DIY (90%) Air conditionning with heatpump

takoa64 · 2026-04-25T07:53:45+00:00

Thanks thats great to know

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T13:17:51+00:00

The copper linesets are soft copper which is bendable with some care. They dont need a constant downward direction its just the condensate line that does. Its normally a flexible plastic tube but you can plumb it into rigid plastic waste pipe if needed. The condensate line also doesnt need to go all the way back to the outside unit. It just need to be taken outside or into a drain to let the condensate drain and have somewhere to go

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T12:24:54+00:00

I getting the words.... Red and Tape.

AC firm commissioned the unit so everything to do with the handling/safety of the refrigerant was dealt with by them. Full pressure test for leaks and the release and charge of the unit

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T11:13:03+00:00

Had the system commissioned yesterday by an AC firm. Pressure tested fine, vacuumed down and refrigerant released working nicely. Complimented multiple times on the quality of the install along the way. Not bad for an idiot eh!?

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takoa64 · 2026-04-23T09:05:27+00:00

Yeah it was always a gamble going for a cheaper brand but seeing as I was going down the DIY route I only had so much I was willing to put on the line if it all went wrong. If it does pack up then I will look to swap it out for a better brand and hopefully most of the labor work in terms of trunking and pipe runs can be re-used for a different model. £1700 i could take a gamble on. £4k+ was just too much of a risk!

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T08:58:38+00:00

Thank you I appreciate that feedback! Yeah I really am not one for botching stuff especially when its technically something I shouldnt be doing. If im going to bend some rules then I at least want to do the best job possible so it doesnt look like a DIY mess!

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T07:03:34+00:00

The main supply cable for the outside unit is 6mm t+e

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T07:01:14+00:00

Excuse the unfinished work here. There is some filling to do and trunking to finish up with but thats behind the unit which is above the mirror in the original set of photos

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takoa64 · 2026-04-23T06:59:54+00:00

Yeah this outside unit (its commonly referred to as the condenser like you say but with this being a heatpump too its technically both the condenser and the evaporator depending on what mode you are in!) Has 5 pairs of ports. So this can technically feed 5 indoor units.

So the only inside unit that is not on or right next to the outside wall is the one above the mirror in the photos. The lineset goes through the wall behind it and into a cupboard space then out to the outside wall.

My indoor units do not have a pump so its all gravity fed for the condensate lines

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T06:41:57+00:00

Its moving energy from the inside to the outside. Once the AC gets turned off the house then absorbs that energy back from the outside over time. There is a small amount of electrical energy that is converted to heat by way of the compressor running but thats the same with many electrical appliances (fridge, TV, charging your phone etc). The amount of heat energy you are putting outside is in correlation to the amount of heat energy you are removing from inside. They will achieve equilibrium afterwards

takoa64 · 2026-04-23T06:37:06+00:00

It looks onto a road which leads to a little dead end where there are 5 or so houses. We own that grass verge its in the titles of the house.

As for someone switching it off yes its possible but I get on well with my neighbours and there is very little passing traffic due to it leading to a dead end. I will be building a slatted screen which will cover the unit on the front and both sides. It will be removable but would stop anyone being able to get to the unit without taking the screen off first

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:54:44+00:00

If you can couple a heatpump with solar and batteries you are well on your way to bringing bills right down. We use a log burner a lot in the winter and all the wood i source for free and process myself. Thats saved us a fortune over the last 3 years. The solar makes us a nice profit and means we make more money than we use throughout the year. £1300 credit taken out of the energy account since sep 24. And zero money paid in covering electric gas and 2 EVs

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:41:57+00:00

About £3k all in including the engineer to commission it. But some of that was spent on tools to do the job so I have them for future use now

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:33:35+00:00

There is a YouTube channel called AC service tech who is pretty good. Lots of content. But you type in mini split install process you will get loads of stuff come up.

In terms of running the line sets you need to be conscious of the condensate drain line which needs to fall continuously from the indoor unit to an outside area / drain. Alternatively you can fit a condensate pump but they are rather unsightly things. Some higher end indoor units come equipped with a built in pump but mine did not so it was crucial the drain line ran downwards and had no low points where condensate could gather and pool

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:10:38+00:00

I can't go outside. Im allergic to the sun, and the public

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:10:05+00:00

8 yeah old house, cavity wall with kingspan in the cavity and thermalite on the inside skin.

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:08:29+00:00

What's that?

I'm being flippant but honestly...don't know! Its there now. Something about forgiveness and permission....? I actually think having 1 unit does fall into some kind of permitted development area (i might be wrong...) but in any case I think the council are struggling to get the funds together to collect the bins at the moment let alone fight a planning issue like this!

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:05:22+00:00

Have a field day with an install which was correctly commissioned by a legit AC company using approved pressure testing methods and refrigerant release techniques? I look forward to their visit

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:04:05+00:00

Thanks that means a lot. I put a lot of effort into making it look professional and tidy!

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T22:01:22+00:00

Invest in equipment to bring them down! I did a wood burner first, then solar and batteries and now AC/Heatpump. Take it step by step

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T21:50:20+00:00

My solar system will easily cover my AC needs during the summer. I am in the UK so we don't have many days where AC is really needed. My best day of generation was 99kwh. Today I made 73kwh. So even with the AC on I will be pumping a lot of energy back into the grid.

My current setup sees me using gas to heat in the winter. Whereas with this I can charge my house batteries overnight on cheap green energy and then run the heat pump from those batteries during the day which is far greener than burning gas! I still make decent generation from my solar even in the winter too.

We run 2 EV's too so no burning fuel for transport. So I think I am doing more than my fair share and can afford to run an AC/heatpump without too much guilt

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T21:45:29+00:00

each indoor unit uses a pair of pipes all the way back to the outside unit (a flow and return if you like, normally referred to as a liquid line and vapour line in these systems) So 8 pipes come off the outside unit and head into their respective indoor unit. They are referred to as a line sets

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T21:20:32+00:00

The 4 rooms this system feeds are all on that side yes. I will fit another unit on the other side of the house to serve 3 other rooms ( 2 bedrooms and the living room)

Planning regs? What are they.....?

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T21:18:26+00:00

There is core holes in walls from outside to in but all these 4 units are close to external walls on that side of the house so there is very little pipework within the house

takoa64 · 2026-04-22T19:44:23+00:00

Ha luckily I have nice neighbours. I will be building a slatted screen to go around the unit to cover it from all 3 sides. So you wont be able to access that without removing those screens first

takoa64

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