This 110v 12k BTU Mrcool unit should blunt Winter & Summer temperature extremes nicely in my well insulated 400 sf shop.  

Is fairly easy to install.  My first outdoor unit suffered some shipping damage that put some bends in the outer case.  I installed it anyway rather than returning to Costco.

Yeah, in firing it up it gave a P4 error code - issue with the condenser (outdoor unit).
Though it's impossible to reach MrCools Tech Support desk they did return my call in a couple days.  
I spoke with them on Monday and they had a warranty replacement unit at my door by Friday.  
It runs quiet and shouldn't consume much energy.  

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Clean install but I wonder if those coiled up lines are going to give you problems with pooling refrigerant oil.

Check back in a year please.

Immerse yourself in various mrcool YouTube videos.  All of the extended follow up vids are positive.

After this pic was taken I added a foam block for support and finessed the bends a bit so now a  smooth ramp downward.  
Still, everyone on YT seems to just leave the coils vertical behind the condenser with no ill effect.

LOL thank you for joining the thread Mr HVAC professional.  Your rhetorical questions and tech savvy are welcome here.

@Dine-O-Mite
@ZW17

The DIY units have pre-charged linesets.  You can't shorten them without having to hook everything up and recharge the unit.  So you have to do something with the excess if you don't need as long of a run.

FWIW I've known a few people to get the DIY units.  So far the batting average is around a 60% success rate 1st time.  Many have had to file warranty claims, which they're good about, or come out of pocket to recharge the units because of operator error resulting in leaks due to them not tightening things enough.  Longevity TBD from those I know who have/kept them.  A few are around 3 yrs old at this point.  I'm contemplating getting a DIY unit, not necessarily a Mr. Cool, or just taking the EPA test so I can get the freon and charge a "profesunal install" unit.  Talking to a buddy of mine who was HVAC and now does appliance repair, it's not difficult so long as I don't have to recover any freon.  He and I have done a tone of mechanical stuff in the past together so he's familiar with my abilities.

I gave the original condenser unit to a friend who took the case off and found that a wire hadnt been fully snapped into place during factory assembly, thus giving the P4 error.

I have a Mr Cool unit that I've had for two years in my garage 18K BTU, it has gotten used alot, is incredibly quiet, and I haven't had any issues whatsoever. I did paint the white plastic with some exterior paint to match my house the sun will damage that plastic real quick.

Curious, how big is your garage?

Pricing out a mini split system now. I think I'm doing a 24k btu system with 4 ceiling cassettes. Not 100%, but maybe 90% sure.

I only mention it because I learned the hard way lol.  I installed a Pioneer mini split and thought I would make it look good by tucking the coiled up excess line behind the dry wall until it only ran at about 60% efficiency. Fortunately a buddy of mine diagnosed it ruby away,  straightening the line made a huge difference

Not gonna lie, I'm too chicken to hide a lineset behind drywall if there are any connections. Just seems like it's asking for something to go wrong with my luck.  

I really need to take measurements and figure out if a DIY one makes sense vs going the other route. I might be able to use the full length of the lineset.

And if you live in an area with four seasons, get a heat pump.

Installed a pioneer 18k unit 2 years ago in my 2 car garage wood shop that is well insulated.  Best thing I ever did.    For what most companies charge for a “diy” kit (which is nothing more than vacuumed lines with tinfoil tape) you can buy a low side gauge, a vac pump from harbor freight, and a flaring kit.

I’ve put two of them in now.  I keep my garage around 72 year around and it costs me $25 a month on average.  


One problem with the diy reliance is that having to replace the outside unit means that your system was not in a vac when you replaced the condenser unit.

Well condenser comes pre-charged and nothing was lost from the lines when I disconnected them from the first condenser.  No hiss of refrigerant going from the lines to the condenser when I opened those valves.   I don't believe I changed anything from first condenser to the 2nd.  

But, obviously, my knowledge here is scant.

When you connected the lines to the first condenser you you broke the seal on the lines that held the air and moisture out. When you disconnected the lines from the condenser to replace it you allowed air and humidity into them.  

Air and especially moisture are the enemy of refrigeration  systems.  There is a reason systems  should be pulled into a full vac and held there so that any moisture in the system that vaporized has tome to make it’s way out through the lines, components, and pump.  

I’ve always wondered if the diy lines are even in a vac or if they just nitrogen purge them . Slap some stickers on and deal with the loss of efficiency.