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Daikin Air Conditioner Reviews | Consumer Ratings
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Daikin offers air conditioners for residential applications in the capacity range from 2 to 5 tons. They have been a proven leader in refrigeration and increasing efficiency with air conditioners and heat pumps. They were the innovators behind VRV or VRF technology that is being used in more and more air conditioners heat pumps. VRV or VRF stands for Variable Refrigerant Volume or Variable Refrigerant Flow respectively. VRV and VRF are pretty much one and the same with the only difference being the name. A VRV or VRF system will modulate the compressor based on demand. Modulating the system has been proven to save energy and the life of the equipment.
Daikin Air Conditioner Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Features
Daikin’s top-of-the-line air conditioner offers 23 SEER which is pretty close to what others have for their premium units now. Daikin also has mid-grade models and economy models for those on a budget. Various features of Daikin air conditioning systems include:
- High-efficiency two-stage scroll compressor in select Daikin air conditioners
- Uses chlorine-free R-410A refrigerant
- Select units are EnergyStar rated
- Powered by a Daikin brand variable-speed scroll compressor in select Daikin models
- 500-hour salt-spray tested in select units
- Diagnostic features with fault code storage for better air conditioner troubleshooting
- Engineered to reduce operating noise levels with sound levels down to 58 decibels
- ECM variable-speed outdoor fan motor in select models
- 12-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty and 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty for select Daikin air conditioners
Daikin Top SEER Rating
Daikin Air Conditioner Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Additional Information
Daikin’s warranty seems to be slightly better than other manufacturers with only a few other manufacturers matching the 12-year warranty. Always remember to register the warranty within the deadline period after installation is complete. Otherwise, the manufacturer has no obligation to honor the warranty. Some people have learned this the hard way and then cussed out the manufacturer. I know, I get emails from people about this and some reviews indicate this problem. In that case, can’t really blame the manufacturer.
| Daikin Air Conditioner Model Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| DX20VC Series (Premium Model) | DX16TC Series (Mid-Range Model) | DX13SN Series (Economy Model) |
| Up to 23 SEER Performance | Up to 17 SEER Performance | Up to 14 SEER Performance |
| 12-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty and 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty | 12-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty and 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty | 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty |
| High-efficiency ECM condenser fan motor | High-efficiency PSC or ECM condenser fan motor | Single-speed condenser fan motor |
| Daikin variable-speed swing and scroll compressors | Two-Stage Copeland® UltraTech scroll compressor | Energy-efficient compressor |
| Heavy-gauge galvanized-steel cabinet with grille-style sound control top design | Heavy-gauge galvanized-steel cabinet with grille-style sound control top design | Heavy-gauge galvanized-steel cabinet with louvered sound control top |
| Diagnostic indicator lights, seven-segment LED display, and fault code storage | In communicating mode, two low-voltage wires to outdoor unit required | Advanced diagnostics not indicated |
| Refrigeration-grade premium 7mm copper tubing and aluminum fin condenser coil | Copper tube / aluminum fin condenser coil | Copper tube/aluminum fin coil |
| Single-panel access to controls with space provided for field-installed accessories | Single-panel access to controls with space provided for field-installed accessories | Single-panel access to controls with space provided for field-installed accessories |
| Select sizes meet ENERGY STAR Air Conditioner qualifications | Meets ENERGY STAR Air Conditioner qualifications | N/A |
Prices and ROI | Daikin Air Conditioner Reviews
Furthermore, remember the models compared above represent one top tier model, one mid-range model, and one economy model. The dollar amount for the units is in line with the ranges in the models. The higher the SEER range you buy the more it will cost you. Prices vary based on regions and other factors including contractor pricing so it’s nearly impossible to give prices for a newly installed air conditioner with a matching heating system.
What’s your opinion? Make a review today. If you own a Daikin and are happy with it we would love to hear from you. It helps others make buying decisions.
Additionally, speaking of warranties. Always check to see if the manufacturer has an extended part and labor warranty. If you are buying mid-grade to top-tier equipment I recommend you purchase that warranty (if available). Finally, no matter the brand or the type of equipment you purchase, the best you can get is only as good as the installing contractor. Make sure you get a qualified and competent contractor to install the system.
Air Conditioner Pricing, Efficiency, and Return On Investment Factors
| Pricing Versus Efficiency Return On Investment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Pricing Range for Initial Purchase and Subsequent Repairs outside of Warranty | ROI (Return On Investment) |
| 19 SEER Plus | $$$$$ | 5 to 7 years depending on efficiency* |
| 15 to 18 SEER | $$$ | 7 to 10 years depending on efficiency* |
| 13 to 14 SEER | $ | Over 10 years* |
| *Many factors depend on ROI such as house insulation, personal usage preferences, duct work integrity, and other basic efficiency factors. SEER level efficiency is very important to ROI. The higher the SEER, the quicker the return. | ||
Warranties
Daikin does have a warranty for their air conditioners that are above average. Most HVAC manufacturers offer a 10-year limited parts warranty. However, Daikin’s warranty runs for 12 years. Remember, the warranty only covers parts and not labor. Always ask for a labor warranty (if available). A labor warranty will cost you extra but for the higher-end, high-efficiency air conditioners, it’s worth it. These premium models are more complex and require a skilled technician to troubleshoot if problems arise. Additionally, make sure to read the fine print and register the warranty within the manufacturer’s time frame.
About Daikin
Daikin began in 1924 manufacturing radiator tubes for aircraft. In 1938 they branched out and got into refrigeration providing refrigeration units for the Japanese Navy. In the 50’s Daikin introduced their first air conditioners. As they grew so did Daikin’s innovation for various comfort and industrial cooling systems. In 2012, Daikin purchased Goodman Manufacturing out of Houston, Texas.
Finally, a few words about the video. It appears to be too close to the house. Most manufacturers require a minimum of 18 inches of space installed from the house. Of course, that would be difficult because of the property line. The property line is another issue. In most municipalities, if you install any type of unit within 10 feet of the property line you have to get prior approval from the AHJ or code authorities. Don’t know if the contractor did that or got approval from the manufacturer to install the unit within the 18-inch minimum. I don’t know the situation or conditions but I would have recommended to the homeowner to install the unit in another location.
See our other Daikin Reviews here - Daikin Heat Pump Reviews | Daikin Gas Furnace Reviews | Daikin Package Unit Reviews
Daikin Air Conditioner Reviews | Consumer Ratings
Purchased for S14,000.00 a three header unit upon recommendation by Reliance, the seller of the Daikin Air Conditioner in this area. The units failed after one summer of use. A number of service calls to replace Freon and examine pressures within the system failed to find any problems. After spending over $1,000 in service calls it was finally discovered that the Freon was leaking from the top of the Condenser coil in the outside unit. It was pointed out that this was not a reparable problem and the whole exterior unit must be replaced. Now we find out if the warranty has any value.
We purchased a Daikin unit about two years ago. We had problems immediately with the thermostat and it had to be replaced two times. We have our unit serviced twice a year and when Snyder serviced it in May, 2019 they discovered there was a leak. So we had to have someone else come out and check this out. Well it seems a coil needs to be replaced and although the part is under warranty, the labor and Freon aren’t, so we are looking at about $800.00 charge. This is very disturbing for a homeowner whenever the system is only two years old. Also the fact that cheaper materials for certain parts are being used than in the past, saving money for Daikin but costing homeowners. At this point I am a vert dissatisfied customer.
Beware of Daikin inverter air conditioner as they are all about marketing and sales but after sales service support is bad and the products based on our experience rate down below par as well. About July 2017, through the recommendation of our contractor, we had installed a Daikin inverter split-type 2.5 HP in our small office. After a year – 3rd Quarter of 2018 to be exact – the unit suddenly stopped working. Initially, the repair people of Daikin said that the unit requires the replacement of expansion valve but because it is the usual defect of Daikin inverter, the valve is out of stock and we need to wait for the shipment of parts to arrive. Our management wanted to replace the aircon but Daikin said, such an act will void the remaining warranties. So for more than a month, we had to operate without the aircon. When finally the expansion valve arrived, the Daikin aircon did not work still and now they said that we need to replace the motherboard which has malfunctioned. Since we already spent about PHP15,000 for the labor, expansion valve, and miscellaneous items they needed, with the motherboard, we would effectively be spending a total of almost PHP30,000 (approximately USD600) for the aircon to function again. Wow, that is the price of a new unit of a different brand already. Our customers and suppliers who thought that the brand is good now know differently. I posted this problem on the Daikin FB page as a review but the post did not appear; I noticed that few complaints actually appear online so one reason would be because they control negative comments and because the brand of aircon is relatively new in the market. Their marketing and sales strategies are obviously good but the reality of what their products, services are all about should be out there as well in fairness to consumers.
Daikin is a joke, plain and simple. Why persons there are not in prison for cheating the customer and misrepresenting their product is amazing. Any positive reviews on this site come down to pure luck.
Case # 1118926 – Do not buy from this company-ever! Split unit 3 yrs. old – have to add Freon every spring $300 a pop. All I have is a $4000.00 fan. Daikin says that this is my problem not theirs, per the warranty I never received.. UNIT WAS BAD OUT OF THE BOX DAIKIN!!!, but some how I broke the unit just by writing a check. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. FYI..others in this review board complain that they do not reply to inquiries. Per their CSR this is their policy. Starting to all make sense now?
Just to note
Usually it is in proper install
Daikin Manufactures Amana, & Goodman they all come out of they same factory in Texas
have a mini split with cassette in ceiling fan runs all time and thermostat set on 78 and room goes down to 72 with ceiling fan still runing
They can’t be ANY worse than the junk sold by CARRIER. WARNING: Don’t buy CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING – Ours is falling apart after just a few years and numerous repairs.
Wish I had read reviews before purchasing. Have had nothing but problems. Have had service people a few times now they are not even answering my calls. Worst service for any product I have bought. Regret this purchase,check out the dealer before purchasing.
Thanks for the warning Barbara. We will avoid them.
We had a new Daikin 5 ton installed 7/11/18; today is 7/13/18 it has not worked correctly yet!! Service techs came out on 7/12/18 and again today they can’t find a thing wrong with install. One tech said it’s the thermostat (Venstar) the other tech said it’s the unit and that we’ll need to be put in contact with a Daikin rep. This is no small purchase at nearly $10k The unit is running 24 hours a day and can’t get the house below 79 degrees. Can’t imagine what our power bill is going to be!
sizing was explained, we have 1675 sq. ft. home they installed a 3 and ahalf ton unit (daikin)worked perfectly for 11 months in extreme heat last summer reaching upper 90’s…now during mid day temps in upper 80’s our a/c is steadly set at 76 and our new unit wont get our inside temp lower than 80 degrees…like I have said it worked perfectly for 11 months set at 76 until last week so in the afternoons we are only cooled to 80 degrees, when sun goes down then it will get down to 76….???
Third-party contractor or get the current contractor to call in Daikin technical support technician.
We Installed a 3 and a half ton Daikin a/c….we did the whole 9 yrds….all new ductwork in attic, everything new, even the airhandler.It was installed mid July, we live in Tampa bay area and summer and early fall will get mid to upper 90’s. All thru the rest of the summer and thru winter we kept the temp at 76 degrees, a few weeks last summer the temp went up to 100 degrees. Just a few weeks ago the a/c thermostat, still set at 76 read 80 i degrees in side around 1pm and the temp outside was only up to 87?..this unit is only 10 months old, its under warrantee, the techs have been out here now 3 times,first they said it may be our insulation in the attic, I said we did not add or subtract any insulation since it was installed last year working perfect in 95 degree outside temps,then they lowered fan speed so the air thru the evap would have more time to cool, it did not work, at 1pm the inside temp was 80degrees with the temp set still at 76…I argued with the tech about changing the air speed because the a/c had been working perfact all this time with the way the fan speed was set at installation ???…I believe the compressor is the problem, but they say all the readings are correct on the gauges???
Most systems in the USA are designed for 95° Fahrenheit and must be properly sized using manual J for the tonnage and manual D for the ductwork. You should have got these calculations when you got the estimate for installation. Most contractors use software and when you sign the installation contract they give you a copy of it showing you they followed proper protocol. The only variance to this that I have seen is some municipalities are changing the officially recognized average degree days (this is an important number in the manual J calculation) which will change the final calculation and oftentimes this results in an undersized system. Its the global warming fruitcakes trying to get people to use less and they end up creating problems like this where the system basically becomes useless when under heavy load. Kind of like the low water toilets but people end up flushing them more and as a result use more water than if they would have left well enough alone with the older toilets.
I’m not saying that is the case here but it seems you and the installation contractor are at an impasse and so I would say you need a third party to resolve the issue. I would go full bore and get another calculation from another reputable contractor and if you find they made an error in sizing of the system then the original contractor should be liable for that. If the other technicians for your current contractor cannot find an issue with the mechanical part of the system then start from square one and call in another contractor to check it for proper sizing and to make sure the mechanical parts are working correctly.
This is all I needed to decide. Had a Carrier for over 30, never failed, never serviced. They are the best in my estimation. I had never heard of Daikin until I received an advertisement in the mail. The comments here have made up my mind and there will be no Daikin A/C in my house in Chandler, Az.
Daikin equipment MAY be good, too early to tell. But the SUPPORT is the worst I’ve ever experienced. Though I’m a customer (the reason they are in business), they refuse to even talk to you if you’re not a vendor or contractor (I bought my $4,000+ heat pump via a home equipment company on the internet). I have had MANY frustrating man-hours (really man-days) trying to get a thermostat working, with NO help from the nasty two women at “Customer Support”–(NOT)–, only to find out it’s defective. Thank you very little, Daikin. Had I known, I would certainly have gone with Mitsubishi. Thanks for listening.
VERY hard to find the size of filter to fit!!! VERY EXPENSIVE!!!!
This was my second winter in a house i purchased in September of 2016 with a Dainka heating and air condtioning system. During the winter we keep the house at 66 degrees at the most. When i received my electric bill for December i was enraged for it was over $400.00 dollars for one month for a small ranch house. I do not have the money to change the heating system. I wish i had known this system does not work for a Massachusetts winter for i would not have purchased the house. Very disappointed. Looking for new house.
Not sure that is a Daikin problem more so than someone got the wrong type of system installed because it was cheaper. Electric heat strips are far cheaper to install than a gas furnace or heat pump (gas furnace in Massachusetts over a heat pump). The heat made with electric heat costs far more than heat made with gas. Additionally, other things such as windows, doors, and insulation make a huge difference because of heat loss calculations and how that affects your utilities.
I installed a Daikin “SkyAir” 36000 BTU unit a few years ago. It worked fine for a few months but then I turned if off for about a year because I could not pay my bills and I went bankrupt because I am not that good a business man. When I finally started it running again it had emitted a horrible smell from sitting so long. I think it got moldy from not being used. I could not afford to fix it so I just ran it as is. I finally foreclosed on my home. So be careful to run your air continuously so as not to have my problem.
Standing water will cause mold to grow and air conditioners produce water by condensing it from the air. Like a refrigerator, you unplug and leave the door closed. Open the door a month later and you will smell mold among other things.
thx for the information you shared..it is so useful to me..may god always bless your kindness 🙂
Well bless your heart.
I bought a Daikin split series ac with heat in Jan of 2015.
The heat has never worked right. I could turn the heat on and it would work for about 15 minutes and then shut down for 10 minutes to defrost. This went on all last winter. The electrician said this was normal when the temperature got below 50 degrees. I just about froze to death. Now this year the compressor has gone out. The compressor is under warranty but it will cost me at least $400.00 to have the new compressor installed. Then it still may not work right. I will never buy another Dainkin product again! Don’t waste your $$$$.
Sorry to hear about your issues, but it is not the product! You stated “the electrician said”, there is your problem. 90-95% of problems are installation and incorrect sizing or “guessing” issues as I will call it – unqualified people guesstimating and incorrectly installing equipment. I have been in the HVAC/R field for over 30 years and am witness to many improperly sized, incorrectly installed, and wrong application systems. I don’t care if it’s Daikin, Trane, Lennox, Carrier, or whoever these Manufacturers all have good equipment, there are too many unqualified individuals/companies out there selling and installing equipment
Is it common warranty practice to require the homeowner to pay $89 twice a year to have the unit inspected to keep your system in warranty? Daikin installed 8/17?
That is a legal question that should be on the warranty (if it states that) and any contractual documents you signed when the system was purchased.
2 years ago my wife and I replaced or old Carrier air conditioner with a new Daikin. My friend is a licensed contractor who runs his own service and installation service. He recommended this to me and without hesitation I had him do the work. Since it has been installed I’ve had him out to do annual maintenance and everything has worked very well. It cools much better than the old Carrier and our electric bill dropped by about 25%. I’m thinking it will pay for itself over time. We couldn’t be happier.
Beware. We had A new unit installed. Not a purchase you decide lightly due to price. We read about Daikin and Tranesand went with Daikin. Our unit was installed in November and have had 5 service calls so far and it’s still not working correctly. Numerous days off work, unit not running. Daikin customer service doesn’t respond to requests for help. Maybe stay with Trane.
How about the amana brand?
https://highperformancehvac.com/amana-air-conditioner-reviews-consumer-ratings/
I just had the rep at my house. 1300 sq ft & he said they can install in one day (2 units) for 6K..best price so far.
Peggy, I feel your pain. I spent $17,000 on two Daikin units as they claimed they were the best in the business. First, my house is not even close to as cool as it was with the previous units (Carrier). Second, I have had both units replaced (the smaller one twice and the big one once). They were installed in 2015 and two months after the install one died and was replace. They came out 4 more times that summer to replace parts. 2016 early summer the small one died again and they replaced it. The big unit failed a couple of times and according to the tech, they’re very sensitive. OMG!!! 2017 summer, the big unit died and was replaced. I wanted them to replace the units with something else, but they refused. I guess I’m stuck with them.
I would have thought for spending a significant amount of money, I would have some type of consumer protection. When I ask, everyone just shrugs their shoulders and tells me I’m stuck with them.
Never again!!
My old Carrier pump died, I was recommended to replace the airconditioning system. Daikin was offered as brand new, cost effective.
In first year I had 4 times it wasn’t work, and all of them the technician didn’t know what to do.
Finally someone came down and knew how to reset the error, but didn’t fix the problem LOL.
two years later the in-house blower started to vibrate with a high noise inside house, couldn’t watch TV with the noise, the technician came down and said didn’t hear any “extra” noise everything is quiet as normal….
After several calling for repair they replaced the blower motor, the technician had never replaced the blower, screwed up the hole for the screws because it is fixed in that thin plate….. I had to give him some tips and made holes next to the ones he had screwed up.
The new blower is good, but too much power, I believe they don’t know how to adjust power of it. Next winter season got fail, next summer got fail.
Someone came down and took a lot of the “gas” saying that was overloaded.
Now I don’t get alarm, but don’t get cool enough neither heat enough.
It has been 3 years now, the worst system I have seen.
And just to finalize this one that is Energy Save, put my electrical bill almost twice.
I miss the Carrier. The mechanical thermostat, but quiet blower and good temperature for cool and heat.
How about your installers are to blame?! Lol