Faults and false alarms on the Central Coast
Cold, damp valley mornings
Inland winter minimums sit at 4 to 6 degrees, AdaptNSW says. Mitsubishi Electric explains that in heating, frost forms on the outdoor unit when it's cold and humid, and the unit stops for up to 10 minutes to defrost. White vapour from the outdoor unit while that happens is normal too.
Rare but fierce heat
The region has fewer than 10 days a year above 35 degrees, but Gosford has hit 44.8. A system that's fine for most of summer can fall behind on those days without anything being broken.
Humid air and drips
With a February dew point of 17.8 degrees at Gosford, condensation never really stops. Mitsubishi Electric warns against running for more than 4 hours at 80% humidity or more, or with windows open, because water can drip from the indoor unit.
Salt near the ocean
Corrosion on the outdoor unit's casing or coil is worth pointing out to the repairer. Haier's warranty booklet, for example, excludes weathering damage from salt.
Checks before you book
Look at the mode
A unit on the wrong mode can look broken. On a multi-split, Mitsubishi Electric doesn't recommend Auto mode, because the indoor unit may go to standby when it can't switch between cooling and heating.
Give it a few minutes
After a restart, Mitsubishi Electric's units wait about 3 minutes before running, and in heating, warm air doesn't blow straight away.
Check the breaker and filters
Make sure the breaker's on and the filters aren't clogged. If the breaker keeps tripping, stop and leave it off.
Write down any error code
It tells the technician where to start, and your manual will say what it means.
When it's a real fault
Stop using it and call a technician for a burning smell, frequent breaker trips, water from the indoor unit or an abnormal noise. Mitsubishi Electric also says a system that won't cool or heat may have a refrigerant leak, and if one is found, to stop running it and ventilate the room.
A leak isn't fixed with a top-up. The ARC says topping up before the system is tested and the leaks are repaired is illegal, so expect the technician to find the leak first. If the unit is old and the fault is big, our repair or replace quiz can help.
What to ask a Central Coast repairer
- Have you ruled out defrosting and the mode settings before calling it a fault?
- What's the fault, and how did you find it?
- Does the repair involve refrigerant, and do you hold RAC01?
- Is the part in stock, and is it under warranty?
- Which NSW licence do you hold for air conditioning work?
What we'd do
If it were ours
We'd check the mode, the breaker and the filters, and if it's a winter morning, give it ten minutes in case it's defrosting. If it still isn't right, or there's water, a smell or a trip, we'd stop using it and book a repair technician who knows the brand. And we'd ask for the fault in writing before agreeing to anything.
