In this video
- Wrap the exposed copper flare fittings with insulation to stop condensation from forming and dripping down the wall
- Decide which side of the mini split, left or right, the line set will exit before you start wrapping
- Bundle the line set, condensate hose, and power/control wire together with electrical or duct tape, keeping the bundle straight and under 2.5 inches for an easy pull through the wall hole
- Position the condensate hose on the bottom of the bundle, never the top, so water always drains downhill instead of fighting gravity
- Leave the two mounting bracket connection points at the top of the indoor unit clear so the line set doesn't block them when you hang the unit
Questions this video answers
Why do I need to insulate the copper flare fittings on a mini split line set?
Cold copper collects condensation from the surrounding air, much like a glass of ice water sweats on a table, and that moisture will drip down your wall if the fitting is left exposed. Wrapping it in insulation keeps the copper's temperature from pulling condensation out of the air.
Which side should the line set come out of a mini split?
Either side works, it's your choice. On this Airspool unit the line set exits about seven and a quarter inches from the bottom screws of the wall bracket, and you can gently bend the line set to route it out the left or right side of the indoor unit.
How big of a hole do I need to drill in the wall for a mini split line set?
You only need one hole, about two and a half inches in diameter, as long as the line set, condensate hose, and power/control wire are bundled tightly and kept straight so they fit through cleanly.
Should the condensate drain hose be on the top or bottom of the bundle?
Always on the bottom. Water can't flow uphill, so if the condensate hose ends up on top of the bundle it may have to climb half an inch or more, which can cause it to back up instead of draining.
What do I use to bundle the line set, condensate hose, and power wire together?
Electrical tape or duct tape works fine. Wrap everything snugly and keep the bundle as straight as possible so it threads easily through the wall hole.
Why does the line set need to be wrapped before pushing it through the wall?
Wrapping keeps the line set, condensate hose, and wire bundled together and under two and a half inches in diameter, which is what lets the whole assembly fit through the single wall hole without snagging.
Do I need to leave room near the mounting brackets when wrapping the line set?
Yes. Twist or position the line set out of the way of the two bracket connection points at the top of the indoor unit so those areas stay clear when you go to mount the unit on the wall bracket.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
So, where we left off, we connected the flared fittings that are now hidden behind this insulation. Why did we hide them? Because if you leave some of this copper exposed, you might think that's not going to change the temperature much inside the space you're trying to cool, and you're probably right. But what happens is this copper, when it's super cold, is kind of like when you have a glass and you set it on a table. When the glass is full of ice water, condensate forms on the outside of the glass and starts dripping onto your table.
So you don't want this cold copper collecting condensate from the air and dripping down your walls. Make sure it's really well wrapped. It looks sort of rough here right now, but don't worry about it, it's going to be hidden behind the indoor unit.
Then you have a choice to make: do you want the line set, the condensate hose, and the control/power wire to come out this side of the mini split, or that side of the mini split? The choice is really yours. Right now we have it set up to come out of the left side, if you're looking at the mini split from the front. You could also bend the line set up this way, ever so gingerly and gently, to come out the other way. Either way, for this Airspool unit, we're about seven and a quarter inches from the wall bracket's bottom screws.
Use electrical tape, duct tape, whatever, to wrap everything together, then straighten out this line set. You want this to be as straight as possible, because it's going to have to fit through the two and a half inch hole you're drilling in your wall. We didn't actually drill that hole in this demo, but it's going to have to fit through it. Don't drill two holes, you only need one, two and a half inches, through the wall.
Make it easy, make it easy to thread through the wall. You can see here that everything is nice and snug, and it's less than two and a half inches in diameter. So that's a bit of a process to get all this through the wall, but once you get there, you're going to mount this on the wall bracket.
A couple of caveats first. Notice how this is very subtle but very important: this condensate hose right here is on the bottom of the whole bundle, not on the top. Why? Because water hates to flow uphill, and if you put it on top, it'll probably have to travel uphill about half an inch. So keep this at the bottom of your line set.
Also, these two brackets are going to become necessary here in a moment when we mount this onto the wall, so you don't want the line set getting in the way. Twist it up a little bit so you have enough room to work with. The brackets here, at the top of the indoor unit, are the cavities for the connection points, and this bracket and this bracket are nice and clear.
