Help with Outside unit placement for Mini Split

[subvet]

I finally took the plunge and ordered my mini split heat pump for my Garage build I have in progress.

I had planned to place the outside unit on a old heat pump pad I had acquired somewhere some time ago. I do not want to mount it on the wall.

Anyway a couple coworkers suggested I build a simple platform 12" - 24" high for the unit in order to keep it above any snow fall.
I am located in Northeast corner of Maryland, on the PA border.

Has anyone done this? What are your thoughts on this?

TIA

 

[Jackfre]

You can get riser blocks that are made for this. You do want to raise the unit off the deck. The unit stays cleaner and will have fewer critter problems. The real need for elevation though is the heating mode. When you are running a mini-split in heat mode the unit will occasionally have to defrost itself. In Defrost mode it will reverse cycle and take heat out of the building to melt off the coil. The ice that is melted does turn to water and water has to drain. I have seen heat pumps that have frozen up the drain hole and built an ice dam inside actually destroying the fan.

 

[n2jeepn]

I'll be watching this post as I need to do the same thing with mine. I installed my mini-split about a month ago, and changed my plans for placement of the outside unit during the install. I bought a wall bracket and had planned on placing it there, but hit all kinds of issues with direct sun, running the 240v to the planned wall, etc.
Ended up placing it on the ground by my existing A/C unit.
I'm not happy with the location at all, but I have no real good options now, so I plan to raise it up from the ground and build some lattice protection around it.
I have to replace the 6ft whip I used to connect the electric as well. It's kind of hanging from the wall disconnect to the unit. I don't like that at all, and it's definitely not to code. I'll probably have to use some buried conduit or something.

 

[finn]

I think the hyper heat low operating temperature type units come standard with a pan heater.

At least the Mitsubishi units do. My installer implied that lesser units require a pan heater option for low temp heating.

How do you guys accommodate snow accumulation when using a mini split for heating in the snow belt? I put one unit under a raised deck, so that should be ok, but I have another house with a hyper heat for backup, but see no way for it to work come winter, because it will quickly become buried with snow accumulation.

 

[Browneye]

Riser platforms ready made are available for a nominal cost through a variety of retailers. Saves having to make something or jury rig.

And yes, for the reasons explained here.

 

[subvet]

Thanks for the replies.
I searched for riser blocks, and the ones I came across were plastic and most of them around 4" but I did did come across a 6" and a 8" one.

I was thinking since I already have the old heat pump pad (16"x 36"), I will level out the pad and then place two 6x6 on top of the pad to elevate the condenser a bit.

 

[Browneye]

Would not set on wood. Just sayin’.

 

[subvet]

Would not set on wood. Just sayin’.

Why? please educate me

 

[kelpaso1]

I made my stand out of the angle steel stuff with holes in it used to hold up garage door tracks.

 

[Browneye]

Why? please educate me

Cuz the unit will outlast wooden blocks. Perhaps pressure treated...I dunno. I would put it on concrete, a synthetic pad, or metal rack.

I don't have to worry about snow, so mine is on a concrete patio slab, the other one is on concrete pavers - 15x15's.

I would use a mini-split rack if you need to elevate it, or a wall-mounted rack. Supposedly you're only going do this once, right?

 

[kelpaso1]

You don't want to mount it to the wall. Mine was and the first winter the wall vibrations drove me nuts hence why I built the free standing stand. Now I can't even tell when its running.

 

[subvet]

Cuz the unit will outlast wooden blocks. Perhaps pressure treated...I dunno. I would put it on concrete, a synthetic pad, or metal rack.

I don't have to worry about snow, so mine is on a concrete patio slab, the other one is on concrete pavers - 15x15's.

I would use a mini-split rack if you need to elevate it, or a wall-mounted rack. Supposedly you're only going do this once, right?

The 6x6 I have are pressure treated, and the ones I build my deck with are 16 years old and dont show any sign of wear.

Anyway I leveled and roughed in some block and thinking I may go this way.
Opinions on this?

 

[kelpaso1]

Way too low, it will be buried in snow in the winter. Also too close to the house. My instructions say min 1 foot from back of unit and house.

 

[subvet]

Way too low, it will be buried in snow in the winter. Also too close to the house. My instructions say min 1 foot from back of unit and house.

Wonder if I am missing something?
My instruction said min 3 5/8” from wall. I should end up being about 7”.
The blocks stack up to 11 3/4” and we rarely get that much snow at once.
We typically get 2-3” of snow snow fall. Well at least for the last 16 years.
Yes we have had over 12” but not often.

 

[finn]

Pressure treated wood is very corrosive to aluminum and steel. I wouldn’t use it for that application.

 

[Rockhead261]

Would not set on wood. Just sayin’.

I set mine on a couple of PT 2x4's placed across a couple of cinder blocks. That was back in '99. Southern NY... heat, rain, snow, the occasional hurricane, and even a bomb cyclone. No problems. Just sayin'.

 

[justinjoyal]

We use stands just like this one :

They are cheap and work great. I wouldnt bother making one of my own..

 

[Browneye]

We use stands just like this one :

They are cheap and work great. I wouldnt bother making one of my own..

^^This.

 

[renloy]

How do those attach to the ground or are they freestanding?

 

[kelpaso1]

How do those attach to the ground or are they freestanding?

Mine just sits on the stand unattached and the stand not bolted to the concrete pad. Gone through 2 hurricanes and many blizzards with high winds and it hasn't moved yet.

 

[Jackfre]

Your 6x6’s may be fine, but then again when there is snow and wind those solid blocks may create blockages to the wind actually causing drifts. An open chassis would be better.

 

[subvet]

Follow up here with my install.
Pic are up on my build thread but I'll put them here to update this thread.
1. Freon lines, Drain, wire an through the wall and into channeling
2. Hooking up the Line Set from inside to outside units
3. Inside unit hung and wired.
4. Inside Unit finished
5. Outside unit finished ( still have to pick up the misc extra materials sitting around)

 

[Raisedonadeere]

The outside unit appears to be closer to house than my eye expects. I will be doing a 12k install in a few weeks and will pour a pad on left over concrete. First step is to stake it out. Where?

 

[kelpaso1]

Still too close to the house and too low. Raise it up to the siding. 6 inches of snow and wind and drifting snow can exceed 2 ft' around the unit. I already learned this the first year I installed mine.