Custom Air Conditioning Retrofit

[LtDan]

Well that blows that theory since the whistle happens during the cooling phase which is low pressure?

[Tford]

Update, I’ve replaced both no kink flex lines with solid lines, still waiting for the HVAC guys to come out and pressurize, leak test, evacuate and charge back up. Have a long string of complaint emails with Rectorseal, the No Kink manufacturer but they don’t seem to care their product in this case is apparently faulty….Can’t seem to upload a video with the whistle…probably too large a file…fingers crossed this is the final solution without the flex lines…

[Tford]

Hey guys….if you’ve removed the rooftop a/c for this mini split thread, did you also remove the thermostat that originally went with the a/c AND the heater and replace it with another thermostat for the wall heater only? Remember what thermostat you bought and what wires were used to control the heater? It’s probably in the thread somewhere but I’ve read through this whole thing a few times and I’m just being lazy at this point…😉

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Tford

.... Have a long string of complaint emails with Rectorseal, the No Kink manufacturer but they don’t seem to care their product in this case is apparently faulty….

Just curious, in what specific respect did you find the No-Kink lines defective?

Originally Posted by Tford

..... thermostat for the wall heater only? Remember what thermostat you bought and what wires were used to control the heater? ....

This post might be of interest: Heat Only Thermostat Replacement

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Centex

Just curious, in what specific respect did you find the No-Kink lines defective?

I was wondering the same. The 3’ set I put on Jake’s 21 a few years ago have been trouble free. (Full disclosure - this was after a leak in one line early on but I think it was due to a hit from some road debris)

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Tford

Hey guys….if you’ve removed the rooftop a/c for this mini split thread, did you also remove the thermostat that originally went with the a/c AND the heater and replace it with another thermostat for the wall heater only? Remember what thermostat you bought and what wires were used to control the heater? It’s probably in the thread somewhere but I’ve read through this whole thing a few times and I’m just being lazy at this point…😉

I removed my A/C but it was an older Dometic with built-in controls. The thermostat was already for heat only. The newer 21 I worked on did not have an A/C from the factory so again had dedicated thermostat for heat only. When they are integrated I’m not exactly sure what you need to do except I do know the furnace is a simple two wire make and break. If you can trace what color wires go to the furnace you should be able to isolate those and land them on a digital thermostat. Something like this will work fine:
https://www.amazon.com/LuxPro-Digita.../dp/B002SR9PHM

[Tford]

The lines I put in were 6’ long and that might make a big difference. Both lines whistle when air passes thru them, the 3/8” line sounds like a great elk bugle call! Perhaps the extra 3” of length creates some sort of turbulence harmonic, I don’t know. I’m still waiting for the Rectorseal folks to reply on getting them back, and they seem to want to find out. I wish I could upload a video giving the noise….it really hits home.

[Tford]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I removed my A/C but it was an older Dometic with built-in controls. The thermostat was already for heat only. The newer 21 I worked on did not have an A/C from the factory so again had dedicated thermostat for heat only. When they are integrated I’m not exactly sure what you need to do except I do know the furnace is a simple two wire make and break. If you can trace what color wires go to the furnace you should be able to isolate those and land them on a digital thermostat. Something like this will work fine:
https://www.amazon.com/LuxPro-Digita.../dp/B002SR9PHM

Thanks! I figured I could trace both sets of wires from A/C and heater to find out what goes to what. When the mini split is successful (and I have NO doubt it will) I’ll probably jury rig it into my shop and I might just take the thermostat with it.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Tford

Thanks! I figured I could trace both sets of wires from A/C and heater to find out what goes to what. When the mini split is successful (and I have NO doubt it will) I’ll probably jury rig it into my shop and I might just take the thermostat with it.

Just be careful. Not sure why but I think I heard that the furnace wires are routed up to a control box at the A/C before heading down to the Dometic thermostat. That might make it a bit confusing.

[Tford]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Just be careful. Not sure why but I think I heard that the furnace wires are routed up to a control box at the A/C before heading down to the Dometic thermostat. That might make it a bit confusing.

Great point! When the rooftop comes off, I’ll really inspect wires up there and where they route to as well as their color. I’m figuring if I put another fantastic fan up there, I can just use the existing romex to carry 12 volts up there to the location…

And many thanks to you for starting this thread/idea, it’s more commonplace out there in trailers on YouTube and what not, but your pioneering effort here is appreciated along with the follow up members I’ve copied.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Just be careful. Not sure why but I think I heard that the furnace wires are routed up to a control box at the A/C before heading down to the Dometic thermostat. That might make it a bit confusing.

You disconnect them from the dometic control box and splice them together. That’s all I had to do when I replaced the dometic wind tunnel with a recpro ac. Pulled old unit and control box complete out, spliced the wires together changed out the thermostat and heat works like it should. Ac is controlled by a remote

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Rockhead

You disconnect them from the dometic control box and splice them together. That’s all I had to do when I replaced the dometic wind tunnel with a recpro ac. Pulled old unit and control box complete out, spliced the wires together changed out the thermostat and heat works like it should. Ac is controlled by a remote

Makes sense. This should help Tford when he digs in there.

[Tford]

Final HVAC visit today pressure tested, evacuated and charged the lines lines on the mini split…fired it up and WE NOW HAVE SUPER QUIET A/C AND HEAT!!!! Now if we could just get a response back from Rectorseal on their defective 6’ No Kink lines!😖

[Centex]

There's so many installation-specific variables in-play with this sort of thing that I'd be very hesitant to accuse the No-Kink of being "defective" in this situation. YMMV of course.

As with many similar products that can be installed in infinitely different situations totally beyond the manufacturer's control, Rectorseal's warranty, not surprisingly, excludes "fitness for a particular purpose".

I personally suspect your unfortunate acoustic phenomenon was likely due to the combination of routing, bends, fittings, and/or connected equipment characteristics particular to your installation; not because of a "defect" in the No-Kink product. Again, YMMV.

All that notwithstanding, I'm glad you've now got an installation that's working for you!

[Tford]

I REALLY wish I could post a video of just the line(s)…. I can guarantee that it was nothing but the lines. Everything BUT the 2 lines and the original 2 10’ mini split lines was replaced, including both the inside air handler and outside compressor units. Air moving through the no kink lines is like blowing thru corrugated tubing…

[Centex]

I don't doubt that the 6 ft No-Kink lines were the source of the noise. I simply suggest that was due to them being unsuitable for your particular installation in all its details, not because they were "defective" in some respect (there is a difference).

The product has been around for a long time and has a very favorable reputation for easing many difficult-to-route installation challenges successfully. Certainly, the fact of corrugation makes the fluid-flow different from smooth lines, that's acknowledged by the effective-length correction factors published by Rectorseal for the product.

Please understand I'm not suggesting any blame or fault here, some things can't be reasonably foreseen or anticipated, no worries!

[Tford]

😂🤪😂🤪😂🤞

[John in Santa Cruz]

Basic heat/cool thermostat wiring...

[Tford]

Final update to the 5.0 mini split conversion, still works great and today received a payment from Rectorseal that generously covered all the extra HVAC visits with Freon charging (while we researched the source of the whistle) as well as the cost of the lines. Took quite a while working through the corporate system but great customer service reps got it pushed through their financial folks! Nice surprise in the bank account!

[Tford]

And the mini split performed flawlessly in the 5.0. Just too bad we had to return to 104 temps back in central TX! Going to try to remove the old rooftop this week.