Sometimes people try to go for several years without getting their air conditioner serviced, and simply do the maintenance work themselves. But while you can clean a filter and adjust registers, there is much more to the science of air conditioning servicing. Testing and replacing refrigerants is just one example of necessary air conditioning service work that needs to be carried out by a professional with specialised equipment.
Home air conditioners aren’t subjected to mechanical vibration like air conditioners in cars are, but the refrigerants can still leak out of the unit and need replacing. Even fully sealed air conditioning systems have the potential to get tiny, slow leaks. These can occur anywhere in joints in the pipework, or around seals on the compressors. That’s why it is important to have the refrigerants checked in an air con service within the first two years of your air conditioner’s life.
As well as testing the pressure of the system, we also conduct a temperature test. We test the air entering and leaving the unit to find out the differentiation between hot and cold air, which tells us whether or not the unit is working efficiently.
A leak of refrigerant gases will gradually reduce the efficiency of your commercial or home air conditioner, and cause a ‘slow creep’ on the power bill. Hypothetically, it could usually take 20 minutes to cool down a room, but as the air conditioner becomes inefficient, it could triple its cooling time to an hour – which means the air conditioner is running three times longer to do the same job.
When air conditioners were first used, no one spared a thought about refrigerants’ effect on the environment. Air conditioners used CFC gases such as Freon, which depleted the ozone layer. Nowadays air conditioners use an environmentally safer option in the form of hydro fluoro carbons (HFCs). While these gases have much less impact on the environment, they still need to be dealt with properly, and leaks should be addressed to prevent the gases from entering the atmosphere.
When replacing the refrigerant gas during an air con service, we use the correct equipment to extract and contain it, so it can be reclaimed safely. Reclaimed refrigerant gases are taken back to the manufacturer and turned into a neutral substance.
Brisbane and Gold Coast air conditioning installers to take care of YOUR servicing requirements
At Acer, we pride ourselves on our extensive experience, attention to detail, and excellent service. We provide home and commercial air conditioning installation and servicing throughout Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Ipswich and Toowoomba. Contact us today to get the help you need.
