7 mistakes to avoid during AC installation
Common mistakes that lead to equipment failure sooner or later — and how to avoid them.
AC installation looks straightforward — indoor unit on the wall, outdoor on the balcony, pipe in between. In reality it is engineering with seven critical steps. Below — seven mistakes that happen often, and how we avoid them.
1. Skipping vacuum testing
Covered in a separate article — the root cause of 70%+ of post-install problems.
2. Extended copper line, no refrigerant top-up
Factory-charged for 5–7 m of pipe. If the install extends to e.g. 12 m, refrigerant becomes insufficient. Unit runs, but at lower efficiency, compressor wears fast.
We use the factory table — 1 m extra pipe = a specific gram of refrigerant (R-32 or R-410A by spec). We add the exact amount per the model spec sheet.
3. Bad outdoor location
Outdoor needs free airflow. Tight niche or near a balcony wall — hot exhaust loops back to intake, unit overheats, efficiency drops 30–40%.
4. Wrong drain slope
Condensate flows by gravity. Wrong slope (min 1 cm/m) — water stagnates, bacteria grow, water often leaks back into the apartment.
5. Wrong electrical line
AC needs a dedicated 10A line minimum. Tying into existing 16A circuit causes voltage drops, controller failures, fire risk.
6. Skipping vibration dampers
Outdoor feet directly on wall/floor — vibration into the structure, noise to the next room/apartment. Rubber dampers cost GEL 5 per foot and prevent years of complaints.
7. Skipping factory warranty registration
Resellers often don't register the unit in the factory database under your name. Warranty exists on paper but is unenforceable. Serviceman registers every unit in the Midea factory database in your name.