air cons (split type)

we have 2 air cons which are connected to the same compressor. they are good japanese brands and they have ben aroundfor about 8 years. we have ceiling fans so they are not used all the time.

recently they started to shut down after a couple of hours. they are also not too cold (temperature wise). so we asked someone to have a look and the first person said it needed chemical cleaning (and top up the refrigerant). we decied to get a second opinion and this time he says the compressor is not working properly and need to be changed but he thinks changing both aircons is better because the compressor warranty is only good for 3 months.

does anyone have problems like this? and if so what was your solution in the end? obviously new aircons is not desired!

If an aircon has never been cleaned, it is definitely worth getting them cleaned. I moved into a place where the aircons weren't that cold, and after cleaning, they were perfect. I think it will cost around $800 to get a split one cleaned? Which is probably cheaper than the $5000+ to get it replaced, but of course it is a bet in case it doesn't fix the problem.

Hard to say without seeing exactly what the problem is, but you should start by cleaning and servicing them, especially if they haven't been regularly cleaned and serviced in all these years.

If the compressor is bad (if it shuts down automatically, then it might be overheating, which a clean up might or might not fix), since it is only one for 2 units, then, depending on the price, it might be worth it to have it replaced instead of buying everything new.