Buried Refrigerant Line and Run Distance ? - InspectionNews

Rick Hurst · #1 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 01:39 PM

I know this was discussed many moons ago, but I cannot locate the thread.

Today, I found a refrigerant line at a condensing unit that was at the rear of a home that was buried below the ground and ran approximately 60ft around the structure where it entered the brick veneer and across the attic to the air handler. We're talking 70-80ft. in distance.

The line did enter into some PVC material near the the condensing unit but where it came up from the ground no such protection was present.

Can the line be buried as such and for such a long distance. Seems as if it could reduce the efficiency of the equipment not counting the possibility of damages to the line being below the ground. This same side of the structure where the line is present is going to have extensive foundation repairs next week, so I can just see the damages coming to this line.

Any thoughts on this I'd would appreciate as always.

Richard Rushing · #2 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 01:47 PM

Yup... guess who they'll call after the foundation repairs have been made and the unit is not functional...
(see photo for culprit)

Rich

Rick Hurst · #3 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 02:11 PM

Dang, that is one good looking ole boy. Hope he watches his step.

Seriously Richard, me and my son drove by that old house one day and thought we take some pics of it. Next thing I knew we had a ladder up against the roof as if we were going up on the thing. A few months ago someone sit that old house on fire. It was firestarter material for sure.

Jerry Peck · #4 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Hurst

Can the line be buried as such and for such a long distance.

Yes, they can.

I've seen some even further away.

I called an HVAC contractor I knew at the time and his response was 'Under the right design conditions, size of the refrigerant lines, manufacturers allowances for distances and height between the two units, it varies on many things - you'd need to look it all up in the book and check out what is there.'

I advised my client that 'it might have been designed within all the appropriate parameters, but I recommend having an HVAC contractor check it out and verify it is okay, that spending a hundred or so would provide the answer of *yes, it is okay* or *no, it is a problem*'.

Phillip Stojanik · #5 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 02:31 PM

I personally would not be too concerned. Its true that some small loss of efficiency or system capacity may be experienced due to the line set being buried. I would not expect that loss to be significant enough to lose much sleep over though.

The overall length of run of the refrigerant lines is a somewhat larger issue in my mind and might have called for an increase in the copper tubing diameter.