with most of everything else. They'll purchase something from Home Depot or an appliance of some kind and never bother to read the instructions or the manual. Then, when something isn't going just right, they will screw with it, possibly damaging it way before referencing the book. Some people are just well off in buying the low end model if they will not read about the functions, features of their new purchases. It's amazing to observe those who paint themselves into a corner only because they never bothered to read and learn to operate the things they acquire. Reminds me of several politicians pushing their ideas before looking into the value in the matter.

[@elgringoec]

Ya gotta sign it then find out what's in the bill!!!

[@bobboscarato1313]

In this day and age morons abound; they think they know everything, don't they?

[@elgringoec]

@@bobboscarato1313 It's amazing how my father went from knowing nothing when I was 18 to so wise by the time I hit 30. 🤔😮😂

[@happyheart2871]

How true. I would never buy a super deluxe bells and whistles car because I think all those extras kill the life of the basic function of the thing you're buying way before its time. I'll read the manual but I'm a hard sell on all the new tech that makes the manual 5"thick so you can now only get it (the manual) on the internet.

[@happyheart2871]

@@elgringoec LOL

[@moseytransport7253]

Dude. Thanks for the remote tips but you're way too loud.

[@NewHVACGuide]

Sorry pal

[@CarlosReyes-zf5vq]

Bro you talk too much god

[@NewHVACGuide]

Sorry pal

[@duhman288]

Brainrot