Concerned about moving my heat pump appox 15' from the home

[Ms Lisa]

Im having a patio built and it was suggested by my hvac professional to move it so that I would have more accessible space on my small patio. Moving it would back it to my fence and require the lines to run along the outside of the house and along the fence line. The thought of having those lines exposed over that distance concerns me. Although the space would be of great value.

Does this seem reasonable? Any cons you see with this? My main concern is possible freezing of the copper line since so much of it will now be exposed to our Maryland winters. Anything else I should ask my guys about?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[tknorman]

not sure about your area but here in the southeast we cannot have more than 10ft. whip on our electrical so the disconnect may also need relocating.

[timjimbob]

no problem. insulate freon lines. Sub freezing temps wont make a difference.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Couple of things to be aware of:
1) Refrigerant lines (copper lines) need to be protected from direct sun and the black insulation should not become water-logged (rain, watering plants, etc)... both will cause efficiency losses.
2) Elec will need to be extended... May need a second disconnect by the unit.
3) Burying the lines is NOT a good idea, even in conduit.
4) Be sure the AC or HP unit has adequate physical clearance to pump air efficiently. Usually this means min 12" all 4 sides and min 60" above. Personally, I prefer no restrictions above.

Hope this helps.

[Ms Lisa]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your responses.

[mechanical'al]

I often see lines run in what looks like vinal siding usually on mini-splits exsternal runs allmost like a gutter, this would shield them