The LINE SET is the heart of every installation
Choose wisely to save time and money in 2015

Installing mini-splits can be a straightforward operation…until the line-set kinks or you crack a flare or you suddenly realize you need two extra feet to reach the evaporator. These situations can turn a 5-hour job into an all-day grudge match. In fact, contractors reveal they spend 40%-60% of their installation time performing tasks associated with the line set.

And it's not surprising. Using the old line seems like a time saver, until you spend hours performing a flush for the new 410 system. Even then, an MO purge can take even longer to get to 500 micron status. Flaring is a critical task that takes skill and cannot be rushed. And routing the line set up the sides and through the structure wall almost never occurs without incident. Cheap line sets are notorious for their delicate foam covers that tear easily – and require patching and taping. When you add it up, nearly 50% of installation time can be traced directly to working with line set.

Getting it right

We all know time equals money. So why do so many contractors continue to let the quality of the line set control their schedule? The truth is, the line set you choose DOES make a difference. Like your best tools, quality is everything. Good tools let you do good work, the first time. And the same can be said about the line set.

Generic copper is unpredictable when tight bends, flares and connections are applied. We know guys who've kinked bargain lines just unrolling the coil. And today, some line sets have a wall thickness so thin that they'll literally leak from the stamp marks during a pressure check.

All the components you buy for an installation should work perfectly – right out of the box. The condenser, the air handler…and especially the line set. It may not be the most expensive piece of the equation, but any failure with the line set can set you back big time in terms of the hours you'll lose finding a workaround or worse, answering a call-back.

Our advice? Buy the best components you can from the start. Ask your supply house for the line set with the highest grade copper, the toughest jacket, the best insulation and the strongest warranty. And start saving time and money on every installation this year. Ask for ISOCLIMA.