FAQs Air Conditioning

We here at Allen Air would recommend a quick service call in the first instance that you feel something is wrong. But I have listed 5 reasons that could indicate its time to upgrade to a new Daikin.

1. The unit is blowing air out that is not as hot or cold as expected in comparison to the temp setting.

In cooling mode, when a compressor is tripping out, often you might start to feel cold air when first turned on, followed less than a minute or 2 later by a warmer air. This air is simply re-circulated air and isn’t actually being heated cooled. The compressor tripping can be caused by a faulty capacitor, gas charge or maybe even a faulty inverter board. If repair costs are likely to be greater than 10% of complete replacement cost, and your unit is nearing 10 years old, maybe consider an upgrade.

2. The air conditioner has diminished air flow

Check your filters first, but if they are clean and there just doesn’t seem to be much air, your evaporator coil could be heavily blocked with years of grime and dust. This can be cleaned as part of a service call, but at the end of the day if your unit is quite old it may not be worth spending much on it when you could have a brand new Daikin air conditioner complete with a 5 year warranty

3. Strange noises and smells coming from the unit

Bearings only last so long. It could be time for a major overhaul or a new air conditioner upgrade. We generally know what kinds of noises our air con makes, so if you hear something different, don’t ignore it in case it creates an even more costly repair.

If you have bad smells it could be caused by mould, electrical failures, overheating motors or dare I say it, an old rat that has found its way in there! Get us to check it out, but if it is an older unit consider a Daikin replacement air conditioner

4. The air conditioner is short cycling

If the unit is cutting in and out a lot more than it used to something is likely to be wrong. Called short cycling, the rapid cutting in and out will end up destroying the compressor. The cause of short cycling can be varied and if repairs are not viable, replacement may be necessary.

5. Increased energy bills

If your power costs have increased you may have to do an analysis of where you have been using your power, but if your air conditioner is working inefficiently then this could be the source of the problem. We recommend having the unit serviced initially to see if we can solve a similar problem but it could lead to the recommendation of an air conditioner upgrade if the unit is getting old.

In busy commercial tenancies, Air conditioning should be serviced monthly but no longer than 3 monthly, due to the high probability that the filters will get blocked. Whilst the odd person might downplay the significance of filter cleaning (out of sight, out of mind), imagine the cost experienced when the evaporator ices up through poor air flow. When the drain freezes over the water then ruins the ceiling making it collapse or leak straight onto the computer tower. Yep, maintenance is a great idea! Don’t forget that a clean air conditioner will help maintain a healthier workplace, particularly in winters flu seasons.

These days, evaporative coolers have terrific water management systems that keep them much healthier than the old days. Whilst you could stretch a maintenance schedule to 3 monthly, I still recommend monthly. Lets just say that in my time I climbed on several roofs and have found panels off with anything from dead birds to cats inside! Gross! Unfortunately even the best water management system won’t flush an animal down the drain and all this decay will be pushed into your airstream. YUK. It just isn’t worth risking the health of your customers and staff, so again, I recommend monthly maintenance.

Apart from the gross service stories, strong winds will be enough to rip a panel off on some brands, the result can be significant water ingress that will damage your ceiling and floor stock.

These days, evaporative coolers have terrific water management systems that keep them much healthier than the old days. Whilst you could stretch a maintenance schedule to 3 monthly, I still recommend monthly. Lets just say that in my time I climbed on several roofs and have found panels off with anything from dead birds to cats inside! Gross! Unfortunately even the best water management system won’t flush an animal down the drain and all this decay will be pushed into your airstream. YUK. It just isn’t worth risking the health of your customers and staff, so again, I recommend monthly maintenance.

Apart from the gross service stories, strong winds will be enough to rip a panel off on some brands, the result can be significant water ingress that will damage your ceiling and floor stock.