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Mitsubishi minisplit popping noise during heating

tjolson | Posted in General Questions on

Hi, 

My mini-splits are already getting a workout heating our home in Vermont. There is a unit on the main floor and a second upstairs near our bedroom – each unit is fully independent. The upstairs unit is constantly popping during use to the point that it wakes me up multiple times a night. Has anyone experienced this before? Any suggestions? Everything is still under warranty and I’m calling the installer but am curious if this is a common issue?

Thanks. The model number is: MSZ-FH15NA.

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Replies

  1. natesc | | #1

    You are probably hearing the defrost mode - the outside coil accumulates ice which must be melted off. The refrigerant reverses direction, which makes a sort of rushing/popping noise. The colder and icier it gets the more frequently it runs. When the weather is bad enough every 15-20 minutes is possible. Nothing to do about it. You could see if the downstairs unit can heat the whole house and turn the bedroom off at night.

    1. vap0rtranz | | #3

      Yup, have a Bryant system (re-branded Medea) and it makes the same popping / rushing sounds. All these units have so many plastic pieces in the housing that my guess is the plastic really can't rapidly expand/contract ... but I'm no expert.

      How new is your system? Because after 3+ months, the popping sound started to be quieter, so perhaps there's a break-in period.

  2. walta100 | | #2

    The sound I hear in the file is mechanical. My wild guess is something is is restricting the motors that move around the vanes that direct the airflow. Only a wild guess.

    Walta

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