Air conditioner FAQ

Like most appliances, an air conditioner needs to be regularly cleaned and maintained. The filters need to be cleaned and the whole system should be serviced every 18 months or for heavy users every year. Houses that are close to salt air and direct salt from living in seaside suburbs should have their outdoor system checked regularly.

Commercial systems are best maintained on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. A maintenance schedule can be arranged with the service department. If regularly maintained an air conditioner can last up to 10 years. However, when the air conditioner starts having any problems that are not cost-effective to fix, it may be time to replace it.

It is normal for the outside unit to drip water, particularly when operating a window unit or the system is in heating mode. Most units have a drain outlet and coupling supplied should you wish to connect a drainpipe to remove this water to drain at a different location. Remember that air conditioners don’t cool the air, they remove the heat and humidity from the air therefore water as a waste product is normal.

The best way to use your air conditioner is to turn it on early in the day before the temperature gets too extreme. Your air conditioner will have to work at a higher capacity to drop the temperature in a 30-degree room than it would if you had put it on at 25 degrees. If your air conditioner has a timer, you can use this function to set your on/off times.

You can optimise the energy-efficiency of your home by insulating the ceiling and walls, and draught-proofing windows and doors. This could be a simple as drawing curtains or blinds and using door stoppers.

Adjust the louvres on split system air conditioners so they disperse air downwards when heating and upwards when cooling.

Keep your air filters clean. A clean filter ensures that there is no resistance to airflow being distributed. Clean them regularly.

Your air conditioner probably needs to be reset. On an HWS system, remove the grille to find the reset button and press. In ducted and commercial systems, the reset button is located on the controller.