The Truth about Air Con Cleaning & Servicing

I have been involved in the air conditioning industry for over 20 years, much of it in commercial and industrial aspects. Since the introduction of domestic heat pumps another spin-off has been the service and cleaning that is being offered and advertised for a fee that ranges from $80.00 to $120.00. I have reservations about the ethics of those offering this service. It does seem to me to be playing on some peoples unawareness of what is really needed and why so here is my explanation of heatpump service.

The filter on the indoor unit is not there to clean the air that passes through for your benefit but to stop dust collecting in the fins of the coil and blocking it. If the filter is not cleaned regularly (two monthly) then that becomes blocked and air will not pass through so no heating or cooling will happen and can be damaging to the compressor, although modern compressors are not as susceptible to this type of damage.

The indoor coil is mostly hot as we in NZ use heating rather than cooling so no bacteria grow and no smells build up. The people who promote a cleaning service promise to de-odorize and clean out bacteria and indeed spray the coil with a cleaner. I have seen stuff growing on indoor coils but only in commercial kitchens where cooling is used all year round.

The outdoor coil is cold and as air passes through moisture condenses onto the fins and drains away. That is why pools of water are seen around outdoor units. Generally this causes no harm but what is happening is that any dust is continually being washed off so in effect it is self cleaning. No service is needed but to keep the area clear of plants and shrubs so no debris can collect.

I f your heatpump is not heating and you have cleaned the filters then it is time to get a serviceman, not a cleaner.
-----------------------

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Heat pumps are an extremely efficient way to heat your house. In Canterbury, winter evenings and mornings can be bitingly cold but the days tend to warm up after the frosts so therefore heating has to be flexible.
A heat pump will deliver.
-----------------------

THE GROUCHES!

Following the snow of 2006 there were complaints that heat pumps could not cope. Some struggled at that time, particularly the older ones. There is a good technical explanation for this ,(contact us if you wish to hear it) but most days and nights they operate just fine. For the record, we have a ducted heat pump system installed in our home, and for the very rare occasions when it struggled we supplemented with a small electric fan heater.
----------------------

THE EQUIPMENT

Like everything else in our lives, heat pump technology is advancing swiftly so the latest is designed to provide heating in even more testing conditions than ever before.
---------------------

THE PITFALLS!

Some operators are offering temptingly cheap deals. If you are going to spend your hard earned money then cheap may cost you in the end. Purchase a heat pump that has at least a full 5 year warranty and back up technical service.

-------------------

EXTRA INFORMATION