What Darwin does to an air conditioner
Wet season water
Afternoon humidity at Darwin Airport averages 71% in January and 74% in February. In air like that, a unit pulls a lot of water out of the room and sends it down the condensate drain (the small pipe that carries water away from the indoor unit). A partly blocked drain soon shows up as drips.
Mould
Mitsubishi Electric says dirty filters cause condensation inside the air conditioner, which helps mould grow. In Darwin's humidity a neglected filter matters far more than it would in a dry city.
No off-season
With mean maximums of 31.1 degrees in July and 33.8 in October at Darwin Airport, there's no quiet season to rest a system. A yearly service is the minimum, and it's worth asking whether yours needs more.
Salt
The Galvanizers Association of Australia rates the immediate vicinity of calm salt water, such as harbour foreshores, as C4, and within 200 m of rough seas and surf beaches as C5. Daikin says its outdoor coils carry a 'Blue Fin' anti-corrosion treatment, but that proper maintenance and positioning are still essential.
Brackets and bolts
The NT Government's cyclone inspection guide recommends a yearly visual check for corroded or loose brackets and bolts. Have the technician look over the outdoor unit's bracket and fixings at the same visit.
What a Darwin service should cover
Filters and the indoor coil
Filters washed, and the coil and fan inside the indoor unit cleaned. Mitsubishi Electric says owners should never wash the inside of the unit themselves.
The condensate drain
Cleared, flushed and tested so the water runs away freely, which matters more in the wet than at any other time.
The outdoor coil and fixings
Checked for corrosion and debris, with the bracket and bolts looked over before cyclone season.
Electrics and refrigerant
Connections tightened and the refrigerant checked by someone with a full RAC01 licence. If it's low, there's a leak to find first, and the ARC says topping up before leaks are repaired is illegal.
Your part, all year
You can
- Clean the filters every two weeks, as Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric advise, switching off at the breaker first.
- Run fan mode after cooling or dry mode to dry the inside of the unit, as Mitsubishi Electric recommends.
- Keep doors and windows shut while it runs. Mitsubishi Electric warns that running for hours at 80% humidity or more with windows open can drip condensation onto furniture.
- Keep plants and stored gear well clear of the outdoor unit.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Cleaning the indoor coil and fan.
- Flushing and testing the drain.
- Checking the refrigerant and electrical connections.
- Treating or replacing corroded parts.
Questions to ask the technician
- Does the service include flushing the drain and cleaning the indoor coil, or only the filters?
- Will you check the outdoor unit's bracket and bolts for corrosion?
- Do you hold a full RAC01 licence for any refrigerant work?
- If you find mould inside the unit, how do you deal with it?
- Given how much I run it, how often would you service my system?
What we'd do
Our take
We'd book every system in for a full clean in the dry season, before the build-up, and ask specifically for the drain flush and the bracket check. Between visits, we'd keep the filters clean and the house closed up while it runs. Choose a technician who services splits in Darwin's humidity all year, not someone who treats it as a once-a-summer job.
Tell us what you've got and your postcode. Licence-checked technicians near you who service that kind of system see it, where we have them, and only the one who takes it is given your contact details. The national air conditioning service page covers the basics anywhere, and our Darwin page has the local picture.
