Maintenance of air conditioning systems, for some people is an unnecessary waste. However, some others who are smart are aware of the benefits of periodic maintenance.

Regular maintenance on air conditioning systems are something that you should not ignore. Why is that? In terms of operation, air conditioning is like a heat sensor. While working, in addition to temperature, the air conditioner is also affected by dirt, air pollution. Any of these components will affect the air conditioning system’s operation. In particular, accumulated dust over a long period of time is the main cause of the device's lifespan.

If just look at the cost, someone will assume that conditioning maintenance is a waste. However, a person who is fully aware of the benefits of air conditioning maintenance, will have the opposite idea. The following 5 benefits will prove that the calculation is valid.

Repair costs are always more expensive than conditioning maintenance costs.

1. Repair invoice is cheaper

Air conditioners are complex devices. Any error whether big or small will cause risks leading to complex failures.

To see more clearly, we consider an example: Long-term dirt stuck on the aluminum on the outdoor unit. Forgetting or deliberately ignoring cleaning will reduce the cooling capacity of the outdoor unit, resulting in more compressor work. In principle, the compressor does not work continuously during turning on the air conditioner. Because of the obstructed heat dissipation, the compressor kept opening and closing. Operation for a long time with high frequency caused the compressor to quickly fail. When the compressor fails, the air conditioner system is just a display, instead of doing its duty by regulating air and humidity.

The above example shows that, instead of periodically paying a small amount or spending time cleaning the air conditioner, you will spend a larger amount to repair or replace the entire air conditioner system.

Periodic maintenance can save 20% to 30% of your monthly expense costs.

2. Save electricity

The cost of electricity for an air conditioning systems accounts for about 65% of the total cost of electricity consumed for a building. If an air conditioning system is not regularly maintained, the performance of the device will decrease from 20% to 30%, resulting in the corresponding increase in power consumption.

To see the impact of periodic maintenance on electricity bills, consider the following example:

A household air conditioner has a capacity of 12,000 BTU, after calculating we will output power consumption of 1,255 W/h.

In well-maintained condition, after 5 hours of operation, the air conditioner consumes about 6,200 W. Applying unit price of electricity at normal hours (as of April 2019) to individual business households (providing electricity less than 6 kV), the electricity cost is 16,529 VND/6.2 kW consumption. Assumed the average time to use an air conditioner in a day is 5 hours, the cost of electricity according to the above calculation will be 495,870 VND/month.

If the air conditioner system is not regularly maintained, the electricity consumption will increase 20% to 30%. The same air conditioner with a capacity of 12,000 BTU, the cost of electricity will be from 495,870 VND/month to a minimum of 595,044 VND/month (efficiency decreased by 20%) or higher to 644,631 VND/month (efficiency decreased by 30%).

People in the North usually use air conditioner for around 6 months, whereas Southern people use it during a year. From the calculation mentioned above, instead of annually costing VND 150,000 to VND 200,000 for one maintenance, you’d  have to pay an electricity cost at least 3 times higher than the cost of air conditioning maintenance.

Routine maintenance helps to remove airborne dirt.

3. Operating air-conditioning systems more safely

An important part of maintenance is to ensure the device works safely. With the complex structure of air conditioners, if not regularly maintained, mechanical and electrical problems will inevitably occur. When the system leaks, the risk of an electric accident threatens the life of the user. In addition, due to no regular maintenance, the air-conditioning system can catch fire at any time, especially during hot weather. Flames arising from short-circuiting have much more heat than other heat sources. Therefore, scheduling regular maintenance is the best way to limit risks.

The ideal moisture is 35% to 50%.

4. Ensure stable air temperature and humidity

In daily living space, the ideal humidity suitable for human health is 35% to 50%. This moisture does not create condensation, avoiding mold and harmful bacteria, especially respiratory pathogens. In addition to the amount of heat provided to meet the needs of users, a good air conditioning system also helps balance the humidity of the environment. For women, the moisture generated by the air conditioner is effective the skin moisturizers. For the elderly and young children in the North of Vietnam, in the humid weather, maintaining the ideal moisture is the best way to stay healthy. At the same time in the South, the weather is hot and dry, and without air conditioning, it is like living in a brazier. Ensuring all conditions for the air-conditioning system to operate smoothly is contributing to maintaining health.

In 2018, Hanoi was listed as the most polluted city in Southeast Asia by Air Visual.

5. Regular maintenance helps prevent breathing in air pollution

AirVisual, an air quality monitoring organization, published an Air Quality Report on Hanoi. According to the report, the concentration of fine dust generated by particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (referred to as PM 2.5 - Particulate matter 2.5) in Hanoi is 40.8 µg / m3, exceeding 3.4. times the safety level recommended by the World Health Organization (from 0 to 12 µg / m3).

What does this have to do with routine conditioning maintenance?

The air conditioner unit has a unit called an air filter. This unit has the effect of both absorbing the air in the air-conditioned space while providing clean air after adjusting the temperature and humidity to an appropriate level. This is also the part where dust is easily attached to the detail parts of the indoor unit. Given the level of pollution mentioned above, monthly cleaning and sanitation is an urgent requirement for each user. Instead of having to call for maintenance once a month, you can clean the filter itself and the other parts that make up the air conditioner. Periodic self-cleaning and hygiene is a way of proactively reducing operating costs, more importantly maintaining the health - the most precious asset of every human being.

You have the ability to conduct maintenance by yourself, please refer to the manual of the Mechanical - Electrical expert.

How to self-conditioning maintenance?

Self-conditioning maintenance is not as complicated as many people think. By referring to the manuals of Mechatronics experts, you or anyone else can perform periodic maintenance for the air conditioner system without the need of a professional team.

In the event that for some reason you are prevented from performing maintenance work yourself, you can contact the air conditioning maintenance center. Before contacting, do not forget to thoroughly understand the maintenance steps. It will help you better monitor the maintenance work.

One more advice for you, besides paying attention to maintenance, before installing and using the air conditioner system, you should learn carefully how to calculate the air conditioner capacity suitable for the space and purpose of use. Using the right capacity is just as effective as the 5 benefits of periodic conditioning maintenance.

Galaxy M&E