Repairing Daikin F3 Error (Compressor EP 2)

In this video I replace a faulty Daikin Swing Compressor that was causing the discharge pipe temperature to get so hot that the system would trip out with an F3 error code. It is important to rule out any other issues before replacing the compressor. For example, is this system short on refrigerant? Are the EEV's working properly? etc. In this case, everything is fine, the compressor was just faulty.

[@MarcelHVAC]

Gotta love the old plasterboard trick to protect against the heat from brazing, works very well. I learned this from my dead 20 years ago while i was a plumber.

[@ddxxbb1]

My 2 ton DAIKIN unit shows 106c discharge when set at 21c(max cooling) and 78c when set at 25c, is that normal or there’s something blocking flow like a filter drier? What’s the normal discharge when ambient is 48c in Dubai?

[@suldaancooling4207]

I liked

[@maracservices]

Thanks!

[@mikedakiwi]

Nice job, onerous task. Ive got an F3 error on a systen to look at later today. In a unique situation where i can replace the entire system if its a compressor fault. What specifically indicated the compressor? Was it a result of elimination of charge/thermistor? No dry/nit purge active during braze? Cheers Mike.

[@maracservices]

So F3 just means the discharge pipe temp is to high. This is actually most commonly due to a shortage of refrigerant. So when ever I see this, I straight away test the thermistor. If that’s all good, I just reclaim the refrigerant into a clean bottle and weigh how much came out and compare that to what it says on the sticker on the side of the unit (keep in mind it might need more refrigerant if the pipe run is over a certain length). That info can be found inside the access panel. In this case, the refrigerant charge was fine. So I decided to replace the compressor. Once I replaced the compressor, the problem was rectified, and I haven’t been back since. This particular install was a three head multi and it actually didn’t need any soldering as we just ran soft drawn pipe through the roof cavity.
I know reclaiming the gas can be a big deal on big VRV systems but honestly in my opinion it needs to be done to be completely sure the refrigerant charge is correct. Good luck mate !

[@mikedakiwi]

@@maracservices cheers Mitch, and yes i agree with weighing the charge to eliminate that from the list. Ive had to reclaim from large VRF systems with no check valves to replace AHU's, very time consuming and costly to the owner. Thanks.

[@mikedakiwi]

Works out it was a faulty EEV coil. Starving the coil causing a high superheat, high, discharge temperature then faulting out. Replaced the coil and the unit was back online.

[@maracservices]

@@mikedakiwi nice work mate! Just out of curiosity, what was your method for diagnosing the EEV coil?
Lucky it was just the coil I guess 👍🏻

[@mikedakiwi]

​@@maracservices the units i work on are cooling only due to the tropical location. There was frosting on the suction line exiting the EEV valve heading into the Indoor unit indicating either a blockage or low on gas. I put the gauges on and i had a low suction pressure almost at a vacuum. Switched the unit off the the pressure shot up straight away which lead me to suspect a blockage. Usually with gas it will rise alot slower than it did.The EEV valve coils are a little tricky to get to but once the side panels are loosened you can work a hand down and pop it off. We carry spares so i threw a new coil on and the system was back online.