DJ'S Air Conditioning Planner:  

3 Steps to installing your own air conditioner!

Please contact us with questions at djs@djsonline.com

For all you do-it-yourselfers out there, we hope this information can help you out on installing your own air conditioner.  A lot of customers ask "can I install air conditioning myself?".  The answer is YES!!...for the most part.   You do not have to be a licensed HVAC guy to install most of the air conditioning equipment.  You do however, have to be licensed to handle the Freon .   You can certainly purchase all the air conditioner products needed and install the products, just do not hook up anything.  After you install the products, you would call a local HVAC company or someone that has experience in air conditioning to come out and do a final hook up or what is called a "start up".  What is a start up?

• Step 1: Purchasing the air conditioning equipment and installing them (do not hook up)

• Step 2: Wire the air conditioning either yourself or by hiring an experienced electrician. 

• Step 3: Call a HVAC Company to come out and do a final hook up or what is called a "start up".  What is a start up?

           (1) Air Conditioning Equipment needed:    

                  (Homeowner can purchase and install these parts)                                               

• Outside Condenser (Set the unit outside) All central/ductless units ac units are pre-charged with Freon.

• Inside A-Coil if you have a forced air furnace (Also could be an air handler)

• Refrigeration lineset (2 Copper lines)  - 1 line is your suction (this line is insulated) the other line is your liquid line.  Run both lines together with the below mentioned thermostat wire.  Usually wrap all lines together with some black tape. Run the lineset to the a-coil/air handler and to the outside condenser but do not hook the lines up.  These linesets are full of nitrogen and would need to be blown out with a vacuum pump. (Usually included in your start up.)

• Perma-Pad or something for the outside condenser to set on.  Must make sure outside condenser is level.

• A cooling thermostat.  Any thermostat that has a cooling option on it will work.

• Thermostat wire. You will need a "4" wire running from your cooling thermostat to the furnace and also another thermostat wire, this time a "2" wire running from your furnace (air handler) to the outside condenser. Thermostat low voltage wiring diagram.

• 3/4" vinyl drain line or 3/4" pvc for the drain. You need to install drain line for the condensate to run out into the floor drain.

• Sheet metal will be needed.  After you cut your plenum open (see diagram below) you install the a-coil inside the plenum and cover the opening with a piece of sheet metal.  You will need to make 3 holes in this piece of metal. Two for the lineset connections to the a-coil and one for the drain line connections.      

    (2) Electrical Components needed for installation:

 Whether you or an experienced electrician who is going to wire the air conditioner, you need to have the following electrical components to install your air conditioner.  

• The electrical wire itself. 10-3 up to 12-3 wire will be needed depending on the size of the air conditioning.

• Breaker is needed to be installed in your breaker box.  You will need the name of your breaker box. You will need at least 2 breaker spaces in your breaker panel.

• A Service disconnect box will be needed and this box is installed on your house outside right by where the outside condenser will be placed.  You will run your electrical wire to this box. The reason for the disconnect box is if you need to work on the outside unit, you can shut the power off from out the outside.

• To connect the power from the outside service disconnect box to the outside condenser unit, you will need an water tight electrical whip, either 4' or 6' long.  The whip is a silver or grey color.

• The only other thing that you might need is some electrical conduit that is used when you have to run the electrical line on the outside of the house.  The conduit helps protect the wire from getting damaged.

     (3) Finally, hooking up the air conditioner.  Also called a "start up".

• Contact an HVAC company or someone who is experienced with air conditioning and they can make the final connections (start up) needed to start your air conditioner.  This is where you have to have a Freon license. What is a start up?