Travel Tip: check aircon in hotel room first!

[RocketDog]

On a recent beach-hopping trip from Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, Chumphon, etc. I rented several hotel rooms from 650—1800฿/night. It is low season now, so generally hot.. 

In general I found the aircon in the rooms to be marginal to poor. However I did notice a trend worth remembering. 

When I viewed a room I checked aircon operation first. If the initial air stream seemed warm I was told that it will cool down in a few minutes. Well, it usually didn't. 

 

Here's the tip: look at the temperature setting on the control. If the last user had it set at something like 20 or below, that means the aircon sucks. The last occupant set it very low in hopes that it would eventually cool, but didn't. 

 

From now on that test will be my first action upon entering the room. If the setting is very low then I'll ask for another room or take my business elsewhere. 

 

Complaining to staff the next morning will get you (and the next occupant) nothing but an apology and that infamous Thai smile that can be so infuriating at times. 

 

The faulty aircon will not be serviced of course, but maybe you can avoid being the next unhappy user. 

 

Always remember that this is the land of Mai pen rai and non-confrontation. Better to learn how to keep your cool! 

TIT

[SooKee]

The main think I check, if the rooms have individual AC units, is whether the filters have been cleaned, mostly I've found they haven't.  Often clogged with dust and muck.  Blast them out in the shower then re-install.  Some have looked like they've not been cleaned in a year or more.

[mogandave]

Yeah, pulling the filter often does the trick.

Also, tell them when you check in you need good aircon. Surprisingly, not everyone cares.

[imaderbyfan]

4 hours ago, SooKee said:

The main think I check, if the rooms have individual AC units, is whether the filters have been cleaned, mostly I've found they haven't.  Often clogged with dust and muck.  Blast them out in the shower then re-install.  Some have looked like they've not been cleaned in a year or more.

You are spot on.

I always check the filters if the aircon seems to be not as efficient as it should.

I reckon 8 out of ten I have looked at all over Thailand are clogged up so badly as to seriously hinder the performance.

And clearly if the filters are dirty it is highly likely no other maintenance has been done since the things were fitted.. . 

[krabi local]

5 hours ago, SooKee said:

The main think I check, if the rooms have individual AC units, is whether the filters have been cleaned, mostly I've found they haven't.  Often clogged with dust and muck.  Blast them out in the shower then re-install.  Some have looked like they've not been cleaned in a year or more.

I do exactly the same and it is very rare the filters are not filthy.

Quick blast with the bum gun and put them back and usually the AC will be fine.

[StevieAus]

1 hour ago, imaderbyfan said:

You are spot on.

I always check the filters if the aircon seems to be not as efficient as it should.

I reckon 8 out of ten I have looked at all over Thailand are clogged up so badly as to seriously hinder the performance.

And clearly if the filters are dirty it is highly likely no other maintenance has been done since the things were fitted.. . 

It’s not only the filter at the front that needs to be cleaned but the whole aircon unit if being used continually.

We get ours cleaned about every six months if being used regularly and the crap that comes out is amazing, but makes a hell of a difference to the performance.

Have found the same problem as above in hotels.

[mogandave]

Generally just the return air screen will do the trick.

If you’re having to get the fan-wheel & coil cleaned every six months it is probably not draining correctly.

[Timebandit]

7 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

It’s not only the filter at the front that needs to be cleaned but the whole aircon unit if being used continually.

We get ours cleaned about every six months if being used regularly and the crap that comes out is amazing, but makes a hell of a difference to the performance.

Have found the same problem as above in hotels.

I have had two bouts with bacterial pneumonia attributed by the doctor to dirty air conditioners. I now have mine cleaned every 6 months and am in great health. Air out your quarters every day.

[StevieAus]

3 minutes ago, Timebandit said:

I have had two bouts with bacterial pneumonia attributed by the doctor to dirty air conditioners. I now have mine cleaned every 6 months and am in great health. Air out your quarters every day.

Have to say that’s something I have never thought of but a good point I was only thinking of the performance issue.

Remember many  years ago of a problem with Legionares Disease in Australia I think they tracked it down to the cooling towers? In some commercial air con  units in shopping centers or similar.

[observer90210]

Well I am impressed by the handymen here, because personnally I have never had the courage (or my toolbox available),  to ripOff and make a quick scan of the a/c in my rented hotel room !!

[StevieAus]

2 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Well I am impressed by the handymen here, because personnally I have never had the courage (or my toolbox available),  to ripOff and make a quick scan of the a/c in my rented hotel room !!

You don’t need a toolbox just something to stand on so you can reach and lift up the front cover and slide out the two filters

Takes only a few minutes,certainly quicker than getting the so-called resident engineer and a glazed look or being moved to another room with the same problem

As a matter of interest what do you do at home or don’t you use aircon?

[Jimbo1964]

If your in the Bangkok area and want good ac cleaners try IAQ Technologies. They are an Aussie company and guarantee their work, the also have a product called GermXit which kills bacteria, viruses, mould etc. They use this product made from Tea Tree Oil after cleaning the ac unit inside and out. www.iaq-technologies.com 

[sydneyjed]

Good advice ..Takes me back a few years now to The Windsor Hotel up on Suk'...the hotel is way past its use by date and the air conditioning unit in my room made a noise like a  Lancaster bomber and was way too cold.Had technicians up there umpteen times and  none of them could fix it.Ended up getting the flu for 3 days..what a bloody circus!LoL..

[torrzent]

49 minutes ago, Jimbo1964 said:

If your in the Bangkok area and want good ac cleaners try IAQ Technologies. They are an Aussie company and guarantee their work, the also have a product called GermXit which kills bacteria, viruses, mould etc. They use this product made from Tea Tree Oil after cleaning the ac unit inside and out. www.iaq-technologies.com 

Do you get a commission or do you have a vested interest in promoting this company?

[Oxx]

8 hours ago, RocketDog said:

I rented several hotel rooms from 650—1800฿/night.

 

Surely the answer is not to be such a cheapskate and stay in decent hotels.

[mogandave]

I just change the mode to “Fan” and leave it on for a couple hours once in a while to dry it out completely.

[Lokie]

Couple of mins to clean out the filters, as said something to stand on and the bum gun or shower to clean them out, I then give the filters a good squirt of air freshener/fabreeze slot em back in and jobs a good un'

[mogandave]

 
Surely the answer is not to be such a cheapskate and stay in decent hotels.

I’ve stayed in plenty of nice hotels with crappy air conditioning, and cheap hotels with good air conditioning.

[Oxx]

8 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

I’ve stayed in plenty of nice hotels with crappy air conditioning, and cheap hotels with good air conditioning.
 

 

 

And if you stay in a nice hotel and by some rare happenstance the aircon isn't great, it's simply a matter of 'phoning reception and asking that it be fixed.

[CanuckThai]

2 hours ago, StevieAus said:

You don’t need a toolbox just something to stand on so you can reach and lift up the front cover and slide out the two filters

Takes only a few minutes,certainly quicker than getting the so-called resident engineer and a glazed look or being moved to another room with the same problem

As a matter of interest what do you do at home or don’t you use aircon?

Attention all farang:  Close balcony door and any large windows before attempting high level (above the hotel room floor) acrobatics  

[mogandave]

 
And if you stay in a nice hotel and by some rare happenstance the aircon isn't great, it's simply a matter of 'phoning reception and asking that it be fixed.

Yes, that always works out perfectly

[Bangkok Barry]

9 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Always remember that this is the land of Mai pen rai and non-confrontation.

 

You must be quoting from the tourist guide books. The reality, as shown by several postings on this site every day, is far far different.

 

But thanks for the Aircon tip. Not a bad idea.

[starfish]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

You must be quoting from the tourist guide books. The reality, as shown by several postings on this site every day, is far far different.

 

But thanks for the Aircon tip. Not a bad idea.

Ok, imagine, the poor guy, who thinks about nothing else, than his <deleted> tip, whitnesses me taking a stool,  climbing up to the aircondition, taking out the filters, going to the bathroom, washing them, and installl the filters again. You guys have a serious problem.

 

 

[RocketDog]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

 

I’ve stayed in plenty of nice hotels with crappy air conditioning, and cheap hotels with good air conditioning.
 

 

Thank you. That would have been my reply as well. As I stated, this is low season, meaning lower rates as well. 

But the low-lifes that sit at home and monitor TV need some red meat to get their snark juices flowing.

 

I'm happy I brought some happiness into their tiny lives! 

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

I’ve stayed in plenty of nice hotels with crappy air conditioning

Has no one considered calling down to the front desk and requiring the condition to be remedied or insisting on a room change. Maybe a non-starter in the cheaper establishments, but if "nice hotel" means quality hotel, I would expect them to have rooms in good condition or to accept responsibility for correcting any problems. Actually I'm surprised a room going for Baht 650 would have anything more than a ceiling fan if that.

 

5 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

But the low-lifes that sit at home and monitor TV need some red meat to get their snark juices flowing.

It seems you're another farang experiencing loss of face and lashing out like a child with name calling.

[RocketDog]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

 

And if you stay in a nice hotel and by some rare happenstance the aircon isn't great, it's simply a matter of 'phoning reception and asking that it be fixed.

Sure, I'm there for 24 hours so I'll spend time guarding my possessions while the talented and experienced staff try to convince me that it works fine. Then wasting more of my time while they piss around pretending they know what to do.. 

 

Oxx, you are a wealth of good advice. BTW, do you travel much in LOS? 

[RocketDog]

1 hour ago, Lokie said:

Couple of mins to clean out the filters, as said something to stand on and the bum gun or shower to clean them out, I then give the filters a good squirt of air freshener/fabreeze slot em back in and jobs a good un'

Thanks for the tip Lokie , but remember this is a hotel I'll be leaving in 24—48 hours. I'm not interested in servicing their aircon and cleaning out the years of filth and microbes within. I usually don't take air masks on my vacations, much less cleaning equipment and air freshener. 

Your ideas are indeed appropriate for home aircon though. Thanks 

[RocketDog]

6 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

Has no one considered calling down to the front desk and requiring the condition to be remedied or insisting on a room change. Maybe a non-starter in the cheaper establishments, but if "nice hotel" means quality hotel, I would expect them to have rooms in good condition or to accept responsibility for correcting any problems. Actually I'm surprised a room going for Baht 650 would have anything more than a ceiling fan if that.

In many countries your approach would be reasonable. Here, mostly a waste of time and emotion for a short stay. 

In actual fact my most enjoyable stay was at a small bungalow unit on Thungwualaen Beach in Chumphon for ฿650/night. The beach was beautiful, clean, clear water, quiet streets, and quality food for reasonable prices. I plan to return soon for several days. Only bummer was weak aircon, but it was tolerable given the rest of the situation. 

 

Price does not necessarily equate with a great experience, here or any country. 

 

I think that complaining and expecting instant response from most establishments here is just asking for additional aggravation in the short term, and there is little chance it will be addressed after I leave either. As far accepting responsibility, well, I think you can guess how I feel about that. 

 

I know, a bit cynical, bit I lived long anough to earn a little cynicism. 

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

Surely the answer is not to be such a cheapskate and stay in decent hotels.

It’s not a case of being a cheapskate if you travel around the provinces away from the big cities your options are limited there are places apart from Bangkok.

[mogandave]

It’s not a case of being a cheapskate if you travel around the provinces away from the big cities your options are limited there are places apart from Bangkok.

Don’t know-nothing blow-hards bait you.