Frequently Asked Questions
Aircon Services
Energy Savings
The following tips will help you ensure your air conditioner is both comfortable and economical year-round:
- During hot weather, turn your air conditioner on early in the day rather than working it harder once your building warms up.
- Adjust the louvers on split system air conditioners so they disperse air downwards when heating and horizontally when cooling as hot air will want to rise and cool air will fall naturally.
- Clean the air filters regularly.
- When purchasing an air conditioner check the energy star labels on your air conditioner — the more stars, the more energy efficient.
- Have your air conditioner serviced regularly.
- Use it only when necessary.
- You can eliminate unnecessary operation of your system by ensuring that your air conditioner switches off automatically if someone forgets to turn it off.
- Have a timer programmed to turn off multiple times per day at predetermined times.
You can you use it economically closing external doors, curtains and blinds, this will also help your conditioner cool the room more quickly. Air Conditioners with inverters and auto settings are economical in power consumption because they automatically adapt and maintain the temperature that they are set at.
External shading is much more effective than internal shading.
You can leave windows and doors open, but it’s not a very good idea if you are trying to heat or cool your room. It’s best to close doors, curtains, blinds and windows during the hottest part of the day. This will keep your home cooler and prevent your air conditioner from having to work harder having to use more energy than it has too.
An inverter in relation to air conditioning terms is a type of air conditioning system that incorporates a power conversion circuit which provides optimum power control and extremely efficient operation by changing the frequency of the power supply to the compressor which varies the cooling heating capacity, so even though you get accurate, smooth and flexible operation, you use less electricity than conventional units.
Please note that energy savings are only realized when the system is correctly sized. Undersized inverter systems will cost more to run than a correctly sized system. Inverter systems run much more efficiently at 30 to 70% of their full capacity.
Service, Maintenance and Breakdowns
- The system becomes clogged up, diminishing cooling and heating ability.
- Will cost more to run
- Increases CO2 Emissions
- Can void Warranty if not property maintained
- Increase the risks of water damage to ceilings.
- Lessens the life of the Air Conditioner
- Increased bacterial growth causing offensive odors, health issues and reduced airflow.
Residential air-conditioners should be serviced at least once a year and commercial systems between 4 and 12 times a year (depending on the class of building) to ensure you get the maximum benefit from your investment as well as being compliant to legislative requirements.
Note – Some classes of buildings like nursing homes and hospitals need to comply mandatory standards and can require monthly inspections.
The outdoor unit is too noisy.
- Move it to a more suitable location.
- Build a fence or barrier that will baffle the sound without restricting the air flow.
- Vibration is causing the noise.
- Ensure that the unit is mounted properly, additional vibration rubber or rubber mounts can be fitted.
- If the unit is mounted on wall brackets, sound may be transmitted throughout the building structure, consider relocating the unit.
- The compressor is loud.
- Aircon Services can provide a sound deadening wrap to reduce the compressor noise.
- Ensure your system is serviced regularly and check that your service provider treats your system for rust and corrosion.
- Keep both the indoor and outdoor unit clean and free from chemicals and obstructions.
- Ensure that it does not operate unnecessarily.
Yes, In addition a basic service and filter clean or replacement, additional treatments like –
- Detailed clean which includes partial disassembly if the air conditioner.
- Steam cleaning.
- Chemical treatments specific to the equipment problem encountered.
- To treat mold we recommend a product called San air
- There is mould around the ridge cap of my roof.
- Unfortunately, a lot of bathroom and toilet ventilation systems extract humid air from inside the building and dump it inside the roof cavity.
Some ways to resolve this is to.
- Duct the ventilation fans to outside of the roof cavity
- Fit roof ventilators in the roof.
Yes, A Daikin photocatalytic air purifier can further enhance the quality of the air you breath by providing multiple levels of filtration and absorbs viruses and bacteria.
You will lose expensive refrigerant and be at risk of being fined, your system is likely to get moisture and foreign matter into it which will ultimately result in an expensive equipment failure.
Please call Aircon Services for decommissioning, disconnecting and moving refrigerant lines legally.
If an air conditioner becomes dirty and is not regularly serviced, they can smell. Another reason is when the system is working on cooling the heat exchanger becomes moist. If the unit switches to heating the bacteria in the moist coil can smell and soon goes away.
This is ok, it is the reversing valve changing the direction of the gas, on some systems you can reduce this noise by setting the Controller from auto to either heating or cooling.
Make sure safety drain-pipe is not leaking, this is usually a pipe which comes out of the eve of your home.
On extremely hot days concentrate the air on specific areas by using the zone controller if installed.
For small rooms and bedrooms — is there enough gap under doors or leave them open to allow airflow to return back to the return grill for maximum efficiency.
Energy efficiency and maintenance
A general indication is when the filter light flashes, or a reminder comes up on the controller screen, but depending on the environment or the air cleanliness, in a normal domestic situation once or twice every season can be adequate.
For a Commercial situation, filters should be inspected once every month, more importantly the heat exchanger coils should be inspected for cleanliness monthly.
Some indoor units are fitted with various types of air purifying filters, which have specific maintenance instructions. Therefore the instructions supplied with each unit should be carefully followed.
You will need to press filter reset button. On wall splits and floor consoles you will need to remove the grille to find the reset button. With ducted, light commercial and commercial situations the reset button is on the controller.
It is OK to turn the power off, especially if you are not using your air conditioner for long periods. Most units have low wattage crankcase heater that keeps the compressor warm. If the compressor is cold, damage will occur at startup. If you turn your air conditioner off at the PowerPoint, isolator or fuse box, the power must be turned on at for at least 12 hours before use.
Ducted Systems can be designed so that only parts of the house (zones) can be air conditioned at any one time, check that the zone for that particular area is turned on and any unnecessary areas are turned off.
During winter, most air conditioners defrost when the outdoor temperature is below 6°C. This mist is normal. It is only warm water vapor being expelled as the outdoor heat exchanger defrosts.
If your air conditioner is losing gas and needs regassing regularly. It means that there is a gas leak and needs to be correctly repaired, sometimes it takes a while to locate tiny leaks, but the time invested in a proper repair will offer the following advantages.
- Better reliability.
- Lower risk of compressor failure.
- Better performance.
- Lower power consumption.
- Stops the release of ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants into the atmosphere.
Check that you have power and the power is on.
Check the settings e.g. select either cooling or heating
Ensure the if you are trying to cool an area, check that the temperature setting on the controller is set lower than the actual room temperature.
Ensure that if you are trying to heat an area, check that the temperature setting on the controller is set higher than the actual room temperature.
Be sure to always clean the air filters before use at the beginning of Summer and Winter (dirt and dust caught in the air filter causes a drop-in airflow, which leads to a decline in performance). When the unit is installed in a location where dust may easily accumulate. clean filters more frequently. Up to once every week is recommended.
Regularly inspect the outdoor unit to ensure the aluminum fins and fan outlets are not obstructed by vegetation or any other foreign objects.
If the air filter is cleaned and the filter light won’t go off — you will need to press the reset button. For the wall split systems and floor consoles you will need to remove the grille to find the reset button. With ducted air conditioning systems, the reset button is on the controller. (This filter light is just a reminder and works on a timer, so if it is on, it does not necessarily mean that the filter is dirty).
If there has been a local power failure, simply switch off the isolator to the air conditioning system in the meter box or the isolator that is next to the outdoor unit and switch it back on again after 10 minutes.
Do not leave open any windows or doors which will allow loss of conditioned air.
Draw blinds or curtains windows to prevent direct sunlight entering during the cooling cycle.
If the Air Conditioner is not being used for long period of time, switch off at Isolator. When turning the system on after having it off at the isolator for a long period of time. Turn on the isolator and wait for 6 hours before running the system (turn the controller on).
(This allows the oil to warm up and minimize the risk of compressor damage).
Check batteries in remote control – is the machine beeping you when you operate the control. Make sure they correctly installed
General
Plants should generally be kept from direct exposure to warm or cold air being blown from both the indoor and the outdoor unit. Try to place plants out of direct drafts from both the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. It’s important that the outdoor should never have plants or any other material obstructing airflow. At least 1m of space in front and 100mm behind the outdoor is required for trouble free operation. It is also a good idea to ensure that leaves and vegetation do not clog up the heat exchanger.
Yes, if your air conditioner is correctly sized and you know what your design zone is (the amount of area that your system was designed to cool or heat at a determined temperature) you can turn on that quantity of zones if it is cooler than the design temperature you can run more zones or alternatively if you want to cool or heat up an area more quickly you can turn off a zone of two (depending on your design).
The ‘Design Zone’ is an important concept in understanding which air conditioning unit is right for your home and your family. This can be the difference between an outstanding result and one that is less than perfect.
Essentially, the Design Zone is the area of the building that the air conditioning unit will manage at any one time.
The unit should be placed on a firm level base. A qualified installer should be consulted to determine the need for securing bolts on a case by case basis. It is always a good idea to strap the unit to a wall or the roof if it is not fastened down at the feet to minimize the risk of the unit tipping over.
Manufacturers have detailed information on how to locate their specific equipment, which is generally included in the installation manuals, however here is some information if no other information is available.
At the front (fan side) of the unit, no less than a distance of 1m is recommended for a small split AC and 2m for a large package AC. More would be preferable, at the back (non-fan side) of unit, no less than 100mm is for split AC and 200mrn for large package AC. More would be preferable. Note that all outdoor units not only need a minimum distance around them, but also must be located so that the discharge air they blow out can escape away from the unit. New air can be taken through the unit. Careful consideration regarding location is required by an experienced installer.
No, ice on the outdoor unit is not a problem. The unit has controls that allow it to monitor the ice buildup on the outdoor unit and will occasionally go into a de-ice mode to clear the ice. The full de-icing mode can last up to 30 minutes.
If the desired temperature been reached in the room space then the indoor unit will slow the fan but continue to circulate amount of air so to measure room air temperature. This air is actually at room temperature but may feel ‘cooler’ because the indoor unit has stopped heating the air until the room temperature falls again.
When the indoor fan is set to auto and when the air conditioner is set to heating mode the indoor fan can turn on and off automatically in order to provide the temperature conditions set by the user and also to protect the unit from icing up and other potentially damaging conditions.
It is completely normal for outside unit to drip water, particularly when operating a window unit or in heating mode. The unit has a drain outlet and coupling supplied should you wish to connect a drain- pipe to remove this water.
Soft/Dry/Dehumidification mode is used to de-humidify the room space. The unit does this by air conditioning for a minimum amount of time, which allows collection of moisture without changing the temperature noticeably.
The correct size unit for a room is not only decided by room area, but also many other factors. Qualified assistance should always be sought when purchasing a unit for a specific room size.