Aircond Split Unit Replacement — 8-Year-Old Unit Leaking Badly in Seri Kembangan Condo

The Customer's Situation

Cik Nurul Huda, a young professional living alone in a studio condo in Seri Kembangan, had been dealing with a leaking aircond for months. Her 8-year-old York 1.0HP non-inverter unit in the bedroom had started dripping water from the indoor unit about six months earlier. At first it was just a few drops — she'd put a small towel on the floor and carry on.

But over the past month, the leak had gotten much worse. She was waking up to puddles on her laminate flooring, and she'd noticed the edges of the laminate starting to warp and darken from water damage. The aircond was also no longer cooling properly — she had it set to 20°C but the room never felt cold.

She'd called another contractor who came, cleared the drain pipe, and charged her RM80. The leak stopped for two weeks, then came back worse than before. That's when she WhatsApped us for a second opinion.

Our Diagnosis

Our technician Razif inspected the unit thoroughly. When he opened the indoor unit, the problem was immediately visible: the plastic drain pan had a 5cm crack running along its length. Water from condensation was flowing through the crack instead of into the drain pipe, dripping directly onto the wall and floor below.

When replacing an aircond, choosing the right brand is crucial for long-term satisfaction. Our 2026 brand comparison of Daikin, Panasonic, York and Midea helps you compare reliability, warranty, and value across the top manufacturers.

But that wasn't the only issue. The evaporator coil showed heavy corrosion — greenish-white deposits on the copper tubing and corroded aluminium fins. When Razif checked the gas pressure, it was well below normal operating levels. The coil had multiple tiny pin-hole leaks that had been slowly losing gas for months, maybe years.

We gave Cik Nurul two options:

1. Repair: Replace the drain pan (if a compatible part could be sourced for this old model), repair the coil leaks with brazing, and top up gas. Estimated cost: RM400-600. But with an 8-year-old non-inverter unit with corroded coils, more leaks would likely develop within 6-12 months.
2. Replace: Install a new 1.0HP inverter split unit. Higher upfront cost, but would come with a 5-year compressor warranty, use less electricity, and last another 8-10 years without the recurring leak issues.

After explaining the pros and cons — and the fact that she was already spending RM30-40 more per month on electricity due to the old non-inverter unit — Cik Nurul decided replacement was the smarter long-term choice. For guidance on this decision, our article on choosing the right aircond type covers the key factors to consider.

The Replacement Process

Why We Recommended Daikin

For a studio condo bedroom, the Daikin FTKF series is one of the best value-for-money options available in Malaysia. It offers 5-star energy rating, quiet operation at 19dB (barely audible), and Daikin's excellent after-sales network in Malaysia. For a single young professional watching her budget, the electricity savings of an inverter unit — roughly RM30-40/month compared to her old non-inverter — would effectively pay for the price difference within a year.

We recommended an inverter model as the replacement — the higher upfront cost is offset by significantly lower electricity bills, especially for units that run 8+ hours daily.

Understanding why airconds leak water can also help homeowners catch problems early before they cause floor damage.

Results

• Leak: Completely resolved. New unit, new drain pipe, zero dripping.
• Cooling: Night and day difference. Room reaches 24°C in 12 minutes vs the old unit that couldn't reach set temperature at all.
• Noise: Cik Nurul specifically commented on how quiet the new unit is — "I can't even tell if it's running."
• TNB bill: First month after replacement showed a RM35 decrease in electricity despite using the aircond more often because it actually worked properly now.

Pricing Breakdown

• Daikin FTKF25B 1.0HP inverter unit: RM1,500
• Installation (removal of old unit, new drain pipe, mounting, vacuum, gas charge): RM500
• Old unit disposal: RM100
• Total: RM2,100

We also advised Cik Nurul to have the warped laminate flooring checked — the water damage was still in the early stages and might dry out and flatten if left with good ventilation. If not, replacing just the affected boards would be a minor job.

Customer Feedback

"I should have replaced the aircond much earlier instead of trying to fix it over and over. The new Daikin is so much better — cold, quiet, and my electricity bill actually went down. Razif was very honest about explaining why repair wasn't worth it for such an old unit. I really appreciated that honesty."

— Cik Nurul Huda, Seri Kembangan