Summary:
- The client had mentioned that they were not getting enough cold air from their unit when in full cooling mode on hot days.
- The unit had been installed approximately 12 months ago.
- There were no obvious signs of damage to any of the units.
- We needed to have the work completed before the summer heat wave.
The challenge:
The customer explained that although the air conditioning system was still producing some cool air it was unable to maintain comfortable temperatures on hotter days.
The original installation company was no longer trading leaving the customer without support or warranty assistance. After experiencing difficulties finding a reliable company during a busy period they contacted our team for assistance.
A visual inspection of both the indoor and outdoor units showed no obvious signs of damage. As the system was still operating, a detailed diagnostic investigation was required to identify the root cause of the reduced cooling performance.
Reduced cooling performance is one of the most common issues we encounter during air conditioning service visits, particularly when systems have developed refrigerant leaks or have not been inspected regularly.
The Solution:
Our engineers carried out a full system assessment and connected specialist diagnostic equipment to measure the refrigerant pressures.
Initial testing indicated that the system was operating with a reduced refrigerant charge. To confirm this the refrigerant was safely recovered into a recycling cylinder in accordance with F-Gas regulations and weighed against the manufacturers specified charge quantity.
The results confirmed that the system had lost approximately 50% of its original refrigerant charge indicating the presence of a leak.
To locate the fault the system was pressure tested using nitrogen and all joints and connections were inspected using leak detection fluid. The leak was identified at a connection on the indoor unit.
The joint was tightened and retested to verify that the leak had been solved. Once the system had passed the pressure test, a deep vacuum was applied to remove any moisture and gases before the correct refrigerant charge was re installed.
The Result:
Following recommissioning the air conditioning system returned to normal operation and achieved the correct cooling performance.
The customer was able to enter the summer period with confidence that their air conditioning system would operate efficiently during peak temperatures, avoiding the cost of unnecessary component replacements and extending the life of the air conditioner.
