How often should you service your air conditioner?

At least once a year is the short answer. But on the Sunshine Coast, where salt air, humidity and long, hot summers all take their toll, many systems are better off with a service every six months. Here’s what a service involves, why our climate matters, and the signs yours is overdue.

What a service includes

A proper service is more than a quick filter rinse. It usually covers:

• Cleaning the filters, coil and fan inside the indoor unit

• Treating any mould or build-up inside the unit

• Clearing the drain so water can’t back up and leak

• Checking the outdoor unit for corrosion, debris and damage

• Checking electrical connections and safe operation

• Testing that the system is heating and cooling the way it should

Why the coast is harder on air cons

Salt air slowly corrodes the metal fins and coils in outdoor units, especially close to the beach. Humidity is the other big one: when an air con runs in damp weather, moisture collects inside the indoor unit, and that’s where mould gets started. After a wet season, it’s common to find units full of black mould, even when they look clean from the outside.

How often should you book one?

• Once a year for most homes with normal use

• Every six months if it runs most days, you’re close to the beach, or someone in the house has allergies or asthma

• Before each new tenant or guest season for rentals and holiday homes

In between services, clean the filters yourself every few weeks when the system is running a lot. Your manual will show you how, and it only takes a few minutes.

Service it before you need it

Summer is when you rely on your air con most, and it’s also when it’s most likely to break down. A system that’s been sitting unused all winter suddenly has to run flat out through the hottest, most humid weeks of the year. If something’s been building up, like a blocked drain, a struggling fan or a slow refrigerant leak, that’s when it fails.

It’s also the worst time to need a tradie. Every air con business on the Coast is booked out through December and January, so a breakdown can mean days or weeks without cooling.

Booking your service in the cooler months avoids all of that:

• Problems get picked up and fixed early, before they turn into a breakdown

• You avoid paying for an urgent repair in the middle of a heatwave

• It’s much easier to get a time that suits you

• Your system is clean and ready to go before the first hot day

Ask us about our winter service specials. It’s the best time of year to get it done.

Signs your system is overdue

• A musty or mouldy smell when it turns on

• Weaker airflow, or it takes longer to cool the room

• Water dripping from the indoor unit

• New rattles, buzzing or grinding noises

• Higher power bills without using it more

• More sneezing or stuffy noses when it’s running

Why it’s worth it

A clean, well-maintained system uses less power, lasts longer and breaks down less often. It also blows cleaner air. Most expensive repairs we see could have been caught early with a regular service.

Book a service

We service all major brands across the Sunshine Coast and North Brisbane. Get in touch and we’ll find a time that suits.