OT: Air conditioner

One of mine has suffered some sort of leak from the condenser which now makes a loud buzzing noise. Probably oil, I suppose. Anyway it looks pretty terminal, and the thing is 10 years old, so I started calling to get quotes to replace the entire unit.

So far, of the two companies I've been able to contact, one says they no longer do residential work, and the other says the earliest they can come is next Friday.

OK, so it's cold, and people will be calling about their broken reverse cycle airconditioners - running it in heating mode is after all how I found out that mine had a problem. Even so, I'm surprised at the lack of people making a dash for my door. I'd have thought summer was the time when airconditioning companys would be run off their feet.

Maybe I'll just use a fan heater and wait until October.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else
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On Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:59:25 +1000, Sylvia Else put finger to keyboard and composed:

I have had the same experience. In fact I even had difficulty getting companies to quote on a new ducted A/C supply and install. I contacted about 10 companies and only 2 actually turned up.

ISTM that they aren't hungry enough. Bring on the recession!

- Franc Zabkar

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Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Reply to
Franc Zabkar

How long after you fire it up on heat does the noise start? This is key to the next bit.

If is not straight off, but after something more than a minute, then do the following test. Rug up and after giving it say 10 minutes rest, stick it on COOL and - if it will actually do anything - see whether it still makes the same noise.

What you may be experiencing is defrosting issues.

Reply to
who where

Normal where I live too. You are lucky if anyone even shows up. If it is a through the wall unit, you will probably have to change it yourself.

You will find it difficult to find one of similar power that will fit in the same size hole, I have found, and if there is brick involved, you will find it a real pain to enlarge the hole, especially if you aren't on ground floor level.

When you replace it, and you are happy with the new unit, I would consider buying a spare of the same model and putting it aside if you can afford to do so, and have the room. Suitable units are getting harder and harder to find as time passes.

Out of interest, do these things store ok - anyone know ?

Reply to
kreed

Thanks for the thought. Before doing that (and ultimately, instead), I collected some of the gunk from around the condenser, and confirmed that it won't mix with water. So it's dirt mixed with oil, or something of that nature. Similar dirt collected from elsewhere in the housing happily wets with water. I needed to use washing-up liquid to get the gunk off my hands - soap wouldn't touch it.

So I pulled the insulation material off the condenser, and sadly the culprit became all too obvious; massive corrosion to the base and sides of the condenser, and the mounting brackets are almost gone.

The good news is that I pulled apart the other airconditioner I have of the identical model, and it's fine. It's under a deck, so is not subject to driving rain, and that maybe what makes the difference. Now I just need to finish the task of drilling out one of the screws whose head stripped :(

I have to wonder about the insulation. Its position is such that if any amount of water accumulates in the base, the insulation will absorb it, and then hold it in contact with the condenser and its mountings. This seems like a design flaw (or a deliberate attempt to prevent the unit from lasting too long).

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

It's not a through wall unit, it's a split system. So that aspect of things shouldn't be such a problem.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

Judging by the one quote I've got (given sight unseen, on the basis that it's a replacement), that's only too true. It's about $500 more than I was expecting.

Roll on spring.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

Oh, and just to make sure that water does accumulate, there's a depression under the compressor, and no drain hole.

I think I'll make a weather proof cover for the replacement unit, and have it covered up except when it's in use.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

Wow. But at least you got a promise for that Friday. When I tried in Summer to get someone out to fix my aircond I got told they were too busy so couldn't attend. Bugger

So went without over Summer and tried again in Winter. got told they are too busy fixing heaters and installing slow combustion heaters, so couldn't come.

One the disadvantages of living in the country

David

Reply to
David

The refeigerant in them is mixed with the libricant oil, so if it's leaking oil it's pretty sick and needs attention.

may not be terminal, depends on the cause.

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Reply to
Jasen Betts

Unfortunately it is - severe corrosion.

Caused by a design flaw that means that driving rain drains into the condenser compartment, there to be absorbed by the insulation around the condenser, thus creating the perfect environment for the dreaded oxide formation.

This is a ten year old Daikin model. The replacement will be of another brand, 'cos they don't deserve brand loyalty after perpetrating that.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

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I guess the through the wall system has one advantage, if you are out of town, and no one will come to fix it, you can at least remove it yourself and replace it, or take it in for service.

Split system, you have to know about refrigeration and have the gear if you are going to install it yourself.

The way things are going in this country - you should get a wood stove. At least this can be easily serviced and operated, and immune to blackouts as long as you have the wood available. ;)

Reply to
kreed

And even if you have the gear and the knowledge, you still can't legally do it without a licence (at least, in NSW).

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

You can if you use hydrocarbon refrigerants which is perfectly possible. read this lot.

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And it is possible to even bypass the commercial supplier as you can can get propane butane elswhere although not as pure. If you google hydrocarbon refrigerants you will get a plethora of info, a lot of which is claptrap and misinformation by people protecting their interests. For instance almost all the cheap friges and freezers imported use R600 which is iso butane (used in a lot of camping stoves) Most house air cons will run on propane which is legal on small systems

Reply to
F Murtz

I guess the through the wall system has one advantage, if you are out of town, and no one will come to fix it, you can at least remove it yourself and replace it, or take it in for service.

Split system, you have to know about refrigeration and have the gear if you are going to install it yourself.

The way things are going in this country - you should get a wood stove. At least this can be easily serviced and operated, and immune to blackouts as long as you have the wood available. ;)

Probably be hit for carbon tax for creating pollution ?

Reply to
Metro

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I don't know what they could do there. Put a tax on firewood, or on wood stoves ? What if you cut the wood yourself or buy it privately ?

Where we are, they have become popular with the high price of electricity. From an environmental point of view, even the dirtiest commercial electricity has to be cleaner than home wood stoves and heaters.

Then again, as we know, the carbon tax has nothing to do with reducing pollution, that is just a front in order to try and get people to accept it

Reply to
kreed

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It is the same in QLD. I'm sure though that many do it though, and that will increase if there becomes a shortage of qualified people.

Reply to
kreed

I couldn't agree more about Daikin - I have had two units die because geckos got into the exterior unit and died on top of the PCBs. Daikin will not honour the warranty if the problem is due to 'vermin'.

I would suggest that if vermin are able to access the sensitive bits, then the product is not fit for purpose and therefor not fit for sale. However I know that it would be a long and costly process to fight them.

Dave Goldfinch

Reply to
Dave Goldfinch

I possibly had a similar problem some years back (on the other example I have of the model that's failed on me), with a circuit board suffering some strange component failures, and there was a dead spider present. I was able to repair the board, fortunately. Daikin never did respond to my enquiry about the price of a replacement board. Of course, I'll be salvaging the board from the failed one, so I'll have a spare now.

I agree about the fitness argument. Actually, the small claims tribunals are not so expensive to use, and you don't need lawyers. If the unit fails due to vermin entry during its warranty period, I think Daikin, or any other supplier, would fold as soon as they saw the application to the tribunal.

Equally, I could go to the tribunal in respect of the corrosion, but on a ten year old unit, it's questionable how much damage the tribunal would find I'd actually suffered, even if it found that Daikin was at fault, and Daikin would likely to be sufficiently stubborn to resist anything more than a nominal payout beforehand. It doesn't help that suppliers tend to think (wrongly) that their own warranty period is the final word on how long their responsibility lasts.

Still, if Daikin are reading this, and want to pacify me with the offer of a free replacement unit (I'll pay the installation cost), I'm willing, and I'll then post about how Daikin did the right thing by me :)

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

Queensland has different rules to NSW. Non ticketed people can use hydrocarbons in NSW they are just not legally allowed to let the old stuff escape (r22, R134a etc) In Queensland there are still ways and means for some stuff.

Reply to
F Murtz

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