Why Canberra changes the service calendar
Frosts from autumn to late spring
The ABS recorded Canberra's first frost of 2006 on 12 April and its last on 17 November, and 54 of that year's 117 frosts fell outside winter. Your system can spend well over half the year on heat.
Foggy, icy mornings
Canberra averages 41 days of fog a year, and June and July were the foggiest months in 2006. Mitsubishi Electric says frost forms on the outdoor unit when it's very cold and humid, and the unit stops for up to 10 minutes to defrost. A service is the time to check that cycle works and the melt water drains away.
Dry summers still mean dirty filters
Afternoon humidity at Canberra Airport averages 37% in January. Dry air doesn't let you skip the filters, though: Mitsubishi Electric says dirty filters cause condensation inside the unit, which helps mould grow, and Daikin says to clean them more often in dusty conditions.
What a Canberra service should include
A heating test, not just cooling
The system should be run on heat before the technician packs up. That's the mode you'll lean on from April.
The outdoor unit and its drain path
In heating, Mitsubishi Electric says condensed water drips from the outdoor unit, and the defrost cycle melts ice that runs off it. Ask for the base and drain path to be cleared so that water gets away from the unit.
Coil, fan and filters
Daikin's tune-up list covers cleaning the coils, tightening electrical connections and flushing drains. It also says blocked filters can cut a system's efficiency significantly.
A refrigerant check by an RAC01 holder
Checking the charge needs a full RAC01 licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council. A low charge means a leak, and the ARC says topping up before the leak is found and fixed is illegal.
The isolator
Access Canberra quotes the Wiring Rules: a system with a compressor needs a lockable isolating switch beside the unit, not on it. If yours is missing or damaged, ask for it to go on the report.
What makes a Canberra service bigger or smaller
The number of indoor units comes first, since each wall unit is opened and cleaned on its own. A ducted system adds the return air filter and a look at the ducts, and that means someone going into the roof space.
In a home from the Mr Fluffy era, that roof visit needs care. Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos was found in some Canberra heating and cooling ducts and vents, and affected homes must show a safety tag at the meter box and switchboard. If yours has one, tell the technician when you book.
Access matters too. The ACT Government's buyers guide says never to box the outdoor unit in with slat fencing, and to leave easy access for maintenance. A unit hemmed in by a fence or a woodpile takes longer to service properly.
Your part between visits, and the technician's
You can
- Wash the filters as your manual says, with the power off first, and dry them in the shade.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, garden waste and anything stacked against it.
- Expect a short pause and some white vapour on frosty mornings. Mitsubishi Electric says that's the defrost cycle, not a fault.
- Note any room that never warms up properly, and tell the technician.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Taking the covers off to clean the coil, fan and drain tray.
- Any refrigerant check, which needs an RAC01 licence.
- Electrical work. In the ACT, a restricted licence covers disconnecting and reconnecting only.
- Anything in the roof space, especially in a tagged Mr Fluffy home.
Questions to ask when you book
- Will you test it on heating as well as cooling?
- Does the technician hold an RAC01 licence, and what's your RTA number?
- Will you check the defrost cycle and the drain under the outdoor unit?
- What does my brand's warranty need from this service?
- If you find a fault, will you write it up separately before doing anything about it?
What we'd do
What we'd book
We'd book the service for March or early April, before the frosts settle in, and ask for the heating test first. We'd want an RAC01 technician who services reverse cycle through Canberra winters, because they'll know a defrost pause from a real fault. Keep the filters clean yourself in between, and the yearly visit has far less to find.
