The short answer
Before you call about a Daikin mini split in Northern Virginia that seems dead or weak, rule out the waits Daikin builds in. After it stops, it waits about 3 minutes before it starts again, and in heat mode it stops for about 4 to 12 minutes at a time to defrost the outdoor unit. Past that, check the breaker, the remote’s batteries, the mode and temperature on the remote, and the filters. If the light is blinking, the breaker keeps tripping or water is dripping inside, call. A visit starts with a $99 diagnostic.
What Daikin says is normal
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| What you see | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Won’t start right after you turn it on | A protection delay | About 3 minutes |
| Heat stops and you hear water flowing | The outdoor unit is defrosting | About 4 to 12 minutes |
| No warm air right after heat starts | It holds the fan until the coil is warm, so it doesn’t blow cold | 1 to 4 minutes |
| Fan slows or stops in heat | The room reached the set temperature | Until the room cools again |
| Stops after a power blip or outage | Protection | Starts again on its own in about 3 minutes |
| Nothing right after the breaker goes back on | Preparing to run (Atmosphera) | About 3 to 10 minutes |
| Outdoor fan spins after you turn it off | Protecting the system | About 1 minute |
| Mist from the indoor unit | Room air cooled into mist | Normal in cool mode |
| Water or steam from the outdoor unit | Defrost in heat, condensation in cool | Normal |
Daikin also lists flowing water, blowing and ticking sounds as normal. A smell is room odor the unit soaked up and is blowing back out. Daikin suggests having the indoor unit cleaned and says not to spray deodorizer on it. From Daikin’s Atmosphera operation manual, with the same wording in its older FTX owner’s manual and FTXS30 and 36 owner’s manual. More on the pauses in our mini split defrost mode guide, and on the sounds in our mini split noise guide.
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Not cooling or not heating: check these first
- Power. Is the breaker tripped or a fuse blown? Is the power out? If the power’s fine, turn the breaker off, turn it back on, and restart from the remote.
- The remote. Fresh batteries. Bright sun or fluorescent lights near the unit’s receiver can get in the way of the signal.
- The settings. Mode, set temperature, fan speed and airflow direction. ECONO and QUIET OUTDOOR UNIT are on Daikin’s list to check too.
- The filters. Daikin says dirty filters mean poor heating and cooling. Clean them about every 2 weeks: vacuum them, or wash them in lukewarm water with a neutral detergent. Our how to clean a mini split guide walks through it.
- Blocked air. Nothing in front of the indoor unit’s air inlet or outlet, or crowding the outdoor unit.
- The room. Windows and doors shut, exhaust fans off.
- Timers. If it turns on or off at odd times, make sure the ON/OFF timer and the weekly timer aren’t set to the same time.
Daikin also says that, depending on the room, how many people are in it and the weather outside, the set temperature may not be reached. If it runs with clean filters and still can’t keep up, that’s a visit. Our mini split not cooling and mini split not heating guides go deeper on each.
Heating when it’s cold out
A mini split heats by pulling heat out of the outdoor air, so it heats less as the weather gets colder, and Daikin suggests another heater alongside it if that isn’t enough. Daikin’s Atmosphera manual rates heat mode down to 5 degrees outside, or minus 13 with an optional drain pan heater. Frost on the outdoor unit also cuts the heat until the next defrost clears it.
An outdoor unit that stays iced over, or heat that never catches up on a mild day, is past normal. Call for that one.
When to stop and call
Daikin’s list: turn it off at the breaker and call for any of these.
- A burning smell.
- A power cord that’s hot or damaged.
- A sound that isn’t normal.
- A breaker that keeps tripping.
- A switch or button that often fails.
- Water leaking from the indoor unit. Our mini split leaking water guide covers the drain.
A blinking OPERATION lamp means the unit stopped itself and stored a code. Turn the breaker off and back on once. If the lamp blinks again, Daikin says to turn the breaker off and call. Two codes have an owner step first: for E7, the outdoor fan, Daikin says to clear anything caught in it with the breaker off, and for L3, L4 or L5 it says to check that nothing blocks the outdoor unit’s air outlet. Reading the code takes the remote and about a minute. Our Daikin mini split error codes guide walks through it, and the blinking light guide covers the green light.
What a repair costs
The tech starts with the $99 diagnostic, reads the stored code, checks the power and wiring between the units, the drain and the refrigerant pressures, and gives you the price in writing before any work starts. Parts on a mini split are priced on the visit, and our mini split repair guide covers the common repairs on any brand. If an older system needs a compressor or a board, a new one-zone system is $7,000 to $10,000. From about $117 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
We fix Daikin systems across Northern Virginia, in Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling, Herndon, Chantilly, Fairfax, Arlington and Manassas, ducted and ductless.
More Daikin: Daikin mini split error codes; a blinking green light on a Daikin mini split; Daikin One thermostat alerts; the Daikin One Touch thermostat. Daikin owns Goodman and Amana, so their furnace codes are in our Goodman furnace codes chart, and other brands are in our error codes and warning lights guide.
Get it fixed
Call (703) 997-9757 and we’ll get a tech out to look at your Daikin mini split. We answer day or night. Rather book online? Pick a time here and a box of warm cookies comes with the visit. A repair visit starts with our $99 diagnostic, and you get the price in writing before any work starts. Already have a quote? We’ll give you a free second opinion. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
Why is my Daikin mini split not cooling?
Check the breaker, the remote’s batteries, the mode and set temperature, and the filters first. Daikin says dirty filters cause poor cooling. If it runs with clean filters and stays weak, call for a look.
Why does my Daikin mini split stop heating for a few minutes?
It’s defrosting the outdoor unit. Daikin says that can take about 4 to 12 minutes, and no warm air comes out while it does. You may see steam outside.
Why won’t my Daikin mini split turn on right away?
It waits about 3 minutes before it starts again, to protect itself. After a power outage it starts again on its own in about 3 minutes.
How do I reset a Daikin mini split?
Turn the breaker off, turn it back on, and restart from the remote. If the light blinks again after that, turn the breaker off and call.
How often should I clean Daikin mini split filters?
About every 2 weeks, Daikin says. Vacuum them or wash them in lukewarm water with a neutral detergent.
