The Problem
An interior designer contacted Masters Aircond Service KL on behalf of her client — a homeowner at Marc Residence near KLCC who was undergoing a complete renovation of his 1,400-square-foot unit on the 32nd floor. The renovation involved tearing down partition walls, re-plastering, and completely redesigning the layout. The three existing Daikin 1.5HP wall-mounted units needed to be safely removed, stored during the 8-week renovation, and then reinstalled in new positions once the new walls were up.
The challenge was significant: the units were only 2 years old and still under warranty, so any damage during dismantling could void the manufacturer's coverage. The outdoor units sat on brackets on the 32nd-floor external ledge — accessible only from inside the apartment through a small service hatch. The building management also required a registered contractor and a refundable deposit of RM 1,000 before any work could begin.
Our Assessment
We visited the unit with the interior designer to plan the aircond dismantling sequence. The key concerns were: proper refrigerant recovery (not venting R32 to atmosphere), safe handling of the outdoor units on the 32nd-floor ledge, protecting the indoor units during 8 weeks of dusty renovation work, and documenting everything for the warranty records.
We proposed a two-phase approach — Phase 1: dismantling and storage before renovation begins; Phase 2: reinstallation after renovation completes. Both phases would be documented with photos and a service report for the building management and Daikin warranty records.
Work Timeline
Phase 1, Step 1: Refrigerant Pump-Down
Performed a controlled pump-down on each system — running the compressor while closing the liquid line service valve, pumping all R32 refrigerant back into the outdoor condenser unit. This preserves the full factory charge inside the outdoor unit, eliminating the need for recovery tanks or recharging later.
Phase 1, Step 2: Indoor Unit Removal
Disconnected all electrical and piping connections from each indoor unit. Carefully removed units from wall brackets. Wrapped each indoor unit in protective bubble wrap and moving blankets. Capped all pipe ends with brass caps to prevent moisture and debris entry.
Phase 1, Step 3: Outdoor Unit Handling
Accessed the 32nd-floor condenser ledge through the service hatch. Disconnected piping from all three outdoor units. Capped service valves and pipe stubs. The outdoor units were left on the brackets since the renovation wouldn't affect the external area — this saved the client the cost and risk of moving condensers at height.
Phase 1, Step 4: Storage & Documentation
Stored all three indoor units, back plates, remote controls, and associated hardware in the building's storage room (arranged by the interior designer). Photographed every connection point and pipe routing for reference during reinstallation. Provided a full dismantling report to the building management.
Results
Lessons & Tips
If you're renovating a condo in KLCC or anywhere in KL, don't let your renovation contractor handle the aircond dismantling. We've seen countless cases where general contractors damage the indoor unit's PCB board, lose the remote controls, or vent refrigerant by cutting pipes without proper pump-down. The cost of professional dismantling (RM 120-180 per unit) is a fraction of the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged unit.
Always do a pump-down rather than recovering refrigerant into external tanks when possible — it's faster, cheaper, and keeps the factory charge intact. Make sure your contractor caps all pipe ends immediately after disconnection to prevent moisture contamination. Even a few hours of exposure to humid Malaysian air can introduce enough moisture to cause problems during reinstallation. Masters Aircond Service KL also handles full aircond installation if you're adding new units as part of your renovation.
Kevin Chong
Kevin leads the Masters Aircond Service KL team with over 12 years of hands-on experience in residential and commercial aircond systems across Kuala Lumpur. He personally oversees every installation project to ensure quality workmanship.
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