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Has Anyone Done An Install Of A Daikin VRV System? What Was Your Opinion Of The System Compared To A Standard Split System?
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Can't even be compared to a split system. There are a lot of rules you have to follow that are NOT standard refrigeration practices. You have takea day long installation/commissioning class to install them. The systems we have at work have been pretty good to us. Everything is very quiet and more efficient. Are you after something specific that we might be able to answer for you?
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Originally Posted by ChaseW
They seem to work OK No major issues, but each job comes with it own hic-ups.
The main thing is follow the installation instructions and KNOW warranty...If you have someone else doing this. KNOW the installation instructions and KNOW warranty.
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I've installed a half dozen VRV systems from a few manufacturers. I did a Daikin last fall. It was the second system that I know of installed for that city government. The customers decided to go with Daikin again because they had gone through all the work of figuring out the bacnet interface on their first system and didn't want to go through it again with a different manufacturer.
Three pipes instead of two from the outdoor unit. Y-branchs to the BS (does the job of a reversing valve) controllers for each evaporator. Had to verify the sizing of the Y-branches and pipes at each point in the system. It's a bit confusing until you get your mind wrapped around it.
Like they said above, read and understand the installation instructions and leave your assumptions behind because you'll be learning a new kind of system.
I really enjoyed the whole thing.
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Ryan, No Specific Questions, I Have Just Finished Installing My First One And Thought It Was Very Neat Technology. Couldn't Really Find Anything About It Online, So I Figured I Would Ask. I Think It Would Be Neat For A House, But Expensive, And I Am Not Sure You Can Get Them That Small.
Dlove, I Thought So As Well, That's Why I Called Daikin For Any Questions, Although The Entire Job Was Drawn Up By An Engineer, So There Wasn't A Whole Lot Of Questions.
Eric S, I Did Not Get A Chance To Do The Heat Recovery On This Project, But I Think It Is A Very Good Idea. The Most Challenging Part For Me Was The Metric Sizes And The Lack Of Instructions In English. I Also Liked The Refnets, It Seems Like A Better Way To Split of Branches Than Tees.
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I Have A Second One To Finish In Two Weeks.
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The Daikin systems use three copper pipes running from the distribution box to the fan coils whereas Mitsubishi requires only two copper pipes ran between the fan coils and the distribution box. So the Mitsubishi would be easier to install. I prefer the Mitsubishi VRF myself. Thank you very much
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Glennac, From What I Understand The Purpose Of The Three Pipes Is To Allow The Diffrent Indoor Units To Have One Heat And Another One Cool Simultaneously, While Being On The Same Outdoor Unit. Can Mitsubishi Acomplish That With Just Two Pipes? If So Then I Completly Agree.
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Not Really!
Daikin uses three pipes from the Outdoor Unit to the Branch Box and two pipes from there to each fan coils. We have installed both brands without any problems.
I'm good at making things cold...You can ask my first two wives!
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Both brands do this they just go about it in different manners.
I'm good at making things cold...You can ask my first two wives!
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It should also be said that one brand has every available piece of information listed on a website as the other acts as if thier info is top secret.
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Now ....that ....is a very acurate statement!!!!
I'm good at making things cold...You can ask my first two wives!
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The most aggravating installation error I run into, with pretty much EVERY VRV system I service that was installed by someone else, is the control wiring.
For some reason the installation contractors keep using shielded wire, even though it is specifically forbidden in the installation instructions, and drilled in over and over again at the installation class.
On top of that, they don't bother to ground the shield, so it acts as an antenna for every stray RF signal in the building, causing random communication errors.
Installers also ignore the instructions about where the communications wires are to enter the units, and how they are to rout through the unit.
If you run the communications line in with the line voltage wires, then zip tie it to the inverter driven compressors leads on its way to the control board, you WILL have random communications errors.
Daikin and others have models that are targeted more at residential installations.
The Daikin VRVIII-S comes in 3 and 4 ton sizes, and can have 6 indoor units for the 3 ton, or 8 for the 4 ton.
They are rather expensive, but are great for some applications that would be extremely difficult with conventional equipment.
We put one in a lake house that was built in the 1960's post modern style.
Glass walls, flat roof, limited roof truss space, and couldn't use the crawl space due to potential flooding.
We were able to squeeze in ceiling concealed air handlers above closets.
The job cost them 3 arms and 2 legs though...
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Yeah, easy access to all of the manuals was one of the deciding factors in us choosing Daikin over the other guys.
Well, that and their US headquarters being local.
Now if they would just do better at updating the site with the new products...
They seem to run about a year behind.
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Are you guys saying the Mitsubishi manuals are hard to find???
www.mylinkdrive.com
How could it be any easier?
I also prefer the Mitsubishi system. Simultaneous heat and cool with only 2 pipes between the outdoor unit and branch box.
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The linkdrive site just puts everything else to shame. They even have the design software posted there , updates for controllers , application notes , etc. Anyone have the Daikin design software ?
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Is it true that the system refrigerant charge is calculated by measuring the piping lengths? If so, then please do your customer a favor and record this number in multiple places. Not only the label on the outdoor unit, but several other locations. A coworkers building has a Daikin system, and during the contractor's owner/operator training they told us about this - and then pointed to where this info was written. It was so faded, even they could not make it out well enough to even allow a best guess as to what was written! And it was not recorded anywhere else. Thanks guys. On the bright side, I haven't heard of any problems with the system.
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If this were City - Multi you could refer to the " as built " design tool file submitted for warranty. I also provide the commissioning report with the job folder for each project.
I'm not bashing any brand , but Mitsu. controls and commissioning are so much better. I think that the Daikin performance may have an edge as far as the actual machines , but EVERYTHING else falls flat with them ( and I do try to work with them , but man they are difficult ).
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Mark Beiser, That's Good To Know That They Are Available In Residential.
Nuclrchiller, Yes The Charge Is Determined By The Piping Length. That Is A Good Idea To Write The Piping Length On The Outdoor Unit And In The HVAC System Folder I Am Going To Give Them In Addition To Keeping It In My Records, As We Are Going To Service It. We Also Have The Electrical Service For The Building, As I Installed A New 400 Amp Three Phase System, Panels, Branch Wiring, Lights, And Backup Generator With Exit Lights.
Tech 45, We Did Get A Predone Piping And Wiring Diagram, But Partway Through The Project, They Changed The Sizes, So We Remeasured The Lines To Ensure That We Were Working With The Correct Numbers.
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If this were City - Multi all members involved could pass around the " Design Tool " file and have the same information available at an instant.
And I have a job with a Daikin itouch... I'm keeping this train wreck on the back burner for this thread . For now all I can say is ..." really ? ". I wan't to talk about it , and I don't want to talk about it. The AG150 Mitsubishi is good , I'll think about that one.
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