The Problem
A retired teacher living at Faber Ria condominium in Taman Desa contacted Masters Aircond Service KL after noticing his master bedroom aircond was blowing warm air. The Daikin FTKC25T unit was only two years old, so he was puzzled — it shouldn't need a gas top-up this soon. He'd already called another company who simply topped up the R32 gas and charged him RM 150. But within three weeks, the same problem returned.
This is a classic symptom of a refrigerant leak. If an aircond needs gas top-up within 1-2 years of the last charge, there's almost certainly a leak somewhere in the system. Simply topping up the gas without finding and fixing the leak is like pouring water into a bucket with a hole — it's a waste of money and refrigerant.
Our Assessment
Our technician checked the system pressure with a manifold gauge — it was reading only 45 PSI on the low side, when it should be around 70-80 PSI for R32 at ambient temperature. We then used an electronic leak detector to scan all the joints, connections, and piping. The leak was found at the flare joint connecting the liquid line to the indoor unit — the flare nut had been improperly torqued during the original installation, causing a slow but steady leak.
We also checked the outdoor unit's service valves and all accessible piping joints. No other leaks were detected. The fix was straightforward: re-flare the copper pipe end, apply proper torque with a calibrated torque wrench, and recharge the system with fresh R32 refrigerant after a full gas top-up procedure including vacuum and pressure testing.
Work Timeline
Step 1: Diagnostic & Leak Detection
Connected manifold gauge to confirm low refrigerant pressure (45 PSI vs expected 70-80 PSI). Used electronic refrigerant leak detector to scan all joints. Identified leak at indoor unit flare connection.
Step 2: Refrigerant Recovery
Recovered remaining R32 refrigerant from the system into a recovery tank. This prevents venting refrigerant to atmosphere — R32 has a global warming potential of 675, so proper handling matters.
Step 3: Flare Joint Repair
Cut back the copper pipe by 2cm to reach clean, undamaged metal. Used a proper flaring tool to create a new 45° flare. Applied Nylog sealant to the flare face and reconnected using a calibrated torque wrench set to 35 N·m for the ¼" fitting.
Step 4: Pressure Test
Pressurised the system with nitrogen to 400 PSI and held for 45 minutes. Gauge held steady — confirming the repair was successful and no other leaks existed.
Step 5: Vacuum & Recharge
Vacuum pumped the system to -29.9 inHg for 30 minutes to remove all moisture and non-condensables. Charged the system with the manufacturer-specified quantity of R32 refrigerant (0.72 kg).
Results
Lessons & Tips
If your aircond needs gas top-up more than once every 3-5 years, don't just keep topping up — insist on a proper leak detection test. The cost of finding and fixing the leak (typically RM 200-400) is far less than repeated gas top-ups over time. For residents in Taman Desa, many of the older condos like Faber Ria have long piping runs that increase the number of potential leak points.
When getting a new aircond installed, always ask the installer to use a calibrated torque wrench for flare connections — not just hand-tightening or guesswork. Over-torquing cracks the flare, and under-torquing causes slow leaks. Both lead to expensive callbacks. At Masters Aircond Service KL, we torque every connection to manufacturer spec and perform a nitrogen pressure test on every installation. Need your aircond checked? We also offer comprehensive aircond repair services for all brands.
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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