@@rodneyhunthey l have a question, does your mini split shuts off when the desired temperature is reached? Does it work like a central unit? Like you push 78° auto and the AC unit will automatically turn off Thanks
This is exactly what I am looking to do. I called a local installer and told them what I need…4 panels @ ~400 watts, someone to install them and someone to install the Mini-split and add a 30 amp generation input to my panel with disconnect from min via interlock. They said sure we can do that and we can send someone out tomorrow to have a look. Well after 2.5 hours of a sells pitch and $26,000 financed or $19,000 cash for 7.3kw grid-tied system is what they suggested. I asked about my mini-split and was told you will not need it now since we will shade to roof with panels over the hot spot where you wanted the Mini-Split. Well that is not what I was asking for nor wanted. Thanks for your video!
They are just salesmen with most of those solar installers. Believe me you can install this thing yourself more than likely if handy at all. You can always have an electrician install electrical if you aren’t comfortable with that part.
They don't CARE what you want, they want you to BUY what have have to sell. TRUST me, it's ain't difficult to do it all yourself. Learn from these guys here on TH-cam, that's what I did and configured it the way "I want for my needs.
Ya man!!.... I bought a hybrid solar mini split that I've put in my master bedroom. I have it running from 4 panels of 455 watts each. It will run just fine on 3 panels but I want it to keep running even on semi cloudy days like you guys are doing. I bought a different one than the EG4. I bought one from Airspool. It's a 12,000 BTU that is making my 280 Sq. Ft. Master bedroom like a freakin meat locker now!! Mine came with a 120VAC regular plug that it's just plugged right into the wall here at my house. Mine uses the SAME app as yours and I programed mine using the app to limit the grid power from 5PM to 10AM (I think it's like 380 watts on this setting with little to NO difference in cooling), then it goes FULL BLAST while using solar after 10AM. I bought all my solar stuff from San Tan Solar here in Arizona because I can just go and pick it up because I live close by them. My END goal is to get a few more of these to run AC from these and no longer my home AC that uses HUGE power. Also, I plan to have a large battery bank with a LOT of watt hours to run them all in the night. But ya, I just started my project, and I only work on it for like an hour each day..... SLOW like me! I'm learning all about this solar world one day at a time! .... ROCK ON my man!!
Keep at it! This was a learning experience for me and the end goal is to run on solar and save some money. Also have some heating and cooling during power outages.
if you are living in asia, mostly we positioned our outdoor AC unit near back on our house near the laundry hanger, so its become as clothes / shoes dryer as bonus
@@russellharrell5770 NICE!!!...... I'm LOVING my AC/DC mini split! Here in Arizona, we've been getting RECORD heat for 30 days in a row of 110 PLUS degrees (even all the way to 118 and 119 degrees!). My master bedroom has never gone below 75. The app that it uses, and yours may too, allows you to set it to limited grid power from certain time to certain time, so instead of it taking 900 to 1000 watts even in the night when you're ON grid power, it'll drop down to like 350 to 380 watts. YES, I love it COLD COLD when I sleep and never adjust the thermostat down below 61 degrees. It sounds like it quite the drive from your home to Sulfur Springs? So you're going to Signature Solar? That's a great place and then that tells me that you're buying an EG4 AC/DC mini split? If so, you'll have the same exact phone app that I do. It's very powerful and works GREAT! Since I live very close to San Tan Solar, I go there often and get whatever I need. .... OH!!!..... One BIG piece of advice, get them to SHOW you how to pair your phone and/or wifi to your mini split. There's a detailed trick to it that is NOT anywhere in any manual at all.
Remember to extra wrap/insulate your cooling lines better and the air will be cooler in the house. The air out will heat up cooling lines and affect temperature in house. Also keep grass bugs, and debris from cooling fan intake cleared and wiped off. Running off grid 7 yrs with similar unit. Works great with very little maintenance.
I appreciate this video! I just learned about these type of hybrid units recently and the idea of the AC blowing most of the day and not running my bill up is a dream come true!! I just gotta somehow talk the wife info the idea on panels all over the place and promising to not make the house look like a mad scientist lab haha. Please do keep posting more vids on these installs. Also if there is a way to follow up with reliability on them.
Thank you supervisor for a wonderfully helpful video. I love your comment: "you always want to supervise when somebody wants to put something on their own roof and the roof is wet and metal." 😊
Brother your a hell of a good man helping out your neighbor. I watch all your videos SUCK at commenting sorry. Will do beater. I am 45 years old. Still to this day. GrandPops saying stick with me. " Son you know what the Bible says about your neighbor. " Funny how things last. Some of the closest people in the world to me are my neighbors. Just now as I am watching this. I am eating food my neighbors just showed up with. No call no text. Just here some food Bobby and Wife. We love yall. WOW Sorry no clue why I am sharing. Thanks brother. God Bless.
Would love a follow up baby step by baby step detail regarding both of the grounds. I’m guessing one ground from the DC panels/mount and one for the grid tie in AC. I’m guessing they are both tied into the main house ground. *Edited with disclaimer. I know you say you are not a certified electrician; so I know this is not advice, but just a description of what you did.
It was too short. I have the correct tool now lol. If you watch my 18kpv install I have a core but that went right through brick at my parents house. Definitely helps to have the right tools!
Nice install and setup! I'd try a bonesaw on those bricks maybe? Thnx again for all of the detail! U ROK! I've seen a lot of peop say to solder all connections vs crimp... Saw in this vid at the end where you showed how much power the panels were making, but didn't see where you showed how much power the A/C was using. Wondering how much total power A/C inside and outside units are using, and what % of total solar is being used by A/C... and last thing, what is total cost, minus any labor charge, of this whole system, and what would be ROI payback time? I like it!
Somebody may have already mentioned but you can buy split breakers allows you to put two breakers in the spot of one that way you don't have to remove the subpanel put a new one in if it's not too overloaded via power
Unfortunately all the breakers but one are double pole 240v. So the double 120v style wont help in this situation. We did get it hooked up and should have that video out this weekend.
I run my minisplit from solar 24 7. I was looking into the eg4 but I ended up getting the inovair 38 seer 220 volt 9000 btu. It runs off of my 220 sungold splitphqse inverter and victron charge controller with 1850 watts of solar. The battery is a 560 ah 24 volt battery I built from grade a eve cells. The solar system runs my off grid camper and minisplit both but yeah solar air-conditioning and heat is where it's at for sure.
@@2hotscottpro man this is gonna sound crazy as far as how much I've spent on this stuff. But I'm around 30 grand in components and wires and the minisplit. I have bought alot of stuff to do solar dump loads to the water heater. 6 different ac chargers 4 charge controllers, 3 inverters... I have 2/0 wire on about everything. My wire coming from my combiner box to the charge controllers is all 4 awg welding wire that I bought and put sleeves on it so the sun don't bother it. I'm an over the road truck driver and this solar stuff had kinda became me hobby since I beat cancer a couple years ago I'm trying to set up everything where my wife and I can still live comfortably if the cancer returns. And I'd like her to have small as bills as possible if something happens to me ya know.
i am planning to do the same thing on my house - thanks much for the video. sounds like you have about 2500 watts of panels. Overall cost likely 5k per unit w/ the panels but zero going forward. I have a solark 15k w/ 30kw of batteries, so it's difficult to say if I would be better w/ 24k eg4 or a more generic mini-split setup (3tons are $1500 or so if you shop around).
Interesting installation. I am curious about using these maybe using a battery bank with charge controllers so the batteries could be shared with my ham radios.
I’m pretty sure this hybrid mini split does not support ac coupled battery charging. If you plan on having batteries, you don’t want the hybrid mini split.
@@kevinmills5293 you can always use an inverter, batteries, and other panels as your grid power if you want. But like you said not built to use natively with the same panels.
@@rodneyhunt the limitation with the hybrid unit is any connected panels only power the a/c unit so if the unit doesn’t need all the power the panels can produce, that power will go to waste.
Well done, I just ordered a 24k solar unit also . The living room its going in here at our house is really large (35' ceiling) so im not worried about distributing. But when looking at your install video I saw that you're putting it in a small area. Are you going to be running the old HVAC on fan mode to circulate the cold air? Curious how you're going to get the cold air to other parts of the house.
Well the living room is off to one side of this room. Several bedrooms in the hall in front of it. Keeps them all cool so far. Only one room at the end of hall on the opposite side of the house will need an additional unit or a through wall fan to circulate air. So right now 90% of the house is cooled even from this smaller dining area. These are made for more open spaces for sure but it is working for most of the house. We also talked about a inline fan for existing ductwork but not sure if this is practical just brainstorming.
@@rodneyhunt The inline or thru wall fan is a pretty good idea instead of just running the ducted HVAC fan all the time. We have an open floor plan where the kitchen and living room are basically the same, with the vaulted ceilings we undersized the HVAC so this 2 ton unit should be a huge help in assisting the space. There is a 12' Big A$$ fan in the living room too to help move the air around.
Hey Rodney, I got the same 24k unit as yall. I noticed that @ 6:06 you can see a white connector that is not plugged in to anything. If you look closed at the wire it is red and white marked "A" on the white, and "B" on the red. and is insulated in grey. Yours, and mine, are not connected to anything and the white end on it seems like its supposed to be plugged in to something and not just floating around like ours. I read through all the literature and see nothing referencing it anywhere. What do you think it is?
Rodney good video, but if your friend got thid unit for solar power like Im looking at why did you hook it up to his main breaker and on the when its design to run strickly solar
So it can run on ac at night. The mini split uses less power than his 20 year old system. So better to run it all the time. Will also use grid and Solar together during very cloudy conditions. So if your solar is limited it can make up the difference with grid power. He will eventually go solar for the entire house but until then the grid helps him out.
my space that I want a Mini split is a 20x30 and wondering if the 12000 would br enough so I dont run my main a/c . also what brand of planels and wattage did he go with@@rodneyhunt
I'm curious before you get the AC Line in fixed.... What happens when it gets Dark? I am considering getting the 12K unit and a handful of used panels and running it completely in off grid mode so I don't have to deal with an electrician or my horrible aging electrical panels. Want to make sure that the system is smart enough to gracefully shut down and turn on each day if there is no AC input.
Great video. I just purchased the 12k BTU unit. Question: How did you wire your panels? 3 sets of 2 in series and then the sets in parallel to get the 260 VDC and 2kw?
I have one string of 6. So all in series since my unit has a max of 380 volts. My panels are 11 amp and 49 volts open circuit each. So that 260 equals about 43 volts each at the time I measured before connecting to unit. Just verify your max voltage input and amps before you connect. The 12k may be different but I will check
@@rodneyhunt thanks for the reply. I have 6 panels at 48.84 vdc at 10 amps each. Looks like I can do the same as you putting them in series giving me roughly 288vdc at 2880 watts or 10 amps. The units minimum voltage is 90 Vdc at 9.1 amps. Hopefully I got that right 😁
Sounds good I think you will be happy with it. That should work well most days with that many panels even when partially cloudy. That unit probably runs well less than 1kw but let me know after you get it running.
As a licensed and insured HVAC Contractor since 1988 and a Authorized Carrier, Trane and Gree Dealer I would like to make a few suggestions; #1 Do not ever leave wiring exposed, (it should be shielded in a secured conduit. #2 Never leave a plastic condensation drain line exposed to the weather, hanging outside the exterior wall of the home next to exposed electrical wiring. It is a hazard, proplerly protect it from the elements and plumb it into a drain or at least plumb it away from the foundation of the home, the electrial wire and the condenser. When the ground becomes saturated with water and the condenser will eventually become unlevel. If you lack the knowledge or do not have the proper tools to cut the excess suction and liqiud line, solder the copper back together, then evacuate the system, once it is evacuated, then break vaccum by opening the service valves and then set the refrigerant charge according to subcooling, You should at least secure the lines so they are not just hanging out next to the home inviting them to be damaged and they should be protected by a line set cover and the foam insulation (armaflex) should be moisture and and UV-resistant. If you have dogs you might want to consider some type of barrier to prevent the dog (s) from using your condenser for a fire plug. The acid in their urine will erode the condenser coil. What I am seeing in this video would never pass a code inspection. This is very sloppy and dangerous work. If a person (child) standing beside this condenser, in the puddle of water that was made by improper condensation drain came in contact with the exposed electrical wiring, there is a great chance that it would be electricuted and whoever did this work is legally responsible for the child being hurt or killed and rightfully should be.
Oh well here let me help you find the exposed wires that you "definitely did not leave exposed", look at 22.21 on your video, the red, black and ground wires run through a liquid tight fitting on the top of the electrical boxm there is no liquid tight conduit just the fitting. If there is no liquid tight conduit then the box is not weather proof, when it rains there is a excellent chance that rain will get inside the electrical box. Thats the wires I am spreaking of.
No batteries needed. It runs on solar and you can also use grid power when needed. Or just run on solar during days. You can always add solar and batteries to your ac connection and use that instead of grid if you want. Several ways to use these depending on what you have available.
Are you gettong 260volt dc or ac from solar panels, are you using microinverters?? Or does that minisplit take dc voltage? Based on your video and how you wired everything it looks like youre getting AC from those solar panels and im guessing youre using microinverters?
Noob question, the manual states, "This unit must be properly grounded and plugged into a GFCI-rated outlet," but you went with a disconnect box, possibly without GFCI. So, this configuration is unsupported?
What manual are you looking at? Per the manual for the 24k your max breaker size is 20. That is what I used with a disconnect at the unit for service. Just let me know what manual and page you are talking about. Electrical info is on page 1 of 24k manual
I left the wire bare as I am not an electrician. So everything I do is subject to be wrong and it is always best to get help from a professional on the electrical portion.
What do you do , when you need to run your AC at night from June to August and your trying to keep the up front solar cost under 4K to run a 24K BTU minisplit? (a lot of SouthWest is still very warm in the evening's, like over 85 to 95 degrees at night) are batteries the only solution ? (they can cost almost as much as the solar panels ?
Thats a hard question in that price range. Batteries and an inverter are an option but not sure about that total price range. Best bet is a 48volt battery and a single inverter with a few panels. Could probably run on low most of the night
If Solar equipment is connected to a device which is also interconnected to the grid, the system could push power into the grid. In the event the grid losses power, these systems could cause injuries to employees repairing the outage. Maybe Im over thinking this. I do know if you install a PV system for the home and its interconnected to the grid, the power companies require safety protocols to shut these systems down. @@rodneyhunt
It is not interconnected. It can be powered from the grid or PV. The PV power does not feed back to grid. Just like if an off grid inverter has AC input power. It can use the grid but not feed it. Thanks for the questions
10 percent on cloudy days will not cut it thats how much power you will get by using a monocrystalline solar panels. If you use Amorphous solar panels you will get more power from these panels On rainy or cloudy days. Not so much on sunny days like mono and poly type panels. Its a trade off or get the best by using both type of panels. 73
We over paneled the system so have not had any problems so far. Probably on solar 95% of the time during the day when including bad weather days. Not sure about the 10% number you are speaking about but yes if the weather is bad enough I am sure the panels could produce that amount. I am just going by what we have seen on average after making these videos
Hey Rodney, Great that you are assisting you friend. - What is the possibility to install the IMO DC Disconnect at the joint where you made the MC4 connectors, then run the PV Wire direct in conduit to Air conditioner MC4 Connectors. - From a future maintenance perspective, this will eliminate having hidden MC4 connectors with in the conduit. As you, Connections will eventually cause problems and you don’t want HIGH VOLTAGE DC arching and cause a fire. - Does NEC CODE require that HIGH VOLTAGE DC has to go in EMT metal conduit within a building? - Checkout solar wiring issues on videos from a professional electrician below: SOLAR CONNECTIONS 1. th-cam.com/video/THCmCtPrYns/w-d-xo.html 2. th-cam.com/video/LvHBGu1ZA7s/w-d-xo.html SOLAR AIR CONDITIONER th-cam.com/video/KrArKwt6pUk/w-d-xo.html Thanks again for sharing.
Great points snd as a DIY’er I do not know all the codes. That is a good idea for the discconect. We may just buy more PV wire and rerun the whole thing. Have not completed the remaining conduit/cleanup etc. I will check these videos out
@rodneyhunt Use the same rod? Also noticed in Manuel it said to have a fuse for the panels maximum of 12 amps. Couldn't find any mc4 inkine fuses of 12 amps on Amazon but called Signature Solar and lady sent me a link. Just now got my first one done today. Only have had them since October. The template that came in the unit was off by 2 3/4 inches. Glad I checked first. Mine is different than most I've seen. The coolant pipe were almost at the right edge of the head unit. All the others I've seen are about 3-4 inches inside. Checked my other unit and is the same way. Plus mine is only 32ish inches while the one in the Manuel was 42ish. Couldn't get heat to go, took quite awhile to get it to heat. Now just Ned to get other one installed and get solar to it. I have 10 250 watt panels, figured I'd put 5 on each. Really hasn't gotten past 560 watts on AC today. And these hot Texas days are right around the corner. Thanks. Let me know if you put inline fuses on yours..... Jeff
Dc and ac ground rods are seperate. At least 6 feet apart depending on your area. Yes I have 15 amp fuses from what I remember since that is what I had. Don’t remember the 12 amp fuse from the manual I had but could be wrong it’s been a while
@rodneyhunt I finally got both units installed, had a couple issues but got it fixed. Working great. Now waiting on getting g solar isolators and some more solar accessories. Can't wait. Still learning on the go. I've had the units for about 6 months. They were back ordered so when I received them I was still very busy and still had to get stuff done before getting to them. Mainly underpinning and poured 2 pads to set them on. Now I need to build some temporary portable ground mounts till I find best spot for permanent mount. Thanks..... Jeff
Although that's a precharged unit, before opening the the valves on the outdoor unit and letting out the refrigerant, you are supposed to put a vacuum on the lines and the indoor unit. Last, I knew you could borrow a vacuum pump, and guage set, from Autozone and Advance auto. AFAIK not doing so will burn up the compressor and lowers the efficiency of the unit. F.Y.I. A company called Hotspot Energy carries similar units, but they also have a 48 Vdc battery based unit for those with no grid availability.
I suggest you check the directions again. Before you connected the lines there was atmospheric air inside the indoor unit and the lines going to the outdoor unit. It can't be there.
We are trying to move back to LA (not Los Angeles or Lower Alabama 😂) and buy a house. Can't wait to be "FREE" (tired of paying for rent and the grid).... BAM, BAM!!! 😂
I hope you didn't actually put the DC connectors in conduit. Put a PVC box or C-condulet in the conduit to hold the DC connectors. Of course, a new full-length wire would be best.
I’ve had two strikes within 300’ of 34kWp this summer….tree blew apart, no damage to anything. Just faulted on dc pv overcurrent (probably induced current from EMF) shut down two minutes and restarted fine. I have 10 SPD’s. AC in from Gen, AC out, PV in (each string) and 48V 200 kWh battery bank. It was worth the $1000.
These minisplits seem like a waste for a grid tied home. Any solar you don't use is wasted. If you could connect a battery to it so you could save that power I could see using this mini split. If you cannot sell to the grid that would also be another reason to use this I suppose.
Well my buddy is very happy with it. I say everyone is free to decide for themselves. I would rather someone have some backup than none. If this gets them started in solar and self reliance I am all for it.
This was a bit like Laurel and Hardy and the camera work was terrible he only wanted his face on camera but if those two can do it anyone can so they proved a point.
Did you pull a vaccum on the line sets? The only brand that I know with precharged line sets is Mr. Cool. All other brands to my knowledge do not have precharged line sets therefore it is absolutely MANDATORY that you pull a vaccum on those lines before opening the valves. If not you shortened the life of your compressor because you introduced non condensables into the system. I’m a certified HVAC technician for 8 years. I’m not saying you didn’t do that but I did not see it in the video. If not your best course of action would be to evacuate the system m, pull a vaccum down to 500 microns and recharge to factory specifications.
Not needed as this is setup to be completed with no special tools. The linesets sound as though they are under vacuum already when we valved it into unit but I would need to verify in the manual.
@@rodneyhunt Sound as tho they are under a vaccum? No sir. Those lines likely had caps on the ends of them and when you removed those caps that sound was nitrogen coming out of them that was put in there from the factory ensuring to the installer that they had no leaks in them. As soon as you take those caps off though those lines are instantly now open to atmosphere and now filled with what is known as Non Condensables. Which means that cannot be condensed like refrigerant by the compressor which means a shorter life for the compressor. So again if that is the case you needed to pull a vaccum down to 500 microns which guarantees no leaks AND removed any moisture or humidity for those lines
I just verified with the manufacturer they are precharged. The lines have a dual seal safety quick connect that only opens after fully seating with lines on unit. I plan on doing a few more of these and will get some video of the lines/connections and explain it next time. Thanks for the info
Get your EG4 solar mini split here signaturesolar.com/eg4-hybrid-ac-dc-solar-air-conditioner-2-ton/?ref=rodneyhunt
Did you buy the shut off box and the other box separately? First time I seen the boxes
@@MeMe-ed2rk For the solar? Yes it was purchased separately. Links should be in the description of video
@@rodneyhunthey l have a question, does your mini split shuts off when the desired temperature is reached?
Does it work like a central unit? Like you push 78° auto and the AC unit will automatically turn off
Thanks
This is exactly what I am looking to do. I called a local installer and told them what I need…4 panels @ ~400 watts, someone to install them and someone to install the Mini-split and add a 30 amp generation input to my panel with disconnect from min via interlock. They said sure we can do that and we can send someone out tomorrow to have a look. Well after 2.5 hours of a sells pitch and $26,000 financed or $19,000 cash for 7.3kw grid-tied system is what they suggested. I asked about my mini-split and was told you will not need it now since we will shade to roof with panels over the hot spot where you wanted the Mini-Split. Well that is not what I was asking for nor wanted. Thanks for your video!
They are just salesmen with most of those solar installers. Believe me you can install this thing yourself more than likely if handy at all. You can always have an electrician install electrical if you aren’t comfortable with that part.
They don't CARE what you want, they want you to BUY what have have to sell. TRUST me, it's ain't difficult to do it all yourself. Learn from these guys here on TH-cam, that's what I did and configured it the way "I want for my needs.
A "real" video - mistakes and all!! Love It!! Blessings!!
Thanks. Glad you liked it
Keeping it real. Nice.
Ya man!!.... I bought a hybrid solar mini split that I've put in my master bedroom. I have it running from 4 panels of 455 watts each. It will run just fine on 3 panels but I want it to keep running even on semi cloudy days like you guys are doing. I bought a different one than the EG4. I bought one from Airspool. It's a 12,000 BTU that is making my 280 Sq. Ft. Master bedroom like a freakin meat locker now!! Mine came with a 120VAC regular plug that it's just plugged right into the wall here at my house. Mine uses the SAME app as yours and I programed mine using the app to limit the grid power from 5PM to 10AM (I think it's like 380 watts on this setting with little to NO difference in cooling), then it goes FULL BLAST while using solar after 10AM. I bought all my solar stuff from San Tan Solar here in Arizona because I can just go and pick it up because I live close by them. My END goal is to get a few more of these to run AC from these and no longer my home AC that uses HUGE power. Also, I plan to have a large battery bank with a LOT of watt hours to run them all in the night. But ya, I just started my project, and I only work on it for like an hour each day..... SLOW like me! I'm learning all about this solar world one day at a time! .... ROCK ON my man!!
Keep at it! This was a learning experience for me and the end goal is to run on solar and save some money. Also have some heating and cooling during power outages.
if you are living in asia, mostly we positioned our outdoor AC unit near back on our house near the laundry hanger, so its become as clothes / shoes dryer as bonus
Wild West same here. I plan on driving down the sulfur springs , Tx from Little Rock and pick up my Mini-Split and panels.
@@russellharrell5770 NICE!!!...... I'm LOVING my AC/DC mini split! Here in Arizona, we've been getting RECORD heat for 30 days in a row of 110 PLUS degrees (even all the way to 118 and 119 degrees!). My master bedroom has never gone below 75. The app that it uses, and yours may too, allows you to set it to limited grid power from certain time to certain time, so instead of it taking 900 to 1000 watts even in the night when you're ON grid power, it'll drop down to like 350 to 380 watts. YES, I love it COLD COLD when I sleep and never adjust the thermostat down below 61 degrees.
It sounds like it quite the drive from your home to Sulfur Springs? So you're going to Signature Solar? That's a great place and then that tells me that you're buying an EG4 AC/DC mini split? If so, you'll have the same exact phone app that I do. It's very powerful and works GREAT! Since I live very close to San Tan Solar, I go there often and get whatever I need. .... OH!!!..... One BIG piece of advice, get them to SHOW you how to pair your phone and/or wifi to your mini split. There's a detailed trick to it that is NOT anywhere in any manual at all.
How much did it cost total to get up and going with this type of system from San Tan Solar? I'm in Florence and wanting to do something like this.
Remember to extra wrap/insulate your cooling lines better and the air will be cooler in the house. The air out will heat up cooling lines and affect temperature in house. Also keep grass bugs, and debris from cooling fan intake cleared and wiped off. Running off grid 7 yrs with similar unit. Works great with very little maintenance.
Thanks for the tips!
I appreciate this video! I just learned about these type of hybrid units recently and the idea of the AC blowing most of the day and not running my bill up is a dream come true!! I just gotta somehow talk the wife info the idea on panels all over the place and promising to not make the house look like a mad scientist lab haha. Please do keep posting more vids on these installs. Also if there is a way to follow up with reliability on them.
Will do. Unit is doing good so far. Will be doing more in the future for sure
I have a 12k unit..... been using it for 7 months. I love it, it will pay for itself.
@@WattsMiner thats for sure!
Not sure. I would rather have the unit installed when possible instead of waiting. But that is just me.
Thank you supervisor for a wonderfully helpful video. I love your comment: "you always want to supervise when somebody wants to put something on their own roof and the roof is wet and metal." 😊
Indeed lol. Thanks!
Brother your a hell of a good man helping out your neighbor. I watch all your videos SUCK at commenting sorry. Will do beater. I am 45 years old. Still to this day. GrandPops saying stick with me. " Son you know what the Bible says about your neighbor. " Funny how things last. Some of the closest people in the world to me are my neighbors. Just now as I am watching this. I am eating food my neighbors just showed up with. No call no text. Just here some food Bobby and Wife. We love yall. WOW Sorry no clue why I am sharing. Thanks brother. God Bless.
Hey feel free to share I appreciate it. I work with Dustin and he is a good guy so I will help when I can. Thanks for watching
Nice job. Gives me many good ideas to start with. Thanks for sharing your adventure and helping your buddy out. 🤠👌❄️
Glad to hear it!
Nice job guys, this will be my 5th mini to install at my house.
Nice 👍
Would love a follow up baby step by baby step detail regarding both of the grounds. I’m guessing one ground from the DC panels/mount and one for the grid tie in AC. I’m guessing they are both tied into the main house ground.
*Edited with disclaimer. I know you say you are not a certified electrician; so I know this is not advice, but just a description of what you did.
Will add that to part 2.
Awesome, and maybe a 10 second still shot of the wiring diagram. That would be great.
Will see what I can do
looks like you forgot to buy the center masonry bit form harbor freight. I used that tool for my install, and it went great.
It was too short. I have the correct tool now lol. If you watch my 18kpv install I have a core but that went right through brick at my parents house. Definitely helps to have the right tools!
Nice install and setup! I'd try a bonesaw on those bricks maybe? Thnx again for all of the detail! U ROK! I've seen a lot of peop say to solder all connections vs crimp... Saw in this vid at the end where you showed how much power the panels were making, but didn't see where you showed how much power the A/C was using. Wondering how much total power A/C inside and outside units are using, and what % of total solar is being used by A/C... and last thing, what is total cost, minus any labor charge, of this whole system, and what would be ROI payback time? I like it!
You bet! Thanks
Beautiful. Nice work!
Thank you
Somebody may have already mentioned but you can buy split breakers allows you to put two breakers in the spot of one that way you don't have to remove the subpanel put a new one in if it's not too overloaded via power
Unfortunately all the breakers but one are double pole 240v. So the double 120v style wont help in this situation. We did get it hooked up and should have that video out this weekend.
I run my minisplit from solar 24 7. I was looking into the eg4 but I ended up getting the inovair 38 seer 220 volt 9000 btu. It runs off of my 220 sungold splitphqse inverter and victron charge controller with 1850 watts of solar. The battery is a 560 ah 24 volt battery I built from grade a eve cells. The solar system runs my off grid camper and minisplit both but yeah solar air-conditioning and heat is where it's at for sure.
Nice! Solar is great for these mini spilts!
How much did that 24v setup cost?
$1999 for the 24k unit and they have smaller units signaturesolar.com/shop-all/high-efficiency-appliances/?ref=rodneyhunt
@@2hotscottpro man this is gonna sound crazy as far as how much I've spent on this stuff. But I'm around 30 grand in components and wires and the minisplit. I have bought alot of stuff to do solar dump loads to the water heater. 6 different ac chargers 4 charge controllers, 3 inverters... I have 2/0 wire on about everything. My wire coming from my combiner box to the charge controllers is all 4 awg welding wire that I bought and put sleeves on it so the sun don't bother it. I'm an over the road truck driver and this solar stuff had kinda became me hobby since I beat cancer a couple years ago I'm trying to set up everything where my wife and I can still live comfortably if the cancer returns. And I'd like her to have small as bills as possible if something happens to me ya know.
Great to hear you beat it! Yeah sometimes cost can be run up over-engineering our own projects lol
i am planning to do the same thing on my house - thanks much for the video. sounds like you have about 2500 watts of panels. Overall cost likely 5k per unit w/ the panels but zero going forward. I have a solark 15k w/ 30kw of batteries, so it's difficult to say if I would be better w/ 24k eg4 or a more generic mini-split setup (3tons are $1500 or so if you shop around).
Both ways would work but I like at least having the option to run directly on solar if needed.
This is precisely what I've been looking to do. Thanks.
Glad I could help
Good channel Rodney! One of my favorites.
Appreciate the support
Interesting installation. I am curious about using these maybe using a battery bank with charge controllers so the batteries could be shared with my ham radios.
That is an interesting idea. Not sure how possible it is but would be worth looking into.
You could use a different solar array for the battery bank. Then use the battery as the grid power for the unit.
I’m pretty sure this hybrid mini split does not support ac coupled battery charging. If you plan on having batteries, you don’t want the hybrid mini split.
@@kevinmills5293 you can always use an inverter, batteries, and other panels as your grid power if you want. But like you said not built to use natively with the same panels.
@@rodneyhunt the limitation with the hybrid unit is any connected panels only power the a/c unit so if the unit doesn’t need all the power the panels can produce, that power will go to waste.
Common practice would be to weather proof your connectors especially if is exposed in between.
👍
i wish they would make one half the size for van builds
They have the non solar 9k unit. If the van already has solar power you could still use that to power it. 120v unit
@rodneyhunt I'm pretty sure you would still be more efficient using the 12k directly off of panels.. at least in terms of cost efficiently.
Well done, I just ordered a 24k solar unit also . The living room its going in here at our house is really large (35' ceiling) so im not worried about distributing. But when looking at your install video I saw that you're putting it in a small area. Are you going to be running the old HVAC on fan mode to circulate the cold air? Curious how you're going to get the cold air to other parts of the house.
Well the living room is off to one side of this room. Several bedrooms in the hall in front of it. Keeps them all cool so far. Only one room at the end of hall on the opposite side of the house will need an additional unit or a through wall fan to circulate air.
So right now 90% of the house is cooled even from this smaller dining area. These are made for more open spaces for sure but it is working for most of the house.
We also talked about a inline fan for existing ductwork but not sure if this is practical just brainstorming.
@@rodneyhunt The inline or thru wall fan is a pretty good idea instead of just running the ducted HVAC fan all the time. We have an open floor plan where the kitchen and living room are basically the same, with the vaulted ceilings we undersized the HVAC so this 2 ton unit should be a huge help in assisting the space. There is a 12' Big A$$ fan in the living room too to help move the air around.
Sounds like it would be a great space for this type of unit. Let me know how it works out for you
How many watts does it take to fire up eg4's 24k unit?
Seen it start with about 1000 watts. Full blast on turbo runs about 1500-2100 watts. After if gets cool seen it run 600-700 watts
live wires !!! significant voltage coming thru
Yikers!
What?
Hey Rodney, I got the same 24k unit as yall. I noticed that @ 6:06 you can see a white connector that is not plugged in to anything. If you look closed at the wire it is red and white marked "A" on the white, and "B" on the red. and is insulated in grey. Yours, and mine, are not connected to anything and the white end on it seems like its supposed to be plugged in to something and not just floating around like ours. I read through all the literature and see nothing referencing it anywhere. What do you think it is?
Will try to look back at some video later to see what it might be. Not sure off hand right now
Rodney good video, but if your friend got thid unit for solar power like Im looking at why did you hook it up to his main breaker and on the when its design to run strickly solar
So it can run on ac at night. The mini split uses less power than his 20 year old system. So better to run it all the time. Will also use grid and Solar together during very cloudy conditions. So if your solar is limited it can make up the difference with grid power.
He will eventually go solar for the entire house but until then the grid helps him out.
my space that I want a Mini split is a 20x30 and wondering if the 12000 would br enough so I dont run my main a/c . also what brand of planels and wattage did he go with@@rodneyhunt
The 12k unit should do well in a single 20x30 room. I used (6) solarever 455 watt panels.
Thanks Rodney@@rodneyhunt
Glad to help
I'm curious before you get the AC Line in fixed....
What happens when it gets Dark?
I am considering getting the 12K unit and a handful of used panels and running it completely in off grid mode so I don't have to deal with an electrician or my horrible aging electrical panels.
Want to make sure that the system is smart enough to gracefully shut down and turn on each day if there is no AC input.
It just shuts down. It will use less power as the sun goes down until it turns off. It starts the next morning on its own.
@Casper042 That's what I am planning on doing. A 12k unit and used solar panels. I am only going to use it for my garage space.
Great video. I just purchased the 12k BTU unit. Question: How did you wire your panels? 3 sets of 2 in series and then the sets in parallel to get the 260 VDC and 2kw?
I have one string of 6. So all in series since my unit has a max of 380 volts. My panels are 11 amp and 49 volts open circuit each. So that 260 equals about 43 volts each at the time I measured before connecting to unit. Just verify your max voltage input and amps before you connect. The 12k may be different but I will check
Looks like the 12k is 380 volts and 12 amp max. What panels are you using and how many?
@@rodneyhunt thanks for the reply. I have 6 panels at 48.84 vdc at 10 amps each. Looks like I can do the same as you putting them in series giving me roughly 288vdc at 2880 watts or 10 amps. The units minimum voltage is 90 Vdc at 9.1 amps. Hopefully I got that right 😁
Sounds good I think you will be happy with it. That should work well most days with that many panels even when partially cloudy. That unit probably runs well less than 1kw but let me know after you get it running.
@@rodneyhunt Thanks, will do!
Hey there Rodney, I was curious why you used a fused disconnect? also what gauge wire did ya'll run for the 240v and breaker size? Thanks ,
That is what they had at the hardware store in stock. Will need to look at wire and breaker size and let you know
I think yall used a 20amp breaker, but I couldnt tell what size wire yall had. Thanks!@@rodneyhunt
Yes 20 amp breaker with 10 awg wire
As a licensed and insured HVAC Contractor since 1988 and a Authorized Carrier, Trane and Gree Dealer I would like to make a few suggestions; #1 Do not ever leave wiring exposed, (it should be shielded in a secured conduit. #2 Never leave a plastic condensation drain line exposed to the weather, hanging outside the exterior wall of the home next to exposed electrical wiring. It is a hazard, proplerly protect it from the elements and plumb it into a drain or at least plumb it away from the foundation of the home, the electrial wire and the condenser. When the ground becomes saturated with water and the condenser will eventually become unlevel. If you lack the knowledge or do not have the proper tools to cut the excess suction and liqiud line, solder the copper back together, then evacuate the system, once it is evacuated, then break vaccum by opening the service valves and then set the refrigerant charge according to subcooling, You should at least secure the lines so they are not just hanging out next to the home inviting them to be damaged and they should be protected by a line set cover and the foam insulation (armaflex) should be moisture and and UV-resistant. If you have dogs you might want to consider some type of barrier to prevent the dog (s) from using your condenser for a fire plug. The acid in their urine will erode the condenser coil. What I am seeing in this video would never pass a code inspection. This is very sloppy and dangerous work. If a person (child) standing beside this condenser, in the puddle of water that was made by improper condensation drain came in contact with the exposed electrical wiring, there is a great chance that it would be electricuted and whoever did this work is legally responsible for the child being hurt or killed and rightfully should be.
Thanks. What exposed wire? Been a long time since I made this video but I definitely did not leave wires exposed.
Oh well here let me help you find the exposed wires that you "definitely did not leave exposed", look at 22.21 on your video, the red, black and ground wires run through a liquid tight fitting on the top of the electrical boxm there is no liquid tight conduit just the fitting. If there is no liquid tight conduit then the box is not weather proof, when it rains there is a excellent chance that rain will get inside the electrical box. Thats the wires I am spreaking of.
That was for testing only. The rest of the series will show conduit! 👍
8: 45 of second video
How do firemen know where to turn off the solar panel?
I would imagine that you would need batteries for that also right??
No batteries needed. It runs on solar and you can also use grid power when needed. Or just run on solar during days. You can always add solar and batteries to your ac connection and use that instead of grid if you want. Several ways to use these depending on what you have available.
How's the unit holding up? Any issues or suggestions for someone looking to install these?
He said it is still working great!
I highly recommend!
Can you use half wide breakers in that panel to free up space?
Not enough spaces even with that from what I recall. If I remember most are 240v breakers.
@rodneyhunt yeah if they're all 240 . I have a 240 with a 120 each side. 😊
Are you gettong 260volt dc or ac from solar panels, are you using microinverters?? Or does that minisplit take dc voltage?
Based on your video and how you wired everything it looks like youre getting AC from those solar panels and im guessing youre using microinverters?
Dc voltage direct from panels. No inverters
Good video. Thanks
Glad you liked it! Thanks
Noob question, the manual states, "This unit must be properly grounded and plugged into a GFCI-rated outlet," but you went with a disconnect box, possibly without GFCI. So, this configuration is unsupported?
What manual are you looking at? Per the manual for the 24k your max breaker size is 20. That is what I used with a disconnect at the unit for service. Just let me know what manual and page you are talking about. Electrical info is on page 1 of 24k manual
@@rodneyhunt page 3 eg4electronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EG4-AC-DC-Plug-N-Cool-Solar-AC-Manual-12K-24K.pdf
@@rodneyhunt My post with url keeps being deleted. Just seach for the manual on signature solar or EG4’s website. It's on the bottom of page 3.
Did his wall have any insulation inside?
Yes. Just cut and moved it so we could finish.
20:51 - don''t you apply a earth sleeve over the ground copper wire?
I left the wire bare as I am not an electrician. So everything I do is subject to be wrong and it is always best to get help from a professional on the electrical portion.
Where did u get your solar mini and how much was it
$1999 signaturesolar.com/eg4-hybrid-ac-dc-solar-air-conditioner-2-ton/?ref=rodneyhunt
Bam!!! 😂 love it man good stuff!
Bam! Thanks
how much power does it draw?
usually 400-1000 watts
What do you do , when you need to run your AC at night from June to August and your trying to keep the up front solar cost under 4K to run a 24K BTU minisplit?
(a lot of SouthWest is still very warm in the evening's, like over 85 to 95 degrees at night) are batteries the only solution ? (they can cost almost as much as the solar panels ?
Thats a hard question in that price range. Batteries and an inverter are an option but not sure about that total price range. Best bet is a 48volt battery and a single inverter with a few panels. Could probably run on low most of the night
It's ac and dc the one I bought only uses 600 watts when running on grid power
No insulation in the wall?
Yes. We cut it to get through. 👍
so are the panels in series or parallel ?
Series
Solar panels produce DC current, at some point you have an inverter or AC runs on DC?
The unit has a built in dc inverter for direct solar use
Excellent!
Nice one chaps, Dude your little laugh is priceless.
Thanks
Mine is a Cadillac👍
They are nice!
Coulda put those connectors in a box and used that 3/4 Yah’ll had.
Already have just need to put out the video. Thanks for the tip!
Do these units have to be manually switched from AC/DC? If Auto, how are you getting around regulatory(safety) issues with your power company?
These units automatically use dc when available and when necessary AC to supplement. What safety issue are you speaking about?
If Solar equipment is connected to a device which is also interconnected to the grid, the system could push power into the grid. In the event the grid losses power, these systems could cause injuries to employees repairing the outage. Maybe Im over thinking this. I do know if you install a PV system for the home and its interconnected to the grid, the power companies require safety protocols to shut these systems down.
@@rodneyhunt
It is not interconnected. It can be powered from the grid or PV. The PV power does not feed back to grid.
Just like if an off grid inverter has AC input power. It can use the grid but not feed it. Thanks for the questions
10 percent on cloudy days will not cut it thats how much power you will get by using a monocrystalline solar panels. If you use Amorphous solar panels you will get more power from these panels On rainy or cloudy days. Not so much on sunny days like mono and poly type panels. Its a trade off or get the best by using both type of panels. 73
We over paneled the system so have not had any problems so far. Probably on solar 95% of the time during the day when including bad weather days. Not sure about the 10% number you are speaking about but yes if the weather is bad enough I am sure the panels could produce that amount. I am just going by what we have seen on average after making these videos
Shouldn't there be more space between the roof and the panels?
Not that I know of. It is dependent on rail/bracket size
First time putting any on a roof so we did our best for a first try
@@rodneyhunt Another excellent video none the less!
Thank you. Missed tons of opportunities to record to make the video better because I get caught up working instead of filming. Appreciate the support
He’s fine he’s got at least 1 1/2” above the ridges which makes it about 2 1/2”of clearance from the bottom.
Hey Rodney, Great that you are assisting you friend.
- What is the possibility to install the IMO DC Disconnect at the joint where you made the MC4 connectors, then run the PV Wire direct in conduit to Air conditioner MC4 Connectors.
- From a future maintenance perspective, this will eliminate having hidden MC4 connectors with in the conduit. As you, Connections will eventually cause problems and you don’t want HIGH VOLTAGE DC arching and cause a fire.
- Does NEC CODE require that HIGH VOLTAGE DC has to go in EMT metal conduit within a building?
- Checkout solar wiring issues on videos from a professional electrician below:
SOLAR CONNECTIONS
1. th-cam.com/video/THCmCtPrYns/w-d-xo.html
2. th-cam.com/video/LvHBGu1ZA7s/w-d-xo.html
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONER
th-cam.com/video/KrArKwt6pUk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks again for sharing.
Great points snd as a DIY’er I do not know all the codes. That is a good idea for the discconect. We may just buy more PV wire and rerun the whole thing. Have not completed the remaining conduit/cleanup etc. I will check these videos out
Great job 👍
Thanks 👍
@@rodneyhunt Forgot to ask, what size hole in the wall? 3inch circular hole?
@@apparaoapparao We did a 3 inch.
Nice video..
Thanks for the visit.
link for Mini Spilt Pad is for Roofing Screws
Thanks. Will look at that
Got it updated. Thanks
How did you ground your unit? ..... Jeff
Unit is grounded with AC input ground from grid. Then you need a separate DC ground rod for PV panels.
I did it wrong in the video and tied the dc to ac ground together at first
@rodneyhunt Use the same rod? Also noticed in Manuel it said to have a fuse for the panels maximum of 12 amps. Couldn't find any mc4 inkine fuses of 12 amps on Amazon but called Signature Solar and lady sent me a link. Just now got my first one done today. Only have had them since October. The template that came in the unit was off by 2 3/4 inches. Glad I checked first. Mine is different than most I've seen. The coolant pipe were almost at the right edge of the head unit. All the others I've seen are about 3-4 inches inside. Checked my other unit and is the same way. Plus mine is only 32ish inches while the one in the Manuel was 42ish. Couldn't get heat to go, took quite awhile to get it to heat. Now just Ned to get other one installed and get solar to it. I have 10 250 watt panels, figured I'd put 5 on each. Really hasn't gotten past 560 watts on AC today. And these hot Texas days are right around the corner. Thanks. Let me know if you put inline fuses on yours..... Jeff
Dc and ac ground rods are seperate. At least 6 feet apart depending on your area. Yes I have 15 amp fuses from what I remember since that is what I had. Don’t remember the 12 amp fuse from the manual I had but could be wrong it’s been a while
@rodneyhunt I finally got both units installed, had a couple issues but got it fixed. Working great. Now waiting on getting g solar isolators and some more solar accessories. Can't wait. Still learning on the go. I've had the units for about 6 months. They were back ordered so when I received them I was still very busy and still had to get stuff done before getting to them. Mainly underpinning and poured 2 pads to set them on. Now I need to build some temporary portable ground mounts till I find best spot for permanent mount. Thanks..... Jeff
Florida?
Only wish lol
how much total cost sir?
Working on that now. I will post the total cost here when finished.
$4894 was out total cost with grid connection and solar. I just put out a video with the cost breakdown
I think you could oh the guy helping you a lot of money when he falls
It was his house and his unit. So I was really helping him lol. That’s why he was on the roof
Although that's a precharged unit, before opening the the valves on the outdoor unit and letting out the refrigerant, you are supposed to put a vacuum on the lines and the indoor unit.
Last, I knew you could borrow a vacuum pump, and guage set, from Autozone and
Advance auto.
AFAIK not doing so will burn up the compressor and lowers the efficiency of the unit.
F.Y.I. A company called Hotspot Energy carries similar units, but they also have a 48 Vdc battery based unit for those with no grid availability.
The lines are pre-charged on these units. Thanks
I suggest you check the directions again. Before you connected the lines there was atmospheric air inside the indoor unit and the lines going to the outdoor unit. It can't be there.
Thanks. Checked with manufacturer and directions for these specific units and it is not needed.
@@rodneyhunt Even the EG4 electronics TH-cam video shows them using the vacuum pump.
Different units. These quick connect units are different than the first design.
do these lines require you to vacuume them out first before hooking them up ? nice video thank you.
No. They are ready to go just connect and open. Verify no leaks
North or South Carolina??
North
😂.... I knew it!!! You guys replace your "T's" with "D's". I'm sure you guys would 😂 at the way I talk (from Louisiana and reside in Arkansas) 😂😂
We are trying to move back to LA (not Los Angeles or Lower Alabama 😂) and buy a house. Can't wait to be "FREE" (tired of paying for rent and the grid).... BAM, BAM!!! 😂
Great Video
Thanks!
I hope you didn't actually put the DC connectors in conduit. Put a PVC box or C-condulet in the conduit to hold the DC connectors. Of course, a new full-length wire would be best.
👍
Get your solar mini spilt here signaturesolar.com/shop-all/high-efficiency-appliances/?ref=rodneyhunt
Add a Midnite Solar Surge Protection Device.
That is a good idea 👍
I wouldn’t
Why is that?
I’ve had two strikes within 300’ of 34kWp this summer….tree blew apart, no damage to anything. Just faulted on dc pv overcurrent (probably induced current from EMF) shut down two minutes and restarted fine. I have 10 SPD’s. AC in from Gen, AC out, PV in (each string) and 48V 200 kWh battery bank. It was worth the $1000.
I have some lighting/emp protection on my system but still have a few things to add. Was thinking about the midnight solar surge protectors.
BAM!!
These minisplits seem like a waste for a grid tied home. Any solar you don't use is wasted. If you could connect a battery to it so you could save that power I could see using this mini split. If you cannot sell to the grid that would also be another reason to use this I suppose.
Well my buddy is very happy with it. I say everyone is free to decide for themselves. I would rather someone have some backup than none. If this gets them started in solar and self reliance I am all for it.
ba am!
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This was a bit like Laurel and Hardy and the camera work was terrible he only wanted his face on camera but if those two can do it anyone can so they proved a point.
Exactly! You can do it
Did you pull a vaccum on the line sets? The only brand that I know with precharged line sets is Mr. Cool. All other brands to my knowledge do not have precharged line sets therefore it is absolutely MANDATORY that you pull a vaccum on those lines before opening the valves. If not you shortened the life of your compressor because you introduced non condensables into the system. I’m a certified HVAC technician for 8 years. I’m not saying you didn’t do that but I did not see it in the video. If not your best course of action would be to evacuate the system m, pull a vaccum down to 500 microns and recharge to factory specifications.
Not needed as this is setup to be completed with no special tools. The linesets sound as though they are under vacuum already when we valved it into unit but I would need to verify in the manual.
@@rodneyhunt Sound as tho they are under a vaccum? No sir. Those lines likely had caps on the ends of them and when you removed those caps that sound was nitrogen coming out of them that was put in there from the factory ensuring to the installer that they had no leaks in them. As soon as you take those caps off though those lines are instantly now open to atmosphere and now filled with what is known as Non Condensables. Which means that cannot be condensed like refrigerant by the compressor which means a shorter life for the compressor. So again if that is the case you needed to pull a vaccum down to 500 microns which guarantees no leaks AND removed any moisture or humidity for those lines
@@lyngleslogic1180 they have built in quick connections so they are not open until seated on unit. Maybe I can add pics on a follow up video
@@rodneyhunt if that’s the case maybe you are ok then.
I just verified with the manufacturer they are precharged. The lines have a dual seal safety quick connect that only opens after fully seating with lines on unit. I plan on doing a few more of these and will get some video of the lines/connections and explain it next time. Thanks for the info
Great video
Thanks! 👍