For two of the rooms, the lines have to go through a closet to reach the exterior wall. It will be difficult to slope the line through the closet at 1/4” per 1’ foot for drainage. In fact, I’d ideally like the lines to be tucked up at the top of the closet, protected and out of the way. I think I will use a condensate pump, powered from the indoor unit, for these rooms.

Looks fine to me.

We had a condensate pump, it was noisy and went on every few minutes. There was no reason for it, it was easy for installer to replumb for gravity.

Here's some install info.-

Thank you!

A friend suggested instead of running the condensate line at the top of the closet, run it down the side and bottom edge of the closet. It is just a drain line, so there's no hazard if some future little kid messes with it (which is why I want the other lines fastened up at the top back of the closet). That would allow gravity drain, no condensate pump, save me $150 x 2.

The condensate line will emerge from the siding at a different place than the other lines, but that seems ok - no need to run it all the way to the ground and expose it to freezing (not sure if indoor unit generates condensate in heating mode? but my central furnace heater has a condensate pump/reservoir.)

Prices contractors are charging for installation has been subject of much discussion. If you don't mind, how many actual working hours did it take to install each? I'm of the opinion a tech and a helper shouldn't need more than 3 hours per unit on site plus 1/2 hour travel time.

@klem1 you asking me? I’m DIYing it. it will naturally take me way way longer than a professional.

I suspected it might be a diy. Oh well I should have known pictures and several Indepth questions would be required. Never mind, it isn't high priority.

Well, this is getting more complicated. One location requires the lines to snake through two closets to reach the exterior wall, making six 90 bends to hug the closet corners, then five 90- bends on the exterior to get around different architectural components and reach the outside unit, and all that exterior work will be from 10' to 25' above ground, for a 45' total line run . It is going to be impossible to neatly bend and run the continuous lineset. So I will be cutting the copper lines and silver soldering 90 deg fittings to assemble the run in sections, and adding a section to my scaffold so I don't have to do it all on ladders. The other three locations are more straightforward.

Another complication. My 20’ ladder is not long enough to do this safely, or unsafely for that matter.

A 28’ ladder is $500. I’m going to see if my house painter wants to hire himself hourly out to go up there, bend these linesets down the wall, and screw on the upper piece of lineset cover. If not, another $500 . . .

I know the ladder shown is not straight, I just put it up there to see if it would reach. Before I go up above 10’, I tie ladders off to the house.

Lots of places rent mountain climbing gear. It would be cheaper and likely safer to rent a harness and rappel down from roof.

You can rent a ladder. Or check around your neighborhood. I have a 32' ladder I've lent to a neighbor.

A 32 foot ladder is worthless for my use, there's nothing I can do while holding on with both hands.

I was very leery of ladder work, until I spent a summer stripping the siding to bare wood up to as far as the 20’ ladder would go. I figured above that, I wouldn’t see details so normal painter prep was ok. I tie the ladder to the house, so it’s not going anywhere, and I’ve learned to do things with one hand :-)

For the other side of the house, where there is pavement, I have a scaffold.

Rappeling - hmm, sounds like by the time I learn how to do that, I could have the linesets done and be off the ladder.

Looks like I can rent a ladder for $43/day.

Over ten bends and a 45 foot run... I'd be going with the condensate pump at this point!

In the closet situations, the drain lines are being run separately from the refrigerant and electrical lines, on a downhill route.

Example below. I’m not sure if the drain lines should go all the way to the ground, or if they can just poke out from the lineset cover and dribble from mid-house.

Ugh, I didn’t realize the lines on the left emerge higher than the lines on the right :-( I’ll run the copper line covers to the same height for looks’ sake.

The photo below shows the biggest PITA room. This line goes through two closets, then emerges above the bumpout, has to turn and run above the bumpout roof then turn and go down to the outdoor unit, and be covered the whole way. It’ll be nice to not see the lineset from the front of the house, though.

Progress pics. Getting lines through closets. I was able to avoid cutting lines there. It is reasonably tucked out of the way. Except the drain lines, they run low so are visible . . . but only when closet is empty.

North side of house, the easier side. Copper line covers will go to the eaves. They’ll look kind of like downspouts.

Cut lines to length at the outdoor unit . Will add insulation and wrap to exposed line, and install covers, after everything is verified working and not leaking.

South side of house, the more difficult side. Lots of stuff to work around. Not loving being near the electrical service. Not loving juggling wrench, torque wrench, etc while trying to hold ladder with my belly. Have only dropped a tool once so far!

Still haven’t tackled the PITA line, shown in prior post. That’s tomorrow. Going to get lines and cabling all done this weekend, do electrical to panel during the week, next weekend borrow my friend’s vacuum pump/gauge and hopefully have working minisplits by this time next week. Then get the copper line covers made by a sheet metal place, and back up on the ladder to install those.

I was up here stripping the siding just two years ago. Century houses, sigh.

I’m glad I didn’t get the 32’ ladder. The 28’ is enough, and is already heavy and awkward to place and move.

Got the PITA line done.

The part over the bumpout was indeed hard and a bit scary to reach. Screwing the lineset covers on here will not be fun. Then again, no-one but the birds will ever see this area. Hmm, best be thinking about a new roof soon.

The drain line bugs me, just hanging there dripping on your head. I’ll probably run it into a copper pipe and take that to the ground.

I just have to say. What little I can see if your home, it's lovely. Looks like a labor of love.

Thanks Izzy. I’ve lived here about 20 years. The house is 114 years old. It used to be beige.

A couple summers ago I stripped the old failed paint, the south and west sides looked like this.

I used this tool plus respirators, vacuum, drop cloths, sanders, and lots of time. From April though September.

It’s pretty satisfying work.

Here we are almost done.

Last year we started a kitchen remodel, that took the whole summer. There are still things left to finish up.

My next project is to convert the attic into a master suite, but that’s a few years off.

Its beautiful. You can be very proud of it.

I think pvc conduit screams DYI but I wanted to ” match “ the existing conduit up the wall, which was done ten years ago before I had an EMT bender.

Took time to cut the supports to fit the siding

Some puzzling over wire colors. The cable sets and the unit instructions use different colors.

Some paint and the north outdoor unit’s exterior wiring will be done. If I’d only thought to position the unit 6” to the left, it would have been easier to work :-(

Going to get the north side outdoor unit wired one evening this week - its at ground level so no ladder work, and the second time should be faster, but I have to run NMC across the basement - then connect to panel and we’ll be ready to pull vacuum.

North side outdoor unit wired, NMC pulled through basement to panel. Tonight I need to install breakers and connect to panel. I didn’t do that last night, because I was tired and prefer to work with actual live power when I’m not tired. I also need to double check all the connections - the minisplit wiring instructions are color coded, like blue wire to terminal #1 and white wire to terminal #2 etc, but the cable sets have different colors - grrr - and I think ten minutes to make double-sure the right wires go to the correct terminals would be a Good Idea before flipping breakers. Then I need to borrow a friend’s vacuum pump and gauges - or spend $100 at Harbor Freight - and hopefully we’ll have cold by this weekend’s mini heat wave.

Well that was irritating.

I started pulling vacuum. On the first line, there was clearly something wrong - water vapor wouldn’t stop coming from vacuum pump exhaust and pressure went from -30 mmHg to zero as soon as I turned the pump off.

Ok, I figure that means air is getting in, so I need to check torque on all the flares.

The 3/8” line flares were ok, the 1/4” line flares were not to spec - but spec is 15-20 nM which is kind of a lot for soft 1/4” copper. And while torquing the 1/4” line in the closet, I snapped it off.

So this weekend I have to redo that flare. And probably will have to retorque other lines since if I undertorqued these, I must have undertorqued others. Potentially more juggling-wrenches-on-ladder work.

Arrgh. The joys of being a stupid DIYer.

Free vacuum pumps are available at Autozone, O'Reillys and maybe others. They charge your card and refund when you return the pump. Gauges are also available.

Okay we’re back on track.

The culprit was the 1/4” x 5/16“ adapter between hose and valve. As soon I pressurized the system, the hissing was evident. Wouldn’t seal no matter how tight.

New adapter and lines - at least the two I’ve doing so far - are holding 200 psi nitrogen for 24 hrs with no drop.

Hmm, I need to shim the unit - it was level but the lineset is pushing the right side up.