Never ever buy installation kit from the AC installer - Installation FAQ

[galacto]

Did you ever find a competent installer in Karachi. I am looking for one too.

@Xulfiqar

I have finally bought a Panasonic 1.5 ton ac. Its lying at home waiting to be installed. Arraning a person with vacuum pump.

Need to ask you two questions. Should I go a Chinese line set (line set did not come with the AC) or should I go for muller pipes. The problem is that Muller pipes are not premade and the joints have to be made once the pipe is cut to length from the roll. some one told me that the installers cannot make as good joints as the Chinese already prepared line sets have and they will not fit properly on the service valves. So what to do in this case. Also if there is a very good imported premade line set that might last very long is available in the market - brand names?

Secondly I want to install the extra dryer in high pressure line as recommended by you.. But can we do that without brazing it? I am not comfortable with brazing because I don't know where to find some one who can inject dry nitrogen to avoid soot.

Also tuning through super heating concept went way beyond my head.. can you recommend some one who can do it in Karachi? As mostly techs consider I am crazy when I talk to them about vacuum pumps... extra dryers.. purging the lines... etc...

[onlyfaith]

@ white angel bro whats the use of Flare nuts and how they look like

[Xplorer]

^^^

Flare nut is used to connect refrigerant pipe with the unit

[onlyfaith]

^^^


Flare nut is used to connect refrigerant pipe with the unit

Thanks brother

[COOLTAHIR]

My dawlance ac was packed new since 2005.
Last year installed it

[onlyfaith]

^
why packed since 2005?

[COOLTAHIR]

^
why packed since 2005?

Bought 1 dawlance back in 2005 and found it too good
So father bought another one and decided to keep it for some time as there was no need of another ac at that time when house renovating work was completed last year and i needed a ac so installed it

[COOLTAHIR]

Talking about this one

[onlyfaith]

Gree has its own installation kit, so no problem for me yesterday.

[qwertypoiu]

Since the topic is back up and I believe @whiteangel is the most knowledgeable person on pakwheels about such everyday house hold problems lets make this thread into some good info resource.

Since its summer everyone is having ac issues..

Whiteangel has explained the kit issue.

Now the second most issue is fitting and later on gas refilling.

Basic problem is desi installers and desi gas filling...

[qwertypoiu]

Problem I am facing is bad installation and again wrongly filled gas.

In my Village house Orient 1.5 ton ac was installed without using vacume pump and as you all know now after 1.5 year its performance is worse then fan, called the local installer and I am amzaed to see the process he has done, I have no other solution available to me.
Basically what he has done is without checking the gas pressure determined that it needed gas change but has said gas has leaked from some Nut.
Now as usual there is no vacume pump and he has filled the gas.

Question here is that even in lahore I haven't seen anyone with proper installation skills what can I expect here.
Where can one buy a vacume pump so that one may make them use it next time.

In about a months time I have to get almost 10 ac's fitted and dont want these desi methods screwing up everything.
Has anyone found a good ac installer?
How does one deal with Bs

[whiteangel]

First of all you should be aware that a lot of imported Chinese with local thappa brands, lie about the actual BTUs of the AC. An AC that actually is of 17,000 BTU might be branded as a 1.5 ton.

Secondly, none of the installers check for leaks after they are done with installation. They just tighten the nuts and want their money. They know even if there is a minor leak it will take at least until next season for the problem to crop up.

Now about finding someone with the right skills. Now that is hard, because when AC season comes these people want to do as many installations as possible in the least amount of time. If they do it by the book they will only be doing half the installations that they normally might do and that's not good for business.

For the vacuum pump, you can get it from near hall road. There is an AC shop right next to the nala that runs through hall road. Don't go into hall road, instead walk straight on the service lane next to mall road, turn right towards the nala, by climbing down the stairs. It's the second or third shop on your left. A 2cfm pump will cost you about 12,000. I also plan on getting one next month.

It would also be a good idea to buy a cylinder of R22. Avoid the Chinese ones, you can't go wrong with Honeywell.

[Hashim11]

First of all you should be aware that a lot of imported Chinese with local thappa brands, lie about the actual BTUs of the AC. An AC that actually is of 17,000 BTU might be branded as a 1.5 ton.

Secondly, none of the installers check for leaks after they are done with installation. They just tighten the nuts and want their money. They know even if there is a minor leak it will take at least until next season for the problem to crop up.

Now about finding someone with the right skills. Now that is hard, because when AC season comes these people want to do as many installations as possible in the least amount of time. If they do it by the book they will only be doing half the installations that they normally might do and that's not good for business.

For the vacuum pump, you can get it from near hall road. There is an AC shop right next to the nala that runs through hall road. Don't go into hall road, instead walk straight on the service lane next to mall road, turn right towards the nala, by climbing down the stairs. It's the second or third shop on your left. A 2cfm pump will cost you about 12,000. I also plan on getting one next month.

It would also be a good idea to buy a cylinder of R22. Avoid the Chinese ones, you can't go wrong with Honeywell.

How would one know that he is buying original honeywell?

[whiteangel]

If you go to a shop selling air conditioning supplies, they will have both Chinese and American refrigerants. The manufacturer name will be on the cylinder. Honeywell is also known as American gas and it is more expensive than the Chinese one.

[e105]

If you go to a shop selling air conditioning supplies, they will have both Chinese and American refrigerants. The manufacturer name will be on the cylinder. Honeywell is also known as American gas and it is more expensive than the Chinese one.

Do you know any installer having vacuum pump in Lahore for AC installation?

[whiteangel]

I am not aware of anyone. But all the people who do car AC work have one.

[nasirjavaid]

As summer season has approached its good idea to share the method of AC servicing here. As I know service guys just wash indoor and outdoor units and check for gas and nothing much.

I have gree 1 ton ac and I am planning to wash my unit these days so anyone knowledgeable can share the simple method here so everyone can benefit.

Any Fan Coil Unit cleaner solution recommended? and from where to purchase it? or surf solution is enough?

[whiteangel]

I service my own ACs every year just before summer. It can take a couple of hours per AC depending on how much dust is stuck in the coils. I've never taken pictures, may be next time when I do it, I will take some pictures and post them here.

I've serviced Mitsubishi Mr slim, Mitsubishi heavy duty, Samsung, Haier and Dawlance. Almost all split ACs open the same way. The screws are more or less in the same place. Step by step this is what you need to do.

1. Remove filters and clean
2. Take off top cover (usually held by 3 screws on the bottom part of the cover. Top cover is also held in place by plastic tabs. Take care not to break the tabs.)
3. Once you have access to the coils, use a vacuum cleaner attached with a small brush to suck the dirt out the coils.

(Next step is removing crossflow fan. You can skip this step if crossflow fan appears to be clean. If it has dirt stuck on the edges and you get uneven airflow, then you must clean it. If you don't want to clean it by removing it, then just use the vacuum cleaner brush to clean the fins.)

Cross flow fan removal procedure.
4. Remove screws holding the cooling coils in place from the far end.
6. Remove the drip pan under the coils.
7. Remove bolt holding cross flow fan to the motor. (the bolt is difficult to spot. It has to be accessed by inserting a screwdriver within a gap in the crossflow fan next to the motor. Turn the crossflow fan and keep an eye on the part connected to the motor. You will spot the bolt)
8. Slowly lift the cooling coils and remove the crossflow fan. (do not use a lot of force while lifting the coils or you may damage them. Just lift enough so you can remove the crossflow fan through the gap.
9. Give the crossflow fan a good rinse with a hose, until it is clean.
10. Remove outdoor unit cover and use a dust blower on the coils. If you want you can also rinse with water after removing the outdoor fan (just open the bolt in the centre, fan comes off.) COVER FAN MOTOR WITH PLASTIC BAG BEFORE RINSING THE OUTDOOR UNIT. Don't use a lot of water pressure. Personally, I rarely service the outdoor. If there's a lot of dust stuck in there then do it, otherwise just skip it.

Clean everything. Installation is reverse of removal procedure. The most difficult part of the service is the removal and reinstallation of cross flow fan. If you don't want to get into the hassle of removal, then just vacuum it.

[nasirjavaid]

Great detailed explanation. And yes installation and removal is the most difficult part so I avoid it

Today I got a spray bottle, filled it with surf water and sprayed on the coils. Black water came out of the overflow pipe which I collected in a tub and thrown after rinsing coils with clean water.

Tomorrow I plan to wash the outdoor in same way but will first put a plastic bag on fan motor as you mentioned.

[whiteangel]

I avoid using water, since it almost always gets splashed on the walls and creates a mess. I prefer a vacuum cleaner because it is much better at sucking out dirt. But what would be better is a steam cleaner. It's a small jug sized cleaner that basically blows out steam. I don't have one at the moment. But I plan on getting it.