Air conditioner advice

[NW-Bound]

You can order a 50' length for the lines. If that's too long, you can cut and use a flare tool to redo the end. The extra line length beyond the 25' also requires a few ounces of refrigerant charge to maintain the right pressure.

 

[mountainsoft]

You can order a 50' length for the lines. If that's too long, you can cut and use a flare tool to redo the end. The extra line length beyond the 25' also requires a few ounces of refrigerant charge to maintain the right pressure.

If I were to install the inside unit above our kitchen cabinets, it would only be about 11 feet down to the outside unit. So even the 16' line set would be more than I need. I don't know if I would spend the extra money to buy a 16' line set and have an unused 25' set from the original package sitting around.

I did see a company somewhere selling a package with the 16' line set, but it cost more than buying the original package and second line set.

I have my doubts, but I'm hoping the portable unit will work for us considering how little we will need it. The advantage of the mini split is it would provide heat too. But $2000 will buy a lot of electricity for our existing electric heaters.

 

[NW-Bound]

Now that I have seen a photo of the kitchen, installing a unit above the stove is a piece of cake!

In my installations, the lines run through the garage attic to get to an exterior wall, and that's where I coiled up the extra length. I don't know what's on the other side of your kitchen wall, and how high you would mount the outdoor unit, but it would not take a very long line. Most likely, you will have to cut some length off.

A copper tube flaring tool is dirt cheap, compared to what an HVAC installer would charge you. In fact, throw in other tools such as a vacuum pump, and vacuum gauge, it's still cheap.

About aesthetics, I always balance it against comfort. It's really hot where I am, and I am willing to have multiple ACs for a backup. I still have the electricity-guzzling central AC to turn on if the minisplits quit. Air conditioning is that critical here, where the high can get to 120+, and the low before sunrise is 90+. YMMV.

 

[mountainsoft]

Now that I have seen a photo of the kitchen, installing a unit above the stove is a piece of cake!

Yep, just a hole through the wall and down to the outside unit. I would probably mount it on the patio outside that wall, maybe pour a small level concrete pedestal since the patio slopes a bit.

I pondered whether I could build some kind of box beneath the outdoor unit and hide the extra line set in it, but there's no reason to pursue that idea unless I decide to get a mini-split.

In my installations, the lines run through the garage attic to get to an exterior wall, and that's where I coiled up the extra length.

Originally I had hoped I could mount an indoor unit up on the interior wall (right side of the kitchen photo). This is where the attic room is, which would allow me to coil up any extra line set before dropping down to the outside unit. Unfortunately, this proved to be problematic with the ceiling fan and wood stove chimney inside. Outside I would have to work around the back door, wall vents for our utility and bathroom fans, and the dryer vent down below. And do all this with the 25' line set. It just wouldn't work out the way I had hoped. Technically yes, practically no.

About aesthetics, I always balance it against comfort. It's really hot where I am, and I am willing to have multiple ACs for a backup. I still have the electricity-guzzling central AC to turn on if the minisplits quit. Air conditioning is that critical here, where the high can get to 120+, and the low before sunrise is 90+. YMMV.

I hate having pipes, wires, or other things on the outside of the house. I have run almost everything underground up under the foundation. I even installed a run of conduit and had the cable company fish it in for me so I wouldn't have another box on the house. When we built our house, I probably spent a few hundred dollars more combining all the plumbing vents in the attic so I would only have one pipe exiting through the roof. My justification was to minimize potential roof leaks, but honestly I just didn't want a bunch of stuff sticking up through the roof. Yeah, I have a problem...

AC has always been a luxury item here. Until this summer, 90 degree days were rare and easy to tolerate for a few days. This year we were over 100 for a few days and have had quite a few over 90 so far.

 

[sengsational]

1) Call an experienced air conditioning expert with a stellar reputation among honest, discerning people in your area that you know well.

That is great advice, but not always easy. Breaking down that step into component parts would be helpful. I've been getting suggestions on my neighborhood Facebook page. But even then, they recommend the highly advertised, high price chains, just because they used them. Sure, the A/C works when they leave, but they spent $12,000 instead of $12 on a new capacitor Got a good gutter company that way, though.

 

[NW-Bound]

That is great advice, but not always easy. Breaking down that step into component parts would be helpful. I've been getting suggestions on my neighborhood Facebook page. But even then, they recommend the highly advertised, high price chains, just because they used them. Sure, the A/C works when they leave, but they spent $12,000 instead of $12 on a new capacitor Got a good gutter company that way, though.

When it is hot and people are desperate, they will say "Do whatever, just get me some cool air".