10 SECRETS TO SELECTING & MAINTAINING AIR-CONDITIONERS

1. Professional Qualifications
An air-conditioning system is a long-term investment, so it is important that the company you choose and its staff have the appropriate qualifications and experience to advise you on your air-conditioning needs.

A qualified air-conditioning professional should be able to produce the following:

• Trade qualifications in air-conditioning systems
• References from former customers
• Gold Card status - a Building Services Authority Government requirement
• Whether the air-conditioning specialist is an employee of the company represented or a sub-contractor of the company
• A track record of several years of experience in the business

2. Service & Technical Support
Your air-conditioning company and its staff should provide you with expert after-sales service and technical support.

When choosing an air-conditioning company, it is important to look at the following:

• Does the company have its own service department?
• Are the service department staff company employees or are they sub-contractors?
• How many service technicians work for the company?
• Can the company provide after-hours support?
• Does the company have maintenance agreements and if so, ask for a sample.
• Ask for six maintenance references from existing customers.

3. Company Reputation & Reliability
Most air-conditioning systems have a minimum warranty period of five years, so it is imperative that air-conditioning companies have an established reputation.

An air-conditioning company should also have a reliable track record, that is, they should have been trading successfully for many years. These factors contribute to ensuring that your air-conditioning warranty can be supported for five years and beyond.

Some questions that you should ask your air-conditioning professional include:

• How long has the company been operating?
• Has the company been trading successfully for a number of years?
• Are the business premises owned or leased by the company?
• Has the company been owned by the same people for a reasonable number of years?

4. Warranty Protection & Maintanence Contracts
Most manufacturers of air-conditioning systems offer a minimum of a five year warranty on parts and labour. However, many customers do not know that these manufacturers warranties may be voided or not cover certain items, if it can be shown that the system was not properly maintained.

To ensure that your air-conditioning system's five-year parts and labour warranty is protected, you should ask your air-conditioning professional the following questions:

• Is an after-sales maintenance protection plan available?
• What other services are provided, as part of the maintenance protection plan?
• Can the maintenance protection plan be paid in advance?
• Are services performed regularly?
• Is sufficient documentation provided to the client after a service has been performed?

5. Corrosion Protection
Air-conditioner manufacturers do not provide a warranty against corrosion. Although most air-conditioning systems have an anti-corrosion treatment, it is not a safeguard against corrosion in areas of high air salinity, such as in coastal regions.

For long-term protection of your air-conditioning systems against corrosion, it is important to consider the following:

• Does your air-conditioning system come with a hydrophilic or similar treatment on the outdoor section coil?
• Does the air-conditioning company offer an after-sales anti-corrosion treatment? If so,
• What is the cost of initial and subsequent treatments?
• What is the name of the product and which company produces it?
• How regular should anti-corrosion treatments be performed?

6. Quality Manufacturers
An experienced air-conditioning company should be able to recommend manufacturers who provide quality equipment.

There is a wide choice of air-conditioning systems with many new and competitively-priced systems entering the market each year.

It is important that your air-conditioning professional be able to assess different manufacturers of air-conditioning systems and provide unbiased advice.

An air-conditioning professional should consider the following when recommending an air-conditioner manufacturer to you:

• Manufacturer's company history, and how long that company has been involved in air-conditioning
• Does the company manufacture the equipment itself of does it buy from other manufacturers and label the equipment with its own brand
• Is the company's reputation such that it is likely to still be operating to provide your system with spare parts should you need them
• Will the company be able to provide spare parts for your system beyond the warranty period
• Does the service department of the company have a reputation for supplying and delivering components and parts on time?

7. Manufacturers Warranty
As previously outlined, most air-conditioner manufacturers provide purchases with a five year full parts and labour warranty for each air-conditioning unit.

It is important to read and understand the terms and conditions of this warranty, as it is usually necessary to have regular maintenance on your air-conditioning system during its lifetime, if you are to maintain the integrity of the manufacturer's warranty.

This is particularly necessary with residential installations, as they are often switched off for long periods, and then expected to run at peak performance during exceptionally hot periods. A maintenance once a year is usually all that is required for residential installations, whereas commercial installations need to be maintained more frequently.

Some considerations include:

• Your air-conditioner will need to be maintained by a reputable company
• There is no warranty protection for corrosion and regular services will need to be undertaken with your service company, much the same as you would do for your car.

8. Reverse Cycle of Cool Option Only
People who live in tropical and even sub-tropical areas often ask if they really need heating in their unit as well.

Nights can be chilly and it has been known for some areas away from the coast, to drop to single digit temperatures overnight during July in south-east Queensland.

Some benefits of reverse cycle air-conditioning include:

• Reverse cycle air-conditioning is more efficient, in many cases, up to three times more efficient than any other type of heating
• Reverse cycle air-conditioning is cheaper than running a small blow or fan heater for short periods
• Reverse cycle will switch off when the room reaches the required temperature level leading to greater efficiency
• Energex has reported that reverse cycle air-conditioning is the most economical way to heat your home

9. Quality, Price & Service
Price is always a consideration and with a wide variety of air-conditioning systems now available, it is often a good policy to buy the best quality you can afford.

Air-Care has been supplying South-East Queensland homes and offices with air-conditioning systems since 1987.

Air-Care is available for warranty calls for 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. So should your air-conditioning unit require the expertise of one of our air-conditioning technicians, then you will be able to contact us.

We do not take short cuts, our quality, price and service are second to none.

10. The Next Step
It is impossible for me to summarise 25 years of real world experience in this small booklet. However, I hope I have given you some insight into the important aspects of buying and maintaining an air-conditioning system. In particular, I hope you will give more consideration to the purchase of an air-conditioner, than say, a toaster. Unfortunately, at their peril, many people don't!

Even if you have already purchased a system and service is not available from your retailer, please give us a call at Air-Care and we may be able to update your service and protect your investment. There are a number of competent specialist companies like ourselves throughout Australia, so please consider carefully before you make your purchasing decision.

If there are any other specific questions you have, please call me at Air-Care and I will be more than happy to give you the benefit of my experience.

Good luck and comfortable living.

Bill Cox
Air-Care Pty Ltd.