Liwan apartment AC struggling on a budget — what's the sensible way to keep these community-block units going?

On a budget the good news is that most 'not cooling' on these Liwan blocks is cheap to fix, because it's usually neglect, not a dead unit. What genuinely matters, in order: a proper coil and filter clean (a choked unit loses a lot of output and it's the cheapest win), a real gas-pressure check rather than a blind top-up (topping up a leak just pays twice), and a look at the capacitor and contactor if it struggles to start (cheap parts the heat kills). That covers the large majority. What you can usually say no to: a full gas refill 'to be safe' when the pressure is fine, and any pressure to replace the unit before it's had one honest service. So pay for the diagnostic and the clean first, then decide from what they actually find. If it still won't cool properly after a genuine service, then it's worth escalating. Getting AC repair in Dubai to diagnose and clean it, and to tell you the real gas position, is the sensible first spend, and ask them to show you the pressures rather than just declaring it low.