Fujitsu AOYR12LCC High Pitched Whistle

[gussie]

Hi,

Had a Fujitsu ASYA12LCC/AOYR12LCC installed here in the UK just over a year ago and has just been serviced. Had very little use so far - the past two UK Summers not been that hot - used to heat on several occasions.

A couple of days ago noticed the outside unit is making a high pitched whistling sound (it's not even on!) - always been silent before. Rang Fujitsu helpline - they reckon it's a faulty PCB and told me to unplug it straight away to prevent any damage and call for service.

Called my supplier who installed it - waiting for a call back. Just paid them for the service and although there's a 3 year parts warranty - they will make a call out and labour charge! :(

Anyone here care to pass any comment on the possible fault - would be appreciated.

Gussie :)

[nike123]

Probably capacitor from inverter leaking and making noise. Your helpline is correctly guiding you.

[Robin]

There can be a high pitched sound from the DC power supply on the PCB (outdoor) if it is overloaded by a short circuit in a component. The same may be possible in the indoor unit. I think the advice is good.

[rude]

How can they charge you if its still under warentee?

[gussie]

How can they charge you if its still under warentee?

Because here in the UK - Fujitsu only offer a 3 Year Parts Only warranty.

My supplier/installer says he will still charge a call out and labour fee. Also regrettably he still has not contacted me - I will have to chase them up!

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Gussie :)

[gussie]

... Also regrettably he still has not contacted me - I will have to chase them up! ...

Just called them - they say it's normal and if I want to pursue this I have to pay a £100 call out fee - take it or leave it!

Gussie :mad:

[paul_h]

Because here in the UK - Fujitsu only offer a 3 Year Parts Only warranty.

My supplier/installer says he will still charge a call out and labour fee. Also regrettably he still has not contacted me - I will have to chase them up!

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Gussie :)Not even 1 yr full warranty?
I thought everything had a 1 yr full waranty?
Lots of fridge techs wanting to move to australia, but blimey, I'd want to move especially if I wasn't a fridge tech.
Five year full warranty inc labour for all main brand a/cs.
Even the really no name brand dodgey stuff has a full 2yr warranty inc labour here.

Refrigerators have a full 2 yr warranty on everything, and 5 yr on the sealed system (ie compressor, blockages and leaks) both inc labour.

I knew that you wouldn't have a 5 year waranty there, but I thought you'd get 1-2 years full warranty inc labour.
I know it's different there as manufacturers don't sub contract service agents, so honouring a warranty is harder to do, hence they aren't as long. I knew the installer normally does repairs, and they are free to walk away unless they earn good money (which will never happen in the warranty game).
But I didn't think warranty was that bad. I never thought it was non existent from fujitsu there.

[gussie]

... Not even 1 yr full warranty?
...

Sorry - it does have 1 year full warranty - as required by UK law. Fujitsu state in their literature 3 years parts warranty.

My unit is 17 months old and was installed by a local installation company - after my brusk conversation this morning with one of their engineers, I'm still waiting for their manager to contact me.

I appreciate any help given here, let me detail what I did today. After leaving the unit disconnected from mains power all weekend - I plugged the power lead back in and left it in the off state. Checked outside and the unit was silent. Checked again some 40 mins later and the high pitched whine was back - coming from the area close to where the control lead and piping goes. Checked again an hour later - still the same.

Put the unit into Heat mode 22degC - oiutside temp around 5degC - heat came on within minutes - no issues heating OK. Went outside anf the unit was fully operational with fan going and usual noises plus the whine.

Put the unit into OFF mode - went back outside - fan subsided and then SILENCE!!! Waited 10 mins

Checked again 30 mins later - still SILENCE!!

Checked an hour later - the high pitched whine was back! Remember unit still in OFF mode.

Repeated this whole sequence again and exactly the same scenario. The whine is not very loud - you have to be within 2 feet to hear it.

For all I know - it could be normal operation - it's just that I never ever heard a peep from the outside unit as I walked past it many many times last year.

As I said in my earlier post, the unit has seen very little use - our 2007 and 2008 summers have been very poor. I only got the unit installed into my elderly mothers bedroom because we had a very hot 2006 summer.

The UK has a very immature market for domestic installations and it was difficult choosing an installer back in 2007 - from what I know now and the curt response I got - I guess I chose the wrong one!

Anyway take it from me - this is not unusual for the UK.

I placed another call to the Fujitsu UK Helpline - but they were on voicemail - so left them a message to get back to me.

Any observations would be gladly appreciated. I'd rather exhaust all possible avenues of help before spending an exorbitant call out charge with a company I'm rapidly losing faith in!

Gussie :)

[rude]

Could it be a noisey reversing valve still clicked in on heating?

[gussie]

Audio sample of the Fujitsu AOYR12LCC High Pitched Whistle/Whine is at w w w .box.net/shared/kjezcxt518

I moved the microphone around so that the background noise may be heard without the whine.

Neither Fujitsu or my installer have been in touch so far.

Gussie :)

[momo]

Not contributed for some time, Merry Crisismas to all anyway.

Could not download you recording. From what you describe:
many "sophisticated" manufacturerers use switched mode power supplies for the 5v/12v DC needed for electronics. These oscilate between 30&100kHz. What you describe could be vibrations/resonances at lower harmonics of the SMPSU: probably a capacitor or coil... sometimes photocopiers, faxes and similar do it: they can live on for a long time until they fail (smoke!), quietly die or get thrown out due to the irritation they cause! So it could be a bored supply board.:cool:

[sinewave]

Another option is to get a local Spark to have a look.

It may be just a capacitor, and if so a local spark could sort that no probs at far less than a A/C Engineer.


Or just leave it and see what happens, might last forever!

Even if the whole PCB goes it's a piece of pish for a Sparky to wap a new un in if you buy one direct from a Fujitsu supplier.