4 to 5 Ton 18 SEER Variable Speed MrCool Universal Central Heat Pump Split System – Upflow/Horizontal with Quick Connect Lineset – 50 Feet

3 reviews for 4 to 5 Ton 18 SEER Variable Speed MrCool Universal Central Heat Pump Split System – Upflow/Horizontal with Quick Connect Lineset – 50 Feet

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Garcia family – July 16, 2024

   I only take time to review if I really think a product is exceptional or I hate it. This product delivers everything the literature promised at a great price. The instructions were very good and everything worked without even a support call. Couple of things to be aware of, first it’s big and heavy. I have a tractor and was able to use it to move the compressor to a pedestal behind my garage and lift the air handler to a shelf in my garage. I have a ducted system from my old gas packaged unit on the roof so I had to do all the ducting. That was the hardest part of the whole job. Secondly you also need to purchase a thermostat, I choose the Sensi smart and I’m totally happy with how well they work together. It’s been almost 110 here for the last week and it keeps cool and you can’t even here the compressor or the air handler inside the house. The MrCool hardware is definitely high quality and I’m sure it’s going to perform well for a long time.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jim – August 23, 2024

   Overall: This system is a good value, especially given the rebates available for customers in my area (Greater Seattle Area). It does exactly what it says blows cold or hot and runs very quiet. It’s a big project if you have your existing air handler/furnace in the attic. During testing I saw 104°F out of my vents with heat and 49°F with cool. My home is 3,200 sqft and in a mild climate since I’m in the Greater Seattle Area. I’ll update this review as time goes on to show the experience throughout the life of the system.

   Big questions:

   Would I recommend this? Absolutely, especially if you have a air handler/furnace in your garage or basement with easy access and it’s close to an exterior wall with outdoor space for the condenser. Also if the rebates are good in your area you can get this unit installed for a very affordable price if you DIY the project.

   Is it DIY? Maybe, if you are a handy person who is willing to invest a time you have a good chance of success. Additionally if you have a easily accessible existing air handler or furnace it makes it a lot easier to handle. In my case, I only had a gas furnace. I chose to do all of the work with the help of a very strong friend myself. The only exception was the electrical work for the condenser, I had a licensed electrician handle that for about $2400.

   How much does it actually cost?
   Mrcool Universal 5 Ton Set: $4600 to $4995
   Unique Tools: $500 (Torque Crescent Wrench, Tin Snips, Pipe Wrenchs, Hole Saw Kit, Sheet Metal Bender/Folding Tool, etc.)
   Supplies: $500 to $1000 (Mastic Tape, Foil Tape, Metal Self Tapping Screws, Ducting Metal, Ducting Insulation, Fabric Straps, Wet Switch, S Channel, Romex Wire, Thermostat Wire, Lineset Cover, etc.)
   Electrical: $2400 for license electrician; $700 in supplies and permit fees for DIY.
   Total: $6300 (All DIY) or $7895 (With Max Lenth Lineset and License Electrician)

   What rebates are available? Look these up at mrcool website in my area I got $3,000 cash rebate from my gas and electic provider and I’ll get a $2,000 tax credit for 2024 taxes when I file. This means my total project cost is $2,895 after the rebate and tax credit are considered.

   What is the worst thing about it? It’s absolutely a two or three person job to move the condenser. The air handler isn’t bad if you pulled out the A coil and blower to move it and the reassemble at the desired location. Even with an extremely strong friend it was quite the task to get the unit to its final place.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jim – October 3, 2024

   Update after a winter…. 03/16/2024 Well I installed this unit in September,ish of 2023. It made it thru the first winter with negative degree temperatures and worked flawlessly. I purchased the 4-5 ton unit because I was right on the edge of needing a 3 or 4 ton but if the temps dropped below -5 the units efficiency drops to 78% which in Missouri is possible so I didn’t hesitate to by the larger unit. Besides this gave me the ability to add air duct and now heat the finished walk out basement better too. Don’t hesitate, if you are thinking about switching these units are pretty easy to install with basic mechanical ability, inexpensive compared to having a contractor rip you off for $20K!, AND best of all they work. Heck at the price to do it yourself you can buy 5 of them compared to a contractors install cost. As long as your region typically stays above -22F you are good to go. You might not need the backup electric heat strip either. I only bought it in case the condenser goes out and I am waiting on parts.

   I’ll update again only if I have problems.

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   Spent 5 hours the first day mounting the condenser and running the lines inside along with wiring the condenser outside.

   The next 5 hour day was inside the house running the new feeds from the panel to where the air handler would sit and running the condenser power the rest of the way. I ended up putting a 100 amp panel near the furnace and running everything from that.

   The following day I spent 6 hours removing the old (gas) blower/furnace and installing this one. Everything went pretty much as expected. Turned it on and discovered the thermostat was originally wire oddly (wire colors). Once I rewired the thermostat to the typical standard everything worked fine.

   I did buy the emergency backup heat strip and installed it in the unit but I doubt I am going to need it so I have not wired that yet. I had to disconnect the 15 amp 240v line side from the two pole breaker load side of the heat strip. Many furnaces have it separated anyway. With this furnace if you install the heat strip the whole air handler feeds off the heat strip breaker/disconnect. In my case I want them separate so I can leave the heat strip breaker off. The nice thing about their setup the way they have it is if you are short on breaker space it works well.

   The hardest part really was making the new plenum to tie the air handler into the existing supply duct but I think everything tuned out really nice. I do really wish they would design a side entry return air. The bottom only return air puts the unit a bit higher than I would like. Requires a short ladder to work in the control box…. yes I am old and lazy and don’t feel like holding my hands over my head to wire the thing up.

   I would definitely recommend this product for anyone who can watch a youtube video and doesn’t mind saving $20,000 doing it yourself. Remember if you are North where the temps get below freezing often, size the unit off the amount of heating BTUs you need. While I only need <3 tons to cool, I definitely need more than 40,000 BTUs of heat. Just use the dip switches to turn down the cooling fan speed. The condenser seems to handle the rest itself.

   My unit seemed to have a rough shipping experience. Nothing was damaged but the A coil was not seat quite right. The condensate didn’t drain well. I think the trip was a bit too bouncy. Nothing to fix. Just needed to rebend the support channels back up a bit. This was discovered when I unboxed it right where the delivery guy set it. If anyone of importance reads this… maybe beef up that channel a bit with a little weld or something just above the filter in all four corners.