Aircon Servicing Guide

Whether you’ve had your air conditioning unit for a number of years or whether it’s brand new, it’s important that it undergoes regular maintenance to ensure optimal and efficient performance.

As they’re often more intensively used, it’s recommended that commercial aircons are serviced at least twice a year, though it can be necessary to service the units up to 4 times a year, depending on the environment they’re used in. Domestic air conditioners, on the other hand, should be serviced at least once a year as their usage is often far less.

Whether your unit is used in a commercial or domestic environment, if you notice a lack of performance at any time, it’s essential that the unit undergoes maintenance. There are a number of reasons why under performance occurs.

Issues such as clogged or dirty filters can sound fairly innocuous, but if left, problems can arise which could result in them failing prematurely, thereby affecting the performance of your unit.

Blocked filters mean that the unit can’t breathe, which results in the consumption of more electricity for a less effective output. As a result, you can expect higher energy bills for a unit that isn’t performing to capacity.

If blocked filters are ignored, it can also lead to a build-up of dirt within the coil and on the fan blade. This in turn can create issues of water leaks as the drain outlet will eventually block and can also cause the fan motor to fail due to the fan blade becoming heavy.

Refrigerant leaks are possible with air conditioning units, even though they are sealed systems, and despite common misconception, they do not require “topping up” each year. If a refrigerant leak was to occur, there would be a vast drop in performance of the unit until eventually no hot or cold air would be produced, rendering the air conditioning system as an expensive standard fan.

Due to F-Gas regulations, refrigerant leaks should only be repaired by competently trained engineers who can provide a company REFCOM Certification number and an F-Gas certificate for each individual.

As with any mechanical equipment, it’s important to ensure that your air conditioning unit undergoes frequent maintenance to make sure that it’s working at its optimum efficiency at all times. It can also help to prolong the life of your unit, and reduce the need for emergency repairs, so you can be sure that it will continue to function at its best when you need it most.

During maintenance, an engineer will clean the coils with anti-bacterial cleaning agent, clean and unblock filters, check electrical components and compressors, clean drip trays and check the overall performance of the system.

In general, regular maintenance ensures that the equipment works to its optimum efficiency (keeping electric costs down) and minimize emergency repairs. It is also essential to comply with the manufacturer’s warranty as without maintenance records, you may be forced to pay for costly replacement parts – even during the warranty period.

Whatever type of unit you have, an air conditioning company can advise on maintenance timescales, and will be happy to discuss the available options with you – including the length of warranty offered by individual manufacturers.

Regularly maintaining your air conditioning system will help it perform better. By some estimates, routine maintenance can help maintain up to 95% of it original operational efficiency and performance. This leads to a range of benefits – from better energy efficiency to lower humidity levels and fewer repairs. We’ll explore some of those benefits in greater detail below.

• Better Energy Efficiency 
  Regularly servicing your air conditioning system will help it run more efficiently. Clogged air filters, dirty condenser coils and other problems mean that the system has to work harder to do its job – using up more energy in the process. An inefficient air conditioning system is going to increase your energy bill and leave a larger carbon footprint on the environment. Routine service, on the other hand, will translate into savings on your energy bill and on your conscience.
• Longer Operational Life
  As with any major equipment, a regular service will extend your systems operational life. There’s a limit to how long any model is going to last, but the right amount of care and attention ensures that you’ll make the most of your air conditioning system. Remember that one faulty or malfunctioning part can lead to stress on other components. The sooner you fix it, the better the system will operate overall.
• Lower Overall Repair Costs 
  We’ve all been there. Your air conditioning system appears to be operating just fine, when – out of the blue – the entire system stops working. Suddenly, you’ve found yourself in need of costly emergency repairs. All too often, these repairs could be managed or even avoided through routine service and maintenance.

When you call out aircon servicing companies to service your air conditioning system, the technician will check for damaged or worn-down parts and recommend their immediate replacement. Likewise, cleaning components such as the condenser and filters will ultimately extend the life of various parts and put off the need to replace them.

• Better Air Quality 
  If you have any doubts as to whether your system is cleaning the air in your environment, simply open up the front panel and take a look at the filter. Unless it’s brand new or has been cleaned very recently, you’ll see plenty of dust built up in the filter. The more dust that accumulates, the less effective your filter is at purifying the air that passes through it.

Regular service ensures that your filter is working as well as it should be. This reduces internal deficiencies caused by a build-up of dust and debris, but it also means that everyone inside is breathing cleaner air.

The frequency with which you have your air conditioning system serviced will depend on several factors, including the model, its age and how it’s used. At New-Air, we recommend having your unit serviced twice per year, depending on the environment and frequency of use.

The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system's efficiency significantly. With normal airflow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil's heat-absorbing capacity. Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5% to 15%.

For central air conditioners, filters are generally located somewhere along the return duct's length. Common filter locations are in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the air conditioner itself. Room air conditioners have a filter mounted in the grill that faces into the room.

Some types of filters are reusable; others must be replaced. They are available in a variety of types and efficiencies. Clean or replace your air conditioning system's filter or filters every month or two during the cooling season. Filters may need more frequent attention if the air conditioner is in constant use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you have fur-bearing pets in the house.

The air conditioner's evaporator coil and condenser coil collect dirt over their months and years of service. A clean filter prevents the evaporator coil from soiling quickly. In time, however, the evaporator coil will still collect dirt. This dirt reduces airflow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat. To avoid this problem, check your evaporator coil every year and clean it as necessary.

Outdoor condenser coils can also become very dirty if the outdoor environment is dusty or if there is foliage nearby. You can easily see the condenser coil and notice if dirt is collecting on its fins.

You should minimize dirt and debris near the condenser unit. Your dryer vents, falling leaves, and lawn mower are all potential sources of dirt and debris. Cleaning the area around the coil, removing any debris, and trimming foliage back at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) allow for adequate airflow around the condenser.

The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent and can block airflow through the coil. Air conditioning wholesalers sell a tool called a "fin comb" that will comb these fins back into nearly original condition.

Occasionally pass a stiff wire through the unit's drain channels. Clogged drain channels prevent a unit from reducing humidity, and the resulting excess moisture may discolor walls or carpet.

At the start of each cooling season, inspect the seal between the air conditioner and the window frame to ensure it makes contact with the unit's metal case. Moisture can damage this seal, allowing cool air to escape from your house.

In the winter, either cover your room air conditioner or remove and store it. Covering the outdoor unit of a central air conditioner will protect the unit from winter weather and debris.

When your air conditioner needs more than regular maintenance, hire a professional service technician. A well-trained technician will find and fix problems in your air conditioning system.

The technician should:

• Check for correct amount of refrigerant
• Test for refrigerant leaks using a leak detector
• Capture any refrigerant that must be evacuated from the system, instead of illegally releasing it to the atmosphere
• Check for and seal duct leakage in central systems
• Measure airflow through the evaporator coil
• Verify the correct electric control sequence and make sure that the heating system and cooling system cannot operate simultaneously
• Inspect electric terminals, clean and tighten connections, and apply a non-conductive coating if necessary
• Oil motors and check belts for tightness and wear
• Check the accuracy of the thermostat.

Let’s start with the basics. A central air conditioning system has two main units. A condenser, usually located outdoors, and evaporator, mounted on the air handler or furnace. Together these extract heat from room air through refrigeration technology. The air handler blows the chilled and dehumidified air through ductwork to your home’s rooms.

Filters – these reduce the amount of dust released into the air. Filters are rectangular in shape and can be easily removed from the indoor unit.

Ducting – round tubes responsible for the distribution of cool or heated air to the rooms, usually located in the ceiling.

Thermostat – a small box mounted near the indoor unit that lets you change or set the indoor temperature.

Registers – these grilles are the inserts in the ceiling or floor that deliver air into your home, or can return re-heated air into a room.

Safety First
Before beginning any maintenance on or near your air conditioning system, always turn the power supply off. The system will usually have a 240-volt weatherproof isolation switch located near the outdoor unit. Turn this OFF as well. The outdoor unit contains a capacitor that stores an electrical charge and can be dangerous. Allow around half an hour for the charge to dissipate before beginning maintenance. As an added precaution, always avoid touching electrical components.

Before beginning any maintenance on or near your air conditioning system, always turn the power supply off. The system will usually have a 240-volt weatherproof isolation switch located in the vicinity of the outdoor unit. Turn this OFF as well. The outdoor unit contains a capacitor that stores an electrical charge and can be dangerous. Allow around half an hour for the charge to dissipate before beginning maintenance. As an added precaution, avoid touching electrical components.

Clean or replace the filters
So let’s get to work. Cleaning this part of your unit on a regular basis should be your top priority. Some units have disposable filters, and some have re-usable filters that can be cleaned with water. Wash re-useable filters or replace disposable filters with new ones. Check your manufacturer’s manual to see how many filters your air conditioner has and where they’re located. It’s also important to clean or change your filters at least once a month throughout summer as well.

Clean the condenser of Winter's debris
Your air conditioner’s condenser (outdoor unit) is like a large fan in a metal box and should be free of anything blocking the equipment. However, both the condenser and external vents are likely to have attracted some wayward leaves, plants, dirt and yard debris. These can damage your unit, causing it to run less efficiently. Make sure it’s free and clear of any leaves and debris..

Check and clean the ducting
OK, this is one for the professionals! You probably know where the air conditioning ducts are that deliver the cool air, but because most ducts are hidden within ceilings and walls, a full cleaning of your duct work should be done by a pro. A technician can find any holes in your ducts or seams that have come apart. Repairing ducts allows your air conditioner to function properly as an enclosed system and increases its energy efficiency, along with increasing its ability to keep your home cool.

You can keep some parts of your ductwork clean and dry yourself, by removing registers and wiping the visible parts of the ducts. You can also inspect these parts of the ducts for wear or water damage. Due to condensation, air ducts can accumulate moisture. This can damage your system and can lead to the growth of mould. If you do detect water damage, call in a professional.

Is your unit Summer-ready?
So a professional has given your system a fine-tune. You’ve cleaned the condenser unit, done all the checks above and changed the filters.

If you own an air conditioner, it's important that you regularly clean the filters on the indoor unit. This helps to make sure your unit's operating properly and as efficiently as possible. But how do you do that safely, and without doing any damage to your air conditioning unit?

Regular maintenance is the key to keeping your air conditioner running.

Filters are designed to clean the air by removing fine dust, mould spores and other harmful organisms. Cleaning the filter regularly will keep your home and family healthy, and will also help to make sure your air conditioner doesn't break down. The best way to find out how to do this is to check with the manufacturer. All air conditioners will have instructions on how to clean the filter supplied with the instruction manual - if you didn't receive one when you bought the air conditioner or if you've lost it, visit the manufacturer's website for further instructions.

Most air conditioners feature a removable front fascia which can be easily pulled opened allow convenient access to the filters inside the unit. In many cases, these filters are disposable and replaceable. If that's the case with your air conditioner, it's just a matter of getting your hands on some replacement filters.

Some air conditioners have permanent filters that need to be manually cleaned, though. You should be able to easily remove the filter from the front of the unit. Once you've removed it, submerge the filter in a mixture composed half of warm water and half of white distilled vinegar. Leave the filter in this mixture for an hour. The water will clean the filter while the vinegar is necessary to kill harmful organisms.

Be careful not to damage the filter when cleaning it. Once it's clean, give it a gentle wipe and allow it to air-dry. Before you reattach the filter, make sure that it's completely dry. Water and electricity are a lethal combination.

Depending on the quality of the air, filters should generally be inspected every three to six months and cleaned according to manufacturers’ instructions. Airflow is critical to the effectiveness of air conditioners and clogged or dirty filters will have a big impact on their performance.

Remote controls tend to get dirty after a while - especially because they get more use when people are all hot and sweaty. The best way to clean a remote is to remove the batteries, and give the remote a wipe with a damp cloth. Make sure the cloth is only very partially damp - you don't want moisture to enter the remote control and ruin it. Once you're done, just replace the batteries.

For all repairs or any other work that needs to be done to your air conditioner, you should always employ a licensed technician. In addition to the fact that they're high-powered electrical appliances, refrigerative air conditioners contain harmful gases. If not properly handled, these gases can cause a great deal of damage to the environment.