Are All Linesets Created Equally?

[paulsomlo]

Shopping for a mini split and the lineset (not included) is fairly expensive - this is from GotDuctless.com. I see other sources on the web for cheaper; are they of lesser quality?

 

[fitter30]

Only difference is the insulation covering. Some are black they tear easily. Some have a white covering that as plastic little bumbs all over the outside that makes it very easy to run it through holes and doesn't tear easily. Both lines have to be covered.

 

[brewchief]

Some of the white insulation has been shown to eat throw the copper if it stays wet outside.

On a side note don't use the factory flares on the linesets, they are rarely good.

 

[American Locomotive]

We've purchased a few minisplits through ecomfort. One system, we purchased Made-in-USA pre-flared linset. It came with with the better black insulation, the factory flares were good, and everything went fine. Another system was for someone on a tighter budget, and we ordered the cheapy lineset. It came with the bad "white" insulation that is known to be problematic, and the the factory flares were so bad they just squeezed right through the fittings when we tightened them down.

 

[Dagny]

We use Mueller pipe and fittings.

 

[pcmeiners]

Only difference is the insulation covering.

That should be the important difference. The biggest concern is the quality in the manufacturing of the copper tube. Poor copper purity, poor/old machines which forms the tube, poor annealing all make a difference. Chinese/other foreign manufacturers vary considerably in the mentioned manufacturing abilities, even US made tubing can vary. It does not take much to produce poor line sets.

 

[paulsomlo]

That should be the important difference. The biggest concern is the quality in the manufacturing of the copper tube. Poor copper purity, poor/old machines which forms the tube, poor annealing all make a difference. Chinese/other foreign manufacturers vary considerably in the mentioned manufacturing abilities, even US made tubing can vary. It does not take much to produce poor line sets.

I'm thinking that you purchased your Fujitsu's from GotDuctless.com? Did you also purchase the linesets they offered?

 

[BurtEggley]

here they require brazing the linesets. No screw on fittings. If there is a fitting, it is high quality and is designed to be brazed to.

 

[pcmeiners]

I'm thinking that you purchased your Fujitsu's from GotDuctless.com? Did you also purchase the linesets they offered?

On the first two mini-splits I used the line-sets supplied by GotDuctless, then I read about formicary corrosion. Personally I do not believe insulation material ,VOCs or ants are the primary issue with this type of corrosion. My belief is the quality/treatment of the copper and tube forming are the major cause. Good copper/forming leaves less irregular deep surface crevices for acids/alkalies to seep into. Chinese/ other third worlds companies generally do not have the knowledge/ quality control /or mostly the desire to produce high grade copper tubing...if it will last a year the product goes out the door; US manufacturers are not exempt from producing poor line-sets.
As result for the other (3) mini-splits I have I purchased my remaining line sets made by Isoclima from Supplyhouse.com......

https://ca.isoclima.com/canada.html

"Formicary corrosion is a form of microscopic corrosion that creates a network of tunnels within copper-based alloys, similar to an ant nest. It is caused by a chemical reaction between oxygen, water, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from sources like cleaning supplies, paints, and building materials. The tunnels eventually reach the surface, forming pinholes and causing leaks"

In the first sentence it states the cause of "the network of tunnels" is cause by corrosion, when the "tunnels" are already started due to manufacturing defects. All drawn copper has surface defects, it is a matter how deep they are due to poor quality. This AI definition states the pin holes start from the inside, they start from the inside and outside of the copper tubing.

 

[PCustoms]

Personally I do not believe insulation material or ants are the primary issue with this type of corrosion.

I think you read that wrong

"Formicary corrosion is a form of microscopic corrosion that creates a network of tunnels within copper-based alloys, similar to an ant nest"

 

[racecougar]

here they require brazing the linesets. No screw on fittings. If there is a fitting, it is high quality and is designed to be brazed to.

Where is here? Who is they?

 

[paulsomlo]

On the first two mini-splits I used the line-sets supplied by GotDuctless, then I read about formicary corrosion. Personally I do not believe insulation material ,VOCs or ants are the primary issue with this type of corrosion. My belief is the quality/treatment of the copper and tube forming are the major cause. Good copper/forming leaves less irregular deep surface crevices for acids/alkalies to seep into. Chinese/ other third worlds companies generally do not have the knowledge/ quality control /or mostly the desire to produce high grade copper tubing...if it will last a year the product goes out the door; US manufacturers are not exempt from producing poor line-sets.
As result for the other (3) mini-splits I have I purchased my remaining line sets made by Isoclima from Supplyhouse.com......

https://ca.isoclima.com/canada.html

"Formicary corrosion is a form of microscopic corrosion that creates a network of tunnels within copper-based alloys, similar to an ant nest. It is caused by a chemical reaction between oxygen, water, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from sources like cleaning supplies, paints, and building materials. The tunnels eventually reach the surface, forming pinholes and causing leaks"

In the first sentence it states the cause of "the network of tunnels" is cause by corrosion, when the "tunnels" are already started due to manufacturing defects. All drawn copper has surface defects, it is a matter how deep they are due to poor quality. This AI definition states the pin holes start from the inside, they start from the inside and outside of the copper tubing.

Allegedly, the linesets that GotDuctless.com sells are made by these people: https://gotductless.com/cdn/shop/files/PT_RYNO_WHITE_FLYER_2024.pdf?v=14490210404487677156

 

[pcmeiners]

The line-sets in the link appear to be better than what I got a couple years back, interesting.

 

[manwithtools]

here they require brazing the linesets. No screw on fittings. If there is a fitting, it is high quality and is designed to be brazed to.

Where is here? Who is they?

I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think any mini-split is setup to have the lines brazed to them.