I'm putting a mini split in at my house. I'm good with everything DIY except the electrical stuff. It needs it's own dedicated circuit. Where do I even begin? It's actually quite close to the panel and I think it would be easy for someone who knew what he was doing. Which I definitely don't. The problem is it is impossible to get an electrician where I live this time of year and I need to wrap this project up. Where or how do I start? I can provide specs and additional info if anyone is interested.
>>3003219why do you need dedicated line?mini split installation is all about drilling holes not about electrics
>>3003219>dedicated circuitwho said this? Observe the maximum amperage it will draw, hook up to any existing line that is fused appropiately. Be mindful of the reduced amperage budget when plugging other things into the line (like not a kettle or microwave).Drill holes for the pipes and wire and hook it up.
>>3003219>Where do I even begin?youtube or a book would explain it better, but its really not hard. Route wire near box, shutoff all power, take off box cover, feed in new wires and make the three connections needed (black to breaker, white and copper to ground bar), pop in breaker, put cover back on, turn on power. The only curve ball is if it runs at 220, then its a different breaker with black and white connected to it and copper to the grounding bar.
>>3003223>>3003231>fuses in 2026>just add an extra 5000w draw to an already fully loaded line on a 15a breaker
>>3003235yeah idk why they're acting like it plugs into a 12v outlet. it's gonna need a dedicated circut. shutoff the main to the board and (assuming you have space) wire out for the unit and add an appropriately sized breakerit isn't actually hard, the tedious part is conduit and holes in the boxand make sure you read the tech specs and wire size/breaker size appropriately
>>3003219>>3003235Mini splits do not draw 5000W, they draw 1kW at ~3500W cooling power, very big ones maybe twice that. It is actually very easy to do but you need to know electrical basics. Your best bet is to just ask Grok to explain what goes where and why, just don't ask any AI to help you based on images, especially pictures, because they still easily mess up on that.Anyway, all you need is a single phase 16A breaker and 3x2.5 (ideally solid core) cable and probably some WAGO connectors. You connect one side of the breaker to a common phase (usually just bridge it with a neighboring breaker, ideally using a bridge bar, NEVER MIX CABLE SIZE FOR BRIDGING (e.g. the same breaker must never have one 2.5 and one 4 or 6 or 1.5mm wire combined - because it will clamp down poorly and cause one wire to be loose or poorly secured). Anyway, after this you just connect phase to the breaker's output side, neutral to common neutral, ground to common ground, that's it. If you're a burger then you double all numbers, though 1000W would run on 16A still. Adding to existing circuit would be viable but you'd need to actually know what runs on that circuit. Like if you have an existing breaker that has 16-20A and only runs, say, garage gate and nothing else, you can just snip the phase line right under the breaker, slap a 3-way wago on, plug the original wire back in, add the AC, and it'll be fine. Also obviously turn off power before doing electrical work and do not create dead shorts like a retard.
>>3003219The requirement for a dedicated circuit is because of the inductive load when the compressor starts. You can expect a brief 5,000 w load when it goes CLUNK BWWAAAHHHH and then for the draw to fall to some 800 - 1200w depending on system size. But you need a circuit that won't trip when the thermostat tells the heat pump to turn on. This can be mitigated with a soft start, which may already be integrated into your particular heat pump.Electricity is not hard. NEC ties ampacity of a circuit to certain conductor sizes to avoid excessive heat on the conductors. Solid copper conductors may be smaller for same current than aluminum. If you're not going to open walls, just use MC cable because NM-B (romex) is specifically designed to be run outside of conduit, in enclosed wall cavities. A 30 amp 240v circuit will need 10/3 copper wire (10 gauge, 3 conductor) and 2 slots in your panel. Consolidate existing circuits with tandem breakers if your panel allows to make room. Shut off the main breaker before doing work. Watch a few videos to understand details like supporting your wire, how to install boxes, wire receptacles, etc.
>>3003339obviously you never used mini split, because dedicated circuit and other nonsense live only on this board
>>3003490Circuit needs are always based on size of equipment which OP has not provided. There are 4 ton mini splits and there are 1/2 ton mini splits. OP has not said what they've got. Better to assume a greater need than a lesser need when giving general advice, and leave it up to the individual to cut corners at their discretion.
>>3003279aka have a sparky pull you a dedicated line. Tip them if you want to learn.
>>3003512guy u replied to is either a troll, retarded or a thirdie likely all 3
OP here. Sorry, all. I was banned for a few days due to an alleged Rule 4 violation. Overzealous janny or something, because I don't know how to dox or raid anyone. I'm here because despite being old, I hate normies and I don't know how to do electrical sit.This is the mini split:https://www.homedepot.com/p/MRCOOL-DIY-5th-Gen-12000-BTU-23-5-SEER2-1-Ton-Mini-Split-Heat-Pump-Complete-System-25-ft-Pre-Charged-Line-Set-115-Volt-R454B-DIY-12-HP-WM-115D25-O-CMB/3355242541 ton. 12k BTU. 120v. Needs a dedicated circuit. More to come...
>>3003733There were electric baseboard heaters in the room where the mini split is going. I took out A1 and A2 and B. A1 has four wires- a live black, a live white, a dead black and a dead white. A2 has a live black and a live white; ditto for B. I have not removed C1 and C2. I might let them stay. A1 and A2 are controlled by switch A on the west wall, and so on. All of these heaters, and only these heaters, are on a 30a circuit. The breaker for which is double size but has a regular single size switch.
>>3003738The head for the mini split will go pretty much where A1 is, and then the condenser will be outside on the other side of that wall (18 inches thick, brick). So can I use the circuit the heaters were using. Would I need to take down C1 and C2 as well?
>>3003739>The circuit has 14 gauge solid copper wire. Is that big enough?
>>3003740Last question for now- what do I do with these wall switches for the heaters?
>>3003740i don't think the wires are low enough gauge but the breaker probably is adequate. you have to look at the specs of your unit. i'm not doing it for youreplacing a breaker is much easier than replacing the wire though so have fun running your new 10gauge
30 amp breaker, 14 guage wire. "dead" unused wires at fixtures that draw make heat using resistance. red flags. you will be adding another layer of handy-andy hackery on top of your existing underspecced hacked together shit14 guage is rated for 15 amps. thats all.its not that this is overly complicated, but you are well into the "if you have to ask..." territory. red flags all over. additionally, if you rent, not own, it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY its legal for you to do this without a license. You are legally allowed to burn your own house to the ground in most of America, but when it comes to someone else's house that someone else is going to occupy after you, for very good reason your standard average renter is not allowed to play.if you own this and are renting out to others, use the income you are making from them to do this right and keep your house insurable. you dont know what you dont know, what you describe existing does not sound at all like it's properly installed
>>3003963By dead I mean nothing registers with the breaker on and the wall switch on when I test the wire with a pen style voltage tester. Haven't done it with a multimeter yet. I own it and won't be renting to anyone else. I have no problem with taking the time and effort to do it right.
