I am in the midst of purchasing a home and something that came up during the inspection is that there is a pretty shoddy job of running the piping from the outside AC units to the attic. When I say shoddy I mean that they aren't secured to the side of the house, the insulation has mostly worn away, and the hole cut into the side of the house is big enough to see daylight when inside the attic.

Now, the good news is that this is about the worst thing that came up during inspection The bad news is that I really don't like it and it's something I'd want to fix.

The immediate desire would be to at least plug the hole up in the side of the house. The hole has both the pipe going into the attic as well as a PVC pipe coming out for drainage. Any tips on the best way to secure a larger hole like this with multiple pipes? Also, when spring arrives, how much trouble is it to replace the piping going into the house so that it is better secured?

Thanks for your help!

 

Spray Foam the hole closed, replace the pipe insulation and get a cut away leader to cover the pipe run and secure it to the house. Very easy and inexpensive fix, you do not need to replace the line set.

 

If some of the pipes your talking about include the two copper pipes (lineset) connecting the outside unit (condenser/compressor) to the inside unit (evaporator), you have to be careful. The lineset (copper pipes) carry the refrigerant under pressure, and it's a closed system. You can't just cut the pipes and replace them. In addition, you need to be EPA certified to work with refrigerants. To replace the lineset properly, the refrigerant needs to be captured and stored, the lines cut and replaced, the system evacuated (pull a vacuum on the system), and the refrigerant restored (system filled with refrigerant). Unless the lineset is in poor condition and leaking, you might be better off keeping the current piping and trying to find a way to secure the pipes (clamps) so they aren't loose and rattling.

The PVC drain pipe for the condensate can be replace by anybody, as it's just water running through it.

 

Got a picture so we can see what your seeing?

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, the pipes I'm referring to are the ones that carry the coolant into the indoor unit. I know the insulation is a super easy job, but I'm not so sure about fastening the pipes to the house. It is hard for me to imagine how these pipes can be moved to be flush with the siding or put into the corner between the siding and the chimney. They are rigid and just seem to sort of dangle there are good foot or so off of the side of the house. But maybe it will make more sense once I start working with it.

I'll be happy to provide a picture as soon as I have one available. I should have the inspection report some time today which will likely include one.

Thanks again!

 

They make something specifically for that job. I don't remember the name but it looks like a plastic gutter with a snap-on cover. You slide the U portion under the piping and fasten it to the siding and then snap on the cover. Not the prettiest thing in the world but not at all obtrusive if you paint it the same color as the house.

 

Here is a picture of what I'm looking at:

 

Now that's just ugly, the person that did that should be shot.

You will need to make some corrections to the condensate drain piping (the rigid PVC plastic) but you CAN cover that up quite nicely with what is called a lineset cover. Here is an Amazon page of several different manufacturers.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_2u28iyv5kb_e

Here is a page from a company I have bought from, I have no connection to them other than as a satisfied customer.

Outdoor Line Set Covers

And here is a YouTube of a homemade cover using plastic gutter available from the local Big Box Mega-Mart Homecenter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK2V9fksvvI

For more just do a Google using lineset cover for the search term.

 

Thank you for the information. I may push for them to provide some money back on the house price so that I can pay somebody to properly redo this. It's an absolutely horrid job.

 

Ditto here, that is defiantly hack work. I don't see anything right in those pics.

 

I agree that a "work order" is due, either have the seller pay for the repair or drop the price accordingly. At the very least a seller rebate on your closing costs to cover the cost of the work. Talk to your agent and have him/her press the issue.

 

I think it's safe to assume from those pictures that those lines don't just need to be secured, but they really should be completely replaced... Any ballpark figures on the value of such work? I really appreciate everybody's input.

 

Adding the cover would be a few hundred to maybe a thousand dollars. Replacing the line set could easily be double the higher figure.

While the installation looks really nasty, the line set proper is soft copper and flexible insulation. It can fairly easily be molded to a proper shape for the cover. The PVC plastic drain is another thing entirely. I would suggest cutting the PVC right after it exits the house and transitioning to a plastic hose and then have the hose follow the refrigerant lines. That would be both easy and inexpensive and easier to clean internally (or replace if necessary) than the rigid PVC. It would not take an air conditioning technician to replace the drain or install the cover.

However, if you were to replace the line set as well it WOULD require a licensed A/C tech and a truck full of equipment to first remove the refrigerant from the system, remove the copper tubing, install the new tubing and insulation, pressure test for leaks, "pull" a vacuum on the system to remove all non-condensable gases and moisture and then recharge the system with refrigerant. It could be a job requiring two people for as much as two days (16 man-hours) at a cost exceeding $100 an hour. And as long as the line set is okay it is an unneeded expense.

 

The line set does not need to be replaced, and honestly opening the system could lead to other issues down the road. It's just a cosmetic repair, nothing more.

 

Shootin' is too good for that hack.

 

I appreciate everybody's responses. I've put a request in for the sellers to have this properly insulated and secured to the house prior to the sale. In addition, properly seal up the hole in the house lol. I have a feeling that's an old job that predates the current owners and they just left it be. But I don't like it, at all.

In all likelihood, they won't do it, but at least I'll get a few bucks toward doing it myself. At least I have an understanding that I should be able to do this without having to bear the expense of replacing the line.

 

It's not going to be a DIY job. It is highly unlikely the tubing can be bent enough to get it against the house without kinking. If the tubing were new, maybe. Old tubing, I'd almost guarantee a kink even if using a bender. The filter-dryer (black cylinder if first pic) also needs to be relocated either near the outdoor or preferably, indoor unit. I'd estimate the job to cost $1,000 - $1,500.