The Customer's Situation
Encik Shahrul had just moved into a rented terrace house in Taman Rawang Perdana, Rawang. The house had no aircond, so he bought a used Panasonic 1.5HP wall-mounted unit from Mudah.my for RM450 — "include installation" by the seller.
The seller's "installer" put the unit up in a few hours. It turned on, blew air, and seemed to work. But after using it for a week, Shahrul noticed the room wasn't actually getting cold. The aircond was running — he could hear the compressor outside — but the air coming out was barely cool. Not cold. His bedroom was still uncomfortably warm even after running the aircond for hours.
He called the seller who said "just give it time to break in." After another week with no improvement, Shahrul called us.
Issues Found
- Air outlet temperature: 21°C (should be 12-14°C for proper cooling)
- Refrigerant gas pressure severely low — indicating significant gas loss during removal/reinstallation
- Evaporator coil moderately dirty — not cleaned before sale
- Installation quality poor: pipe connections not properly tightened, no vacuum done
- Air in the refrigerant system (from skipping vacuum process)
Our Inspection and Diagnosis
Technician Danish connected his gauges to the service port and immediately confirmed the problem: gas pressure was way below specification. For R410A refrigerant (used in this model), the low-side pressure should read around 110-130 PSI during normal operation. Shahrul's unit was reading just 55 PSI — less than half.
This explained the poor cooling. With insufficient gas, the evaporator coil can't get cold enough, so the air blown into the room is only mildly cool instead of properly cold.
Danish also found that the pipe connections at the outdoor unit were loose — the flare nuts hadn't been properly tightened by the seller's installer. This was the gas leak source. Additionally, the installer hadn't vacuumed the piping before charging gas, meaning there was air and moisture in the system — both of which reduce efficiency.
On the positive side, the compressor was healthy, the blower motor was good, and the PCB board was functioning normally. The unit itself was about 3 years old — still within its useful life if properly maintained. This aligned with what we recommend checking when buying second-hand airconds.
Danish also checked for signs of low gas visible to the eye — ice formation on the small pipe was present, confirming the diagnosis.
The buyer noticed the unit wasn't cooling properly — one of the key signs an aircond needs repair. For used units, poor cooling often indicates compressor wear or refrigerant issues that are expensive to fix.
Work Completed
- Full inspection of indoor and outdoor units — mechanical, electrical, and refrigerant
- Recovered remaining gas and performed proper vacuum of the entire system
- Tightened all flare connections to correct torque specification
- Performed nitrogen pressure test to confirm no more leaks
- Charged correct amount of R410A refrigerant
- Cleaned evaporator coil and filters
- Tested unit for 30 minutes — outlet temperature restored to 13°C
Results
- Air outlet temperature: Dropped from 21°C to 13°C — proper cold air
- Room cooling: Bedroom now reaches 24°C within 15 minutes
- Gas pressure: Restored to correct operating range (120 PSI low-side)
- Overall assessment: Unit is in acceptable condition — estimated 4-5 more years of useful life with regular servicing
Total Cost of the "RM450 Bargain"
- Used aircond + installation from seller: RM450
- Our inspection, gas refill, and service: RM350
- Actual total cost: RM800
For context, a brand new Midea 1.5HP inverter with professional installation would cost about RM1,300. Shahrul paid RM800 for a 3-year-old non-inverter Panasonic — saving RM500 upfront but with no warranty, higher electricity consumption (non-inverter), and a shorter remaining lifespan.
It's not a terrible deal, but it's not the bargain it appeared to be either.
Customer Feedback
"I thought I was saving money buying second-hand, but after paying for the gas refill and service, the total cost wasn't that far from new. At least now it's actually cooling properly. Next time, I'll probably just buy new — the warranty alone is worth it. Danish was very honest about what the unit needed and didn't try to upsell me."
— Encik Shahrul, Taman Rawang Perdana
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