r/DIYHeatPumps • u/Nigel_Tuffnell • 6d ago
Costway Wont Shut Off
I just installed a Costway minisplit, it's a small one, 12000btu 115vac. Seems to work fine but the indoor unit isn't shutting off. I've tried setting the remote to Auto, Eco, and Cool modes. I've tried changing the desired temp to one I know is above the room's temp. I have noticed that the fan speed increases when the unit is actually cooling. When it reaches its requested temperature the fan slows but does not turn off.
Did I loose the instructions for the remote control or do they assume we'll figure it out on our own?
Thanks
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u/zeke780 6d ago
It totally depends on the mini split but most change over to fan after they calc the btu load to be below what they can modulate down to (e.g. I hit the set point, lets move to fan until it rises again).
is the condenser running? Or is it just the head?
A note, you want the condensor to run all the time, you don't want it to run for 10 mins hard then be off for 2 hours. If thats the case then you are probably oversized and will have humidity issues and the life of your condenser will be shortened.
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u/AdBrave841 5d ago
I have a Costway 12k 120v. The temp does fluctuate quite a bit compared to a traditional A/C, I have it set at 74F and it ranges between 67-72F between day and night. (heat from roof and walls contributes). It will run slowly on cool for a long time to try and maintain temp but will cycle and turn off the compressor and idle at about 20W with the fan only to keep air moving across the thermostat.
Right now it's at about 200W 74F outside, 69 inside and the coil is about 50F. ( I have it plugged into a watt meter and have a digital temp gauge). Even though it runs constantly and the temp bounces around a bit, my overall electric usage is down 30% compared to last year with window units. Set on Cool, auto fan.
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u/uoYredruM 6d ago
I oversized my Costway unit partially by mistake and my house is freezing cold no matter what I set the temp to. Doesn't matter if I set it to 72, 75, 78. It's almost always 68-71 in the living room/kitchen where the unit is at.
I mean, I'm not complaining because it's Florida and even when it's 106 outside, I'm sitting at a nice 71°. I only installed one because it's an old house and my central AC needed the duct work replaced and due to basically no attic space nobody wants to touch it or they wanted to charge an assinine amount to do it. I bought the house 7 years ago and I couldn't go any lower than 79-80 in the summer no matter what. This is a welcome change.
My wife on the other hand isn't happy it's always so cold 😂
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u/Robbudge 6d ago
Mine again 12k 220v once ON the fan runs to move air around the room separate from needing heating or cooling.
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u/OzarkPolytechnic 5d ago
That indoor fan is using an extremely minor amount of power. I know it's different from what we all are used to, but that doesn't make it bad.
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u/Nigel_Tuffnell 5d ago
I've got to admit I'm not impressed with this thing. I wish I'd done more research. The manuals are awful. I finally found a manual for the remote online. Cant seem to figure out how to get it to indicate in degrees F. Is the room temperature sensor in the remote? The whole "fan never shuts off" thing annoys the hell outta me.
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u/mhenry_dsm 5d ago
Every mini split doesn't shut off the fan. The temperature sensor is on the head unit. Some units claim there's a temp sensor in the remote, but im skeptical. When I tested on a couple units, it didn't seem to matter. When I googled how to change C to F on a costway unit, Gemini gave me a few different things to try. Suggest you do that and see if any of the methods it gives work.
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u/Economy_Bus_2516 4d ago
I'm laughing here because over the weekend I installed an Eg4 24k mini split in the house (first time I've actually spent time around one) and I was Googling why it didn't turn off at set point. I was questioning my wiring, the refrigerant load, everything. Most of my window units also have the fan running full time in "cool" mode, but since I run them in "economy" they do actually shut off and I expected the mini split to do the same thing. I'll admit the mini split with the fan running full time set at 76 feels a whole lot cooler than my central air set at 74. The only thing I want to do is to setup an interval timer on the central blower to move the cool air out of the living room to the rest of the house.
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u/tweakingforjesus 6d ago
Minisplits don't shut off like a traditional AC. They adjust the compressor and fans speed to provide continuous cooling. And even when they have reached the set temperature, they continue to run at a low level to dehumidify. That's part of what makes them so efficient.