[Poodle Head Mikey]

First - does anyone have a tech-line telephone number for Daikin?

But my real question is: on a four-head condensing unit - if I connect only two heads now - do the other connections needs to be blanked off?

And - is the unit pre-charged? If so; how can it be evacuated? The schrader-valve access ports seem to connect to nothing. So if I open the valves below the access ports - won't that let the refrigerant out of the condensing unit?

 

[crazy eye]

(972)245-1510

 

[jrbenny]

866 4 DAIKIN

Keep other ports capped until you are ready to use them.

Unit is precharged. You evacuate through the service port before opening the isolation valves for the pair of ports.

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

What "isolation valves for the pair of ports"? So far as I have seen there are only two service type valves at the top of the removable side panel. These each have a schrader-core port - 5/16" male flare - and are piped in-common to all the line-set connections.

Putting pressure in through those ports does not seem to be possible. But if I open the service valves won't that release the refrigerant into the manifolds and lines? So how can I evacuate the two line sets and the two heads I have piped in now?

And also; if I start this thing up with only two heads - then what? I will have to pull the refrigerant out in order to pipe the third and fourth heads?

PHM
-------

866 4 DAIKIN

Keep other ports capped until you are ready to use them.

Unit is precharged. You evacuate through the service port before opening the isolation valves for the pair of ports.

 

[jrbenny]

Sorry. Fusion of product knowledge.

Isolation valves should remain closed and service port on valve gives access to manifold. Keep blank on unused connections. After vacuum complete, open service valves.

For additional head connections, you will have to complete a system pump down before attaching lineset.

 

[artman934]

Make sure the service valves are closed so nitrogen doesn't bleed through when you do the 550psig pressure test. The 5/16 Schrader connection will be open to the line set so you can evacuate.

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

There must have been some problem with the adapters. I tried a different pair and the nitrogen went in and the vacuum pump pulled it down.

The only difference I could see what that the original set of adapters has schrader cores installed in the 1/4" males ends and the set I use using originally wasn't.

If the valves have been closed (since the unit was shipping) sufficiently to retain all the R-410 - why would they now leak nitrogen in? Or am I mis-understanding what you mean?

 

[jrbenny]

You have a 120-200# standing pressure in the unit depending on ambient temperature. When you apply 550# nitrogen, you now have a 350-430# differential. It might leak across the valve if not seated well.

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

That would really blow, wouldn't it? <g>

Start up a new system and already have the much-dreaded non-condensibles. <g>

I have to run over there later this morning and get it going. I am very iffy about all the programing - getting the heads and condensing unit to recognize each other, know what their peeking order is, etc. I'm hoping that Apple Computers was consulted when they arranged the installer-friendliness. <g>

PHM
------

You have a 120-200# standing pressure in the unit depending on ambient temperature. When you apply 550# nitrogen, you now have a 350-430# differential. It might leak across the valve if not seated well.

 

[jrbenny]

123G - 123G

No wire nuts on 2, 3, or G.

Make sure you choose a priority zone.

Otherwise, it's easy breezy.

 

[artman934]

If the valves have been closed (since the unit was shipping) sufficiently to retain all the R-410 - why would they now leak nitrogen in? Or am I mis-understanding what you mean?

As per the Daikin RLC Install and Commissioning (this is actually mentioned in all their install classes) class I went to, it is recommended that you ensure the valves are tight. The standing pressure in the system won't be high enough for anything to leak if the valves aren't completely tight, but if you do the recommended pressure test at 550psig, the pressure is high enough that it may leak past the valves and contaminate the refrigerant if the valves aren't entirely seated closed to the piping.

Not that it would happen every single time, but it makes enough sense to take the 5 minutes to double check the valves just to be safe.

 

[artman934]

123G - 123G

No wire nuts on 2, 3, or G.

Make sure you choose a priority zone.

Otherwise, it's easy breezy.

What this guy said! And make sure the ground is insulated, it's sometimes used as part of the comm bus. Also, use stranded wire too to ensure you don't get a comm error.

 

[jrbenny]

I may have taught this class a couple of times. ;-)

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

Holy dog poop batman! What happens if there are wire nuts? And how can the wires be extended? Soldered terminals? And why does the wire have to be stranded? What happens if it's solid?

The helpful homeowner already cut and spliced the wiring for us.

I sure am sorry that I ever agreed to do this job; I can tell you that.

 

[jbaur]

I have installed many of these units and they sound much more complicated then they actually are.

I disagree on choosing a priority zone. Let first one to call be priority

I have also used solid core wire without any problems. The reason they want you to use stranded wire is because stranded has more surface area.

I once had a homeowner change location of a head unit after drywall. I used crimp on butt connectors without any problem; although Daikin recommends soldering the connections.

Watch your wiring. Make sure head A's wiring goes to the A terminal and keep the colours the same. Line one and two are line voltage, line three is communication. Ground is referenced also.

Draining can be a ***** - especially if you have an inverted trap - very common. Poor lots of water down the drain to make sure it drains properly. I remove the custom drain piece and run 5/16 vinyl right to the drain nipple. I attach it with a hose clamp.

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

I don't mind complicated equipment - and this Daikin isn't so much complicated as it is just unknown to me. I have no patience for a learning curve right now and the urge to shoot this homeowner is growing daily.

The helpful owner can't find the manuals that came with the equipment, he unpacked everything for me and threw away all line size adapters and so forth, and today I discovered that he had "done all the wiring" for me by means of a single pole breaker so there was 119 volts to the unit.

The fun never stops and I haven't got time for this horse****. His wedding is there at that house on Sunday and I have to be in Paris on Saturday.

PHM
------

I have installed many of these units and they sound much more complicated then they actually are.

I disagree on choosing a priority zone. Let first one to call be priority

I have also used solid core wire without any problems. The reason they want you to use stranded wire is because stranded has more surface area.

I once had a homeowner change location of a head unit after drywall. I used crimp on butt connectors without any problem; although Daikin recommends soldering the connections.

Watch your wiring. Make sure head A's wiring goes to the A terminal and keep the colours the same. Line one and two are line voltage, line three is communication. Ground is referenced also.

Draining can be a ***** - especially if you have an inverted trap - very common. Poor lots of water down the drain to make sure it drains properly. I remove the custom drain piece and run 5/16 vinyl right to the drain nipple. I attach it with a hose clamp.

 

[tech45]

I showed up to a heap of copper spaghetti and turned it into this. There are no breaks in the piping to what they roughed in. I never did return to the job , just a few hours finishing a day. Notice the reverse piping changes as there was a certain order that needed to be maintained.

 

[zibby]

Neat. I prefer plastic lineset cover

 

[Poodle Head Mikey]

I did the same deal - mess-o-snakes onto unistrut and cush-a-clamps except that I turned the unit 90º*to the wall, and did a double-90 Z-bend to avoid that open run of tubing for some numbnut to later step on to reach something.

I installed the heads and ran the piping on racks inside the sheetrock walls. That day the remainder of the lineset runs was coiled in the cellar. When I got back all the lines and drain lines were in a 12" diameter snarl and poked out through a single hole hole in the wall.

PHM
------

I showed up to a heap of copper spaghetti and turned it into this. There are no breaks in the piping to what they roughed in. I never did return to the job , just a few hours finishing a day. Notice the reverse piping changes as there was a certain order that needed to be maintained.

 

[tech45]

I was starting to lay it out in order of geometry and a frantic brown feller ran out and corrected me. It is at a supply house that I go to from to time ( and it still looks the same ) so he must have known what he was doing , I was just getting hours.