What simply stuff can I do to extend the life of this unit?
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reddit.comPosted Feb 24, 2023, 7:23 AM UTC
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reddit.comClean it, mine is old and wasn’t working well, pulled the cover off and cleaned, cleaned the filters inside and it’s working well again,. Check YouTube and make sure you turn the power off if you clean outside to be safe
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It should be elevated, on pavers or slap something where the ground moisture won't rust the bottom
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Moving it may crack the flare joints. Terrible advice.
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Ok let it rot. The advice was to get it disconnected and reconnect after a proper base is in place. Maybe I should have been more specific
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Sorry, I was being too defensive. Good advice to get it out of the mud/debris.
Yes, a fridgie to install a wall bracket (or slab). Same time do a service. Leak check, drain clean, coil clean, fix the bit of lagging so it's not exposed to UV, etc etc.
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Assuming this is on a (small) pad, might be easier to dig down and around the unit, then put down some pavers to keep moisture and grass at bay.
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This is correct! Those joints are going to be brittle as all fuck. One tiny crack and your gas is gone or slowing leaking, which is worse. Try getting a ac guy to re gas it!!! No hope in hell.
I can understand the idea of lifting it up BUT how the hell you going to do that?
0ne guy either end lifting it up and what then another guy clearing out the base, making it flat with a bed of sand, then pushing in the concrete block? Sounds easy lol from all the home handyman. That ac unit will be twisted moved, dropped, and bumped all over the shop.
How about just clear out the weeds and crap and clean off the mould and leave it alone! 🤔
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Get it mounted on the wall.
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The guys that installed some other units for me said this can result in vibrations coming through the wall so raised on the ground is best, not that I'd know the difference.
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That shouldn’t happen unless there’s something amiss in the outdoor unit. I’ve hung 15kw units off bedroom walls and they are dead silent inside.
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Vibration through the wall can be an issue
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It’s working, don’t mess with it.
Just ensure you clean the filters regularly and outdoor unit has clear air flow around it.
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Edit: mean simple of course, now I feel simple
So I bought this place 5 years ago, and it has a multi-head aircon unit for all the bedrooms, and it works really well. It's fairly old, but the install looks like it's been done well. I want to know if there's any simple stuff I can check or service myself to squeeze another few good years out of it, as I expect it would cost a bomb to replace.
Thanks for any tips in advance!
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Clean it.
You can get cans of "coil cleaner" and there are tutorials on YouTube on how to use them. It's literally a 15 minute job if you're handy with a hose and a screw driver.
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Oh, now the outdoor fan has stopped working.... What do you mean it's "no longer available" from the manufacturer. Fuck, does that mean it now needs to be replaced? FFS.
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According to Australian Consumer Law the manufacturer needs to keep replacement parts for a reasonable amount of time. No replacement fan? Put a claim in for an entirely new unit. I bet you they find a replacement fan real quick.
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Yes. 5 years, same as warranty period.
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My split system has to be replaced because they can't get an outdoor sensor unit.
Goodbye, $2500.
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The sensor is probably just a 10k PTC. Maybe ask someone else if they can find a replacement.
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It’s working, don’t mess with it. Just ensure you clean the filters regularly and outdoor unit has clear air flow.
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I strongly recommend you do not attempt a coil clean. Likely to cause you troubles.
Do clear away the leaves and grass from infront, behind and maybe under the outdoor. Check that there isn't a buildup of leaves and crap on the wall side of the outdoor, be careful of the sharp fins on the heat exchanger. If you can't safely pick the debris off with your fingers then it's time to call a fridgie.
Do clean the indoor unit silk screen filters, find a manual online and follow the instructions.
If you are quite handy then you could check the condensate drain of the indoor units, but if it ain't broke then it probably doesn't need to be checked.
Replace the batteries in the remotes.
All in all, they either run like a dream, or have no end of troubles. No significant DIY/customer maintenance apart from cleaning the indoor filters.
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Thanks! It gives no trouble so I'll clear any debris out and cross fingers.
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Solid advice
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Moisturise it
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best thing you can do for ac units apart from cleaning the filters on the regular is to do periodic evaporator cleans. I do it yearly for my commercial units but for home units once every 2nd or 3rd year is prolly fine depending on use
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Keep arround it clean. Insects/geckos can get inside and get across the terminals. Ideally pad or off ground, but that's not a easy option for for. Bare mine spray arround it with a path weed killer.
A fridgey would be able to move it slightly for you.
Unit wise is not that old it's inverter so id keep it going.
Panasonic's are fine I have 2 at mine, they do roll through models fairly regularly so no idea how hard spare parts are to come buy.
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Awesome, good to know thanks. I'll do the weeding and make sure it's up on blocks. It works just fine so I won't mess with it too much.
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Don’t forget to clean the filter in the indoor part! Took me a while to work that out.
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Captain obvious here clean around it and the unit itself ;)
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This might seem overkill but I’d like to keep my machine in tip top shape for a while. So I typically call the HVAC wizards annually to get it deep cleaned and get everything checked out. Those Panasonic systems could possibly last you until the next 4-6 centuries.
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Those Panasonic systems could possibly last you until the next 4-6 centuries.
Nice! As I understand it it was a an HVAC guy that owned the place previously and did the install, so he probably knew what a good system was.
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For sure get that bitch on a concrete slab
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It actually is you just can't see it under all the weeds and rocks.
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Clean out the filters, clear the grass around. Repeat regularly.
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What? If you don’t know anything about A/C units, why add your 2 cents?
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Old mate isn't wrong, you are giving terrible advice.
- It is not an evaporative cooler, there are no belt drive components.
- Customer shouldn't be breaching the sealed system, so definitely no "check the gas".
- There is nothing to grease, all the bearings will be the sealed type.
- What other dumb shit did you say? Oh yeah, get a service done.... Ok, this advice was good. Call a fridgie (not some swampy greaser).
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The first comment is work the AC tech will do, the rest is for the OP
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Clear the grass and leaves around it and put it on a concrete pad if it isnt already
if its on a pad, the pads too small and needs to be redone anyway