When you’re getting a new roof installed, you probably assume the roofing company will handle everything. Unfortunately, there’s one step a lot of people don’t take: calling an HVAC company!
What Can Happen If You Install a New Roof Without Involving an HVAC Technician
Your HVAC system has what’s called a line set. It’s the copper refrigerant lines that connect your condenser to your air handler. If your furnace or heat pump is located in the attic, this line set runs along your roofline, which can be a bit of a problem when you’re getting a new roof installed. Your roofing contractors will use a roofing gun, which can cause puncture holes in the line set if they aren’t aware of where to avoid. These holes in the line set will cause a refrigerant leak, which will keep your air conditioner from working. We see this happen all the time!
How to Tell If Your Line Set Has Been Damaged
If it’s summer, you’ll find out really quickly if your line set has been punctured! With a hole in the line set, your refrigerant will leak, and your AC won’t be able to cool your home. In the colder months, you’ll only realize your line set was damaged if you have a heat pump. Because furnaces don’t rely on refrigerant, if you have a furnace, you’ll still have heat. It’s only once weather warms up and your AC doesn’t work that you’ll know something happened.
How to Prevent Holes in Your Line Set
Before your roofing contractor starts installing your new roof, you can have Morris-Jenkins come scope out your line set so your roofing contractor doesn’t accidentally puncture it. We can even help while we’re out for your seasonal maintenance!
When we come out to locate your line set, we can help move it away from the roof a bit to keep it safe, or we can put up a protective barrier with steel or other materials. And in the event the line set just won’t budge, we’ll make sure you at least know exactly where it is so you can inform your contractor to avoid it!
If nothing else, we recommend you ask your contractor to take a look in your attic themselves, so they know where the line set is. This way, they can avoid running the roof gun through it, protecting your HVAC system!
Protecting Your Line Set During Renovations
Replacing your roof isn’t the only time your line set could be damaged!
Think about where your air conditioner is outside your home. Do you see the metal pipe connecting it to your house? That’s part of your line set. It should go straight up the nearest wall. Be careful doing any home renovations or even simple installations (such as hanging up pictures) in that spot inside your home. You could puncture the line set yourself!
Using a stud finder isn’t exactly trustworthy in this situation, either. Because the line set sits right up against your wall, a stud finder will likely go off when it finds your line set, leading you to believe you’ve found a stud instead. This doesn’t mean the whole area is off limits! Just be mindful of where the line set comes in from the outside. It should take a straight path up the wall—that’s where you wanna avoid nailing/screwing anything!
Avoid the Headache and Drama!
We see it all the time: A roofing contractor punctures the line set and then blames it on the HVAC company for putting it there. Technically, line sets should be placed a few inches away from the roof (just to protect it from damage during roof repairs/installs). A lot of companies don’t follow that guideline, so depending on how old your line set is and who installed it, it could be at risk during a roof installation.
Don’t risk a broken AC! Give us a call or talk to your Morris-Jenkins technician during your seasonal maintenance if you’re concerned about roofing contractors hitting your line set during their work. We’ll make sure everything stays in great shape!
