How often should I service my air conditioning unit?

Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 06:58 pm

Air conditioning systems generally require one to two major services annually, depending on the air quality of the area being served. In spaces with higher pollutant concentrations or closely monitored particle counts, such as operating theatres, it is advisable to service the systems twice per year or even quarterly.

While the question of service frequency for an industrial HVAC system such as a data center or pharmaceutical facility is determined by the value of the assets that it protects, domestic air conditioning as a comfort solution requires a more nuanced argument.

Understanding the cost of a service plan for the climate control system that protects the servers in a data center from overheating or maintains adequate temperatures in pharmaceutical environments is easy. Financial losses that could result from inadequate maintenance of these plants far outweigh the capital outlay for a major service from a qualified HVAC service technician.

Consumers primarily view domestic air-conditioning as a comfort feature, neglecting the necessary maintenance it deserves. They consider servicing these systems “unnecessary” as long as the system is operational and hasn’t experienced a catastrophic failure. Here then is the fallacy of the “working” air-conditioner.

Domestic air-conditioning, while indeed serving our comfort needs, deserves its place on the priority maintenance checklist for a few reasons, but most importantly for its effect on indoor air quality, the relationship between heating and air-conditioning, the added running cost of an inefficient system, and the shortened lifespan of system components because of poor maintenance practices.

THE EFFECTS OF AIR-CONDITIONING ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Poor indoor air quality is a major contributing factor in the development of infections, lung cancer and chronic lung diseases such as asthma, according to the American Lung Association. Small health damaging pollutant particles penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream where they do untold damage to the respiratory system.

Low- and middle-income countries particularly face susceptibility to this issue, as outdated technologies not only contribute to a higher overall level of air pollution but also dramatically raise indoor air pollution levels due to the use of pollutant fuel for cooking purposes. In poorly ventilated areas the fine particle count can be 100 times higher than the acceptable standard and exposure is particularly high in women and children, says the World Health Organization.South Africa in particular has moved to the use of gas and coal in most kitchens as a result of its ailing electrical power grid, with the trade-off being a higher-than-normal particle count in the home.

Air-conditioning systems go a long way towards remedying these issues, not only because they lower and maintain the humidity in the home to acceptable levels, but also because advances in air filtration technology has meant that modern air-conditioners can lower the particle count in a building to levels significantly lower than that of the outside air. High-efficiency filters found in modern systems produced by manufacturers like Samsung and Daikin further lower the particle count and even serve to eradicate many airborne viruses through their special ion filters.

For this reason, it’s crucial for a qualified HVAC technician to regularly service your system. As particles trapped by the system collect in the air intake filters, the efficiency of the indoor unit’s air filtration and heat exchange properties significantly decrease.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING

Modern air conditioning systems, though primarily seen as climate-cooling mechanisms, efficiently heat areas in the home at a fraction of the cost of conventional heaters and even wood fires. Gone are the days where air conditioning ran up high electricity bills that were unsustainable in the long winter months.

Inverter technology has leapfrogged us into an age where the cost of running an air conditioner for 8 hours for the purpose of heating a home is only a fraction of that of a wood-coal fire over the same amount of time, minus the additional air particles.

Of course, an inefficient system resulting from poor maintenance procedures neutralizes this significant saving. The system has to work harder to complete the same amount of work and therefor requires a higher energy input. It therefor only makes sense to have your system regularly serviced in order to get the most out of your investment.

SHORTENED LIFESPAN OF SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Besides the additional running costs of an inefficient system, the system components are also constantly under higher strain and, therefore, have their lifespan dramatically reduced in the process. A dirty condenser, for example, results in an abnormally high discharge temperature and, therefore, high compressor running temperatures, which negatively affect oil viscosity and could reduce compressor lifespan to as much as half the average as specified by the manufacturer.

IN CONCLUSION

Factors like the surrounding environment and the presence of dust particles and dirt in the air affect how often you should service a domestic air-conditioning system. However, one undeniable fact remains: regular maintenance is critical for ensuring long-term efficiency and longevity. The industry standard recommends a bi-annual major service, but systems located in high pollution zones, like industrial areas or near construction sites, should undergo quarterly servicing. Systems in medical environments, such as operating theatres or labs, that monitor and control particle counts may require monthly servicing to fulfill their intended function. To establish a suitable maintenance schedule tailored to your needs, consult a qualified HVAC technician.