Is an interior disconnect required for an AC unit?
YIKES!!! The ground wire is connected through the L2 connection on the disconnect! You need to go through every box and device and verify the grounds are securely grounded and not switched.
We can't see the whole system and there may be circumstances not seen, but it appears it could be eliminated. One caution is that the HACR rating on the breaker is only applicable to AC equipment that the label says breakers are acceptable for protection. If the label only says &quot;Maximum fuse size&quot; the a fused disconnect is also required.