This article has been updated as of January 2018.
Readers, please note that the original article referred to the original line of inverter mini-splits manufactured by Fujitsu. Over the years, many of you have echoed these comments regarding premature system failure and inadequate manufacturer’s support leading to extremely expensive repairs and replacements.
Subsequently, Fujitsu has gone through at least two generation updates to this line of products. They have also updated their warranty policies, indicating a greater confidence in their products.
I have also been told by several installers that the new Fujitsu units are considered tops in the field.
Given these changes, I change my rating of Fujitsu to “Neutral.” I cannot personally recommend them because I have no first hand experience with them recently. However, I do not wish for people to be discouraged from installing their new units.
If you have first hand experience with the new line of Fujitsu mini-split heat pumps, please contribute to the discussion.
Thank you!
(original posting from 2014 follows)
Sadly, I can no longer recommend Fujitsu due to their unacceptable support and warranty policies.
Poor product durability eliminates all cost savings gained from efficiency
A home’s heating system is a capital expenditure. That is, it’s considered a long term investment in your home. Typically, you figure that it will last 15-20 years with some cost for maintenance. And generally, that’s conservative. How many of you still have heating systems in your homes from the 1970’s or 80’s? In general, these systems are very durable. Unfortunately, with the Fujitsu mini-split heat pump, this has not been the case.
I originally purchased a model 12-RLS in June of 2009. The system worked great and I was very happy with its efficiency and performance so I gave it a glowing review.
In November of 2011, our neighborhood experience a huge power surge that blew out all three of my Fujitsu units. This is not Fujitsu’s fault as the surge killed electronics in a broad area. I mention it because the units were totally replaced just two years ago.
Recently, in November of 2013, one of my units stopped heating. I thought it was due to the cold, humid weather we were having and waited to see how it would behave in subsequent weeks.
On December 10th of 2013, I concluded that the system was truly malfunctioning and scheduled a service call. My local installer came out, acknowledged that it wasn’t working, and left.
On January 2nd of 2014, another technician came to diagnose the system. During their visit, they found that the evaporator coils were leaking and one of the temperature sensors was malfunctioning. The prognosis was not good – this would require replacing the entire indoor unit. But since the unit was only two years old, I figured that replacement would be covered by the factory.
On January 28th of 2014, after two months with a non-functional heat pump in my living room, the owner of the company that installed the system contacted me, quite upset. He noted that Fujitsu had been mistaken. The model 12RLS was an old model that only had a two year warranty and my warranty had just expired. Not only that, but they no longer make replacement parts for that model (remember, this was the latest and greatest in 2009) so I would have to purchase an entirely new system. This would cost me about $4,000 with installation, removal of the old system etc. Frankly, this is insane.
The warranty statement on the unit does in fact say that it covers parts for only 2 years. Since my unit failed a few weeks after the two year period, they legally did not have to cover it. But had I known that they wouldn’t even have parts to repair the unit that I expected to own for 15+ years, I never would have purchased the Fujitsu 12RLS in the first place.
Any reputable manufacturer would stand behind their product better than this. If I, who has some of the top search results for my positive reviews of the Fujitsu 12RLS , can’t get them to stand by their warranty that expired just days before the unit failed, then an ordinary consumer has no chance of getting support from them. I have to say, I am utterly disappointed by Fujitsu.
So now I have to basically throw away a several thousand dollar heat pump. I will save this old unit for parts in case the others fail.
This fiasco by the numbers
Years owned: 4.25
Original installed cost: $3,560
Cost per year of operation: $837.65
Total energy use: 10,575kWh
Approximate electric cost:$1586. Cost per year: $373
Based on these numbers, I would have been better off buying a much less expensive system that was reliable but inefficient. So what’s the point of buying the high efficiency Fujitsu system?
Ted's Energy Tips 
Turn off your breaker to the heatpump and wait five minutes. Power it back up and it will work fine. Some of these model do this when they have had a power interruption. I own four of these and one of them does this. It always resets and works perfectly after a full power down.
Fascinating discussion. A question, please? CAn one use “standard” programmable thermostats on these things? I want to control mine via a “Next” type internet-connected thermostat. Is is safe to assume the thermostats are regular ol’ thermostats or are they proprietary?
Unfortunately, all the ones I’m familiar with with have proprietary thermostats. Which reminds me, I have to get one because my set up is not working properly for my configuration.
So if I were to be going for a new mini-split ductless now, what would you recommend?
The Mitsubishi units have many years of solid reputation. A number of people whom I have recommended mini-splits to have gone with them and have been very pleased. Plus, they have a large distributor/service network so if anything does go wrong, you should be able to find local service.
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I purchased 2 units one 3 yrs ago and the other 4. One was a 12rls and other was a quad head 3 ton. Got me worried with those issues he had. I did have a drainage line to get stopped up. Some bug drug leaves up the line. but that is the only issue I have had. They say we will have a cold winter now I am praying no issues
We purchased three Fugitsu ac/heater wall units, not sure if this is our third or fourth season, anyway we had issues from day one. The larger unit wasn’t cooling well and there was water running down our living room wall. One of the smaller units drained water down our bedroom wall as well.The contractor came out and did whatever ( my husband knows more) and things seemed fine. The second season the larger unit was not cooling well. This began at the end of the summer and our contractor said we needed a really hot day to check it. That did not come until this summer, a new tech came out and drained the system, and so far no issues except that water continues to drain down the wall from the larger unit. We were informed that it is to be expected. What!!!!? And now we are besieged by wasps flying in our bedroom from the unit, they built a nest in a hose! Shouldn’t there be a cap in place to prevent this?
Does anyone have a suggestion or explanation or similar circumstance???
Our issues were from the get go, even that they are ongoing issues we have to pay every time for servicing. I am feeling ripped off especially after reading the other reviews
Thanks for listening
I have to say, things like water dripping down the wall sounds like an installation problem, not a manufacturing or product problem. If they got that wrong, I’d be suspect of other installation aspects as well.
Water dripping down the wall sounds like an improper installation, not a product or manufacturing problem.
That sounds really bad. If left over the long term, that leak down the wall can lead to mold and serious structural damage. You need to insist that they fix the problem.
You might also want to contact Fujitsu directly to discuss your issues and see if they can recommend a qualified dealer to work on the systems.
As an FYI, the air conditioners have a drain pan that captures the water that drips from the cold air conditioning coil. This pan drains out through a hose that goes out the wall and to the ground or into a drain.
As for the wasps, I’ve never seen that. Usually the hose is open so it’s certainly possible for this to occur but I wouldn’t think they’d want to nest in there because of the condensation dripping out all the time. If there’s not water coming out the line then either the system isn’t working right or the drain is clogged (which would lead to the leak down your wall).
In any case, your installer sounds incompetent, so you need someone skilled to check out the systems.
One other possibility for water dripping down your wall. Can you tell if it’s dripping off of the copper refrigerant lines running to the wall mounted unit? If the copper isn’t properly insulated, water will condense on the cold tubing and then drip off. I had this happen on my own system and had to add insulation.
Thanks so much! I was just about to pull the trigger on a Fujitsu mini split system. I refuse to deal with pond scum companies such as this. I appreciate your sharing your experiences, thus saving others the same exasperation and dollars. Monty
Someone is a little mis informed. Replacement units for the 12 RLS are not available but ALL parts are available.
Ted: I put in my Fujitsu units in 2009 as well. The smaller and more efficient of the two (12RLS) began to have problems in 2013 first failing to cool. After a couple of coolant recharges that didn’t hold, and a lot of problems during the severe winter, the HVAC folks determined that the inside unit was leaking coolant. They had been convinced it was outside initially, but the detector said otherwise. As you indicated, Fujitsu magically determined that the inside unit was not under warranty, despite the fact the compressor was. covered. I also got the obsolete inside unit story. However, they were willing to cough up a replacement coil unit (pretty much the whole deal) for $1300 installed). I went that route and it certainly does cool better, but I don’t really trust this unit. The second large unit has been a champion thus far.
Fujitsu is really doing damage to the brand. I seriously doubt i would buy anything from them again. I also know that any subsequent purchases I make of HVAC equipment, will require actual purchase receipts from the supplier not just an installation proposal.
It’s really sad that this problem and response is common. Clearly, there’s a design weak point. How hard would it have been for them to stand behind their products?
I used to be a great fan of theirs. Shame…
I’m having a similar problem with my Fujitsu split system. Very disappointed with the product quality…
I purchased a Fujitsu mini split 12,000 BTU heat pump in 2010 for a converted garage bay. It was perfect for use in the one room since it was not tied into heating & cooling of my main house. It did the job I hoped. Unfortunatedly, I am just about to pay $500. for the second eval coil. I paid $4200. installed. My first repair was under warranty, but the 2 yrs are long gone. The company was able to get another one without telling me I had to replace entire unit, but are 2 coils in 4 yrs normal wear?
THat is indeed pretty sad. These systems should last 10 to 20 years without needing repair. I just don’t know how they can justify not supporting us when the systems are almost new. I guess that’s why the newest systems have a five year warranty.
Me? I’m sticking with Mitsubishi from now on.
I have not called Fujitsu. My installer made an excuse that this can happen. I live in FL for what it’s worth, the evap coil is in my garage. I was going to accept this until I read your posts. I think I will try Fujitsu since I am not alone and again to my contractor.
Hi Ted, Sense I discovered your youtube video. I learned quickly most contractors ( By human nature) do not want to learn new tech or unlearn old habits. I have learned to install and rebuild fujitsu mini splits for my home and garage. invested $800 in vac,micron gauge,r410a flare tool,various fitting manifold and nitrogen. I follow instructions and read fujitsu with a helping of O.C.D. I mostly find outdoor or indoor unit on ebay. example on 5/31/14 ebay item 271506599400 made offer $700.00 plus $150 shipping $120 lineset $60 for wall mount. once mounted and lines flared and connected. purged with nitrogen and 450 psi leak test for a day. then vac the system to 45 microns. break vac with nitrogen to just over atmosphere pressure and repeated 3 times. onpened valves did start up. it is a fujitsu 18RLFW rebranded Friedrich. on 7/26/13 Fujitsu NIB AOU9RLS (161048884518) 699.99 couple months later got the ASU9RLS FOR 250.00 NIB $50.00 wall hanger 100.00 lineset and 2 days. $1100.00 and its in my bedroom. As for electrical that was my Air Force reserve job many years ago. another habit is to remove sheetrock or go crawl space to hide linesets plus condensate pvc runs. It would cost an confuse most hvac in Rockingham Nc. No offense to any hvac contractors. Most are Great!
Thanks for the comment. I agree – if you’re resourceful, you can do just about anything, often better than the pros. I do all my own plumbing and a decent amount of HVAC work, but haven’t yet got the nerve up to get the pumps etc. to work on my compressors/refrigerant systems!
Cheers
I have 2 Mitsubishi Mini-Splits (FE12NA and the new FH09NA) on a dedicated circuit that I can measure.with good accurately. Combined, they use about 14 watts when the units are turned off which for me amounts to about 4 cents per day.
Your standby power consumption is really small.
If you read my post at
you will see that I measure 220 watts per unit 24/7 – which is outrageous.
What was the ambient temperature when you did your measurement?
From what I know the unit has a heater that turns on every 30 minutes for 30 minutes using 40 watts – to keep the compressor fluids warm. This activity does not take place if the ambient temperature is above 65 Degees F.
my Fujitsu AOU12R1A was the same poor poor poor does not heat for lower temperatures , condensation froze at dew point (not even freezing outside as fan lowered air temp and caused ice build up) and ice tore fan apart; waited 4 months for parts from Asia, I was told inside controller was defective and needed new one, unit is 6 years old, compressor has been replaced no warranty. Now coil is gone and I need a totally new unit to heat fan and do the job. ANother $4ooo very unsatisfactory performance
Ah, found it:
“When the outdoor heat exchanger temperature is lower than 41°F(5°C) and the all operation has
been stopped for 30 minutes, power is applied to the compressor and the compressor is heated.
(By heating the compressor, warm air is quickly discharged when operation is started.)
When operation was started, and when the outdoor heat exchanger temperature rises to 44.6°F(7°C)
or greater, preheating is ended.”
So did the new pcb board fix the problem??
You could also just replace the indoor or outdoor unit. Most retailers have old stock as that model is not that old. You could replace the whole piece or have your repair guy just use it for parts and keep the rest for next time. Installation will be quite a bit higher replacing one whole half, with refrigerant disconnection, etc.
I’m gonna guess that Fujitsu is generally going to replace these things under warranty with new models after the new model comes out. Much cheaper for them instead of stocking parts in the US for low volume. The installer will have already run the lines and electric supply so it won’t be that difficult and the old mounts will be compatible if not exactly the same.
For the indoor portion, there isn’t much to it; replacing the whole thing would cost about the same as any of the major parts. There is risk in putting it back together properly as well.
The replacement control board didn’t work. The dealer also has no replacement indoor units and they said there are none at the warehouses since it’s an old model. I was told that the only option is to replace the entire setup.
Have you talked directly with Fujitsu about this issue? I think i might be worth a try.
That sucks that you have had such a tough time with your unit.
Here in New Zealand we have 6 years parts and labour warranty on Fujitsu products. Fujitsu are also pretty good if something goes wrong even if the unit is just out of warranty. They will usually just cover it anyway or at the very least give you the part for for free but you have to pay to have it installed.
Sounds like either Fujitsu in your country is letting you down or your installer is talking nonsense in regards to the parts problem though. I just got parts for a system 13 years old last week with no problems.
Also 4k to replace the unit is a complete rip off considering that all they have to do is replace the units – the pipework and cabling should be able to be reused.
I dont know where you guys live but here in the state of Maine and in New Hampshire and Mass I install 12RLS2 systems for around 2500.oo
What’s the name of your company? Looking to install a unit in my home in MA. Thanks
Hey Ted, the local installer here in Washington State said the following regarding your statement when I brought it up to them-
“To my understanding we have installed over 200 Fujitsu’s as a company in 2013. As far as I’m aware, two of those systems failed and were replaced under our guarantee. Our warranty is 3 years on labor and the system provides a 5 year warranty on parts and 7 on the compressor. The warranty we offer is any labor, parts or replacement for 3 years from the time it’s installed. If you have a faulty system, we will replace it with a new one. It sounds like this blogger didn’t have the same kind of service guarantee from the company he purchased it from. Our guarantee clearly states that if we can’t get you parts for your system, that we will upgrade it to the newer model free of charge. The warranty of 5 years on the parts and 7 on the compressor is in our contract with you, and legally if that were a mistake we would be held liable for associated costs. It sounds like this was more an issue with the supplier making some pretty notable mistakes and the owner, unfortunately, ending up with a lemon.”
Could you tell me how you feel in regards to that statement? I’m still sold on this system and am really looking forward to purchasing one.
Thanks for sharing. That dealer sounds like a real gem. If all were like that, there would be a lot more happy people.
My advice to people is to “buy the installer, not the technology”
I just double-checked my warranty statement from Fujitsu – when I bought mine, it came with 2 years parts only, longer on the compressor. NO labor coverage at all.
Hi Ted, have you ever posted those photos? Are we talking the inside air distributor or the outdoor compressor here?
Not yet. I’ve got to open it up again. My guy said he’d get me a new control board and sensors (which are soldered to the board!?) I’ll grab photos when we do that.
Oh yeah, indoor unit.
Ted
Your review was a major factor in my decision to buy my Fujitsu unit. Sorry you were treated so poorly. I hope you can get this worked out. I assumed with how much these units are used in other countries they would have worked the bugs out.
I truly hope it’s just a fluke or a few bad units. I’ve been really impressed with the technology and performance so I think they are basically great units.
My recommendation is for anyone who has one: have your installer inspect the units for leaking coils before the warranty expires and insist on replacement if there’s any signs of leakage.
A giveaway of leakage can be seen on the aluminum fins. You’ll see a very district change of color along some fins. You may also notice corrosion on the copper tubing.
Hi Ted thanks for posting that info, where exactly would look to spot that discoloration?
The discoloration spreads along the entire fin so the fins look striped. The tech told me that it’s the refrigerant oil that makes it sticky so it catches dust.
I’ll post a photo when I get back from vacation.
I have two Mitsubishi units – a 3 ton and 2.5 ton for two years. No problems.
My only complaint is about their standby power usage – each unit draws 220 watts 24/7! If you do the math that adds up to 3,854 kWh/year for an annual cost of $578 @ $0.15 per kWh. On a daily bases the numbers show 10.56 kWh/day when not in operation – a lot more than Ted-san Inoue notes for his unit.That seems like an awful lot of overhead for doing nothing. I found this out about a year after the units were installed because I installed a whole house energy monitoring device called “Current Cost.”
Wow, that’s a horrible amount of standby usage!
If that were my system, I’d install a remote controlled disconnect for the main power supply to the units. The only thing I can think of is that they’ve got heaters in them to keep the oils warm in cold weather.
Here’s a discussion of this very topic
Thanks for that pointer. I’m going to have to put a proper meter on mine to find out what it’s drawing – I have to wonder if some of these high wattage reports are VA, not true power. Gregory, what did you use to measure it?
Ah, right, see comment #19 on that GBA thread, and followups.
Last update. 😉 I put my Brultech ECM-1240 monitor on my 12RLS2 unit, and got about 10W.
Now that’s more like it!
Bleah. (feel free to collapse my comments) – but after about 30 mins, it jumped to 70W or so, and then started a very slow decline. 12h later, it’s about 60W. Strange. Will keep an eye on it for a while until I decide to turn it off… to save 44kWh/month. 😦
You might want to check to see if it has a crankcase heater. If so, it probably shouldn’t be turned off in the cold weather. Something to check into before making an expensive mistake.
From the GBA thread, Martin Holladay said: “I just spoke with Jason Cruze on the technical help line at Fujitsu. He said that the maximum phantom load for the Fujitsu 9RLS2 is 0.1 amp. At 240 volts, that’s 24 watts. If anyone is measuring 80 watts, Cruze recommended calling a technician to find out what’s wrong with the unit.
He said that there is no heater or freeze protection on the 9RLS2. (However, there is a heater on the Fujitsu 15RLS2H, so one would expect the phantom load of that unit to be higher in cold weather.)”
So it doesn’t seem like that’s the deal (mine is not an “H” unit).
That standby usage is not exactly correct. I too have measured wild numbers like that with a multimeter, even in operation. The issue is it is not power factored (PF) corrected, and that is what you pay for in residential use. If you use a PF corrected sensor – many utility monitors are – it will read under 10 watts in standby.
Also in the winter time, most units keep the compressor warmed up; it won’t show constant usage, but will occasionally show some wattage.
If you can’t get a PF corrected monitor or are not sure, got to your breaker panel and turn every breaker off but the one for the heat pump. Then go outside and look at your meter; in standby it won’t be moving. The utility’s meter is PF corrected and that is how you are billed.
I don’t believe that is the issue. The power factor of these inverter drive units is near perfect. For a similar unit, I’ve seen a published PF of 99
Sorry to hear about your experience with the Fujitsu. I have a 12RLS since Dec 2011 and so far so good as the guy said that jumped off the Empire Building.
Here in Canada the national distributor guarantees the units 10 years parts and labor but you must have a yearly inspection, tune up, which of course adds to your bottom line cost.
So Ted my brother is looking for mini split heat pump and I had been touting the Fujitsu but what will tell him now?
Jack, if I could get a 10 year warranty on it parts and labor, I’d go for it! That’s outstanding. Of course it is a pain in the b*** if you have to have a system serviced every few years for some defect. That gets old really fast. I kind of lost confidence in them because HVAC systems really need to be reliable for the general public. I’m willing to experiment and use myself as a guinea pig to help the public have a better long term experience and avoid the long term headaches.
My philosophy for 98% of the population is to give up some efficiency for reliability. If you can get both, wonderful but these bleeding edge technologies can be really painful!
Jack Leonard: I have an 18rlf and as you said, 10yr parts and labor. I’m wondering about your annual inspection requirement. My installer told me that the only requirement was to change the clean air filter at specified intervals and clean the main filter at the same time. I’ve looked in all the paperwork and can’t find anything. Can you tell me where I might find the written requirement?
I can’t comment on performance as I’ve only had it for 1 month and even so, I can’t compare my bills this winter to anything since 1993. It’s been a long hard one.
Thanks
I got the warranty documents in the initial doc package with my unit as well as having my installer check with the factory. Sure enough, three years.
At least they have increased that to five for the latest model.
By the way, if the warranty info doesn’t have a clause about routine maintenance, then they can’t hold that against you. Fwiw, I’ve never heard of such a clause.
Sorry to hear of the Fujitsu problems. We have a 24 and an 18 running 6 wall units in our home. We developed a leak in one of our units after 2 years, and the installer here in Santa Fe (Pro Tech) took care of it at no charge. We have been otherwise very happy thus far. I hope our units last much longer than 4 years. The local companies actually recommended the Mitsubishi units due to better parts availability, and now will wonder if maybe I should have.
I hope so too. If my other units die soon, I’ll be really upset! Good luck with your systems. I don’t like that you have had coil problems too. That’s too much of a coincidence.
That’s a bummer. I have a 12RLS2 unit (the newer one) and no problems after 2 years. Here’s hoping it stays that way.
p.s. did you ever measure standby power when it’s not operating? That’s on my list of things to do. 😉
I hope it works for you. They are sweet units when they work! And the RLS2 has a 5-year warranty, so they must have improved it.
My daily numbers show 0.35 kWh/day when not in operation.
Cheers!
So about 15W. That adds up! I flipped the breaker on mine in the winter (yes, they work when it’s cold, but not so well when it is THIS cold, -20F…) and I hope that doesn’t harm it, I don’t know if there’s any heater in the outdoor unit etc. At only 15W, probably not.
Sorry to hear about your failures, that’s a real bummer. Too bad they didn’t replace the zapped ones with RLS2 units. Which reminds me, I need to get that whole-house surge protector installed…
Keep in mind such a low measurement has an error range on these whole house meters; could be 7 to 21 watts an hour. Also the new Fujitsu models have an i-see sensor and other automatic features.
Also during winter, the outdoor unit will run the compressor a bit to keep it warm. It runs in spurts once the temp falls below 40 degrees as mentioned in the service manual. It is only wasted watts if you are not using the unit for heat, and generally under 40 degrees you are.
Bob –
That correlates with what I’ve seen with a dedicated current transformer and a true-power meter – around 10W, until it gets below about 40F, then around 40-50W.
So yeah, if you aren’t using it for heat in the winter, I’d turn it off at the breaker. However, my installer cautioned that if you turn it back on for heat, to leave the breaker on for around 24h before actually using it, to give the refrigerant time to get properly warmed up & situated; apparently you could blow seals otherwise, if you try to engage the unit when it’s super-cold.
Is the service manual publicly available?