What a Busselton service has to deal with
Months unused
A quarter of Busselton's private dwellings (25.4%) were unoccupied at the 2021 Census. Mitsubishi Electric says dirt or dust inside a unit can cause odours, encourage mould and clog the drain, and an idle stretch gives all three time to build.
The shoreline strip
On sheltered Geographe Bay, the GAA's guide rates the first 50 m back from the shore as C4 and 50 m to 1 km as C3. Near the bay's north-west surf breaks, the first 200 m rates C5.
Dry summers, damp winters
Busselton Aero's average afternoon humidity is 35% in January and 68% in July. If you heat with reverse cycle, ask for the heating to be tested too.
Sea breezes
Afternoon sea breezes are part of a Busselton summer. An outdoor unit in the path of that breeze takes the salt with it, so its position matters.
Getting a system ready after a long break
Book ahead
Have the service done a few weeks before you arrive, and sort out how the technician will get in.
Air the room first
If the unit smells when you start it, Samsung suggests ventilating the room and running Fan mode for 3 to 4 hours.
Check the basics
Breaker on, fresh remote batteries and clean filters. Switch off at the power before taking the filters out.
Watch the first run
Mitsubishi Electric says to stop using the unit and get help if water drips from the indoor unit.
What a good service covers here
Filters, then the coil, fan and drain tray inside the indoor unit, and the outdoor unit cleared of leaves and sand. Daikin's start-of-summer list also takes in the refrigerant charge and the electrical connections, and near the bay the coil and casing should be checked for corrosion.
Refrigerant checks are for a technician with a full RAC01 licence. A low reading means a leak to find, and the ARC says topping up before leaks are repaired is illegal. Our national air conditioning service page covers servicing in general.
Questions to ask a Busselton technician
- Can you service it before we arrive, and how will you get access?
- Will you check the outdoor coil for salt damage?
- Do you hold an RAC01 licence for the refrigerant check?
- Will you write up any repairs separately for us to decide on?
Your part, and the technician's
You can
- Air the house and run the unit on fan after a long break.
- Clean the filters on the schedule in your manual.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of sand, leaves and stored gear.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Cleaning inside the indoor unit, including the drain.
- The refrigerant check and any leak repair.
- Electrical connections and corrosion repairs.
What we'd do
Where we'd start
We'd book the service a few weeks before our first summer stay, with the outdoor unit checked for salt every time if we were near the shore. On arrival, we'd air the house and run the unit on fan before asking it to cool. We'd want an RAC01 technician who services splits or ducted systems regularly, and the findings in writing.
