GUIDE FOR A GOOD MAINTENANCE OF YOUR AIR
CONDITIONING
Summer is upon us; the temperature begins to rise and the heat begins to take its effect. At
Quim Service we advise to maintain the air conditioning on these dates, when the heat
begins. But there are always doubts about its need.
At Quim Service we have developed this guide on the aspects to consider for the proper
maintenance of your air conditioning system. We have considered the questions and doubts
that typically arise around the need to maintain our equipment.
The after-air conditioning installation, maintenance
Summer is approaching, the temperature begins to rise and we make the decision. This year
yes! We look for companies and professionals, we ask questions, we ask for budgets and…
we install an air conditioner.
During the first summer, the air conditioning and the installation, everything perfect. Autumn
comes and we start to stop using the air conditioning until the cold arrives, when we stop
using it completely.
In most cases, when the second summer arrives, we do not remember to properly maintain
the system. We think it must be okay; and we decided to start using it, without carrying out
any type of maintenance.
If we are lucky, this second year will pass and we will not have any problems. But both the
air conditioning and the installation have been working for a whole summer; without
performing a correct maintenance, at least, to the filters.
Looking to the third summer we will begin to notice that the team does not work as well as
previous years. It makes a little more noise, the electricity bill has risen more than usual, and
when the first heat wave arrives, we remember the recommendation about its maintenance.
We called the technician who installed the air conditioning; who will surely be totally
collapsed by the heat wave: he has many installations to carry out, serious incidents to repair
and a huge list waiting. And all this working more than 12 hours a day, and until the
weekends.
Why have we reached this situation?
When the technician, whether from Quim Service or not, did the installation, he
recommended that we perform annual maintenance on our system. He explained to us the
importance of checking the installation, equipment and filters. But as in the previous
summers we had not noticed anything, it was not carried out.
Now, at best, the air conditioning and installation need a complete professional
maintenance. And in the worst case, the indoor unit needs to be completely disassembled to
leave it in minister perfect air condition; with a final cost much higher than if a correct
maintenance had been carried out.
If the maintenance service is contracted from Quim Service, or any other company, we will
make sure that we do not have to be aware of what happens with our system. But if we
decide not to have a contracted maintenance service, we must be very attentive to the
equipment and its installation.
Depending on the time of use we will have to check, ourselves, the installation, the drainage
system, the state of the filters and the internal state of the air conditioning; taking into
account that there are areas where an individual cannot reach.
Typical questions about air conditioning maintenance
When we buy an air conditioning system, in the manual they tell us about the need to clean
the filters on a monthly basis. And also, of the need to carry out a complete maintenance
annually, calling the trusted technician.
Why should I have my air conditioner professionally maintained?
When we use the air conditioner in summer, the exchange battery of the indoor unit
generates humidity. And that humidity, added to a stable temperature; It helps colonies of
bacteria, mites, viruses and all kinds of organisms to adhere to the indoor unit.
The need for professional maintenance is 100% real; since if all these microorganisms are
not eliminated, our air conditioner will begin to emit a strange smell: musty, rust or
vinegar. The air conditioner must be disinfected frequently, to avoid the discomfort of
smelling certain smells.
Is it harmful to health not to perform professional maintenance on the air
conditioner?
If bacteria, mites, viruses and organisms start to proliferate in the indoor unit, itchy eyes,
itchy throat or even the appearance of allergies, mucus or headaches will increase each time
the system is used.
The periodicity and the need for professional maintenance will depend on how you use the
air conditioner.
Documented real case
5 years ago, we were called from the gatehouse of a municipal parking lot to check an air
conditioner that had not worked for 3 years. Upon arrival, we spoke with the maintenance
manager and the operators who worked at the gatehouse. They told us that they were
forbidden to use the air conditioning because every time it was activated it generated serious
allergies, a lot of mucus, conjunctivitis and severe headaches.
We visually analyzed the equipment and were able to diagnose that the need for
professional maintenance was very urgent. We got down to work and after almost 5 hours of
work the air was in perfect condition. 3 hours after finishing the job, the technician who
carried out the cleaning was in the emergency room with constant vomiting.
The result? An infection caused by a virus! Chance? No.
Since then, twice a year, we carry out a complete disinfection of the indoor unit of the air
conditioner, the equipment is used constantly and does not cause any type of discomfort to
any worker.
My air conditioner does not cool, do I have to charge gas?
If an installation is well done, there is no need for a gas charge. 90% of the calls we receive
to carry out gas charges, only have the need to perform a complete professional
maintenance.
In the vast majority of cases, once the maintenance is finished, the low pressure in the circuit
stabilizes; confirming that the team had no need for a gas charge.
My trusted technician charges me with gas every year, how can I avoid it?
If your technician charges you with gas every year, he is either cheating you or you really
have a gas leak. In Quim Service we have found air conditioning equipment with up to 50%
more gas load than necessary.
There is no need to charge gas every X time. There is only the need for proper professional
maintenance of the system.
I already have a maintenance company; how do I know they are not deceiving me?
It's simple; If your air conditioner has lost performance, if it emits strange odors, if it vibrates
or generates noise, it is not being well maintained.
We must be attentive to the actions that the technician performs: he must completely
disassemble the indoor unit to clean it; You should check the gas level when the indoor unit
is clean; and you need to clean the outdoor unit.
Is it mandatory to maintain the air conditioner?
The air conditioning installations, specifically the air conditioning ones, are governed by the
Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings Royal Decree 1027 of July 20, 2007 better
known as RITE.
On the other hand, there is the regulation on fluorinated gases, Regulation (EC) 517/2014 of
the European Parliament of April 16, 2014.
According to the RITE regulations, all installations with more than 5kw of cold generation
have the need to perform maintenance on the air conditioning. Such maintenance must be
carried out by qualified personnel.
According to the Regulation on fluorinated gases of the European Parliament; Any home in
which the R410A refrigerant gas charge is greater than 3kg will need to carry out mandatory
annual maintenance on the air conditioning equipment.
What maintenance does my air conditioner need?
To properly maintain an air conditioning unit, it is advisable to check all the elements,
cleaning the filters, cleaning and disinfecting the indoor unit, the turbine, the drain tray,
greasing the mobile points, cleaning the outdoor unit, checking the condition of the insulators
and checking the gas level.
My equipment smells bad, what's wrong?
First of all, we must bear in mind that an air conditioning unit absorbs the air in the room to
heat it. Any smell; either food, stale air or animals can permeate the air conditioning,
spreading the smell everywhere.
Eliminating odors is not an easy task and requires the need to carry out a complete
maintenance to the air conditioning equipment. On the other hand, the equipment may be in
need of a complete overhaul or professional full maintenance; because the system has
accumulated a lot of dirt either external or internal.
Dirty filters lead to overwork, excess moisture, and dirt build-up in the inner turbine.
My equipment no longer cools like last year, what happens to it?
When an air conditioner does not cool as much as it used to, it can have different causes.
The first cause may be that the filters are in need of maintenance. The second cause can be
excessive dirt inside, caused by lack of maintenance of the filters. And to summarize the rest
of the possible causes: they can be problems with the internal or external units as such, or
the existence of a gas leak.
What problems can I have if I do not maintain my air conditioner?
If we ignore the need for maintenance of the air conditioning equipment, the first
consequence that we will find is the appearance of a thin layer of dust on the filters. It is
estimated that an air conditioner with dirty filters increases its consumption by 10%.
If this happens and is not remedied in the short term, the excess humidity and the
ineffectiveness of the filters help dirt to become embedded in the internal coil and in the
turbine. It is estimated that internally dirty equipment increases electricity consumption by
more than 30%.
How often should an air conditioner be serviced?
When we talk about maintenance of air conditioning equipment, we must separate or
differentiate very well the different uses that air conditioners have. A home, an office, a local
or a hairdresser is not the same. Each use requires a type of maintenance and a periodicity.
Maintenance of air conditioning in homes
Depending on the people residing in the house, the orientation and the pollution conditions in
the area, the air conditioning system will need more or less maintenance.
According to the RITE regulations, a house with a power of less than 12kw of cold
generation must receive a complete maintenance every 4 years. But, the regulations on
fluorinated gases require that a gas level review be carried out annually; if the installation in
general has more than 3kg of refrigerant gas. Manufacturers recommend full annual
maintenance.
At Quim Service we recommend carrying out an annual preventive maintenance. The
objective of this maintenance, in addition to disinfecting the equipment and getting it ready, is
to detect possible problems before they arise and to prevent the accumulation of dirt inside.
If annual maintenance is not carried out, the possibility of accumulating dirt inside
increases; That can cause the need to repair any of the parts such as the turbine.
Air conditioning maintenance in offices
Offices are complicated, because the frequency of maintenance must be scheduled based
on use and environmental conditions. The accounting department of a bank is not the same
as the technical office of an iron foundry. Nor is an office with air circulation the same as
without circulation.
In these cases, at Quim Service, we usually recommend performing maintenance every 6
months during the first year. And after this first year, analyze the need or not to increase the
frequency. At Quim Service we carry out maintenance to offices that need monthly
maintenance and others that are carried out annually.
Maintenance of air conditioning in commercial premises
The premises open to the public tend to be quite conflictive; The frequency of maintenance
depends on what the store is dedicated to, and on the pollution conditions outside. The air
conditioner acts like a vacuum cleaner; absorbing all the impurities that enter, each time the
door of the premises is opened.
As for the offices, at Quim Service we recommend starting with maintenance every 6
months, and analyzing whether the equipment will remain in perfect condition with that
frequency.
Maintenance of air conditioning in hairdressers
Hair salons and air conditioners are not very friendly. All the lacquer, dust, products that are
floating in the environment are absorbed by the air conditioning, creating a "plastic" and hard
film that cancels the filters and causes the air to enter through the space between the filter
and the housing; filling the indoor unit with lacquer and dirt.
The drain pan tends to get clogged with dirt, and hairs tend to get everywhere. At Quim
Service we recommend that the filters be cleaned every week and that a complete
maintenance be done every 3 months at the latest.
Air conditioning maintenance in veterinary offices
Air conditioners installed in places where there are animals usually need a lot of care. Hair
and odors, germs and bacteria become embedded in air conditioners.
In veterinarians we recommend carrying out a complete maintenance on a monthly basis. In
addition, we recommend the installation of high-efficiency filters; to prevent the entry of
particles into the interior of the air conditioner.
Maintenance of air conditioning in server rooms or CPDs
Server rooms or CPDs are usually clean rooms with quite a lot of heat. The function of the
air conditioner is to keep the room cool, to avoid overheating of the servers.
There is usually not much dust in these environments; so the air conditioner does not tend to
get too dirty. But we must bear in mind that the CPDs work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
A thin layer of dust on top of the filters can cause an increase in power consumption of more
than 10%. An imbalance in the gas level can cause a higher increase in electricity
consumption.
We recommend performing maintenance every 6 months; and review the need to continue
with this frequency depending on the evolution of the air conditioning.
The importance and necessity of air conditioning maintenance
Would you go out for a run at 40ºC of room temperature in full sun and with a stuffy nose? If
the answer is yes, surely your performance would be much lower; and you would try much
more than in normal conditions.
If the air conditioning equipment is not properly maintained, it will work in similar conditions:
with a stuffy nose and at 40ºC ambient temperature. As a result, energy consumption
increases dramatically, service life is shortened, the risk of compressor failure increases, and
the risk of disease spread multiplies.
Maintenance of air conditioning equipment is vital to ensure energy efficiency; and avoid
health problems.
Consequences of lack of maintenance
In addition to the increase in electricity consumption, the most serious problem is that with
dirty indoor unit filters, there will not be proper condensation of the refrigerant: which means
that the cold of the refrigerant gas will not be able to be transmitted to the environment. This
causes an increase in the working pressure of the entire air conditioning, and an overload of
the compressor; increasing the risk of wear and tear and possible breakage.
If this fact is not solved in the short term, the little refrigerant that will be able to circulate
through the air conditioning installation can do so in a totally liquid state; causing the
complete breakdown of the compressor, and forcing us to change the equipment or a very
expensive repair.
The number one cause of compressor failure is moisture within the system. At Quim Service
we solve it by performing the installation using specific installer tools , which dehydrate the
circuit to avoid this fact. The second cause of compressor failure is general dirt that is
caused by not cleaning the filters.
Advantages obtained by performing good maintenance on the air conditioning
We must understand the importance of air conditioning maintenance, thanks to the constant
cleaning and tuning work you will obtain the following advantages:
Increase in the life of the air conditioner
The importance of maintenance is vital to avoid overheating of very important elements; and
to avoid excessive mechanical wear on parts, such as the air conditioning compressor.
Cost reduction
The importance of professional maintenance is important to reduce costs in future
repairs; because in this way you will be avoiding overstressing and drastically reducing the
risk of future repairs.
Reduction of energy consumption
Professional air conditioning maintenance is vital to avoid increases in electricity bills while it
is being used.
Avoid health problems
A poorly maintained air conditioning unit attracts, shelters and expels bacteria, viruses, fungi
and all kinds of particles that can affect our health. Headaches, itchy eyes, sore throats,
cough and discomfort are some of its symptoms.
Avoid bad smells
When an air conditioning unit is not properly maintained it begins to generate excess
humidity; and even frost. All this helps the expansion of fungi; that can generate bad odors.
Avoid annoying noises
Over time, if an air conditioner has not been properly maintained, it can start to have
vibrations caused by not working properly.
Avoid problems with drainage
When an air conditioner is not well maintained it generates internal dirt; which usually ends
up in the drain pan. Over time a dirt plug is made; causing water to leak out of the indoor
unit.
If we have a drain pump, excess dirt can cause the pump to burn out and we have to replace
it.
How to choose an air conditioning maintenance company well
Choosing a company well will provide us with security, trust, guarantee and
comfort. Choosing a wrong company will give us failures in the operation; excess electricity
consumption, reduction of useful life and problems.
When a maintenance company is selected, we have to analyze whether they are registered
in the corresponding registry; to be able to act as a Maintenance Company. And if they have
a Fluorinated Gas Manipulator Card.
In the professional air conditioning maintenance offers we must demand that all the tasks
that are included are indicated to us. And this because certain tasks, such as cleaning the
turbine, are not usually included. We must ask for a convincing explanation of how each of
the maintenance actions will be carried out; to be able to compare correctly with other offers.
The right tools
We must also bear in mind that in order for a professional maintenance company to offer an
excellent service, it will have to have its own resources. Means such as basket truck, or
systems to lower down the facade; or other elements that help to be able to correctly carry
out professional maintenance tasks at heights. This way it will be easier for the work to be
carried out with a more adjusted price.
When a professional air conditioning maintenance company performs an intervention, it must
be equipped with everything that can be found. Items such as a special vacuum cleaner for
professional air conditioning maintenance; an air compressor, cleaning brushes, plastic
covers, rags, disinfectant liquid, anti-bacteria, anti-fungus and anti-odor.
Another important detail to take into account is that the company must have all the
necessary measuring instruments to determine the voltage, amperage, inlet and outlet
temperatures, air flow and working pressures.
Quim Service's offer for the maintenance of your air conditioning
When you hire an air conditioning maintenance service with Quim Service, you are hiring the
guarantee and security that your equipment will be in optimal condition. We currently carry
out maintenance on more than 1,000 equipment installed in offices and premises.
Thanks to the quality of our maintenance service, only 0.5% of air conditioning equipment is
attended to for repairs or incidents.
At Quim Service we have the Fluorinated Gas Manipulator Card; and we are registered in
the Registry of Installers and Maintenance Companies of Thermal Installations in Buildings.
Professional maintenance
When we make a professional maintenance offer, we offer an extensive budget annex; in
which the tasks that are included in the professional maintenance are indicated, and which
tasks could generate an increase. The offer air conditioner price is always linked to the
frequency of professional maintenance; because it is not the same to carry out a review
every year than every two years.
At Quim Service we have spent years preparing and supporting all our technicians to
improve; so that they can offer excellent professional air conditioning maintenance
service. The more than 20 years of experience in the air conditioning sector, and an endless
number of revised equipment; They give us a plus of confidence, guarantee and security.
And last but not least; At Quim Service we consider the delivery of the maintenance
certificate to be of vital importance. This includes a report where all the tasks performed
during the maintenance execution are explained; in addition to a "clinical history" on each
and every one of the reviews carried out. In this way we can anticipate a possible failure of
any element of your system.