Here is one more picture

Are you trying to tap off the orange wires or from the box with the switch in it (or somewhere else not obvious in your pictures). In either case, you need to know where these wires go/come from.

I don't know how "condenser units" differ from HVAC. I would classify the first as part of the second. But it doesn't matter, because these will be on dedicated circuits. By code, you can't draw your feed from them.

You'll have to pull another feed from a general purpose receptacle or lighting circuit.

You can do it right now, or you can pay a pro to make it right when you go to sell your house, and the home inspection flags it.

No matter where you connect your lights, make sure the power cord isn't going to be abraded or pinched (as it probably would be if passed through a closed door).

If you do use the outdoor receptacle, make sure it has an in use cover. (The link is for illustration, and is not meant as an endorsement.)

Don't know of any electrical code issue on tapping into the HVAC circuit (here likely only for control logic and a blower). Of course, if the unit instructions say it needs a dedicated circuit, you can not legitimately share it.

The other big issue is how you're going to run the wire for the lights into this closet. Such would likely involve wall penetrations which would be illegal for this type of cordage or lighting.

The right way to do this is to install (or have installed by a pro) a proper outdoor receptacle where the light string needs to plug in. You'll also want to make sure that the string itself is listed for wet or damp areas (whichever applies).

Thanks guys! I will not be touching the orange condenser wires. My original plan was to have the rope lights come out of the HVAC closet. from that tube.

I am adding some an additional picture of my deck area and where existing lights/outlet are located. Hoping to get some additional ideas/thoughts. I really do not want to plug the lights in at that outlet.

One other option that occurred to me was to install an outdoor outlet/switch similar to how my basement-HVAC is connected. The basement has the tankless water heater plugged in.

Where do you want to put the light string?

Chances are those wires are 240v. Bet you're going to want 120v for a light string.

Use caution. Wiring for A/C compressors are often 240Vac, not 120 Vac.

However, as strange as it may seem, in the US, the voltage to ground from either lead of a 240 v supply will measure 120 V because that what it is, but from lead to lead, it is 240V.

The transformer winding supplying the house is center tapped. The nominal voltage from either end of the winding to center is 120 V. The voltage from end to end is 240 V. The center tap is connected to the neutral bar of the distribution box in the house. One end of the transformer winding is connected to one of the "hot" bars in the distribution box and the other end of the winding is connected to the other "hot" bar.

Yes, the outdoor compressor is almost cerainly 240.

The tankless gas water heater only needs a tiny amount of power for its control circuit and igniter, that would be an OK place to plug into. Again the big issue with running wiring outside is that you need to do so properly:

1. You can't run cords through the wall.
2. You must use a suitable wet rated box/in-use cover for the outside mounted receptacle.

Thank you everyone for the responses! I will not be touching the condenser wires at all. However, let me take a few steps back and explain what I am thinking of doing:

• I have two HVAC units: one in the basement and one in a HVAC closet on my balcony on the fourth floor
• The image below shows how my basement-HVAC wired. It is connected to a box with a switch that controls the HVAC and two outlets. One of the outlets has the tankless water heater plugged into it. I am hoping to replicate this outlet/switch/box combo in the balcony-HVAC closet.
  

• The image below shows how the balcony-HVAC is setup. It has the switch connected directly to the HVAC but no outlet. I'm hoping to add an outlet/box to wall and move the switch to the box, ultimately mimicking the basement-HVAC setup. I plan to use same type of conduit pipes, box, and outlet. Once the outlet is in place, I can plug the lights into the outlet and run them out of the hole that leads out of the closet.
  

• Assuming that the basement-HVAC breaker can handle the water heater and the HVAC, I am assuming that the balcony-HVAC breaker could handle the lights and the HVAC. Here is the picture of the breakers.
  

Thoughts on the plan? Anything I'm missing?

Sorry to say, you're still missing the fact that some of the fundamental principles behind this project are in error.

First, unless it's marked for use in-wall (and I've never seen one that was), the supply cord for your lights isn't designed or approved to be run through walls. To use these lights, you should install (or have installed) an outdoor receptacle with in-use cover where you want the lights to plug in.

Second, it sounds like you plan to use decorative lights for a permanent or semi-permanent installation. Most decorative strings are meant for temporary use only. (Some won't say this on the package, especially if they're cheap imported lights and the manufacturers haven't bothered with regulatory approval.)

Here and here are examples of decorative lighting intended for permanent installation. (No endorsement intended.)

I think that you could also use low voltage landscape or rope lights designed for permanent installation. Ron can correct me if I'm wrong about this, it's not something I've spent a lot of time researching, but I think that if you installed the transformer indoors, routing the low voltage wire would be subject to relaxed rules.

I know it probably seems like overkill, but I encourage you to talk to a few pros about this. They can do the whole job right and to code, installing top quality permanent accent lighting for you.

I have an electrician coming by to take a look and talk it through.

The lights would never be really be "in-wall" as the opening is only 4-6 inches long until you are outside from the closet/pilot-house where the HVAC is located.

There are the lights I am planning to us: https://www.lightingever.com/150ft-led-rope-lights-kit-4500001-ww-us.html

Was hoping this would've been an easy/straight-forward project. I am learning along the way. Thank you for all the insight!

Just had an electrician come out to look at everything and he recommended rather than moving the switch from the HVAC, just jump a wire cased in a flexible conduit from the switch to an outlet mounted on the wall.

So the electrician is going to install an outlet inside the house. And then you are going to run a cord through the wall to the outside?