How Long Should We Service Our Air-con?
So how long should we service our aircon? Many people in Singapore think nothing of turning on the air-conditioner when the weather is too hot. After all, most homes, offices and shopping malls have air-conditioners installed, making it so convenient to press a button on the remote control and escape the heat in our sunny island where it is summer all year round.
We are so used to an air-conditioned environment that we leave the air-con on for many hours a day, seven days a week. But we often do not realise that this taxes the air-conditioner greatly, and it can reduce the lifespan of the air-con unit. An air-con unit is a costly household appliance, which makes it expensive to replace should it break down beyond repair. What can be done to prevent this from happening? The solution is regular air-con servicing.
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. In the same way we take care of our health through regular check-ups at the hospital, we should take care of our air-con through regular servicing appointments that can be arranged with the company that sold you the air-con. Through these appointments, the technician can detect any minor problems early, before they worsen. They can be fixed while less serious, saving you the inconvenience of a spoilt air-con and the heartache of a hefty repair bill.
It is recommended that you service your air-con at least once a year if you use it infrequently. For daily usage, you should get it checked every three months, and if you leave it on all the time, you should service it monthly to ensure it works in the best condition possible. Besides getting professional servicing, you can also keep your air-con working well by cleaning the unit and air filters regularly yourself. This can be done weekly if you like.
If you find it a hassle to call the servicing company every three months to arrange an appointment, you may choose to sign a contract for quarterly servicing for a year or more. This means your air-con will be checked regularly without you having to remember to call the company every time. Some companies may offer a bundled contract when you buy the air-con unit. Be sure to find a reliable and trustworthy company.
Regular air-con servicing helps to maintain and even increase the lifespan of your air-con, which is usually about 5 to 7 years. More efficient use of energy and lower utility bills are some benefits you can expect too. A properly maintained air-con retains its efficiency better than a worn out one.
Many common complaints you may have about your air-con, like strange noises or smells, leaking, and taking a long time to cool down the room, can be solved during a routine maintenance of the air-con unit. During a servicing, the technician will check each component of the unit such as the drainage pipe, compressor and fan coil for blockages and defects. More importantly, if your air-con is low on coolant, they will top it up for you so that your air-con can run at maximum efficiency. Some more serious problems may require your air-con unit to be taken apart for chemical washing, but that would be a rare occurrence if you frequently service your air-con.
Your air-con may seem to work fine all the time, but that should not make you complacent and not service it. As with all machines, it is prone to failure, and frequent checks can help you prevent that. Thus, it is imperative that you service your air-con every three months to give yourself peace of mind.
