R22 Heat Pump Replacement

[JimmyMechanic]

My 20 year old heat pump is no longer cooling. My HVAC tech said it is not worth fixing and we should get a new one. I tend to agree as I'd rather put the money towards a new one.

The pipes from outside to the inside unit run under my driveway. Can those pipes be reused for the new unit?

Thanks!

[HelpfulHenderson]

I don't see any problems with not replacing the pipes, if it works it works. Since it runs under your driveway that would be a lot of added costs and time, more than the average pipe reinstallation. My recommendation is to not update the piping, but I don't specialize in HVAC.

[handyandy]

Welcome to the forum! The conventional wisdom is that the copper lineset should always be replaced. While this is true, it is not always practical to do so. Generally, you will not save money by reusing your old lineset. It will have to be flushed with nitrogen and a solvent, then modified for reuse. The labor and materials needed to do this will equal the cost of replacing the lines. But since it is running underneath your driveway it would probably cost a lot to replace.

[JimmyMechanic]

Thanks for the opinions, I think we'll just reuse as you suggested.

Very helpful thank you so much! Glad to find this place, it's a wonderful resource!