Mini-Split Line Set Calculator (Small-Capacity System Sizing)
Size your mini-split line set instantly.
🕒 Last updated: September 15, 2026
Inputs
ℹ️The AC/heat pump/mini-split system's rated capacity — drives both the capacity-derating and refrigerant-charge calculations.
ℹ️Air conditioner or heat pump — changes the elevation limit above the indoor unit and whether a liquid line solenoid or accumulator applies.
ℹ️Check your outdoor unit's nameplate. Sets the max line length Goodman/Amana supports — single-stage scroll/reciprocating allows the longest runs.
ℹ️The line set's larger (vapor/suction) line — must match your equipment's actual spec, not a free choice. Options shown are limited to what's sourced for the selected capacity.
ℹ️The actual physical distance the line set runs, not accounting for elbows — used directly for the refrigerant charge calculation.
ℹ️Number of 90-degree (long-radius) bends in the line set — each adds equivalent length beyond the straight distance.
ℹ️Number of 45-degree bends in the line set — adds less equivalent length per bend than a 90-degree elbow.
ℹ️Height difference between the outdoor and indoor units — affects whether an oil trap is required or a manufacturer elevation limit is exceeded.
ℹ️"Same Level" applies only up to 10 ft of separation. Elevation limits are asymmetric by direction and equipment type — see the flags below the results.
Total Equivalent Length
43 ft
40 ft straight + 2 × 90° and 0 × 45° elbows
System
Type: Air Conditioner
Compressor: Single-Stage — Scroll or Reciprocating Compressor
Capacity: 1.5 Ton (18,000 BTU/hr)
Suction line: 1/2 in
Liquid line: 3/8 in
Line Set Routing
Straight length: 40 ft (max 200 ft)
90° elbows: 2
45° elbows: 0
Equivalent length: 43 ft (max 250 ft)
Capacity Impact
Capacity multiplier: 0.976
Rated capacity: 18,000 BTU/hr
Derated capacity: 17,568 BTU/hr
~432 BTU/hr lost to line-length pressure drop.
Refrigerant Charge
Additional charge needed: 15 oz
Beyond the 15 ft factory-charge baseline, R-410A only.
Approximate — Goodman/Amana publishes no 3/8in liquid + 1/2in suction charge rate. This uses the liquid-line-only rate, which omits suction-line volume and likely UNDERESTIMATES the true additional charge. Verify with a subcooling/superheat check.
Elevation & Installation
Outdoor unit position: Above indoor unit
Elevation difference: 15 ft
Within Goodman/Amana limits: Yes
Assumptions Used
Every figure here traces to Goodman/Amana's own published TP-107 "Long Line Set Application, R-410A" guideline — this is that manufacturer's specific published guidance, not a universal industry constant, since other manufacturers publish meaningfully different thresholds for their own equipment (see Limitations). Total Equivalent Length is the straight (linear) length plus a per-elbow equivalent-length addition for long-radius 90° and 45° elbows only (short-radius elbows add slightly more per elbow than this calculator models). Maximum Equivalent/Linear Length depends on your selected compressor type — 250/200 ft for single-stage scroll or reciprocating compressors, 150/150 ft for single-stage rotary or two-stage. For two-stage HEAT PUMPS specifically, Table 5-3's own footnotes additionally prohibit 7/8in suction at 24,000 BTU entirely, 7/8in suction beyond 80 ft equivalent length at 36,000 BTU, and 1-1/8in suction beyond 80 ft equivalent length at 48,000/60,000 BTU — flagged separately above when applicable. Capacity Multiplier is looked up from a table of capacity x suction diameter x equivalent length, linearly interpolated between the nearest documented length columns (25-250 ft) and clamped at the table's own boundaries rather than extrapolated beyond them. Two cells in that table (30,000 BTU/3-4in/175ft and 60,000 BTU/7-8in/200ft) printed values that broke the otherwise-smooth pattern of their row; this calculator adjusts them to match the surrounding values as an INFERRED correction, not an official manufacturer erratum — if your exact scenario lands at one of those two cells, cross-check directly against the published PDF. Additional Refrigerant Charge uses the ACTUAL straight length (not equivalent length) beyond the 15 ft factory-charge baseline, at a rate specific to the 3/8in liquid line paired with your selected suction diameter — this figure is R-410A only; R-32 and R-454B systems use different refrigerant densities and are not modeled, since no consistent charge-rate figure was found for them. No published rate exists for 1/2in suction at all — that combination falls back to a liquid-line-only rate that likely understates the true charge (see the Refrigerant Charge card above when this applies). "Same Level" only applies up to 10 ft of separation between the units — beyond that, TP-107 says to categorize the installation as Above or Below instead. The elevation rules are genuinely asymmetric by direction and equipment type: an outdoor unit installed BELOW the indoor unit has a hard maximum of 80 ft (any equipment type) plus an always-required inverted suction trap, a required liquid line solenoid (any equipment type, unless a non-bleed TXV is used), and, for air conditioners over 79ft, an accumulator; an outdoor unit ABOVE the indoor unit has no stated hard maximum for a single-stage air conditioner, an 80 ft hard maximum for a single-stage heat pump, and a 25 ft hard maximum for two-stage equipment of either type — separately, an oil trap is required above 80 ft regardless of equipment type, and heat pumps (any position) require the same liquid line solenoid. This is a planning estimate — always verify against your specific installed or selected unit's own installation manual before purchasing materials or beginning installation.
Looking for the verification checklist, reference tables, tips, or common mistakes?See the complete Refrigerant Line Set Calculator.
Mini-split line set sizing, small-capacity system
Important scope note: TP-107 only publishes length/elevation limits for single-stage scroll/reciprocating, single-stage rotary, and two-stage compressors. Most modern mini-splits use INVERTER-driven, variable-capacity compressors instead, which TP-107 does not cover at all. This page's example (and its "Single-Stage — Scroll or Reciprocating" default) is representative of a conventional fixed-capacity small system — if your actual mini-split is inverter-driven (very common), none of this calculator's Compressor Type options genuinely apply; defer entirely to that equipment's own manufacturer long-line guideline instead.
Smaller conventional mini-split systems (1.5 ton and below) commonly use a 1/2in suction line — Goodman TP-107's own capacity-multiplier table has no published elbow-loss data OR refrigerant-charge rate at this diameter, so this calculator approximates both using nearby documented values, disclosed simplifications rather than fabricated numbers.
This page defaults to an 18,000 BTU/hr (1.5 ton) system with 1/2in suction, 40 ft of straight line, and a 15 ft elevation difference (outdoor unit above indoor) — edit the inputs above to match your actual installation.
Refrigerant Line Set Formula: How Is It Determined?
Total equivalent length comes from straight length plus elbow losses. Capacity impact and refrigerant charge are both looked up/computed from that length and your selected system capacity and suction diameter. See Limitations for what this doesn't model.
Total Equivalent Length
Equivalent Length (ft) = ceil(Straight Length + 90° Elbows x Loss(90°) + 45° Elbows x Loss(45°))
Per-elbow equivalent-length values (Goodman TP-107 Table 5-1) are specific to LONG-RADIUS fittings and vary by suction line diameter — e.g. a 90° long-radius elbow adds 1.5 ft at 3/4in, 1.7 ft at 7/8in. A required minimum, rounded UP. Short-radius elbows (not modeled separately) add somewhat more per elbow than long-radius — see Limitations.
Capacity Impact
Capacity Multiplier = lookup(System Capacity, Suction Diameter, Equivalent Length)
Derated Capacity (BTU/hr) = System Capacity x Capacity Multiplier
The capacity multiplier is looked up directly from Goodman TP-107's own published table (capacity x suction diameter x equivalent length, 25-250 ft in 25 ft steps), linearly interpolated between the two nearest documented length columns and clamped at the table's own boundaries. A longer equivalent length or a smaller suction diameter both increase pressure drop, which is what actually costs the system rated capacity.
Additional Refrigerant Charge
Additional Refrigerant (oz) = max(0, Straight Length − 15 ft) x Rate(Suction Diameter)
Uses ACTUAL straight length, not equivalent length — refrigerant volume depends on the real physical tubing installed, not the pressure-drop-equivalent figure used for capacity derating. R-410A residential outdoor units are factory-charged for the first 15 ft of line set (Goodman TP-107); the per-foot rate beyond that baseline is specific to the 3/8in liquid line paired with your selected suction diameter (Table 5-5), ranging 0.60-0.78 oz/ft.
Worked Example
This example walks through your current inputs above, using the same steps as the Formula section.
Input Values Used
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| System capacity | 1.5 Ton (18,000 BTU/hr) |
| Suction line diameter | 1/2 in |
| Straight length / elbows | 40 ft / 2× 90°, 0× 45° |
| Elevation / outdoor position | 15 ft / Above indoor unit |
Step 1 — Total Equivalent Length
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Elbow loss at 1/2 in (Table 5-1, long-radius) | 1.5 ft per 90°, 0.7 ft per 45° |
| Equivalent length = ceil(40 + 2 × 1.5 + 0 × 0.7) | 43 ft |
Step 2 — Capacity Multiplier (Goodman TP-107 Table 5-3)
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| 43 ft falls between the documented 25 ft (0.99) and 50 ft (0.97) columns for 1.5 Ton/1/2 in — linearly interpolated | 0.976 |
| Capacity multiplier | 0.976 |
Step 3 — Derated Capacity
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Derated capacity = 18,000 × 0.976 | 17,568 BTU/hr |
| Capacity lost to line length | 432 BTU/hr |
Step 4 — Additional Refrigerant Charge
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Billable length = max(0, 40 − 15 ft factory baseline) | 25 ft |
| Additional refrigerant = 25 ft × 0.6 oz/ft (1/2 in rate, Table 5-5) | 15 oz |
Step 5 — Length & Elevation Checks
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| 43 ft equivalent vs 250 ft max, 40 ft linear vs 200 ft max (Single-Stage — Scroll or Reciprocating Compressor) | Within limits |
Therefore, this installation has a 43 ft total equivalent length, a derated capacity of 17,568 BTU/hr (down from 18,000 BTU/hr rated), and needs 15 oz of additional R-410A refrigerant beyond the factory charge. This configuration is within Goodman/Amana's published limits.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides approximate results for planning and estimation purposes only. Actual requirements may vary based on site conditions, materials, workmanship, and local building regulations. Always consult a qualified engineer, architect, or construction professional before making final decisions.