What happens to your air-conditioner if left unused?

Air-Conditioners are Built to be Durable 

Living in Singapore, you should understand the discomfort that the unbearable heat brings during the day. On most days, your air-conditioner will be running to cool yourself down from the hot and humid weather. However, there are rare weeks or months when the weather is constantly raining, and the temperature would just be cool and comfy where you may not require air-conditioning. For many electrical appliances, it is very common for issues to arise when they have been left unused for a period, but what about air-conditioners? Does anything bad happen when you stop using your air-conditioning systems for weeks or even months? In this article, we will discuss these scenarios and understand how to proper care for your air-conditioner again after a long period of being unused.

Check and clean your aircon filters
After months of dust collection from inactivity, significant dirt and dust may have accumulated in your aircon filters. Do open your aircon unit by lifting the external aircon cover and have a quick check. Clear away the dust from the filter and give it a wash if necessary. Do remember to wipe down with a dry towel and let the filter completely dry off first before fitting them back into the air-conditioner.

Check your compressor unit (outdoor aircon unit)
Do a simple and quick check around the compressor unit that is found on the outside of your home. One of the compressor’s roles is to blow off hot air outside the house so do check if there are any debris or dirt around that could hinder its job. If there are debris or any obstacles making it difficult to clean the compressor unit, please do get a professional aircon technician to handle instead.

When was the last maintenance/servicing?
General servicing of air-conditioners is important to keep the internal systems of the aircon clean to provide energy-efficient optimal performance to keep you cool. If you haven’t serviced your air-conditioner within the past year, it is better to schedule one to clear up the dust and dirt in your aircon blower (internal aircon area), as well as to check the drainage of the connecting pipes to ensure that there are no leakages. If you have not serviced your air-conditioner for a year or more, you can consider choosing a chemical overhaul cleaning service instead. A chemical overhaul or chemical wash is the deepest type of cleaning your aircon can get, where the technician will dismantle your air-conditioner and cleanse it with deep reacting chemicals that will flush away difficult stains and microorganisms to return the aircon to as-good-as-new form.

Run your air-conditioner on fan mode
Before starting your air-conditioner normally, let it run on fan mode only for at least 10 minutes to make sure all the dust or any small debris are out of its system. During this period, you can also observe and listen if there are any abnormal noises – contact a technician for professional troubleshooting if you hear any strange knocking, screeching, or any other weird noises that are not supposed to be there.

Look out for leakages
Once your aircon starts running properly in cool mode, check for any leakages within the next 30 minutes. If there are any leakage, you should check for any damages in the piping system such as air leaks around the system. If unsure of the cause, its best to contact a professional for assistance to find out the root cause as water leaking is quite a common issue to have – the main cause can range from blocked aircon filters, broken pump, clogged drainage, etc. Therefore, a professional’s perspective can help save you time and get your aircon working as quickly as possible.