What AC servicing actually does, and what it does not

In a Dubai summer an air conditioner runs harder than almost any appliance in the building. Most of the failures we are called to in July were avoidable in March.

What a service covers

A routine service is preventative. On a split or ducted system it means:

• Cleaning or replacing filters.
• Cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils.
• Clearing the drain line and checking the pan for standing water.
• Checking refrigerant pressures against the unit's rating.
• Checking electrical connections, contactors and the thermostat.
• Running the unit and measuring the temperature difference across the coil.

That last check is the one that matters. A unit blowing air at eight degrees below the room temperature is working. One managing three is not, whatever it sounds like.

What a service is not

A service will not fix a leak, a failed capacitor or a seized fan motor. It finds them.

If a technician finds a fault during a service, the honest answer is a quote for the repair, not a longer service. Anyone who tells you a clean will fix a refrigerant leak is telling you what you want to hear.

The cost of skipping it

A blocked drain line overflows into a ceiling. A dirty coil makes the compressor work against a pressure it was not designed for. A clogged filter drops airflow until the coil freezes. Each of those starts as a filter nobody changed, and each ends as a bill several times the price of the service.

How often

Twice a year for a home, before and after the summer. Quarterly for a unit running continuously, in a shop, a restaurant kitchen, or an office with a full floor of people.

Booking one

Our AC maintenance covers split and ducted systems across Dubai. We call to confirm a time before anyone is sent, and if we find something beyond the service you get the figure before we start.