Why We Made Our Decision:
My wife and I needed to make a decision on how we would cool and heat our cabin during the summers and winters to come. We purchased an 8000 BTU window unit from a local Big Box store in the beginning of the summer months to make some effort to keep us cool. We knew that we wanted to eventually purchase a Mini Split unit to provide both cooling and heating when we needed it. The window unit surpassed our expectations for keeping us cool and comfortable, but we knew we needed more.
Due to the affordability and ease of installation, we decided that a Mini Split unit was our best option for our size cabin. We chose an AUX 12,000 BTU unit which both heats and cools. At less than 500 Square feet of cabin space, some would say a 12,000 BTU was overkill. The particular unit that we chose is rated to heat and cool up to 600 Square Feet without any problems. This particular unit came with the installation kit which included both line sets, wiring, remote control, and the outdoor compressor and indoor air handler and wall mounting bracket for the indoor air handler. Many of these units also arrive pre-charged with R410a Refrigerant.
Deciding where to put it —
After deciding where we would install the unit in our cabin the next step was to pour a concrete pad for the outdoor compressor. Sure, we could have easily purchased a premade concrete pad, however, they can get a little pricey. It was more fun just to level some ground and pour my own, not to mention- Cheaper! I used a couple of 80 Pound bags of Quikrete from our local hardware store.
I also installed four (4) 2 inch concrete anchors to hold the compressor in place….
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After letting the concrete cure for a few days and removing the forms, I was ready to install the compressor outside. You can see below the compressor in place and bolted to the pad with the concrete anchors.
If you really don’t like the idea of pouring a concrete pad, there are several outdoor wall mounting brackets for mini splits on the market. Most are universal and will hold from 100 to 300 pounds. In the event you prefer the wall mount option be sure to purchase the rubber anti – vibration mounts. Many times you will not notice any vibration from the mini splits, however, they can be purchased if you want that peace of mind of not hearing or feeling any vibration. The image below are one of the mounting brackets available…