Air Conditioning Service FAQ
Instead of engaging an air conditioning service company to do the job, you may like to check if there is any DIY aircon checking or cleaning you can do by yourself. Yes, there are many things that you can actually do on your own. However, you may need some guidance. In this page, we provide lots of useful information relating to DIY cleaning and DIY checking on your aircon problems. Read the questions and answer in this page and you will definitely be more knowledgeable on your air conditioning service requirements
Air Conditioning Service FAQ – General Aircon Servicing
1. Can I perform a DIY general air conditioning service at home?
You may be able to perform certain steps such as opening and removing the fan coil cover and air filter for cleaning. However, some people find it tough to remove the water tray and air blower. Cleaning the evaporator coil is not an easy task for most people as it need to be done at height. While cleaning the cooling coil, you will definitely be exposed to dust and dirt flying all over unless you do it with proper technique. Therefore, DIY general air conditioning service is not appropriate for people who are allergic to dust. People with such allergic may fall sick due to exposure to dust while cleaning the air conditioner.
As for vacuuming of drainage system and checking of refrigerant level, you would need to have the proper equipment and knowledge to do the job. As it is quite tough for a layman to perform general air conditioner servicing, it is more advisable to engage a professional to perform the entire job for you.
2. What is the cheapest way to maintain you air conditioner regularly?
You can engage CitiCool to do the general air conditioning service for you. Note that if you sign up a service maintenance contract to engage CitiCool to clean your air con at least twice a year, the pricing come with a very good discount. That is why most of our existing customers rather sign a service maintenance contract with us.
If you are not engaging an agent for your air conditioning service on a monthly basis, You may want to DIY some basic steps of the servicing yourself on a monthly basis.
You can also watch our video to see how we do general air conditioning service. Normally, it is quite easy for you to regularly remove the air filter and clean it with water and brush away all the dirt and dust. However, if you are sensitive to dust, it is advisable not to do it yourself.
My air conditioner is not cold. Can I do a DIY check to determine what is the problem?
Yes, you can do a DIY check on your air conditioning problem. We provide step by step guidelines on how you can do so. Refer to this page for a clear guide: Aircon DIY Checking
3. Your air con is new but there is a smell coming from the air con. What should you do?
Certain brands of air conditioner may have this problem. The advice given is to switch the air con to fan mode for 15 to 30 minutes daily just before you switch off your air conditioner after using it. If you do this continuously, the smell will be gone between 1 to 3 weeks.
4. What is going to happen if you do have any air conditioning service done on your air conditioner?
Periodic air conditioning service helps to prolong the life span of an air con system. If you do not service your air con regularly, soon your air con will be accumulated with dust, dirt and debris. These pollutants will affect the efficiency of the air con in producing clean and cold air. As the system start fighting with clogs and blockages to produce cool air, it will start to increase its energy consumption. As the situation worsen, your air con will start to have all kinds of problem such as water leakage, air discharge is not cold and the system becomes very noisy etc. Overtime, these problems will also contribute to components in the fan coil or condenser becoming faulty. Ultimately, both the efficiency and life span of the air conditioner will be affected.
5. What is the recommended maintenance frequency for general air conditioning service ?
The appropriate frequency for maintaining your air conditioner depends on the extent of usage and the surround environment when the air con is installed. Generally, we recommend performing the following maintenance:
Home/Residential air con – perform general air conditioner servicing every 2 to 3 months.
Commercial/Office air con – perform general air conditioner servicing on a monthly basis.
Air Conditioning Service FAQ – Aircon Chemical Wash
6. Can you perform DIY for chemical wash?
When performing chemical wash, the entire fan coil unit must be removed from where it is installed. The whole fan coil unit needs to be dismantled so that individual components in the fan coil can be thoroughly treated with chemical solution. Thorough rinsing is required so as not to leave behind any chemical residue. Chemical residue trapped in the fan coil can corrode its components.
You also need technical knowledge and proper equipment to handle the refrigerant when performing chemical wash. The entire process is very complicated. Therefore, DIY for chemical wash is not advisable unless you have the relevant technical knowledge and equipment to do a proper job.
Watch our video below to see how Aircon Chemical Cleaning is performed:
7. Why does the pricing for air conditioner chemical wash vary so much in different company?
Different companies perform chemical wash differently. It is important to check the scope of work included in the chemical wash process instead of just going for the cheapest rate. Beware of chemical wash that are performed onsite without removing and dismantling the entire fan coil unit. Such procedures are not advisable because it is difficult to remove chemical residue trapped in the fan coil by rinsing it onsite. Once the chemical are trapped in your fan coil, it will cause the parts in your air con to corrode. Once the parts corrode, the fan coil will start to have all kinds of problem. This will also shorten the life span of your air conditioner.
8. Sometimes after chemical wash, the air coming out from your air conditioner is very smelly. What should you do?
This is because before the chemical wash, the fan coil unit already is already infected with mold or algae growing on it. The smell may not be so obvious to you before the chemical wash. However, the smell becomes very obvious after the chemical wash although the chemical wash already help to remove these smelly substances. (Note that this normally happen only on certain brand of air conditioners.)
To get rid of the smell completely, you need to switch on the air conditioner and open the door or window in your room so that the smell can be dispersed off. After a while (normally around 2 hours), the smell will be gone completely.
9. How do you know whether you air conditioner need general air conditioning service or chemical wash?
For residential unit, we would recommend our clients to perform chemical wash on their air conditioner at least once a year. However, frequency of servicing required really depends on the extent of usage. You can do a Do IT Yourself (DIY) Check to determine which is more suitable for your air conditioner.
Watch our watch on how to DIY check on what are the type of air conditioning services that your air conditioner requires.
Although CitiCool always provide lots of DIY Air Conditioning Service advice to our customers, our customers always come back to me for more questions or engage our service. You are always welcome to contact us if you have any query relating to your air conditioning service requirements.