GREE FLEXX Heat Pump Installation

[@ea67nova]

I’m wanting to buy some of these flex connectors shown in the video , I can’t find them anywhere on the website? Can someone please help

[@051207gn]

Great video, thank you. Does the indoor coil have a txv? Or is the metering device for heating and cooling located in the outdoor unit? I’m going to be putting a gree flex outdoor unit with an ICP electric air handler. The AH has a coil with a txv installed ready. Just wondering if I need to take out the indoor txv. Thanks!

[@TECTubefilms]

Indoor coil has/needs a TXV for cooling mode. Do NOT remove the ICP fan coil's TXV. The outdoor unit has EXVs for heating mode like all heat pumps.

[@Gyppor]

Thanks for the section on the dip switches. I have the Tosot branded version of this and find it's a bit too loud to use for heating (we sleep with the bedroom window open and vents closed, we like it cool in the bedroom but no tin the house), so I'll try the eco mode. It's much quieter than the old AC units so we love it for summer, but since we have a 96% furnace for backup we just use that, it seems like a no brainer.

[@kriscraig7604]

We just had our tosot 5 ton put in last week and I have the same findings. When heating it’s really loud and I was watching the power consumption and at 2 c it looked like my power bill would double. The installer said they would come back and change it to Economy mode. Just wondering did you change yours ?

[@Gyppor]

​ @kriscraig7604 I haven't yet, we've been using the new gas furnace for heat so far and it does great so haven't felt the need to mess with the heat pump. Honestly I don't see a reason to run the heat pump unless our rate for natural as goes up dramatically. I've considered changing the dip switches to 2 ton from 3 tons since winters here aren't very cold just to see. The HP would run for longer to heat the house but with lower output, so maybe quieter? Another thing to consider. I think in eco mode it will still reach 100% output, it will just ramp up more slowly. I don't know how long it takes to get to 100%. If you could switch your unit from 5 tons to 4 tons you might have quieter operation as well. Longer run times at lower intensity would probably be better for the compressor, too.

[@kriscraig7604]

We had a new furnace installed at the same time and it’s super quiet and like you say gas is much cheaper then power so I’ve just been using that. And the more i think about it the heat pump was twice the price of the furnace so y push it. I think we’ll just use it as ac and emergency backup heat. With the rebates it was still cheaper then a ac unit.

[@mtbphil168]

I just installed a 3 ton mrcool and the compressor says gree on it and it looks just like the flexx. I was also disappointed how much vibration in the large 3/4" line there was on ramp up and down. It vibrates the house pretty good. I tried all the fan speeds...fastest was the lowest noise even though it was 100cfm over required in the manual. I believe compressor pressure is lower at higher speeds. I tried 2 ton with no difference. There is no issue in cooling. I'm going to try to isolate the lines for vibration reduction. I sent mrcool a video and they said it just sounds like normal ramp up. I guess you get what you pay for. It's putting out heat so far. Waiting for my first electric bill.

[@kriscraig7604]

Ya i tried putting it on rubber bushings and tried taking off all the tubing/ line clamps but nothing really worked. Doing a bit more research it looks like I shouldn’t have mounted it on the side of the house. It’s in the concrete foundation so I didn’t think it would matter but maybe a ground stand would have been better. Also looks like a longer line set could have helped. I might try to build a different stand next summer, see if it helps. The heat pump definitely puts out good heat just loud and seams to work the compressor much harder compared to cooling.

[@namerican8510]

Do both lines need to be insulated? Also, is the evap coil just a standard 3 ton heat pump coil with an external biflow filter drier added. Sales rep said that the defrost would be so quick in our area that a duel fuel or heatstip wouldn't be necessary.

[@TECTubefilms]

No, both lines do not get insulated because a GREE FLEXX heat pump is like other standard ducted heat pump systems. There are, however, some mini-split manufactures that put the expansion device for cooling mode in the outdoor unit and hence both lines of those types of products do get insulated.

[@TECTubefilms]

Yes, you can use a standard indoor coil approved for use with heat pumps (i.e., the TXV has to be compatible for heat pump usage).

[@TECTubefilms]

Not sure where you are located but maybe if you are in South Florida or something like that, then you don't need auxiliary heat. We are in the Midwest so we can't comment much about that topic.

[@mtbphil168]

I installed a 3 ton mrcool, which appears to be the same Gree unit. I'm getting amperage readings as high as 20 amps even though the Rated Load Amps (RLA) on the placard shows 16 amps. My understanding of RLA is that its a max and typical running amps should be below this. It seems like you've worked on these a lot. What readings do you typically see?

[@alsepahi2251]

Very helpful, just a question, where D(defrost) on heat pump will wired on ecobee thermostat while you have a gas furnace?

[@TECTubefilms]

D doesn't technically wire from the GREE back to the thermostat, it wires back to the furnace. As far as the furnace is concerned, the GREE is the thermostat because it is the switch that is completing the electrical connection. D should be wired back to W on the furnace.

[@fanzfanzilla]

Thanks for the video. Do you know for a Gree Flexx 4-ton unit, can I use 7/8 suction line? I want to reuse the existing line. The Air handler is about 30 feet high in the attic.

[@TECTubefilms]

Yes you can almost always go to a large line for any A/C or HP. Check the manual for the charge adjustment because you will need to weigh-in more refrigerant.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Why would you need those flexible connectors??? It doesn’t look like you are bending any tighter than any other system I’ve ever installed. I use a good quality tubing vendor with lubricant to make my bends to a nice tight radius. Most the time you can bend them by hand because they aren’t in that tight of an area.

[@TECTubefilms]

The benefit for those who want to braze instead of a make flare is that this adapter is both a flare-to-braze adaptor plus it is flexible. So if you are going to buy an adapter anyway, this one might be a good choice. If you are not going to braze and you are going to flare a line-set to directly connect, then there would be no need.

[@jimbocao8152]

How does the electric heater kit works? There is no W2 connect to the thermostat. Does the Gree air handling unit control it? Mine electric heater does not work during the cool winter. Is it because I didn't connect with W1 to AUX? Thank you 🙏

[@TECTubefilms]

This is a function of the thermostat you selected, how you wired it, and how you programmed it.

[@revealingfacts4all]

I have that exact same unit only it says Mr. Cool. So I must ask, who makes these? I used the precharged lineset.

[@TECTubefilms]

The manufacturer is GREE. Mr. Cool is a branding name and we don't think they actually make any of their own equipment. Instead they re-brand products from others. The Mr. Cool Universal is made by GREE. While we believe the Mr. Cool ductless mini-splits are made by Midea.

[@revealingfacts4all]

@@TECTubefilms thank you for replying. Do you know if the control boards in the Gree units have the same firmware as the Mr. Cool units? The mr. Cool manual describes the dip switches a little differently. The inside air handler dip switches also control blower fan speed setting as well as tonnage setting. The outdoor unit's dip switches are more cryptic to understand. So curious if the gree user and service manuals can be referenced for setting dip switches on mr. Cool units...

[@TECTubefilms]

@@revealingfacts4all We are unsure. We have never worked with Mr. Cool equipment. We are not sure if GREE makes the unit for Mr. Cool using Mr. Cool specs or if they simply re-badge it.

[@garymartin2336]

@@TECTubefilms ...and MrCool tech support is pathetic. I was promised but then ghosted. No answers on this point. MrCool basicly rebrands the Gree Flex service manual. It is not offerred on their website and takes search to find. Criptic and not DIY friendly. Only shows 3 fan speeds for AHU were the High ESP unit I have includes 8.

[@bryanrogers77]

@@garymartin2336When GREE first released the FLEXX the AHU only had 3 speeds which is referred to A. They have a B revision now which has the 8 speeds.

[@swagger7]

I saw a recent video suggesting the condenser valve torque specs were wrong and his service calls on the Flexx units were leaking with the too low torque specs. Any leaking at the valve?

[@TECTubefilms]

We are not exactly sure what you are referring to, but the torque specs in the instructions for the flare nuts are in N-m and most people use a torque wrench measuring in ft-lb. Maybe the person you are talking about didn't realize this difference in units when they set their wrench. In this example, it would cause overtightening.

[@swagger7]

@@TECTubefilms I was watching this guy ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnS2d2Z5qtp1rLs

[@Nolanh311]

Could you wire the condenser as a straight cool condenser?

[@TECTubefilms]

yes

[@yoega5441]

Hello would you recomend any wifi thermostat specifically for this unit please

[@TECTubefilms]

As you can see in the video, this system was installed with an ecobee Wi-Fi thermostat, which we are big fans of. However, you can install it with any heat pump thermostat you want... Wi-Fi or non-Wi-Fi.

[@yoega5441]

@TECTubefilms Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I want wifi, I installed a nest thermostat, and the unit didn't work, so I have to come back to a regular, not wifi thermostat, then I install a sensi Emerson wifi it did work but once the thermostat was connected to the network did an update and stop working I'm guessing once this thermostats connect to wifi they consume more power and that can be the cause so Im going to try ecobee but I'm feeling that is going to be same the one you have in the video is connect to wifi? Please let me know I'm really frustrated with this issue, and thanks again

[@TECTubefilms]

@@yoega5441 It is hard to know what is happening based on this description. If we had to guess, you are trying to use a Wi-Fi thermostat without a common (C) wire. Is that the case?

[@commercialachvac4809]

How is the money saving on it

[@TECTubefilms]

On the cooling side it is 20 SEER, so it will save a couple hundred dollars a summer over the previous 13 SEER system installed in that home. On the heating side, natural gas is relatively inexpensive where that home was, so as you saw on the balance point calculations, it will only be used when the OA temp is above 45. That will result in a couple more hundred dollars in annual savings. However, if this home was an electrically heated home, then this heat pump would have saved a couple thousand dollars a year in heating costs.

[@cadamham]

You will save about $150 a year compared to the 13 seer

[@TECTubefilms]

@@cadamham $150 for what type of system (all electric or dual fuel) replacing what type of system? And at what electric and fossil fuel prices? All of that matters. We have had projects where heat pumps save $0 and others where they save $3k.

[@jaysosa9568]

Can this system work with a gas furnace as a hybrid (dual fuel) set up

[@TECTubefilms]

Yes, it was installed in this video as a dual-fuel system with a gas furnace.

[@TECTubefilms]

Not trying to sound rude, but did you watch the video? It covers wiring to engage furnace during defrost, it covers balance point settings, and Ryan states "dual-fuel" at multiple points in the video.

[@marconantel7735]

How long is the standard defrost? I think I saw it’s like 2 minutes or something very fast?

[@TECTubefilms]

It is not a timer. Excerpt from the manual; "When the temperature sensed by outdoor tube temperature sensor reaches the preset value of defrosting stop, system will quit defrosting."

[@marconantel7735]

@@TECTubefilms Rodger that; several people have told me it defrosts so quickly they usually don’t require heat strips in some climates

[@TECTubefilms]

@@marconantel7735 We would recommend supplemental heat (electric, gas, etc) for defrost in all climates to prevent "cold blow" discomfort to the occupants. When the system is in heat mode, they want warm air coming out of their ducts, not cold 55 degree supply air blowing on them. But then again... we are based in the Midwest so maybe people in southern Florida don't care as much.