Can anyone identify the cause of this AC compressor-fan WHINING Noise?

GammaGlobulin · June 14

Hi Folks,

I would pay BIG BUCKS if anyone can identify this whining noise emitted by one of the premium ACs built in Malaysia.

Please listen to the entire audio, as the whining increases and decreases, and then finally ends as the rotation of the compressor fan finally speeds up slightly, toward the end.

This is not a recording which is most likely to put one to sleep.

What is causing this whining?

Can you identify the cause?

Good luck!

Regards,

And thanks for any clues you might have.

This post is (NOT) a joke post, for sure.

Tks.

Don't worry that the video is completely dark.

It's only the audio that is important here.

Can you identify the cause?

Is it the fan?

At low and high RPM, the fan operates normally.

But, at mid-range RPM, then you got your whining sound.

Sometimes, much louder than this.

(Despite what some might say, anticipated by me, this is not a joke post.)

But, you will, still, need a bit of patience to listen to this annoying compressor-fan whine, I guess.

Tks. Again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whining fan noise begins at about 4.50. So, no need to listen to what comes before. However, still, before minute 4.50, the compressor-fan noise is NORMAL. It's only around 4.50 that the fan becomes a whining banshee.

This is NOT a joke post.....NOT!

Tks for any thoughts......

Final Note: The normal fan sound which comes BEFORE minute 4.50 acts as a "baseline" for what is normal fan noise from a compressor-fan. But, at minute 4.50, the speed of the fan very slightly changes, and then you can easily hear a very marked change in pitch, and this pronounced whining noise.

What the F is causing this....please....according to your opinions?

Tks again!!!

=========

Note: I believe than any mechanical engineer here with a bit of experience and knowledge about FAN ACOUSTICS should be able to answer this question, quite easily.

Fan Acoustics is actually a practical science, and a science that I know not much about.

Is this a case of harmonic resonance, as the fan speed increases very gradually?

Or, then....what is it?

Edited June 14 by GammaGlobulin

scubascuba3 · June 14

That's a shame, my TCL is whisper quiet at a fraction of the cost

Crossy · June 14

Sounds like a dry bearing to me.

Still under warranty??

GammaGlobulin · June 14

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

That's a shame, my TCL is whisper quiet at a fraction of the cost

OK.

I am happy for you.

But, this is not a TCL.

This is a Panasonic.

Panasonic ACs are usually very quiet, from my experience, when purchased in Japan.

So, this is why I bought Panasonics here.

Maybe a very bad decision.

I do not know.

I just need advice concerning what might be the cause of this whining at mid-range RPM.

At low RPM....all is normal.

At high RPM....all is normal.

It's only at mid-range RPM that this LOUD whining noise happens.

So....

What is it?

Panasonic machines are not considered cheap in Japan.

GammaGlobulin · June 14

Just now, Crossy said:

Sounds like a dry bearing to me.

Still under warranty??

Thank you very much, Sir.

YES

Still under warranty.

But, then, what good is a Panasonic warranty in Thailand.....

I wonder!!!!!!!!!

rwill · June 14

Do you have it cleaned regularly?

Could be unbalanced blades.

Screws that have come loose.

Bearing starting to go out.

GammaGlobulin · June 14

9 minutes ago, rwill said:

Do you have it cleaned regularly?

Could be unbalanced blades.

Screws that have come loose.

Bearing starting to go out.

Thank you for your suggestion.

HOWEVER: This problem existed beginning at the time of installation, when the machine just came out of the shipping carton from Malaysia.

This machine was manufactured in Malaysia.

Malaysia (Panasonic) supplies ACs to this entire region.

So then, why is this machine, sold by PowerBuy, so noisy?

I have no clue.

Do you?

Tks, again.

2baht · June 14

Stop posting on AN for a month or so and see if that fixes it!

rwill · June 14

Powerbuy can arrange for a mechanic to come check it out.

GammaGlobulin · June 14

3 minutes ago, rwill said:

Powerbuy can arrange for a mechanic to come check it out.

Not yet.

But the question is....

What might be the cause.

GammaGlobulin · June 14

56 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

That's a shame, my TCL is whisper quiet at a fraction of the cost

TCL is out of China, I think.

So, good quality, is my guess.

But, I bought this one:

(not just one: I bought 2)

Fruit Trader · June 15

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

Sounds like a dry bearing to me.

Still under warranty??

I think same or some other part of the fan motor.

These noises often begin after warm up or from resonance within a speed range.

GammaGlobulin · June 15

29 minutes ago, Fruit Trader said:

I think same or some other part of the fan motor.

These noises often begin after warm up or from resonance within a speed range.

Thank you.

GammaGlobulin · June 15

30 minutes ago, Fruit Trader said:

resonance within a speed range.

Yes.

Gsxrnz · June 15

Harmonic imbalance. Get some double sided tape and stick a small weight, (say a very small nut, or even better, the sticky weights used to balance a car wheel) on one of the blades, and see what happens. If the noise ceases, job done. If it gets worse, try sticking it to different blades at different distances from the centre.

Many ceiling fans come with stick-on weights to balance it after installation. Ceiling fans don't resonate, but they will swing wildly if out of balance. Your A/C has a fixed pivot and its inability to counteract the imbalance results in resonance.

daveAustin · June 15

Could be that or bearing issue, but possibly overcharged since the noise in question happens later on. Get a proper engineer to have a look, he'll bung some gauges on there to check pressure etc.

mogandave · June 15

Friction

What did I win?

Edited June 15 by mogandave

treetops · June 18

It can't be too bad if you haven't fixed it all these months after first bringing it up on here. What happened when you tried the solutions offered then?

https://aseannow.com/topic/1320915-persistent-problem-with-ac-compressor-unit-fans-on-split-acs-any-help-much-appreciated

SAFETY FIRST · June 18

On 6/15/2024 at 4:50 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

This post is (NOT) a joke post, for sure.

On 6/15/2024 at 4:50 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

This is NOT a joke post.....NOT!

I don't believe you. 😂

JBChiangRai · June 18

On 6/15/2024 at 5:20 AM, scubascuba3 said:

That's a shame, my TCL is whisper quiet at a fraction of the cost

We design & build moo baan, we've installed LG, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Daikin, Carrier and TCL, well over 100 units.

By far the highest quality is TCL

LG is the noisiest, Daikin doesn't protect logic boards from Geckos and has the lowest TIO₂ content in their plastics so yellow quickly, Mitsubishi is a great unit but very sensitive to being clean or they leak.

When it came to my own house, I specified 11 TCL units, they are cool only. Also 1 Fujitsu Heat/Cool Cassette and 1 Mitsubishi Heat/Cool mini-split.

TCL is also good in rental properties because after a power cut they just work. Daikin sometimes require cutting/restarting the power a few times to reset them, likewise Carrier, both these are useless in rental properties as the tenant complains they don't work and you have to go and reset them.

When you look at the price, TCL inverter units are priced like this

9,000 BTU 7,500 THB

12,000 BTU, 8,150 THB

18,000 BTU 10,500 THB

scubascuba3 · June 18

25 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

We design & build moo baan, we've installed LG, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Daikin, Carrier and TCL, well over 100 units.

By far the highest quality is TCL

LG is the noisiest, Daikin doesn't protect logic boards from Geckos and has the lowest TIO₂ content in their plastics so yellow quickly, Mitsubishi is a great unit but very sensitive to being clean or they leak.

When it came to my own house, I specified 11 TCL units, they are cool only. Also 1 Fujitsu Heat/Cool Cassette and 1 Mitsubishi Heat/Cool mini-split.

TCL is also good in rental properties because after a power cut they just work. Daikin sometimes require cutting/restarting the power a few times to reset them, likewise Carrier, both these are useless in rental properties as the tenant complains they don't work and you have to go and reset them.

When you look at the price, TCL inverter units are priced like this

9,000 BTU 7,500 THB

12,000 BTU, 8,150 THB

18,000 BTU 10,500 THB

Yep, i bought my 18k BTU TCL on your recommendation and yes it's very good, much quieter than i expected, in fact so quiet i hear the next door condo AC instead of mine. It was 11k baht, bargain

GammaGlobulin · June 18

3 hours ago, treetops said:

It can't be too bad if you haven't fixed it all these months after first bringing it up on here. What happened when you tried the solutions offered then?

https://aseannow.com/topic/1320915-persistent-problem-with-ac-compressor-unit-fans-on-split-acs-any-help-much-appreciated

It is bad.

It is not normal.

That does not mean that some idiot tech guy in these parts might SAY that it is normal and then walk out after two minutes without checking ANYTHING.

papa al · June 18

13 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

It is bad.

It is not normal.

That does not mean that some idiot tech guy in these parts might SAY that it is normal and then walk out after two minutes without checking ANYTHING.

Keep up the positive attitude.

brianthainess · June 24

On 6/15/2024 at 4:50 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Please listen to the entire audio, as the whining increases and decreases, and then finally ends as the rotation of the compressor fan finally speeds up slightly, toward the end.

The compressor is outside how can you hear that in the room. On my inside fan unit it sometimes sounds a bit like that, I just turn the a/c off for a minute, then back on. fixed.

GammaGlobulin · June 24

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

On my inside fan unit

You mean the evaporator unit fan?

Well, I am referring to the compressor unit fan.

And, I have no time to turn on and turn off either the compressor or the evaporator fans just to reduce noise from a defective fan.

I will report more later.....when.....I have more info from the company.

Tks.

brianthainess · June 24

1 minute ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And, I have no time to turn on and turn off either the compressor or the evaporator fans just to reduce noise from a defective fan

I just use the remote

GammaGlobulin · June 24

4 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I just use the remote

Hope you do not wear out your Tac Switches, too soon.

brianthainess · June 24

11 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Hope you do not wear out your Tac Switches, too soon.

My remote is 5 yrs old and replacement remotes are cheap to replace.

GammaGlobulin · June 24

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

My remote is 5 yrs old and replacement remotes are cheap to replace.

Good.

Works for you, then!

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