MrM1
I'm Here, But I'm Not All There
Summer Power Use Update since Solar AC install
Help me Install 3 EG4 Mini Split Solar Heat Pumps
- Thread starter MrM1
- Start date
MrM1
I'm Here, But I'm Not All There
OK ... my smaller 12k unit.
Worked perfectly all summer cooling nite and day. Heats perfectly.
BUT ... unlike the two 24k units I have, about a month ago (cooling all summer since late May of 2023) it started to smell a little "Musty". Upon inspection, there was a little bit of "mold" funk on the plastic under the front cover, so suspected Mold on the coil too. I cleaned the filters, and did a little maintenance on the coil, but did not take the front off.
@SmitHVAC
I saw you had a Video on cleaning the SS / Deye AC/DC mini split. Was that the 12k or the 24k ? Is what I am describing typical after a full summer of use?
I am wondering if I might have a drain problem. It does drain, but I wonder if I do not have enough slope and it is draining too slow.
My two 24k Units do not have any smell, have run just as hard all summer, and have no black funk on the plastic either.
Last night I did clean the 12k
Worked perfectly all summer cooling nite and day. Heats perfectly.
BUT ... unlike the two 24k units I have, about a month ago (cooling all summer since late May of 2023) it started to smell a little "Musty". Upon inspection, there was a little bit of "mold" funk on the plastic under the front cover, so suspected Mold on the coil too. I cleaned the filters, and did a little maintenance on the coil, but did not take the front off.
@SmitHVAC
I saw you had a Video on cleaning the SS / Deye AC/DC mini split. Was that the 12k or the 24k ? Is what I am describing typical after a full summer of use?
I am wondering if I might have a drain problem. It does drain, but I wonder if I do not have enough slope and it is draining too slow.
- Here is how the drain is installed
- When I installed the unit, I installed the inside head unit with about a 1/16 of an inch fall on the wall toward my drain side.
- Then my drain line runs 8 feet side ways with a 1 inch fall before it does a 90* and drops straight down
- I get about 1 gallon of water from it in the summer in about 3-5 hours. So it is draining ... BUT maybe some water is staying in the Unit Around the Coil ???
- Should the head unit be level on the wall ... or should it slope to the side of the drain? (mine is, but maybe not enough
My two 24k Units do not have any smell, have run just as hard all summer, and have no black funk on the plastic either.
Last night I did clean the 12k
- first I cleaned the filter (which was clearly NOT the problem, but they were dusty on the top as expected)
- I then sprayed the coil with HOCL (Hypochlorous acid) which is used in hospitals and in covid sanitation and in room foggers and is safe for contact with fabrics, carpets, metal surfaces and even to spray on your face. HOCL is a disinfectant and cleaner
- I then ran the unit for about an hour at 61F so it would "make water" and flush the coil
- I turn it off, then about 30 minutes later, turned in on and set the heat
- The air was warm, the smell was gone ...
- BUT ... the warm / hot air felt moist ... the 24k units did not feel this moist feeling in heat
- My assumption was there was still moisture on the coil ??? But maybe there was left over moisture in the bottom of the unit that did not drain ??
- This morning when I got up, I turned up the heat (the fan had run all night) and the heated air did NOT feel moist any more.
So ... What is the Deal? Is this "normal" with mini splits?
Ideas?
So ... What is the Deal? Is this "normal" with mini splits?
Ideas?
SmitHVAC
HVAC Tech/ Solar Enthusiast - SmitHVAC on Youtube
Hey thanks for tagging me, my video is on the 12k. That sounds somewhat normal for a summer of use, mini splits always have mold issues. Sounds like you may have a drain issue, 8ft of run is a long way for it to go and it could be contributing to your musty smell and mold. Check your fan blades as well, it's common for mold to grow on them.
The moist feeling air was definitely just residual water in the coil, I wouldn't worry about that.
I would flush your drain with vinegar regularly and maybe pick up some mini split drain tablets
MrM1
I'm Here, But I'm Not All There
SmitHVAC
HVAC Tech/ Solar Enthusiast - SmitHVAC on Youtube
Yes, I have a small funnel with a 1 foot piece of tubing attached to it. If you take the filter out and put it in right at the base of the coil it will land in the pan
my Mitsubishi always dump moisture into the rooms and on occasion it smells musty. It will smell musty more often when it’s not that hot out and the fans are very laying the air but not calling for a/c and even worse when it’s raining too.
It’s because there is moisture on the Evap coils that doesn’t collect into the pan or evaporate. Then the low circulation fan is blowing that moisture around in the room. I haven’t tested it, but if I can turn that circulation fan off, it might fix it.
Also, I will vacuum the filters off and soak them in straight vinegar for a few then air dry. That helps a lot with the musty smell.
I had high hopes mini splits would pull so much moisture out that it would be super dry, but that’s not the case. I have to run a dehumidifier in the basement with the a/c running. My bedroom will stay at 60% normally and up to 70% if it’s raining outside. There is no clog, and good slope, just bad setup in general with these. I can watch water pour out the hose when it’s humid, but still never gets below 55%
It’s because there is moisture on the Evap coils that doesn’t collect into the pan or evaporate. Then the low circulation fan is blowing that moisture around in the room. I haven’t tested it, but if I can turn that circulation fan off, it might fix it.
Also, I will vacuum the filters off and soak them in straight vinegar for a few then air dry. That helps a lot with the musty smell.
I had high hopes mini splits would pull so much moisture out that it would be super dry, but that’s not the case. I have to run a dehumidifier in the basement with the a/c running. My bedroom will stay at 60% normally and up to 70% if it’s raining outside. There is no clog, and good slope, just bad setup in general with these. I can watch water pour out the hose when it’s humid, but still never gets below 55%
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Zwy
Solar Wizard
My Pioneer is a floor mount unit but mounted about a 1.5 feet off the floor because there was an outlet in the wall. Coil is thinner on these so it is flatter to the wall and more vertical than a wall mount. Moisture runs down easily with gravity. I actually prefer the floor mount, on heat mode the warm air is blown straight out by adjusting the sweep (angle of louver on unit). Floor mount can also discharge air at the bottom of the unit splitting airflow top and bottom.
These cost more than a standard wall unit. But I have been quite pleased with it.
These cost more than a standard wall unit. But I have been quite pleased with it.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
This sounds like you have a moisture issue, there's only so much a mini split can do.
MrM1
I'm Here, But I'm Not All There
I see the Mods have started a new forum called Heat Pumps
For anyone new to this thread and the EG4 AC / DC solar powered mini slit, here is the index for this thread.
For anyone new to this thread and the EG4 AC / DC solar powered mini slit, here is the index for this thread.
I agree there is only so much they can do, but they also "put" moisture into the room. If I leave the unit off, it never gets to the level at with the unit on. My bedroom is small and it doesn't run that much (I knew that going into this project), the fan is always running (like all mini splits). With this, it is circulating the leftover moisture on the evap fins into the room. Also, the air from the outside that is "entering" through the condensation line and being blow around into the room doesn't help either. If the unit was always in a/c mode (calling for conditioned air and cooling the room) then I wouldn't have this issue. If I put the unit into "dry" mode (it just runs the a/c in a really cold setting and the fan on lowest setting) it drops the humidity a lot (water is powering out the line) but the room gets very cold.
What size unit do you have? It sounds like it is much too large for the space.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
You are supposed to have a u trap in that line to stop outside air coming in.
Zwy
Solar Wizard
Not from any of the manuals I've seen. No traps and manuals were quite specific about it. It seems they will clog and you get water running out of the unit.
My central unit in the shop I have a trap but that isn't a mini split.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
I suppose if you're going to have a proper drain you wouldn't use that corrugated shit in the first place.
butter_fry
New Member
I'm a an owner of two of the 12k units.
Also a long time user of Home Assistant, and have these things working really nicely with a smart thermostat using external room temp sensors. As we all know the internal sensor is... wanting. The thermostat implements it's own automatic heat/cool mode, basically bypassing the black box of the built in one. It gives me a comfort range instead, it's settable. Also the home has presence detection, so when nobody is home there is an 'away' mode.... let me know if you want in and I can share my config.
All that said... has anyone figured out how to harvest the energy information from the Tuya site? I'd like to add it to the HA energy dashboard. There must be a way to call it up, I can see it in the device logs but just can't figure out how to pull that out.
Also a long time user of Home Assistant, and have these things working really nicely with a smart thermostat using external room temp sensors. As we all know the internal sensor is... wanting. The thermostat implements it's own automatic heat/cool mode, basically bypassing the black box of the built in one. It gives me a comfort range instead, it's settable. Also the home has presence detection, so when nobody is home there is an 'away' mode.... let me know if you want in and I can share my config.
All that said... has anyone figured out how to harvest the energy information from the Tuya site? I'd like to add it to the HA energy dashboard. There must be a way to call it up, I can see it in the device logs but just can't figure out how to pull that out.
no trap is required. Many videos explaining and demonstrating it.
My unit in the bedrooms is way oversized. I knew that going into it, but 6k is the smallest they make and I have to deal with it. The rooms are sized correctly.
Zwy
Solar Wizard
My house heat pump has pvc........
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
So can someone explain to me why a mini split does not require a u trap but a regular split system does.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
