The air conditioning nightmare

[CH1961]

Two Samsung systems. Inverter, latest model with WiFi.

The WiFi control never worked. It was just not possible to register the devices.

Anyway, after three years both systems ran out of coolant.

 

Just need gas, sir.

Once refilled, the same situation after a few days. A search for a leak is not.

 

Just need gas, sir.

This time the shrader valves exchanged and refilled again. Empty again after a few days.

This time a leak search was started on my tight spot. Defective condenser in the outdoor unit.

 

Get rid of the Samsung garbage and instead have a large Daikin installed in 2018.

After a year only warm air.

Just need gas, sir.

At first, the technician did not want to vacuum the lines. It was only on my insistence that he vacuumed the lines before filling them.

 

Empty again after another year (2019).

During the leak search, a defective condenser was found in the indoor unit. Has been exchanged by Daikin under warranty.

 

Now the exterior is defective again. The compressor switches itself off continuously (short cycle).

PCB, no warranty, sir.

 

It is a drama to find trained air conditioning technicians here.

Living in Pattaya/Pratumnak, any recommendations?

[fondue zoo]

37 minutes ago, CH1961 said:

It is a drama to find trained air conditioning technicians here.

 

Our guy arrives with his girlfriend and two mates who stand around smelling of beer looking sketchy.

That said he seems to know what he is doing and rarely consults YouTube in front of us.

[Mickeymaus]

"Anyway, after three years both systems ran out of coolant."

 

Do you let them check the gas when they clean it? I never do. They just might damage the valves. I have 3 aircons. I never allowed them to check the gas and never had a problem in this respect in more than 10 years. And for sure I saved some money for fake fillings...

 

In respect of cleaning - after endless nightmares with several companies and after the last company threw away many screws I started to do it myself... It gets on my nerves and it is some work and you need to get some knowledge. But there doesn't seem to be an alternative. At least this was my experience. 

[OneMoreFarang]

 

[BE88]

32 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Ecological solution at first sight

 

[arick]

When it's blowing warm air. It's just needs to be cleaned. The condenser coil that rotates behind the radiator needs cleaning every 6 months. We pay 300 baht for each unit. 

I posted on her awhile ago I bought the Gree 24BTU AND love it very cold quiet and my electric bill is the same or lower but my house much colder 

[xxeo]

I use Jomtien Air to maintain my unit and had only good experience with this company.

[Henricus]

19 hours ago, CH1961 said:

it is a drama to find trained air conditioning technicians here.

Living in Pattaya/Pratumnak, any recommendations?

San Airco 0890990905

[MrJ2U]

Sorry to hear of your problems.

 

Our first Aircon was a Samsung's.  It also stopped working after 3 years. Good refrigerators though.

 

We built a house.  

I wanted to save electricity so I ordered Daikon inverter air-conditioning ers, 8 of them.

 

They couldn't handle Thailands heat and humidity.  If it was over 28 Celsius it felt like it was blowing warm air?  

I was upset.  Daikin s aren't cheap!

 

I've been told inverters just can't handle the extreme heat and humidity.

 

Luckily they replaced all of them with Mitsubishi Mr Slims.

 

Its been 4 years now and I'm very pleased.  Usually run them at 22-24 celsius for a good nights sleep.

 

Mitsubishi's are great products and easy to get cleaned, gassed up, or repaired anywhere in Thailand.  I see them installed in hotels throughout Thailand.

 

There was a similar thread a few months back from "Sheryll" in Hua Hin about her 

Daikon inverter air-cons air- blowing warm air.

 

Good luck!

I couldn't live here without Aircon.

 

 

.

 

[rwill]

My recommendation.  Don't buy Samsung air conditioners.

 

I bought one once.  It kept losing refrigerant too.  My Air guy checked the lines and couldn't find any leaks.  He said the leak must be in the unit and I should call Samsung to get their technicians to check it out since it was still under warranty.  A couple of weeks later the Samsung technicians show up.  They had nothing to check for leaks with.  I had to give them some of my dish soap.  In the end they just tightened up the fittings going to the compressor and left.  I replaced the unit.  I just go with Mitsubishi now.

 

I have yet to see any Air technicians in Thailand that have leak detectors.  They just rely on soapy water.  Kind of sad.  I have seen them for sale on Lazada though.

And yes the general attitude here is not to fix a leak if it is not too bad.  Just keep charging the refrigerant back up.

[MrJ2U]

16 hours ago, BE88 said:

Ecological solution at first sight

 

Mixed with air-conditioning it Really feels nice and cooler than air con alone.

 

 

[MrJ2U]

2 minutes ago, rwill said:

My recommendation.  Don't buy Samsung air conditioners.

 

I bought one once.  It kept losing refrigerant too.  My Air guy checked the lines and couldn't find any leaks.  He said the leak must be in the unit and I should call Samsung to get their technicians to check it out since it was still under warranty.  A couple of weeks later the Samsung technicians show up.  They had nothing to check for leaks with.  I had to give them some of my dish soap.  In the end they just tightened up the fittings going to the compressor and left.  I replaced the unit.  I just go with Mitsubishi now.

 

I have yet to see any Air technicians in Thailand that have leak detectors.  They just rely on soapy water.  Kind of sad.  I have seen them for sale on Lazada though.

And yes the general attitude here is not to fix a leak if it is not too bad.  Just keep charging the refrigerant back up.

Samsung techs take 3-4 visits usually to fix something.

 

Good to have your toolbox out and ready in case they may need a screwdriver.

 

Samsung does have good warranties on there products though.

[malthebluff]

I have a lg it was cheap I think 13000 baht fitted from big c as only a rented house didnt want to spend much but it has been great had it 2 years now and rearly turned off had it cleaned out about a month age 300 baht and it's like new again. I dont know much about them but I would recommend the lg 

[Andycoops]

I have my units serviced annually and they do a full service, gas, coolant, filters everything.

It takes them 1 hour to do 1 unit so that should act as a guide for the future.

[mfd101]

Daikin were recognized in Oz for many years as the best. I never had any problems in 20 years there and none in two houses (at the farm & here in Prasat) over the last 8 & 4 years. But:

(1) Proper clean (not just the interior filters that you can do yourself) every year. When you have to start turning the temp down below 26C you know it's past time for a full clean rinse & perm. Have NEVER had to regas/refill or whatever;

(2) As with all workmen & technicians in Thailand (and elsewhere), it takes a while to find a good one. We found here that a local family friend does the best job & cheapest. Always hold on to them once you've found them.

[phetphet]

I called our guy out several times because one room not getting cold. Two times "Topped up gas." said he. Third time I told him there must be a leak or something else wrong because never gets gold.

So he tops up gas again, then tells me, " Condensor fan was running in wrong direction."

He has been servicing this for three years and no problems before.

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by phetphet

[Moonlover]

40 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Mixed with air-conditioning it Really feels nice and cooler than air con alone.

 

 

That's what we do in our bedroom. It's a large room and the A/C isn't really up to it, but with a fan shifting the air around it becomes quite comfortable.

[big dendrobenaes]

i would suggest you try JOMTIEN AIR, have used them for many yrs  086 889 9001

[millymoopoo]

One somewhat obvious question here is why 'inverter' (reverse cycle) models.?

Where in Thailand do you need the heating offered by inverter A/Cs.?

To achieve this there is some complicated valves to reverse the cycle.

More parts to go wrong, more places to develop leaks.

Simple refrigerated A/C only is my choice, and Hitachi is what we have.

Hitachi make components too, many other brands use Hitachi components, I think Mitsubishi does.

But there are other cheaper brand components used in other manufacturers units.

And then there is a question about the gas (refrigerant charge) used, the old standard was R134a  a type of freon gas (being phased out), now the newer standard R1234ya or blended R600a and R290 both of which are hydrocarbons. These work well but the molecule is smaller than freon, and thus can leak out more easily.

That being said, under normal conditions leakage would be a rare thing as compressors are hermetically sealed and most units come pre-charged, it's just a mater of mounting it all up, bolting it up and connecting it.

Close scrutiny of the installation process would be recommended as Thai workmanship quality can be variable.!

I would also suggest, during the installation process, at the bolting up of the pipework, a bowl of soapy water and a paint brush used to apply liberally over all the unions would reveal leaks, at least then you can guarantee the connections have been made properly.

After it's installed and a time of working, perhaps then it would be a good idea to learn (youtube) the cleaning process, then you don't have to rely on dubious workmen.

Our Hitachi is now 6yo, cleaned every year and has worked faultlessly all that time.

We usually do the cleaning after burning season (Chiang mai), for obvious reasons.

[Tropposurfer]

5 minutes ago, millymoopoo said:

One somewhat obvious question here is why 'inverter' (reverse cycle) models.?

Where in Thailand do you need the heating offered by inverter A/Cs.?

To achieve this there is some complicated valves to reverse the cycle.

More parts to go wrong, more places to develop leaks.

Simple refrigerated A/C only is my choice, and Hitachi is what we have.

Hitachi make components too, many other brands use Hitachi components, I think Mitsubishi does.

But there are other cheaper brand components used in other manufacturers units.

And then there is a question about the gas (refrigerant charge) used, the old standard was R134a  a type of freon gas (being phased out), now the newer standard R1234ya or blended R600a and R290 both of which are hydrocarbons. These work well but the molecule is smaller than freon, and thus can leak out more easily.

That being said, under normal conditions leakage would be a rare thing as compressors are hermetically sealed and most units come pre-charged, it's just a mater of mounting it all up, bolting it up and connecting it.

Close scrutiny of the installation process would be recommended as Thai workmanship quality can be variable.!

I would also suggest, during the installation process, at the bolting up of the pipework, a bowl of soapy water and a paint brush used to apply liberally over all the unions would reveal leaks, at least then you can guarantee the connections have been made properly.

After it's installed and a time of working, perhaps then it would be a good idea to learn (youtube) the cleaning process, then you don't have to rely on dubious workmen.

Our Hitachi is now 6yo, cleaned every year and has worked faultlessly all that time.

We usually do the cleaning after burning season (Chiang mai), for obvious reasons.

Spot on Milly.

[Doctor Tom]

I use my Hitachi air-cons on their 'dry' setting, hardly ever on 'cool' and they keep the rooms to a nice comfortable temperature.  However, on two of the new units the vanes stopped working after just one year. Seems to be a real lottery here where ACs are concerned, both buying the right one in the first place and then getting them serviced by someone who knows that they are doing. 

[boonchu]

I use the same air tech for 10+ years, he services our 17 aircons (house and apartments) always good and reliable.

 

[Doctor Tom]

1 minute ago, boonchu said:

I use the same air tech for 10+ years, he services our 17 aircons (house and apartments) always good and reliable.

 

contact info? 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Sorry to hear of your problems.

 

Our first Aircon was a Samsung's.  It also stopped working after 3 years. Good refrigerators though.

 

We built a house.  

I wanted to save electricity so I ordered Daikon inverter air-conditioning ers, 8 of them.

 

They couldn't handle Thailands heat and humidity.  If it was over 28 Celsius it felt like it was blowing warm air?  

I was upset.  Daikin s aren't cheap!

 

I've been told inverters just can't handle the extreme heat and humidity.

 

Luckily they replaced all of them with Mitsubishi Mr Slims.

 

Its been 4 years now and I'm very pleased.  Usually run them at 22-24 celsius for a good nights sleep.

 

Mitsubishi's are great products and easy to get cleaned, gassed up, or repaired anywhere in Thailand.  I see them installed in hotels throughout Thailand.

 

There was a similar thread a few months back from "Sheryll" in Hua Hin about her 

Daikon inverter air-cons air- blowing warm air.

 

Good luck!

I couldn't live here without Aircon.

 

 

.

 

I have had 4 Mr Slims for 9 years, cleaned every 6 months. Never re-gassed. Perfect.

[MrJ2U]

3 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I have had 4 Mr Slims for 9 years, cleaned every 6 months. Never re-gassed. Perfect.

There great!

 

8 cleaned for 1500.00 baht here in Issan .

[MrJ2U]

29 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

use my Hitachi air-cons on their 'dry' setting

Great savings!

60% supposedly.

 

I turn that option on around 3:00 am after its really chilly.  Keeps it really comfortable and saves money?

[Dazinoz]

44 minutes ago, millymoopoo said:

One somewhat obvious question here is why 'inverter' (reverse cycle) models.?

Where in Thailand do you need the heating offered by inverter A/Cs.?

Inverter AC does NOT mean its reverse cycle, although some reverse cycle Acs can be inverter type.

 

Inverter means lots of electronics are used to allow the compressor to run at varying speeds.

 

Reverse cycle is exactly as the name suggests and using extra components as you say the refrigerant flow is reversed and the indoor unit can be used as a heater. I have never seen a reverse cycle AC in Thailand, as you say, not needed. Plenty of inverter types though.

[Dazinoz]

I had a Fujitsu General installed in my bedroom i  Australia and it was there 19 Years and never needed a regas as it was installed properly in the first place. In fact I moved it to my workshop and used there a couple more years before I moved.

 

I installed ACs as a sideline business in Australia. The new refrigerants there to replace R22 was R410a which operated at a much higher pressure so I Nitrogen pressure tested each install I did at a higher pressure than the units normally ran at to test for leaks. Never had a call back due to low refrigerant. Do the job correctly and can operate great, other than filter and coil cleans for years. But, hey, TiT.

[paddyfield7]

We have 5 Mitsubishi units of various sizes installed in our house, depending on the air volume of each room. We have them serviced every 6 months, and the guys we are using charge THB 500 per unit for new customers, and THB 300 for repeating customers. Not a single problem with any unit since 2015 when they were installed.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

My recommendation.  Don't buy Samsung air conditioners.

 

I bought one once.  It kept losing refrigerant too.  My Air guy checked the lines and couldn't find any leaks.  He said the leak must be in the unit and I should call Samsung to get their technicians to check it out since it was still under warranty.  A couple of weeks later the Samsung technicians show up.  They had nothing to check for leaks with.  I had to give them some of my dish soap.  In the end they just tightened up the fittings going to the compressor and left.  I replaced the unit.  I just go with Mitsubishi now.

 

I have yet to see any Air technicians in Thailand that have leak detectors.  They just rely on soapy water.  Kind of sad.  I have seen them for sale on Lazada though.

And yes the general attitude here is not to fix a leak if it is not too bad.  Just keep charging the refrigerant back up.

"My recommendation.  Don't buy Samsung air conditioners."

My recommendation.  Don't buy anything from Samsung except smartphones.