Fujitsu mini-split repair advice

6 years ago

Hi - looking for some guidance on a recent Fujitsu mini-split repair quote I received, maybe just want assurance (or otherwise!) that it’s in the ballpark in terms of scope and cost.

I have a Fujitsu mini-split system - 3 outdoor units (AOU24RLXFZ), each servicing 1 floor of a 3 floor row house (in Brooklyn NY). About 700sq feet per floor. The 2 thermostats on one floor started showing Error Code #23 a few months ago, and now alternate between that and Error Code #11. This happens in any selected mode - cool, heat, etc.

I had a contractor come out and he pointed out one of the boards on the outdoor unit was fried (FWIW I did visually confirm the scorch marks). He suggested the indoor units were fine, but could not communicate with the outdoor unit, and were therefore displaying an error code.

He suggested because Fujitsu repairs can often be extremely expensive and slow-moving, that we should just replace the whole outdoor unit with a new one. $3500 for the job - about $1600 for the unit and $1900 labor.

1. Does this sound like a reliable diagnosis of the error codes?

2. Does this sound like a reasonable solution, as opposed to repairing the existing unit?

3. Does this sound like a reasonable price? I mainly thought the labor seemed high for what seems like a relatively straightforward replacement, but maybe it’s a more complex job than I realize.

Any guidance, insights, or recommendations would be really appreciated!

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Comments (4)

tigerdunes
6 years ago
Not a mini split expert and I realize you are in NYC, but i think his recommendation is self serving. I would get another opinion.

IMO
Thomas Diakomichalis thanked tigerdunes
mike_home
6 years ago
I searched the Fujitsu error codes and found code 11 is an outdoor PCB (control board) error. I have not been able to find what code 23 means.

How old is the outdoor unit? If it less than 10 years old then repairing it may be a good option. Did the contractor quote how much it would cost to replace the control board? I get the feeling he doesn't want to get involved troubleshoot and repairing, and would rather install a new unit. A second opinion would also be my recommendation.
Thomas Diakomichalis thanked mike_home
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Thomas Diakomichalis
Original Author
6 years ago
The previous home owners installed this particular unit (we installed the other 2), so I'm not sure of exact age, but it was installed around 2014/15.

From our chats I also got the feeling he didn't want to troubleshoot/repair - seemed to make quite the case for how difficult everything was with Fujitsu support.

How much weight do you think I should put on finding a Fujitsu "Elite" service specialist? This contractor does have a history with Fujitsu, but was not "Elite" certified, and openly said they preferred Mitsubishi systems in general.
sktn77a
6 years ago
Based on his labor cost to swap out the outdoor condenser, I'd keep looking. It should only take a couple of hours to swap out a minisplit condenser, so you should be able to get it replaced for half what he is asking. If not, then the board may be $300-$400 and maybe a couple hundred more in labor to swap out. That's still a lot less than $3500.
Thomas Diakomichalis thanked sktn77a