INSTALLATION OF A SPIT AIR CONDITION UNIT

Most homeowners hire a professional to install a spit system air conditioner, most times from thesupplier. But if you are experienced with plumbing and electrical work, you can do it yourself.

Here are some important tips before you get started.

Sizing

1. It is important to size the room as to avoid any over freezing of the unit or under cooling of the room. E.G. Area of the room multiply by 60 generally will give you the BTU required therefore a room 14' X 16' X 60 = 13,440 BTU.
2. Also consider the use of the room and the amount of sun light or heat entering the room.E.G. Bedroom with two persons and one window area 24 Sq. Ft. Add 600 BTU, for each person occuupying the space and 400 BTU for each window. 
3. Therefore 13,440 + 1,200 + 400 = 15,040 BTU, You can decrease the BTU reting by 10 % if room is on the shaded side of the house, or increase by 10 % for the sunny side. And you should always use the next size up, in this case it's a 18,000 BTU.

INSTALLING

1. Avoid direct sunlight and heat sources.
2. Avoid locations where gas may leak or where oil mist or sulphur exists.
3. The indoor unit requires at lease 6" of open space surrounding its top and sides. The unit should also be mounred at lease 7' above antenna, power or connecting lines that are used for television, radio, home security systems and telephones. The electrical noise from these sources could cause operational problems for the air conditioner.
4. Hold the mounted plate against the wall where you intend to install the evaporator (indoor Part of the unit)
5. Using a level make sure the plate is both horizontally and vertically level.
6. Drill holes into the wall at the appropriate spots to affix the plate to the wall.
7. Find the best location for the hole to the exterior based on the opening in the mounting brecket. 

1. You should also consider the lenght of the pipe and the distance that it needs to travel to reach the outside part of the system. This is important because you may need to resize the piping lines.
2. Drill a hole that is 3" in diameter through the wall. The hole should slope downwards towards the exterior to ensure a dequate drainage.
3. Insert a flexible flange into the hole.
4. Lift the unit's front panel and remove the cover.
5. Be sure the cable wires are connected to the screw terminals. Also, make sure that they match the diagram that came unit the unit.

1. Run the piping from the indoor unit towards the hole drilled through the wall. Minimize bending to ensure optimum performance of the unit.
2. Cut a lenght of 2" P.V. C pipe 1/4" shorter than the lenght between the interior wall surfaces.
3. Place the pipe cap on the interior end of the P.V.C pipe. Insert the pipe into the hole in the wall.
4. Bind the copper pipes, the power cable and the drain pipe together with the electrical tape . Place the drain pipe to the indoor unit .Use 2 wrenches , working in opposite directions, to tighten the connections.
5. Join the water drainage pipe to the outdoor unit's base.
6. Run the bound pipes and cables throught the hole in the wall. Make sure that the drainage pipe allows water to drain in an appropriate place.
    

For the tips and the rest of this installation instruction please stay tuned for the author follow up post. And don't forget to write and let us know you DIY projects.