Help with reverse cycle aircon

[Richary]

Just wondering if we had anyone out there who services air conditioners or know about them. This rental place came with a Fujitsu reverse cycle unit. It cools pretty well in summer, and heats pretty well in winter. The problem is while in heating mode the outdoor unit makes a lot of sparking/crackling noises at times, usually after it had been on for a while so it's not while it's coming to temperature.

Can't see anything like sparks from outside the housing looking through the gaps, maybe I should pull the lid off and see if anything is visible?

Anyone have any ideas what might be the problem and if it is likely to burn the house down or something annoying? The owner won't service it, and being a rental place I would prefer not to if I don't have to, especially as who knows how long I will be in this place.

[CraigRat]

Could be as simple as a loose wire, sometimes these things have 'push' connections to allow quick assembly and these don't always hold the wire too well.

As an electrician I suggest you get an electrician to look at is as there could be faulty wiring and dangerous voltages. Please don't attempt it yourself. Arcing noises are NOT normal on operating AC units.

[Richary]

Thanks. It should be noted it has always been like that, so it's not something new. Curious that it works well though.

As far as the advice goes about an electrician, I admit to not being one but I was trained as an electronics technician so do have a healthy respect for 240 volts, and we do work with mains power a bit. So if I do pull the lid off I will have it turned off at the fuse box (it's on it's own circuit) and could spot and fix an obviously loose wire. I do also have the tools to check if things are "live" including meters and one of those gadgets you wave near a live wear and it beeps and flashes at you.

[noikmeister]

I have reverse cycle aircon and I have it serviced annually. It only costs me $165 and the come out and clean everything and test the function of the compressors and fans etc.

I have never seen any sparks on mine, but haven't ever observed the outside unit closely. One thing they do that sounds very odd and I thought it was a malfunction is to reverse the flow of the hot compressed gas when the outside unit gets too cold and frosts up. It makes a hell of a racket when it does it too. Sounds very odd.

[homedg]

Rental=Call agent or owner and have it checked/fixed.
Remember, One Flash and You're Ash.

[Richary]

Rental=Call agent or owner and have it checked/fixed.

That would of course be the best option, but the owner bought this place to develop when he gets around to it. Leaking ceilings during really heavy thunderstorms and an inoperative toilet light (probably due to the leaking ceiling) haven't brought a response - though when the hot water system stopped working and started leaking everywhere that did get replaced.

It was also marked as not having an air con when I moved in but I tried it and it worked, so it may be that he already knows it is not 100%. I can always try and ring the agent I suppose and see what happens (my rent probably goes up) But worth a try despite the inaction on previous problems, thanks for the suggestion I had probably talked myself out of!

On the other hand he does have a good tenant who does basic maintenance like cleaning/fixing the gutters and maintaining the garden.

[homedg]

Where is this rental property, Soweto?
Get onto the appropriate authorities and get you rights obliged I say.
That's what I do when I'm getting screwed..................