What Alice Springs asks of a system
Heat past the line
ActronAir says air conditioners lose cooling capacity above 35 degrees. At Alice Springs Airport, December averages 35.7 and January 37.1, so a typical summer afternoon is already past that point. Daikin says blocked filters can cut a system's efficiency significantly, which makes the shortfall worse.
Frosty mornings
With 12.4 nights below freezing a year, reverse cycle units here heat hard in winter. Mitsubishi Electric says frost can form on the outdoor unit in heating, and the unit stops for up to 10 minutes to defrost. That's normal. A unit that ices up and stays that way needs a look.
Dry air
January afternoon humidity averages 21% at the airport, ideal conditions for evaporative coolers. Seeley says its coolers should be serviced after the first year, then every two years, and more often in harsh environments.
Two seasons, one system
A reverse cycle unit that cools all summer and heats through the frosty months clocks up far more hours than one used for a few weeks a year. Mitsubishi Electric's recommendation of a yearly professional service is the minimum.
What each kind of service covers
For a split or ducted reverse cycle system, the service covers the filters, the indoor coil and fan, the drain, the outdoor coil, the electrical connections, and a refrigerant check by someone with a full RAC01 licence. Ask for heating mode to be tested as well as cooling.
For an evaporative cooler, it's the pads, the water reservoir and the bleed or drain system. Seeley says bleed-type coolers need seasonal maintenance before and after summer, and that Chillcel pads should last 7 or 8 years. Our evaporative cooler service page goes into detail, and the national air conditioning service page covers refrigerated systems.
Your part, and the technician's
You can
- Clean refrigerated system filters as your manual says. Daikin's general rule is every two weeks, and more often in dusty conditions.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear, with plenty of air around it.
- Book the evaporative cooler's pre-summer service early, before the first hot spell.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Cleaning the indoor coil, fan and drain.
- Refrigerant and electrical checks.
- Evaporative pad and water system servicing.
- Anything on the roof.
Questions to ask the technician
- Will you check both heating and cooling?
- Is the outdoor coil cleaned, or just the filters?
- Do you hold a full RAC01 licence for any refrigerant work?
- For my evaporative cooler, what condition are the pads in, and when will they need replacing?
- What does my warranty need to see in the service record?
What we'd do
Where we'd start
We'd book refrigerated systems in during spring with both modes checked, and evaporative coolers before the first hot spell so the pads and water are sorted. The two are different jobs, so ask whether the technician services your kind of system often.
Tell us what you've got and your postcode. Where we have licence-checked technicians in Alice Springs who service that system, they can see the job, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If nobody in town takes it within 48 hours, technicians elsewhere in the Northern Territory may see it too. Our Alice Springs page has the wider picture.
