Essential questions to ask your air conditioning service specialists

You may not be an expert on air conditioning systems yourself, but you’re certainly relying on your service provider to be! Here at Askews, we’ve got over 25 years of experience in installing and maintaining air conditioning, making us the perfect people to answer any questions about your system you might have. But if you’re unsure of where to start, we’ve got a couple of key questions it’s always wise to ask your service provider, whether it’s us or someone else – and the answers you should get in return!

1. How long is my air conditioning unit going to last?

This depends on a couple of factors, but on the whole, air conditioning units are built to provide well over 10 years of use, and some even more. Most light commercial air conditioning units can be relied on for a good 15 to even 20 years of service, though this is obviously reliant on a number of factors – including the local environment, as well as the frequency and intensity of use. One of the most influential factors that determine an air conditioning unit’s lifespan is – by far – how well it’s maintained. Generally they require a checkup at least twice a year, which you can organise fairly easily by signing up to an ongoing maintenance contract. However, this often naturally leads people to ask…

2. Is ongoing maintenance really worth the cost?

In a word: yes. Ongoing maintenance cuts down on the issues of breakdowns and downtime – all the more important as we move further into the hotter summer months! We’ve already extensively covered how much of an impact that rising temperatures can have on productivity, which makes your air conditioning even more vital in spring and summer!

As well as reducing the chances of expensive breakdowns, ongoing maintenance is a more efficient use of money in the long run. Air conditioning units can be prone to getting clogged up with dust or other detritus, or developing other faults. These often necessitates them to work harder in order to maintain the specified temperature, causing rising running costs that you might not always notice straightaway. It’s worth taking a look at this useful post: how often does my air conditioner need to be serviced?

3. Why can’t I use in-house employees to fix any problems?

Theoretically, if you’ve got some employees with handyman knowledge, you could – but we seriously wouldn’t recommend it. Air conditioning units are a lot more complex than many people give them credit for, and for most employers it’s simply not worth the risk that employees can damage them further or cause the fault to worsen, which obviously becomes even more expensive!

Here at Askews, we’ve got all the specialist skills, equipment and knowledge necessary to make sure that your air conditioning unit is running in peak condition. Maintenance of an average air conditioning unit involves (for example) using special chemical cleaners, and mitigating risks from the more dangerous elements, such as the fan blade. It can also involve draining the lines clear, and emptying drip pans, both of which are not a job for amateurs. We’ve published several useful posts that should give you more detailed information, including reasons why fixing air conditioning yourself isn’t a good idea, as well as what exactly is involved in a service and maintenance.

4. If my unit suffers a breakdown, when should I cut my losses?

It’s obviously difficult to provide definitive answers using an impersonal post, but really it often depends on the answers to several important questions. The age of the unit is a key factor; if it’s over 10 years old, there’s a good chance your unit is well past its prime. Another is: how often has it been maintained? Icf it’s been subject to a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule up until this point, it’s probably worth investing the money to get it repaired again. Also, where is the problem centred? Compressors and coils are amongst the most difficult and expensive issues to fix, but if it’s just an electrical problem, you might find that it can be repaired relatively easily (and therefore, cheaply).

Here at Askews, our engineers will always be happy to give you a detailed breakdown of the issues once they’ve been assessed, which may include approximate costs of the repairs. This can help you make an informed decision about whether you think it’s worth getting your current unit fixed, or simply investing in a new one. You can get a free quote through our site, or give us a call on 01282 863 825, and we’ll be happy to see how we can help!

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