A Daikin Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Guide

May 2, 2017

When the scorching Queensland heat returns in summer, many of us will be cranking our Daikin air conditioner to keep us in blissful comfort. Unfortunately, the system has to work hard to fight the oppressive heat, and as it grinds away for hours on end, its refrigerant depletes, its parts wear down faster, and eventually it’ll give up with a sad splutter, and you’ll be drenched with sweat faster than you can say “Crown Power.”If you’re in a sticky situation like this, and you’d rather attempt your own fix before calling in the professionals, this Daikin air conditioner troubleshooting guide will help you on your way. We tackle the most common questions that we receive from clients whose Daikin air conditioner has suddenly thrown down its tools and refused to work—everything from “why is my Daikin aircon not working?” to “what does this flashing green light mean?”Daikin troubleshooting doesn’t have to be arduous. In this Daikin AC troubleshooting guide, we offer quick and easy tips on how to fix almost every issue you can think of, including whether it’s safe for you to do so.

To troubleshoot, or not to troubleshoot?

You may be surprised to learn that if you’re having air con problems, you don’t necessarily need to call a technician out. Often, there’s an easy solution to get your air con up and working again, which is why we’ve created this Daikin inverter troubleshooting guide.If troubleshooting your Daikin air conditioner isn’t going as planned, and none of the suggestions below work, we recommend giving us a call. We’re authorised Daikin specialists, and are able to offer fast, affordable help.

Table of contents

  1. Daikin air con won't turn on
  2. Daikin aircon is not cooling
  3. Daikin air conditioner has a flashing green light
  4. Daikin air conditioner has a flashing orange light
  5. Daikin indoor air con is leaking
  6. The mould proof/cleaning lamp is flashing green on my Daikin air conditioner
  7. Daikin AC remote control is not working
  8. Daikin AC remote control digital display doesn’t show
  9. The remote control works intermittently, or the display is faded
  10. I’ve lost the remote control for my Daikin air con
  11. Daikin air con is making a noise
  12. Daikin air con smells
  13. Daikin heat pump won’t turn on
  14. Daikin AC keeps switching off automatically
  15. Daikin’s heating stopped unexpectedly, and I hear water flowing
  16. Daikin air conditioner won’t turn off
  17. Daikin air con won’t reach the set humidity level
  18. My outdoor air con unit is releasing water or steam
  19. Daikin air con is tripping the breaker or fuse
  20. The flap (louvre) doesn’t close when my Daikin air con is turned off
  21. Daikin AC stops after 24 hours
  22. Daikin zone controller is not working
  23. Daikin air conditioner fault codes

Daikin aircon troubleshooting—the full list

Daikin air con won't turn on

Wondering why your Daikin inverter isn’t turning on? Here are a few simple checks you can do to figure out the problem, and reset your Daikin air conditioner.If the on/off button is off

  • Check that the fuse isn’t blown and that there isn’t a power failure
  • Make sure that the power cord is properly connected to the outlet
  • Double check the batteries in the remote
  • Check to see if the timer has been set

If the operation lamp is flashing (green flashing light)

  1. Unplug from power or turn off the circuit breaker
  2. Wait for at least a minute, then turn the power back on
  3. If the operation lamp continues to flash, you should contact your retailer, or call an air conditioning expert for professional advice

Daikin aircon is not cooling

Before starting these tests, close all windows and doors to the room you’re cooling, to seal the air inside.If your air conditioner is not producing cold air:1. Double check the temperature on your remoteYour remote will display a number in degrees Celsius. Here’s how to set temperature on a Daikin air conditioner:

  • Find your air con remote
  • Press the up/down buttons on the remote to set the temperature. The best temperature depends on the season and your location.
  • In 15 minutes, test that the room reaches the temperature you set using a thermometer.

2. Check that the air filters are cleanOur experts recommend cleaning your air con filters once every two weeks in summer, when it’s used heavily. Otherwise, it’s okay to wash your air-purifying filter once every six months.Unsure how to clean your Daikin’s air filters? Follow the simple steps in our guide to maintaining your air conditioner.3. Check that the air con is clear of obstructionsCheck that the areas surrounding the air con aren’t blocked by furniture or decor items.4. Check your doors and windowsCheck that the doors and windows to the area are closed, as this will prevent the unit from cooling the area effectively.5. Check that the sensor is workingIf your Daikin aircon is not cooling your room effectively, it may be a Daikin sensor problem. Sometimes, the sensor doesn’t detect people who are far away from the indoor unit. You can troubleshoot this by moving closer to the air con and checking that the air quantity and direction are properly controlled, and that the ventilation fan is moving.

Daikin air conditioner has a flashing green light

If your Daikin air conditioner has a flashing green light, don’t panic. While there are a few different issues that can be indicated by a blinking green light, most of them are pretty easy fixes.Here are some steps to follow:

  1. First, slide off the cover of your remote
  2. Locate the cancel button
  3. Hold the cancel button down for five to ten seconds
  4. Release when the temperature disappears from the screen and is replaced by two flashing zeros
  5. As the zeros begin to flash, continually press the cancel button in time with the blinking
  6. As you press the button, new two-digit figures will pop up. This is a list of all the possible faults that your air con is experiencing
  7. If your air con beeps once on a number, it is not the right number for the fault
  8. If your air con beeps twice, one of the two numbers are correct
  9. If your air con emits a long continuous beep, both of the numbers are correct. This gives you the correct code to identify the issue
  10. Search the Daikin air conditioning error codes page for your code. You can match the letter to the number to find out what is wrong, and contact your Daikin air con specialist.

I have a Daikin air conditioning error code—what does it mean?

You can access the full list of Daikin air conditioner fault codes from this page.

Daikin air conditioner has a flashing orange light

If the timer lamp on your AC unit is flashing orange, the Streamer unit needs to be cleaned. To clean the unit, you can follow the instructions on page 36 (under Streamer unit) of this Daikin guide.

Daikin indoor air con is leaking

If water is leaking from your indoor air con, unplug it and contact a professional. It is common for air conditioning units to produce some condensation, but a considerable leak could be a major safety issue, so do not touch the air con unit or attempt to fix it yourself.

The mould proof/cleaning lamp is flashing green on my Daikin air conditioner

This means that the dust box needs to be cleaned. To clean the dust box, you can follow the instructions on page 37 (under Dust box) of this Daikin guide.

Daikin AC remote control is not working

If your Daikin aircon remote isn’t working, first try to reset your Daikin remote or controller.Here’s how to reset a Daikin air conditioner remote:

  1. Locate the ‘ON/OFF’ button on your Daikin air con’s remote.
  2. Press and hold the button for 2 seconds.
  3. Press the ON/OFF switch once to stop operation.
  4. Press it a second time to start it again.

If this button on your remote or air conditioning unit is not working, unfortunately, you will need to contact the retailer who sold you the unit, or professional air conditioning technicians such as Crown Power.

Daikin AC remote control digital display doesn’t show

Sounds like a case of flat batteries. Replace the batteries, and if the issue doesn’t improve, contact your distributor.

The remote control works intermittently, or the display is faded

If your remote control seems to be working intermittently, or if the digital display is looking faded, replace the batteries for the controller.

I’ve lost the remote control for my Daikin air con

If you’ve lost the remote control, you can turn the air conditioner unit on and off by pressing the ON/OFF button on the main unit. When this button is used, the AC will use its automatic settings.

Daikin air con is making a noise

If your Daikin air con is making a noise, the first thing to identify is the type of sound. Here are some possibilities:

  • Abnormal sound—unplug the power and contact your retailer.
  • Clicking sound—the refrigerant control valve or electric component may be operating.
  • Buzzing sound—the louvre (the flap that controls the airflow direction) is moving
  • Rattling or creaking sound—this is the adjustment of louvres as the unit is starting up
  • Bubbling sound—this may be outdoor air entering the drain hose. Generally, this is normal and tends to happen in a well-sealed house, or if you’re living in an apartment.
  • Soft rumbling sound—check the ventilation mode. If it’s operating in “fan” it will sometimes make this noise.
  • Hissing sound—This is the discharge of humidified or ventilated air. This can occur when it’s humid outside, or during other temperature extremes.
  • Abnormal sound when you’re cleaning the filter—unplug the power and contact a professional for advice.

Daikin air con smells

If your air conditioning unit is producing unpleasant smells, the odour may be a sign of bigger problems.If you smell something burning, switch off power immediately and contact a professional.If the smell is unpleasant, it’s probably discharge from the unit’s purifying operation. It isn’t hazardous, and should dissipate quickly.Please don’t apply cleaning spray or odour spray to your air conditioning unit at any stage. It’s not necessary and may cause damage that will void your warranty.

Daikin heat pump won’t turn on

During summerIf your Daikin air conditioner is not producing heat in summer, you may have:

  • A clogged filter
  • A refrigerant leak
  • Dirty coils that block heat transfer

If the filter is clogged and filthy, you can clean this easily by following the instructions in our Daikin Air Conditioner Maintenance guide. If you’ve found a refrigerant leak, or believe that the coils are dirty, turn off your air con immediately to prevent further damage and call a reputable professional for assistance.During winterWhen it comes to Daikin heat pump troubleshooting in winter, here are some possible reasons:

  • Your unit is failing to defrost due to faulty relays, controls or sensors
  • There is an issue with the reverse valve that switches your unit from heat to cooling
  • Your outdoor fan is damaged, or the motor is failing or dead
  • Your heat pump is slowly leaking refrigerant

Unfortunately, you’ll need to contact a professional to fix these problems.

Daikin AC keeps switching off automatically

If your air con suddenly stops, or turns on and off repeatedly, this is usually nothing to worry about. When the unit stops unexpectedly, it’s usually protecting itself from voltage fluctuations, and should start working again within a few minutes.When the temperature in your room reaches the set level the unit switches to “breeze mode” to maintain the temperature. When the temperature fluctuates, the unit will increase the volume of air flow. A stable room temperature is the goal of a good unit, so if this is happening, our Daikin air conditioning troubleshooting guide recommends leaving this well alone.

Daikin’s heating stopped unexpectedly, and I hear water flowing

If your heating stops unexpectedly and you hear the sound of water flowing, your outdoor unit is running its defrost operation. This should resolve itself in about 10 minutes.

Daikin air conditioner won’t turn off

If you’ve turned off the dehumidifier, dry cooling, and cooling settings, and your air con is still working, check your mould proof setting. If it’s on, this is what is preventing your air con from turning off.

Daikin air con won’t reach the set humidity level

If the humidity goes below the set level or doesn’t reach it, there’s a simple fix. If your unit is on “humidifying heating” mode, lower the setting for the temperature. If it’s in “humidifying” mode, increase the humidity setting and select “continuous” operation.

My outdoor air con unit is releasing water or steam

This may be caused by frost on the unit. The pipes on the outdoor unit will get cold during cooling, which produces condensation and causes water to drip. This is usually nothing to worry about unless it causes other problems.

Daikin air con is tripping the breaker or fuse

If your Daikin AC is tripping the breaker or fuse, turn it off immediately and contact the retailer.

The flap (louvre) doesn’t close when my Daikin air con is turned off

If the flap has been touched during operation, it may not close properly. This can easily be fixed by turning the unit on, giving it time to start, and then turning it off again.

Daikin AC stops after 24 hours

If your auto filter cleaning setting is on, your Daikin AC will stop after 24 hours of continuous operation, complete the filter cleaning process, and resume normal operation. This is nothing to worry about.

Daikin zone controller is not working

If you have a ducted air conditioner and your Daikin zone controller is not working, we recommend contacting an air conditioning specialist immediately.

Daikin air conditioner fault codes

Here’s the full list of Daikin air conditioner fault codes, lifted directly from this PDF from Daikin.If there’s a fault with the Daikin system, this will sometimes show on the remote control or wall-mounted controller. Or you may have to complete a sequence on the remote controller to get the code to appear, which Daikin explains in this document.It’s highly unlikely that you will be able to fix the fault yourself, but it can give you an idea of what might have gone wrong with the air conditioner. You can also pass the fault code onto the air conditioning technician when you call them so that they come fully prepared.

Fault codes - A to C

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Fault codes - E to H

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Fault codes - J to M

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Fault codes - P to U

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Fault codes - U to 7C

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Fault codes - 80 to 99

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Need a little professional help?

Crown Power are authorised Daikin air conditioning specialists. If you need help with Daikin split system troubleshooting or Daikin ducted air conditioning troubleshooting, we’re happy to answer your questions, or to fix your AC for you.Contact Crown Power today on 0427 175 654 (Brisbane & Sunshine Coast), or 0421 376 620 (Gold Coast).