[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Hello Bhpians,

I have a 7 year old Hitachi split a/c. Last month, there was literally no cooling from the A/C and I called Hitachi service centre. The service person came and said that there is a lot of dust in the coil and other internal parts and a full water wash is required. I agreed and things were fine for about a week and since then the problem has resurfaced. The A/C pipes connecting the indoor to the outdoor unit turns icy if I keep running the unit for about 2 hours.

What could be the root cause of this issue? I am unable to call for service as there is a complete lockdown in chennai.

Normally my outdoor pipes start showing ice formation when the refrigerant is low in the unit. This has happened a few times over the years on different split ACs.

[eyesice]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

Normally my outdoor pipes start showing ice formation when the refrigerant is low in the unit. This has happened a few times over the years on different split ACs.

Thanks. You were right. Pressure was at 25 psi. Filled it to 70 psi now. What is the optimal pressure to fill it?

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Pressure was at 25 psi.

I hope you had the technician check for leaks in your lines and unit prior to gas refill?

[eyesice]

Originally Posted by diyguy

I hope you had the technician check for leaks in your lines and unit prior to gas refill?

Well he didn't. I know I was being fleeced but felt helpless. The lockdown starts from 10 AM in the morning and he used that as an excuse for another time. I definitely think there is a leak somewhere and don't think that this 75 psi is going to last for more than a couple of months.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Thanks. You were right. Pressure was at 25 psi. Filled it to 70 psi now. What is the optimal pressure to fill it?

That is difficult to say with precision. The proper method is to figure out the refrigerant needed in Kg based on ambient temperature but I have never seen anyone doing it or even being aware of it in India.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

That is difficult to say with precision. The proper method is to figure out the refrigerant needed in Kg based on ambient temperature but I have never seen anyone doing it or even being aware of it in India.

Refrigerant by weight is usually written on the specification plate/sheet. That is for a full charge. Top up of charge is always done by measuring pressure.

[deep_blue]

I plan to install a 1.5t split air-conditioner in my kitchen (approx 300sq ft). I have a electric chimney already installed above my stove, so the plan is to have the chimney on when the main cooking is being done & the air-conditioner can be running at other times (prep, baking etc).
Mostly going for Daikin as have 6 running at home without any issues since 4-5 years.
Anything in particular, type/installation, that I should be looking for as my only worry is the coils getting the oil coating common to kitchens. This is in Mumbai btw & thanks in advance for replying.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by deep_blue

Anything in particular, type/installation, that I should be looking for as my only worry is the coils getting the oil coating common to kitchens.

we have a 250+sq ft kitchen and i notice oil on most surfaces within a 12 ft distance. I suggest you have the IDU at the extreme end away from the flame, if feasible. My friend installed a daikin in his kitchen but he uses it sparingly and have not checked if he has noticed oil deposit.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by deep_blue

....................
Anything in particular, type/installation, that I should be looking for as my only worry is the coils getting the oil coating common to kitchens. This is in Mumbai btw & thanks in advance for replying.

Oil spreads quite a lot, so place the IDU as far as possible from the stove.

Another concern is that if the oil gets into the IDU past the filter it will clog the fins which will be very difficult to clean. So discuss with Daikin (preferably their commercial division) about it and see if they have special filters to trap oil.

You can also use the AC while cooking, provided the air blast is not affecting the gas flame. That will make it more comfortable for the housewife to cook.

[Mortis]

How about one of those portable air conditioners ? You could place it at the kitchen door when in use and run the vent and drain pipe to the nearest bathroom or window.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by deep_blue

I plan to install a 1.5t split air-conditioner in my kitchen (approx 300sq ft). I have a electric chimney already installed above my stove, so the plan is to have the chimney on when the main cooking is being done & the air-conditioner can be running at other times (prep, baking etc).
Mostly going for Daikin as have 6 running at home without any issues since 4-5 years.
Anything in particular, type/installation, that I should be looking for as my only worry is the coils getting the oil coating common to kitchens. This is in Mumbai btw & thanks in advance for replying.

It seems to me you are attempting an overkill. If cooling down is required a simple box fan that can be placed on the kitchen top pointing to the cook will work wonders. These fans do not push wind force to disrupt flames but blow a gentle breeze like a cool Indian winter evening.

I would recommend you try the Tata Croma Box fan 40w at ~2.5k and get user feedback from the kitchen before you spend big bucks on a kitchen AC.

Lastly without going into calculations I think a .8 Ton AC will suffice for the requirements.

[deep_blue]

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately have to wait for the lockdown to end to proceed with order & installation.
Imo a fan wouldn’t suffice as I already have a couple ceiling ones but its just unbearably hot & a drop in temp is what’s really reqd.
Will talk to Daikin though regarding tonnage as well as cooking oil effect on fins

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by deep_blue

I plan to install a 1.5t split air-conditioner in my kitchen (approx 300sq ft). I have a electric chimney already installed above my stove, so the plan is to have the chimney on when the main cooking is being done & the air-conditioner can be running at other times (prep, baking etc).

Forget fitting an AC in your kitchen. My bed room AC requires deep cleaning with water every 6 months. It affects the throw. Modern inverter ACs are useless in dusty environment because of the way they design the closely set fins.
If you are like me who prefer deep frying, all your kitchen surfaces will be coated with oil. Oil and dust will form a gunge which will clog anything. I have to dismantle the exhaust fan and send it to pressure wash every year.
Simpler solution: Fix the AC in adjacent room/hall and the cooling will spread to the kitchen. This is not as effective as your plan, but the AC won't be clogged. I have done this. My hall is about 300 ft and the kitchen is 150 feet while the AC is a fixed speed 1.5 ton. Works for me.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by deep_blue

Will talk to Daikin though regarding tonnage as well as cooking oil effect on fins

Originally Posted by Prowler

Forget fitting an AC in your kitchen.
... because of the way they design the closely set fins.
If you are like me who prefer deep frying, all your kitchen surfaces will be coated with oil. Oil and dust will form a gunge which will clog anything. ..

I think Prowler has the right idea. You have to make sure the AC sucks in only fresh air (without the oil fumes) and blows strong enough to push the kitchen fumes up your chimney, or at least away from itself (hopefully your chimney has good suction and is able to exhaust all the fumes from the cooking). I don't know if there are ready made solutions for such situations, and if not, you'll end up experimenting. Good luck and let us know the solution you finally implement.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Forget fitting an AC in your kitchen. My bed room AC requires deep cleaning with water every 6 months. It affects the throw. Modern inverter ACs are useless in dusty environment because of the way they design the closely set fins.
If you are like me who prefer deep frying, all your kitchen surfaces will be coated with oil. Oil and dust will form a gunge which will clog anything. I have to dismantle the exhaust fan and send it to pressure wash every year.
Simpler solution: Fix the AC in adjacent room/hall and the cooling will spread to the kitchen. This is not as effective as your plan, but the AC won't be clogged. I have done this. My hall is about 300 ft and the kitchen is 150 feet while the AC is a fixed speed 1.5 ton. Works for me.

Correctly said. Even my Inverter AC ( in bedroom upstairs) requires deep cleaning every six months, so imagine what oil will do.

As suggested fit the AC just outside the kitchen, preferably facing away from the kitchen door. Th suction of the chimney will pull the cold air from AC effectively, alternatively you can fit a heavy duty exhaust fan (the type used in desert coolers) which will suck the cold air prefectly.