I need to relocated my two AC units from the front of house to rear on new pads, etc. What is involved with extending the length of run for copper lines etc for freon. The electrical part I can do, but not sure about the copper lines, empting, refilling, etc.
Thanks
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You can no longer just vent the freon into air. Get a A/C person to recover the freon for you. Check with the manufacturer of the units on maximum and minimum runs for the refrigerant lines and run new line from the air handler to the compressor. Then they will need to be recharged. From experiance as a desert dweller you want to avoid overly long runs for the lines.
You're not going to want to run the lines around the house. Need to re-route inside the house so they exit where you want the new pad. Can't simply add length to the lines. All sorts of issues involved there. You need to use refrigeration copper and it has to be silver soldered. If the total length of the lines is roughly the same, I'd run new seamless tubes from the furnace/AC to the new pad location. Also new power lines and disconnects. Same sizes as the old ones. Then call an HVAC tech to change everything over. I'd rather not pay them to run pipe, but pumping and filling isn't an amateur job.
If the total distance is much shorter or longer than the original, call an HVAC guy first.
And check out the payback of a new 13 or higher SEER condenser. Maybe your utility has some rebate going on.
In which case, the rerouting of the pipe costs would disappear into the new condenser's price. And depending on your numbers from above, sooner or later you'll have a positive cash flow.
Just moving the pipes will have a cost that cannot as easily be recovered.