Tubing and wiring in water

Our new condo has electric heat pump with tubing connecting the air handler with the outside unit. Taped to the tubing insulation is the low voltage wiring to the outside unit. It is about 50 feet between the air handler and the outside unit.

What is unusual is that this bundle of tubing and wiring is routed through a plastic pipe that runs under the slab of the lower level from the air handler to the outside by the unit. The end on the inside rises through the poured concrete floor and the end on the outside is burried in gravel a few inches. This is not water tight. There is always water enough in this pipe that I can see the water from the basement end, I would estimate the water level to be five inches below the top of the slab, however during heavy rains it rises higher for a few hours.

Long story short, all or some of my 50 foot run of tubing and wiring is constantly under water. The builder says the water is mostly ground water present in the gravel below the slab, which I agree with. BUT, he also says being in the water is not a problem for the tubing. "We put water line made of copper under slab all the time and it is never a problem."

And what about the wiring also underwater? Any experience with this or rules of thumb?

Thanks, Jack

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Reply to
JackFoster
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Don't worry too much on the control wiring but I would worry about slugging refrigerant back to the compressor on start up. Have a HVAC technician check this because it can shorten the life of your compressor.

When the unit shuts down you could get allot of liquid refrigerant migrate to the line set under ground and on start up all the liquid refrigerant heads for the compressor.

If this is happening there are different ways to fix.

Reply to
Moe Jones

It does not matter how low voltage is, if is in water soon or later will develop electrolytes and then you will need new pipes and perhaps new unit Good luck from DIDO

Reply to
Dido

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