We Professionally Install Mini Split Heatpumps In HochaTown, Oklahoma and Broken Bow, Ok, areas. We offer multiple brands and have installed almost every brand on the market today. Some are better than others. The biggest challenge we see is that often people buy online and install them which I’m ok with, but they buy the cheapest piece of crap on the market. They eventually do break and if you can’t get parts, we can’t get parts, then you are stuck with a big waste of money and time. Don’t get scammed buying junk systems online or on marketplace.
If you are going to do it yourself, buy a decent name brand that you can get parts for easily now and in the future. If you are unsure most HVAC contractors with a decent reputation will let you know what they have to work on all the time and there are loads of forums where people have complained for the last few years about certain brands that you just simply can’t get parts for.
We have helped a bunch of people start up Mini Split systems that they installed or partly installed and got stuck on. We try to help but often have too much work and can’t always get to everyone. We prioritize our existing customers who love and use us for service and maintenance during peak seasons. Keep in mind when you do it yourself and it breaks or doesn’t work, you only have “You” to be mad at. Hocha Cool installs systems every day and in the rare unlikely instance we buy a system and install it and it doesn’t work, We would make it right asap. It doesn’t happen often but usually even with us pros, once a year we get a lemon.
When you buy mini split heat pump systems online, if you can’t get anyone on the phone or a real person via email, etc you may or may not ever get your money back if you do get a lemon. Even if you do work something out usually you have to pay shipping for the old system back and the new system to you. It gets expensive and no one pays you for your time to do all of that and install the system again. We have heard so many horror stories that it almost isn’t worth DIY for dealing with toxic dangerous chemicals, electricity, and the unknowns.
Will your insurance company pay for your house if your installation of a mini split burns down your house? Good question to ask your agent. Some places have codes against installing mechanical heating and cooling systems without a licensed professional involved because of the consequences for not knowing what you are doing. If you feel confident and don’t mind the risk you could possibly save a whole $100 to $200 by doing it yourself. Some people are handy and competent and have an EPA license to handle refrigerant and others not so much.
The companies selling it often make it look easy and if you see someone that knows everything about it, do it; don’t be fooled by how simple they make it look. Professionals often make difficult tasks look easy. Thermal Dynamics, Psychrometrics, Air Distribution, and other related disciplines and theories, are just bogus pseudo science really and anyone can install air conditioning systems right?. When your home or cabin is full of mold and it gets condemned, congratulations you saved $200. The math doesn’t math for the puny savings. It’s best to call a professional.
I’ll admit every now and then someone who has a solid understanding and mechanical, or electrical aptitude, pulls off a perfect installation. Over the last 20 + years I have seen a few guys that could pull it off. I have also met a few ladies that did fantastic installing mini split heat pumps. When I’m there to find out why it doesn’t work, I ask a few questions. If you must do it yourself please be able to answer these questions and understand what you are doing?
Why did you opt to not install a surge protector?
When you were pulling a vacuum, how many microns did you achieve?
How many times did you use nitrogen if any?
Are you sure the installation book said you could install both in the same room?
Which panels do you think one might need to take off to work on this system?
How much torque did you use on these flare fittings?
How long do you think these super cheap systems will last?
The service call fee, labor and materials is going to cost more than you paid for this system. Are you sure you are fine paying us to come out and fix this system?
There are literally zero standardization of these mini split systems and with more than 100 brands on the market today and very little service literature on 90% of those it is a huge gamble to run service calls on non major brand name systems. The service call fee and often a 2 hour labor charge to find out that the manufacturer is out of business and there are no parts available isn’t easy to pay. Typically the end result is that it must be replaced.
If you installed or had the cheapest piece of junk on the market, installed and it is broken down. Save yourself some money and buy you a knew one and install it again. Buy a $1500 recovery machine and hoses and gauges and a recovery tank. Learn how to use them today because you are going to be doing this a lot. Recover all the refrigerant so you don’t break the law…. Install the new system again and now you are only negative -$2000 and all the wasted time and risk.
Eventually call a real HVAC contractor and have a name brand mini split system installed and avoid the headaches.
If you decide to go it alone hopefully you are one of the few lucky ones that it works out for….