ᐅ Is it worth preparing for air conditioning installation?

Nixwill2 schrieb:

What I couldn’t find was the maximum length of the pipes. Does anyone here perhaps have a rough idea?

For my planning, the two indoor units on the upper floor are about 12m (39 feet) of piping away from the indoor unit.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

I can only imagine that it’s easier to install these two “tubes” along with a power cable directly; somehow you probably always manage to fit it through.

That was my thought as well. Together, it’s a bit flatter and can be routed nicely through some of the cavities.
Also, even though the pipes are flexible within the property, later 90-degree bends inside the conduit could still be challenging.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

I looked up the weight of the outdoor unit; it’s under 50kg (110 lbs). Isn’t that a load that should be easily supported by a roof?

What I couldn’t find was the maximum pipe length. Does anyone here have a rough estimate? It would make it easier to figure out where else I could place the outdoor unit instead of on the roof...

50kg (110 lbs) should be manageable, but you definitely need to clarify this because the 50kg (110 lbs) also have to be securely mounted so that any potential wind loads can be withstood by the substructure.

Regarding maximum pipe lengths and dimensions, you need to choose a supplier and then check the documentation. For my 9kW system, the maximum single pipe length was 25m (82 feet), and the total length was 75m (246 feet) — my actual total length ended up being 73m (240 feet).

I installed my outdoor unit on the north side so that on extremely hot days, reaching 30-40°C (86-104°F), the sun doesn’t shine directly on the unit. Otherwise, the condenser can overheat, and the unit may shut down.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Finally, a topic that doesn’t seem to have major issues!

I definitely won’t reach 25m (82 feet); I’m estimating more like 12m (39 feet), similar to Zubi123, and even with routing into the basement, I’m still well within 75m (246 feet) 😀.

The 50kg (110 pounds) will definitely need to be checked—someone knowledgeable will have to do that and approve it, of course.

The point about the sun is a good one, which supports my alternative idea of placing it on the carport on the north side behind the house. Does anyone know how this stands with neighborhood regulations? My property is lower than the neighbors to the north, and roughly, the top edge of the carport is at the level of their ground floor. I would place the outdoor unit close to the house, so there would still be about 4 meters (13 feet) straight-line distance to the neighbors’ garden, and maybe 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet) to their house.
Is the outdoor unit very noticeable?
This issue would also exist on the roof; in that case, the height would roughly correspond to the neighbors’ balcony on their upper floor.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

- probably two pipes per indoor unit (one supply and one return?)

Yes, you need two pipes. Usually, everything required to connect indoor and outdoor units has a diameter of about 50mm (2 inches), and I would recommend having the copper pipes and electrical/communication lines installed during construction, as it becomes more expensive and complicated afterwards.

Grundaus schrieb:

I wouldn’t install refrigerant lines already, they’ll just get contaminated,

How would sealed pipes get contaminated?

Grundaus schrieb:

Seals become brittle, and if a new refrigerant comes out in a few years, it won’t fit.

Um, no, that’s not how it’s done. Especially not with “new refrigerants” involved. There are no seals inside, so nothing can become brittle. This is not a car air conditioning system. The pipes are installed and sealed, with only air inside until the system is eventually connected.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

What I couldn’t find was the maximum length of the pipes. Does anyone have a rough idea? That would help in estimating alternative locations for the outdoor unit besides the roof...

As others have said, it depends heavily on the manufacturer and model, mainly because different compressors are used. If the outdoor unit is installed above the indoor units, remember that an oil trap needs to be installed in the pipes, but the HVAC technician handling the installation will be aware of that.

Dogma schrieb:

I have my outdoor unit on the north side so it doesn’t get direct sun on extremely hot days with 30-40 degrees Celsius (86-104°F). Otherwise, the condenser can overheat, causing faults.

That shouldn’t really be a problem. Yes, efficiency drops, but the same units used here are also installed in Texas and other parts of the world, often directly on the roof.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

Is the outdoor unit very noticeable? The problem would also exist on the roof, which for neighbors is about the height of a first-floor balcony.

Are you familiar with the issues heat pumps cause with neighbors? It’s the same thing. Ideally, it should be installed away from neighbors, such as facing the street or wherever is less intrusive.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

I’m thinking of mounting the outdoor unit on the roof (any objections?). Can someone provide an estimate about that?

Absolutely no problem. The mounting bracket (adjustable angle) and all necessary accessories are a bit more expensive than the usual two brackets for wall mounting, though.

Nixwill2 schrieb:

I would place the outdoor unit close to the house, so there would be roughly 4 meters (13 feet) in a straight line to the neighbor’s garden and about 8-10 meters (26-33 feet) to the house.
Is the outdoor unit very noticeable?
The problem would also exist on the roof, where the unit would be at a height similar to the neighbors’ balcony on the upper floor.

Noise is always a tricky subject because everyone perceives it differently. In this case, you can only rely on the permitted sound pressure level values in dB(A).

So you need to know how much noise your outdoor unit generates.
It helps if the fan is not facing the neighbors and if there are no large obstacles in the direction of the fan, since sound tends to reflect off such surfaces.

Mycraft schrieb:

That shouldn’t really be a problem. Yes, efficiency decreases, but the same units used here are also installed in Texas and other parts of the world, often even mounted directly on the roof.

Usually not, I agree with you, but it can happen if the system is running at its absolute limit and the day is very, very hot. Then it can occasionally occur.
The units in Texas and Saudi Arabia usually have a larger condenser or are quite oversized, which helps minimize the problem.
Otherwise, there’s always the garden hose you can attach to the condenser to prevent this from happening. 😉