Review of the Hitachi Model RAS-09UH Split AC System Air Conditioner

After i renovated (gutted) our deck residence and remodelled it in the media place, I considered including ac. I decided the few hot days annually didn’t guarantee the extra price of ac. Boy was I completely wrong! In July of 2006, California saw a huge heat wave that was extremely intense.

The media room as totally un-usable as a result of excessive temperatures which created inside the small 250 sq . foot building. I needed to try and do something positive about this because the area was too nice not to use!

I considered a lightweight unit, but the size of the devices, their noise levels and requirement to have an exhaust hose made this an unappealing choice. I chose to get a split AC/heating system. The Hitachi RAS-09UH was priced proper and was powerful enough for our small building; and so i ordered it on-line. It arrived within five days of ordering, in tact and nearly prepared to install.

Before I continue, I must explain that i’m a checker by profession, but I had been raised by a contractor father. I learned the way to do most construction jobs at the start of my entire life. I did completed the whole media room on my own and so i chose to install the Hitachi RAS-09UH without any help. Only if experienced difficulty I possibly could always seek professional AC installer help. The installation manual states that professional installation is needed.

This product includes an internal unit approximately 8″ deep x 31″ long x 11″ wide and an outdoor unit 10″ deep x 30″ wide x 20 wide. These units must be linked together with a hose set which conducts the refrigerant lines. 2 power conduits will also be needed, while a draining line must also exit your building.

I ordered a 15 foot hose set together with my unit. I learned that no electrical wiring or conduits were included. I studied the poorly written installation manual many times. I needed a good idea how to do the majority of the tasks involved.

A trip to Home Depot and I was equipped with pre-wired conduit along with other supplies. I installed a 15amp exterior electrical box using a locking socket after which made the electrical connections to the units. That of a pain ! The terminals were tiny and yes it was quite difficult to make the connections. (in simple terms it’s a 5 minute job…not this time!)

After making the interior electrical connections and connecting the refrigerant lines to the interior unit, the time had come to put the mounting bracket on the wall. I then drilled a 2 inch hole in the wall, that the manual stated was the correct size. This hole, proved to be too small to accommodate all the lines, and so i drilled another hole to take the draining line.

Another problem was obtaining the interior unit to hang properly on all the 4 hooks of the mounting bracket. It was impossible, so I used just the top two and yes it holds perfectly. A word of advice: ensure the drain line is installed on the side of the exit hole in the wall. Also, be sure the unit is level to permit permanently drainage.

Next I connected the refrigerant lines to the exterior unit. The manual states the lines should be bled (vacuumed). Obviously I could not try this because I lacked the correct tools. I went ahead a make the connections, in the hope the unit had enough refrigerant to compensate for any kind of air within the lines. After connecting the lines I opened the refrigerant values and I noticed the pleasant sound with the lines being filled! Until now so great!

After i drilled some holes within the concrete slab and screwed the outside unit right down to the slab.

The moment of truth was here; time and energy to turn the breaker on and power up. As I pressed the on button of the LCS remote, I fully expected failure, but i’m happy to report the unit hummed to life! Very quiet and incredibly effective. So far, this unit worked like a dream! I may have an AC person come out to test the refrigerant line and charge, until then it is working great!

The handy remote control is needed for many operations. It may be set to AC/Fan/Dehumidify/or Heat. It’ll be great as a supplemental heating system so we could turn the radiant heat down a touch on very cold days. Another highlight is an Air Sweep setting which turns moves the direction of the forced air down and up.

It is a silent feature which will help to better circulate the air. The indoor unit has two removable and cleanable air conditioning filters. These aren’t HEPA type filters however. They are meant to keep the running elements of the AC clean during operation. Filters appear easy to wash plus they are easy to take out and replace.

The manufacturers should unit included the necessary electrical wires, plug and conduits. An all-in-one package could have been great. Also, the installation instructions were only fair. They might have been more specific and easier to read. I am glad I took the job on myself. I would only recommend the job to someone familiar with electrical and general contracting work.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

john September 13, 2010 at 1:27 pm

Nice job, after reading your comments, you should call a tech., so that he can vacuum the line and get rid of the air inside line.

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