TryBuildCalc

Oil Trap Line Set Calculator (Outdoor Above Indoor, Oil Trap Check)

Check your line set's oil trap requirement instantly.

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.

ft

ℹ️The actual physical distance the line set runs, not accounting for elbows — used directly for the refrigerant charge calculation.

count

ℹ️Number of 90-degree (long-radius) bends in the line set — each adds equivalent length beyond the straight distance.

count

ℹ️Number of 45-degree bends in the line set — adds less equivalent length per bend than a 90-degree elbow.

ft

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

106 ft

100 ft straight + 3 × 90° and 1 × 45° elbows

Oil trap required.Per Goodman/Amana's published guideline, an outdoor unit installed more than 80 ft above the indoor unit needs an inverted oil trap at the indoor unit's suction connection to ensure oil return to the compressor.

System

Type: Air Conditioner

Compressor: Single-Stage — Scroll or Reciprocating Compressor

Capacity: 3 Ton (36,000 BTU/hr)

Suction line: 7/8 in

Liquid line: 3/8 in

Line Set Routing

Straight length: 100 ft (max 200 ft)

90° elbows: 3

45° elbows: 1

Equivalent length: 106 ft (max 250 ft)

Capacity Impact

Capacity multiplier: 0.998

Rated capacity: 36,000 BTU/hr

Derated capacity: 35,928 BTU/hr

~72 BTU/hr lost to line-length pressure drop.

Refrigerant Charge

Additional charge needed: 62.9 oz

Beyond the 15 ft factory-charge baseline, R-410A only.

Elevation & Installation

Outdoor unit position: Above indoor unit

Elevation difference: 100 ft

Within Goodman/Amana limits: Yes

Refrigerant Line Set Estimate3 Ton (36,000 BTU/hr)system — liquid & suction line routingLiquid line (3/8in)Suction lineOutdoor UnitIndoor Unit106 ftTotal equivalent length7/8 in4 elbows100 ft aboveIllustrative — not to scale. Planning estimate only.

Looking for the verification checklist, reference tables, tips, or common mistakes?See the complete Refrigerant Line Set Calculator.

Oil trap requirement check, outdoor above indoor

When the outdoor unit sits above the indoor unit, an oil trap becomes a real installation requirement beyond a certain elevation difference, regardless of equipment type — this page's own example deliberately demonstrates that threshold using a single-stage air conditioner, the one configuration with no separate hard elevation maximum to also worry about.

This page defaults to a 3 ton, single-stage AC system with a 100 ft elevation difference, outdoor unit above indoor — a combination that deliberately triggers the oil trap requirement — edit the inputs above to match your actual site.

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

InputValue
System capacity3 Ton (36,000 BTU/hr)
Suction line diameter7/8 in
Straight length / elbows100 ft / 3× 90°, 1× 45°
Elevation / outdoor position100 ft / Above indoor unit

Step 1 — Total Equivalent Length

CalculationResult
Elbow loss at 7/8 in (Table 5-1, long-radius)1.7 ft per 90°, 0.8 ft per 45°
Equivalent length = ceil(100 + 3 × 1.7 + 1 × 0.8)106 ft

Step 2 — Capacity Multiplier (Goodman TP-107 Table 5-3)

CalculationResult
106 ft falls between the documented 100 ft (1.00) and 125 ft (0.99) columns for 3 Ton/7/8 in — linearly interpolated0.998
Capacity multiplier0.998

Step 3 — Derated Capacity

CalculationResult
Derated capacity = 36,000 × 0.99835,928 BTU/hr
Capacity lost to line length72 BTU/hr

Step 4 — Additional Refrigerant Charge

CalculationResult
Billable length = max(0, 10015 ft factory baseline)85 ft
Additional refrigerant = 85 ft × 0.74 oz/ft (7/8 in rate, Table 5-5)62.9 oz

Step 5 — Length & Elevation Checks

CheckResult
106 ft equivalent vs 250 ft max, 100 ft linear vs 200 ft max (Single-Stage — Scroll or Reciprocating Compressor)Within limits
100 ft vs 80 ft oil-trap threshold (outdoor above indoor)Oil trap required

Therefore, this installation has a 106 ft total equivalent length, a derated capacity of 35,928 BTU/hr (down from 36,000 BTU/hr rated), and needs 62.9 oz of additional R-410A refrigerant beyond the factory charge. An oil trap is required at this elevation and direction per Goodman/Amana's published guideline.

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.

FAQ

This example's 100 ft elevation difference (outdoor unit above indoor) crosses Goodman/Amana's published 80 ft threshold — beyond that point, an inverted oil trap is required at the indoor unit's suction connection to ensure oil returns to the compressor rather than pooling in the vertical suction riser. This 80 ft oil-trap threshold applies regardless of equipment type.
100 ft straight + (3 x 1.7 ft for 90° elbows at 7/8in) + (1 x 0.8 ft for a 45° elbow) = 106 ft equivalent length. The capacity multiplier interpolates to 0.998 — a derated capacity of 35,928 BTU/hr, only 72 BTU/hr below the 36,000 BTU/hr rated capacity, since 106 ft is still a relatively modest equivalent length.