I Saved Thousands! A DIY Heat and AC System with Heat Pump 

Carpenter, concrete, electrician, plumber. And now HVAC. You go girl. Mad skills as always. Cheers

I replaced my office hvac & one in a rental house. Although the attic units were very accessible, it was still easier to replace just the coils & fan elements inside the old sheet metal boxes than lug the whole new units upstairs for the office or thru a ceiling crawl hole for the house.

I am an HVAC guy and i have much respect for you for tackling this job yourself.

So far I’ve installed 6 of these units. Three on the last house and three on the new house. I always use 2 ton separate units this way if a compressor goes out I still have some what of air from the other units. Self taught, now I’m teaching neighbors. Never a problem.

I’m a retired master electrician but over the years I’ve replaced my own furnace in 3 different houses, done a few for friends and relatives, installed the entire system in a new house I had built, and installed a complete AC system and replaced the boiler in a 5000sq.ft. historic home I restored. The boiler was the biggest challenge, it was a beast. I dismantled that to remove it because it was so heavy, fortunately it came apart in ten 120# sections once I stripped the cabinet off it. That thing had a 10” diameter copper glue pipe connecting it to the chimney. I got over $400 for the scrap metal from that. I take my time , plan ahead, do actual heat loss/gain calcs to correctly size the unit (most “pros” don’t), and used manual D to properly size the ductwork. Mine all turned out better than most of the “pros”. Skilled trades are greatly under staffed these days so actual craftsmen are hard to find so this is a good opportunity to save some money and likely end up with a better result.

I like how you don’t let your fears prevent you from tackling projects April! Congrats on a successful installation! 👏👍😃

I've been watching this channel diyhvacguy and have learned a lot from his videos as well. If you have a working unit, you can self recover the refrigerant into the condensor. Someone will have to recover it from that at a later date. Great information in this video. I always look forward to see what your doing next.

Great video as always! Helpful life saving meter tip in the future. Prior to assuming a piece of equipment is no longer energized is to do a live-dead-live test. Confirm your meter is working properly by testing it on a known love circuit, followed by the de-energized circuit you are validating. Followed by known live.

Kudos to you; you amaze me with every video! A couple things to mention; It gets hot in those attics in the summer time. Seriously, heat stroke in 15 minutes! Also, in the south its pretty common to have an attic AND a crawl space (like a basement but not as high, and with a dirt floor). Most crawl spaces were not built with ease of access in mind, though I built my house myself and built it with EOA at the top of my list, since I was in a service job for 25 years! Third, many 2-story homes have separate units up and down for more even cooling/heating. Ours does and I wouldn't have it any other way! Total control of each floor; it makes a huge difference!

Nice job April, im an HVAC Contractor and after seeing this video i would hire you in a heart beat to install new ac systems. You did amazing, i am amazed on how well you did. Thank you for sharing!

You should use duct mastic in addition to the foil tape to seal the ductwork.

I recommend running a 2”thick filter. It will facilitate less static pressure in the system which makes less resistance on the fan, more effective heat exchange. Wish they had this product when I did mine myself.

When working in an inclosed area where this is fiberglass insulation, some kind of respirator would be a good idea because as you move around, fine fibreglass dust becomes airborne.

Would love a followup video on how you chose the unit you did. I'm trying to get my a/c unit (both inside and out) replaced and this video gave me a huge confidence boost that I could do it myself. Thanks and love your videos ma'am.

I run a heat pump and -22 is impressive. I know mine still run in below freezing, just runs a lot longer using more electric. Since you geek out on tech I’ll tell you I automated my propane fireplace and ceiling fan to come on with the heat pump from the thermostat only when it’s colder then 40 outside and it runs half the time now with double the off time in between. Plus the benefit of increasing humidity in the house. So far works great. But I may still install a small Mr cool for the garage this year.

Also you have several kinks in your flex duct that is causing an airflow issue. You don’t want hard turns or kinks from the strapping of the flex duct.

If you want to save money on the lineset covers I found using a gutter pipe is just and nice looking and saves a ton and easier to work with.

Ok is there is there anything that April hasn't done? The AC isn't only cool thing in attic. 😎 😊👍👍

My goodness April another outstanding diy project you have done have a great week be safe

Good choice and good job on the heat pump install. I installed a Mr Cool system in my house and am very happy with it. Don't forget to send in for your Mr.Cool hat! lol

I had a heat pump system in Dayton back in the 70s, and it worked flawlessly. As I recall it had an electric heat augmenter when the temps got down below 18 degrees F. You're really going to enjoy how quiet your new system is compared to the old one. My old house had a conventional AC unit for the house and a mini split unit for the master bedroom. When I was standing in front of the mini split condenser the conventional condenser, 50 feet away, was louder than the mini.

Nice work on accomplishing what can be a daunting task! Glad you shared this one with us. Thanks! Keep on building!

No April you are not normal. You're very awesome one of a kind person and I love watching your projects come together. Great job April and thanks for sharing this project. You're appreciated🤙🏾💯

This is awesome. I installed two home heat pumps to replace a single heat pump that did two floors in 2010. The price was the big reason but not only did I have to learn all the electrical, plumbing, and duct fabrication but I had to learn how to braze the copper to include doing a tripple evac before getting a tech to come check the charge. A few years later I added a mini to the living room so it could be kept slightly warmer when people were in there when it was freezing out. That didnt require the brazing but required using a flaring tool which is problematic for some. This fixes the refrigerant line problems.

As a HVAC/R technician I must say you did a good job.

Great job April. glad you had help and got the unit changed over. Looks really good and should be perfect for your location. Stay safe and keep up the fun projects around there. Star gazing she says, I want a sky lite she says, can't wait to see how that turns out. Have fun !! Fred.

I wish you'd taken advantage of the opportunity to install a MERV 13, 4-inch thick, pleated air filter. It looked like your 1-inch filter was just a moth-stopper. The higher efficiency filter would be better for allergies.

1. bold DIY in this one... I had never considered doing air-handler and condenser myself but... now i'm like... well maybe! 2. laughed at the roof wall cut out. So many possibilities there... cut a much larger hole... beam it... big window... internal flooring for a "sky den" sort of thing. Or just have a door and add a roof deck for chairs and telescope :)

I saved $5000 by doing it myself, probably a 3hr job I fabricated the wall mount too. Doing research took 8 hours of research sifting through inconsistent videos comparing to the manual for several afternoons. The 30 videos I went through turned out to be a huge time waste I should have just studied the manual, where I live most professional installers don't follow the book after learning it myself.

As I’ve often thought over the years, I wish you were my neighbor ❤️

5) A vertical condenser gives you a shelf to set things on should you be working in that area.

I installed a Mr. Cool mini split three years ago, and I have been pleased with it. The HVAC installers constantly tell me that "I hope you can get the parts when it eventually breaks."

April! so glad you made this video! I have been considering doing this myself for a couple years now.

Great work April however, the purpose of the mini split system is to get 100 percent of the cool and heat . But by reusing your old duct work you lose 40-60 percent of heating and cooling in the duct work.

On the old unit, when checking for power on the contactor make sure you are testing at the line side (bottom usually) you won't have any power at the load side unless it's pulled in or its a single pole contactor. I'd recommend getting a torque wrench for tightening those adapters, they have a high failure rate especially if not torqued properly. I think the smaller one on that unit should be 25ft/lb and the larger is 30ft/lb, but id verify that in the manual. When they do end up leaking just flare the lines, get rid of the adapters, and nitro test it before weighing the new refrigerant. I have 2 units that have leaked from those fittings.

The old blower wheel from the air handler makes a great whole house attic fan.

I've looked at the MRCOOL systems and wondered how DIY they really are. Now I know! Thanks for another great video.

Very good video I might recommend on the inside of your air handler to put a angled air dam so it doesn't create turbulence by hitting that flat panel it makes the are deflect into your ductwork just a piece of sheet metal put in there at an angle has a deflector

Nice installation. Well done. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

You are "Always" Amazing and Inspiring April!

I only wish my old system was as new as your old system. Mine is 23 years old and an R-22 system. The refrigerant for it is CRAZY $$$$$$$...

So good that your husband and friends were there to finish this project, it's a daunting task by yourself.

Great work I'm not sure I would try it! You done a great job 👍

I would make that new roof access a nice insulated window with a motorized transom. Having the natural light not to mention a way to evacuate Texas summer heat will cool the house down.

Not a criticism of April or of this channel, but two observations about electrical norms in the US which I find fascinating. Instead of "disconnect box", which is four syllables, why not refer to that as an "isolator"? Also on the topic of the electrical side of things, I find it amazing that those wire nut things are permitted. They just look like such a bodge, and a fire waiting to happen. Whats wrong with a bit of terminal strip, or even a wago connector?

Would love to use my ac for heat pump..... in Alberta it can get severely cold and they do not work. Natural gas burns hot every time it ignites and i can count on my family keeping warm and having hot water. Even my solar panels tell me that they don't want to work the winter.

One . That attic is the envy of any hvac tech . That fact that she can stand up and move around feeling is awesome . She would be hating life if this attic was tight .Who wears daisy dukes around insulation ?

Nice job. I just installed a MRCOOL Universal Residential 3-Ton 36000-BTU 17.5-Seer Upflow/Horizontal Central Air Conditioner from Lowes. It took me 1.5 days. It connected right to my Carier natural gas furnace. There are always some added costs to these systems but it was well worth it. Added costs such as I needed to run new electrical since this system runs on a 35amp circuit so 8 gauge wire was needed to the condenser and a new disconnect box replacing an older 30amp system. Needed to buy duct sheeting and tools to reconnect to the Plenum of the existing duct system, duct tape, duct calk, 1/2 inch sheet metal screws and PCV for the water discharge and 8 Gauge 1/4 inch spade connectors for the condenser. After having it all together I had to buy a new thermostat, smart thermostat now, "yea", since my existing one did not support cooling. It's up and running like a dream. I only had a little bit of difficulty connecting the lines outside on the condenser. I could have really used a second person to steady the line because those lines need to be perfectly aligned to start hand threading them together to make sure they were not cross threading. MRCOOL is highly reputable and it comes with a 10 year warranty DIY as long as you buy the pre-charged systems. Non pre-charged systems only warranty if you use a certified HVAC Pro. When I had my furnace replaced 5 years ago I was quoted an additional $9000 for AC. I put this system in including tax for around $3800 total. I believe I saved some cash here, lol.. Do some vigilant research on your current system because you can do this. It is so nice have those window units out of my windows which are well over a thousand dollars for the 4 that I had running. And these new condensers run so so so much quieter, more efficient than the older units. Peace....www.lowes.com/pd/MRCOOL-Universal-2-3-Ton-Up-to-20-SEER-Air-Conditioner-and-A-Coil-w-15ft-Quick-Connect-Line-Set/5013333377

Amazing, I learned a lot from your video! I'm not planning on installing a split system, however your video was well done and very informative. Thanks so much!

I have been waiting for someone to show this unit! I am getting on soon!!! awesome job.

Let me start off by saying “I hate you”, as an HVAC Contractor, you are taking food from my children! But, I must say, from what I’ve seen on this video, You did a great job. I do recommend “sealing” the tapework with the white mastic(we generally call it “mud”) as the heat will “melt” the gummy stuff on the back of the tape. You did a better job than a lot of installs I’ve corrected by “professionals”. I congratulate you!

Do they make a ground source heat pump kit? Five feet below the surface of the ground is approximately 50 degrees all year long which is plenty of low-grade heat to be had without having to super stress the system in -20 degree. If one owns a decent size backhoe or excavator to dig trenches for the heat exchanger coils barriered in the yard the cost drops to a reasonable level...

For safety, you need to do four things. Turn off the thermostat so it's not calling for service or running the fan in your furnace and that is actually used even when not heating, it's used for cooling, too. You need to turn off the furnace fan at the furnace. You turn off the circuit breaker for the A/C unit in the breaker box but please stand to the side of the breaker box, the side closest to the switch you're turning off to help mitigate the rises of arc flash and associated events. Same thing when you turn it back on, same procedure. Pull out the the quick disconnect (you say it's code that you need it, that depends purely on the city and state you're in). I'll be honest, it should be code regardless for the quick disconnect to be a part of this unit.

Where there's a will there's a way! You knocked this one out of the park!

Your a/c guy should have recommended a high level cutout switch in the condensate drain line.

Great work April! Thanks for always sharing with us!💖👍😎JP

you can also try to add turbin ventilator in the roof, this free energy only use wind to make the turbin works

I didn't see one in the video, but being in Texas, I hope you also have a whole-house dehumidifier. AC units generally to a good job at dehumidification, but they have the side effect of making the space cooler...which is fine during a hot summer day, but sometimes it makes it too cold. Dedicated dehumidifiers that are controlled separately from your AC (i.e. a humidistat) are great at improving comfort during the time-of-day/time-of-year when it's a comfortable temperature outside, but it's humid. If you live anywhere in the US east of the Rockies, you should consider adding a whole-home dehumidifier to your HVAC system.

It gets a whole crap ton colder up north than -22F! ND, MN, WI especially

My heat pump is worth its weight in gold. Just the money savings alone are significant. Better operation all around. You did a fantastic job thank you for sharing.👍♥️

Damn girl.. Great install you made it look perfect.. You saved about ten grand if you lived where I do.. Fantastic attention to detail...

Also check your condensate line for goop.

Nicely done April! 😃👍🏼👊🏼

Hands down your best how to video yet impressed

I bought this unit and in the process of installing. I really wish someone would do a detailed video on how to do the ductwork

I have watched your channel for years. I always enjoy the content. I think you are fearless!!! I always look forward to your new video wondering what you are going to do next! Timothy

We have to get you going with a whole home power back up system. Please reach out!! Love your show

Your star gazing door is a FUN idea, and so COOL April! 😎😃😉

Very helpful!! Thank you very much.❤

This is inspiring… I can wait to install one of these units…

Viper pan and drain treatment or nucalgon pan tablets have helped me prevent the condensate lines from clogging up. I use them around the beginning of the season. A cutoff float valve in the primary drain isn't a bad idea either and it's cheap. Highly recommend a surge protector.

YOU ARE AWESOME! An HVAC guy didn't even know universal /Central systems existed, then told me he'd charge me $4,500 to install, even though all our ducting was brand new and I have a single story house.

I'm not a fan of skipping the leak test and you are supposed to torque your flare connections. Also we lose our rebate if we DIY. I also don't like the excess line set coiled up, I think it causes issues.

In working in electrical stuff, make sure you have some electrical gloves rated at 20 KVAC. Sounds nuts, right? Depending on the type of A/C you're tearing apart it can be 120V all the way up to 3 KV. You want that extra safety buffer in there. Most home units are 2 phase 120VAC even though they say they're 240 Volt units, technically correct. The run capacitors for the unit can give you a lethal shock. Some units have an auto-discharge unit that when you open the panel or have a button to do it, however never assume that stuff works, assume that the capacitor has a charge on it and to be very careful when you ground in putting the prongs into the dirt 2.5 to 3 feet from where your feet or knees are.

There is also a switch that drops in the top of the drain line that if it backs up in the line it will shut the air handler off.

Something about the condenser high and low lines should be kept as short as possible on the outside unit, there's efficiency reasons for this.

You make great reviews. Thank you April.

I sincerely love your work an inspiration to say the least... Keep on keeping on

You should of connect the drain pan line to the outside so if water does get in pan it can drain out just in case that flow switch goes bad

As someone that does HVAC the only thing I would do is make a better transition at 15:35. That little bit is some of your airflow. Otherwise I like the install.

Absolutely Amazing job! Well done!

Added bonus, no issue with lighting after lol

Wow you have a ton of insulation in your attic! I'm in Florida and that's way above code here.

I would mostly definitely still pressure test to ensure those lines sealed tight. And these dont require the lines to be vacuumed below 500 microns? That seems wild. I would assume having the excess moisture could still cause non condensables and create issues in these systems. Maybe im wrong. Ive never been hands on with one of these Mr. Cools. Interested to see how it works now

i got so giddy when you suggested you wanted to just cut a hole in the wall 😂

Not a fan of the return pan off I would have done a reduced angled as not to choke one side. The theory is that the motor will tilt slightly over time where the pan off is due to air turbulance. This instance its a slight difference and I dont see it being that much of an issue, but if yours is more then 5” panned off then think about making a transition piece with a filter rack

Awesome job, as usual! Any chance you could provide the link or product name to that specific setup?

13:06 Torque specs, this isn't hand tight. 16:28 another option is the "Safe-T-Switch" that screws into the second drain. 17:22 Could use sealant too, the slang in the HAVC biz its called Pookie. Great video!

The refrigerant is usually called Freon. The older form is R22 Freon which the US government has outlawed. The next itteration is R143. R12 was used in refrigerators and freesers and auto A/C systems. The large lineset is the vapor or gas line. The small lineset is the liquid line. You may lose a little of the air handling efficiency because you blanked off part of the case without a transition between the different sizes.

April: This task IS DIYable... Also April: LET'S CUT A HOLE IN THE WALL!!! :)

Hmmm...Access panel to roof to star gaze...DO IT!

I could be wrong but i think you may have your condensate drain backwards. your primary hole is slightly lower than the secondary outlet hole. Your drain going into the emergency drain pan may fill up right away. your primary outlet should be going outside and secondary to your pan. once again i could be wrong just going by the video.

I have been looking at putting one of their mini-splits in for my garage. I keep going back and forth on short electrical and long line set or vise versa.

I guess April should be the month when you were born ❤. Great job ❤🎉just think about a big solar system should be good to feed for your AC system. A perfect 👍 house 🏠

I really enjoyed your video. Can you provide specifics as to the make/model of system you installed? How many tons of HVAC did you have and how many tons did you replace it with?

That is a hell of an attic. I can't even stand up in mine...

You checked the wrong side of the contacter for power in the beginning of the video by the way

April, what's the seer rating on the unit you installed? I really enjoyed this video!

April, did you need to reconfigure the system to run horizontally?

Maybe stuff some steel wool into that crack before the foam, they say mice won’t chew the steel wool.