I agree with everything said in this post. I bought a mini-split on Ebay
and had the exact same experience.

"DT" wrote in message
...
I purchased a Celiera unit on eBay and installed it myself. I am quite
happy with it after two years. Most of the systems have pre-charged
outdoor
units and feature what they called "quick couplers" which are just flared
fittings. The installation manual outlines a method to bleed the air out
of the
lines and indoor unit using a timed purge. This purge is designed to just
exhaust the air, and release a minimum of refrigerant. How well it works I
cannot attest to.

A friend installed a whole house unit years ago and bought a unit with
evacuated lineset and evaporator and true dry-break quick disconnects
which did
not need to be purged, but I could not locate any.

I had to shorten the lineset so I had to cut and reflare the tubing (I
have
years of experience at this and all the tools). I do some work on
automotive
A/C so I have a vacuum pump with the correct fittings which are the same
as the
mini-split. So I vacuum checked the entire system before releasing the
refrigerant instead of using their purge method.

So...yes it can be done if (1) you have the skills and buy a unit with the
proper connections and (2) you are satisfied with their purge method. Even
though the instructions show this method, reading the fine print reveals
that
it has to be professionally installed in order to be guaranteed. And if
you
need a lineset longer than the supplied length, you will have to have it
filled
anyway, as the refrigerant only fills a certain line length.

--
Dennis