Your air conditioner can undergo some hard work to keep you comfortable throughout the year. It has lots of mechanisms inside that all work together for it to function correctly. Servicing your air conditioner regularly is essential to keep it running efficiently. At Glenco, we see that this is especially true in hot climates like in Sydney, where AC’s get good use. In this article, we discuss how often you should consider servicing your air conditioner and the factors that can play into this frequency.
How often you should service your air conditioner
Generally, the answer to how often you should be servicing your air conditioner is at least once a year. However, there are some factors to consider to gain a more specific idea of the frequency you should aim for.
1. If you notice that your AC isn’t working correctly
There are some tell-tale signs that your AC isn’t working correctly, which could signal the need for a service. You may be aware of a problem with the comfort and temperature of the room, but below are some other signs that there’s a problem:
- Reduced airflow could be a sign of a significant problem for your AC. It could be to do with the filters or a blockage somewhere, which you can check yourself. If it’s neither of these, then it might be time to have it looked at by an expert.
- Smells and noises can indicate a variety of problems in your AC unit. When air conditioners are functioning correctly, they should be nearly silent and odourless. If it becomes noisy, it’s likely due to a mechanical problem within the unit. Similarly, if you notice a smell coming from your AC, there are a few common reasons that point towards an issue inside the unit.
- Blowing hot air instead of cold, or vice versa. When you’re getting the opposite effect than you want from your AC, it can be a sign that it isn’t working correctly.
- A random surge in your energy bills can be due to your air conditioner working inefficiently. When your AC isn’t working correctly, it works harder to produce the required result and ends up causing a spike in your energy bills.
- Leaks or excessive moisture can indicate that there’s a refrigerant leak in your AC unit. AC’s are meant to release a small amount of moisture as condensation, but if it looks like there’s more than usual then there could be a problem.
If you notice any of these issues, it can be a good time to think about servicing your air conditioner. Once it has been serviced and maintained, you can follow the regular yearly service guidance unless the problem arises again.
2. If your air conditioner gets used a lot
The use of air conditioners is unique to the people that own them. Your schedule could mean you’re home a lot more than others, so you have it on for most of the day. Or perhaps you live in an adverse climate and use it a lot to maintain a comfortable temperature in your house. Offices are another environment where air conditioners can be on a lot longer and work a lot harder than the average unit.
The general guidance that recommends servicing your air conditioner once a year is sufficient for standard use. So, if you can identify that your use exceeds that, you may need to get it serviced more often, between two to three times a year.
3. If you have an evaporative system
An evaporative air conditioner works by running warm water through the system and using the energy from the heat. The moisture involved in this operation can mean that these air conditioners must be serviced and maintained much more frequently than other systems. If you’ve got an evaporative air conditioner, you may want to have it serviced twice a year, once at the start of summer and once again after summer.
Benefits of regularly servicing your air conditioner
Now that you know how often you should service your air conditioner, below we discuss the benefits of regularly servicing your air conditioner:
More efficient
Filters inside your air conditioning unit can become blocked or dirty. This can affect the airflow and reduce the efficiency of the indoor unit. When the indoor unit is inhibited, the outdoor compressor can work harder for longer to deliver the correct air temperature. If this happens, the overall efficiency can become very low, meaning it’s wasting energy and could overheat. Frequently servicing your air conditioner can make sure your filters are clean and enhance your AC’s efficiency.
Saves you money
Some air conditioner owners may want to avoid servicing because of the cost. However, AC services are required to maintain the functionality of your AC and solve problems that they encounter. If these problems aren’t taken care of, they can cause severe damage to or even break an air conditioner unit which can be expensive to replace. Servicing your air conditioner can extend the system’s life and save you money in the long run.
Summary
If you’re lucky, your air conditioner will let you know when it needs a service. In many cases, though, air conditioners can fault without any prior warning. They can be working at a low efficiency or even be damaged permanently before you even notice. Maintaining regular air conditioning services is key to preventing these problems and expanding the lifespan of your air conditioner.
Does your air conditioner need a service? Our air conditioning technicians in Sydney can help.
