How Far Can a Mini Split Be from the Condenser?
A ductless mini split system requires a condenser and air-handling unit to work in conjunction with one another. Both units generate cool or warm air. The condenser goes outside of your home and the air-handling units are installed in the various indoor zones where you need the most heating and cooling.
Precisely how much distance is permitted between the mini split air-handling units and the condenser?
That’s between 15 and 50 feet.
The air-handling units and condenser are connected via a refrigerant line. As the name implies, the line allows the refrigerant to flow through the two components so heating and cooling can occur.
The average length of mini split line is 25 feet, which means that most homeowners select a place for their condenser that creates that much distance between it and the indoor air-handling units.
If your home is narrower and you can’t make 25 feet of space work, then you might opt for 15 feet from one part of the mini split system to another. Keep in mind that 15 feet of refrigerant line is the smallest amount you’re likely to come across. Anything shorter than that would require a customized setup and would be more difficult to do.
Larger properties can feel free to spread out the compressor and the rest of the mini splits. On the longer side, a refrigerant line is 50 feet and sometimes even longer. Most homeowners don’t even need 50 feet of line, so anything exceeding that is for rare instances only. Commercial building owners, for example, might need a longer line.
The mini split technicians will install both the condensing unit and the air-handling units where you want, within reason. You may recall from the blog that an air-handling unit should be eight to 10 feet from the floor to prevent the unit from blowing cold air towards the ceiling where you can’t feel it.
The condensing unit goes in your backyard, but it needs to be unencumbered on its sides and overhead. That means you can’t push the condenser against a wall or a tree. Trees can shed, and that can also be bad news for your condenser, as you don’t want branches and sticks getting into the inner workings of the unit.
Of course, if you have any questions about your mini split setup, be sure to ask your technician ahead of installation. They can recommend places on your property for both the air-handling unit and the condensing unit so you don’t have to stress.
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