Equipment
- Budget off-brand single-zone ductless mini-split
- Wall-mounted indoor unit in a garage
- Outdoor unit on wall brackets
The starting situation
A homeowner in Danville had a ductless mini-split put in their garage about four months ago by a contractor without a license. It had already stopped cooling. When the homeowner tried to make a warranty claim, the installer told them they had gone out of business. That’s when they called us.
When we put gauges on the system, it was empty. All of the refrigerant had leaked out.
What we found
The leaks were at the flare connections. Leak-detection solution bubbled at the service valve flares on the outdoor unit and at the line set joints. When we opened one of the flares, the copper had a split running across the sealing face. A flare like that can hold for a while and then let the refrigerant seep out a little at a time.
The rest of the job showed the same shortcuts. The line set was far longer than the run needed, with the extra coiled up beside the outdoor unit. The drain line was tied in a knot, and a knot in a condensate line is exactly where water stops flowing.
What we did
We reworked the installation instead of topping it off. We cut out the extra line set, made new flares on every connection, and ran the drain line straight. Then we pulled a deep vacuum on the system and weighed in a fresh charge of refrigerant on a refrigerant scale. The work carries our one-year warranty.
The detail that mattered
The equipment wasn’t the problem. A flare is a hand-made seal: it needs the right tool, the right torque and a clean, even face on the copper. Get any of those wrong and it leaks. We’re licensed under CSLB #1136642, and if our work fails, you call the same number you called the first time.
What the customer got
The mini-split is running on a full charge again, with a short, tidy line set, a drain that flows, and a warranty from a company that answers the phone. Before you hire anyone to install a mini-split, look up their license on the CSLB website. It takes a minute. We repair and reinstall mini-splits in Danville and across the Tri-Valley.
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