How often do you get your ACs cleaned?

[scubascuba3]

Mine is 6 months old, so kinda due a clean but I'm slightly nervous about getting it cleaned. A well known company put gas in unnecessarily and on a later clean managed to cause a fault, so they are out for sure, can others be trusted?

In Pattaya

[NE1]

I do a mini clean once a fortnight , take filters off clean with air gun , spray water on condenser or whatever its called , then a/c cleaning foam leave for 20 - 30 mins. spray with water and leave to dry.

Put the filters back.

Only problem i have with outside contractors is the water pressure bending the fins in the condenser .

 

[novacova]

Depends how often the unit is used and how much dust and smoke particles it collects, I check the fins when the filters are cleaned. We use pre filter sheets, it keeps the ac’s pretty clean for an extended duration. It’s been three years since the last one was cleaned.

[BKKKevin]

Have them all done annually... Complete spray clean and gas topup... Same local guy I've worked with for years... Never a problem... Accept once when one had a fault that turned out to be a gecko trying to mate with a motherboard... Not a pretty sight... ;-(...

I'm located in Chiang Mai...

[bkk6060]

39 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Mine is 6 months old, so kinda due a clean but I'm slightly nervous about getting it cleaned. A well known company put gas in unnecessarily and on a later clean managed to cause a fault, so they are out for sure, can others be trusted?

In Pattaya

Yeah, I guess it is a crap shoot.  Had mine cleaned recently one of them now makes a click click noise for about 15 mintues when I turn it on.  I called the cleaning company and they said it would eventually stop.  That was 2 months ago.

[scubascuba3]

46 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

Have them all done annually... Complete spray clean and gas topup... Same local guy I've worked with for years... Never a problem... Accept once when one had a fault that turned out to be a gecko trying to mate with a motherboard... Not a pretty sight... ;-(...

I'm located in Chiang Mai...

If they are filling up gas you have a leak, why haven't they fixed that?

[DualSportBiker]

Every three to four months.

 

As for replenishing the refrigerant, it is a scam! Unless they leak and empty within a couple of months, they retain 100% of the gas. This is the biggest domestic scam out there.

[BKKKevin]

19 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If they are filling up gas you have a leak, why haven't they fixed that?

When I said top up the gas I should have said check they gas pressure... Basically the seem to attach a tank with a pressure guage to the compressor unit and look at pressure ( they also use a laser temp monitor to guage the fan unit temperature).. I assume this is a standard procedure and if they find it low I assume they add more gas... They have never said it was low or charged me extra for the procedure...

[KannikaP]

19 hours ago, DualSportBiker said:

Every three to four months.

 

As for replenishing the refrigerant, it is a scam! Unless they leak and empty within a couple of months, they retain 100% of the gas. This is the biggest domestic scam out there.

Agreed. Get mine cleaned every 6 months, needed or not.

NEVER had any gas refilled on 5 x Mitsus in 12 years. Ther odd condenser replaced and that's it. Am getting a TCL fitted tomorrow. Will keep a check on it.

[scubascuba3]

16 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

When I said top up the gas I should have said check they gas pressure... Basically the seem to attach a tank with a pressure guage to the compressor unit and look at pressure ( they also use a laser temp monitor to guage the fan unit temperature).. I assume this is a standard procedure and if they find it low I assume they add more gas... They have never said it was low or charged me extra for the procedure...

Usually they add on extra for gas, 500 for clean is standard in Pattaya, 200 extra for gas which may or may not be legit

[scubascuba3]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Agreed. Get mine cleaned every 6 months, needed or not.

NEVER had any gas refilled on 5 x Mitsus in 12 years. Ther odd condenser replaced and that's it. Am getting a TCL fitted tomorrow. Will keep a check on it.

My TCL has been great, I didn't bother with the WiFi version which may have a benefit

[brewsterbudgen]

Every 6 months.

[4MyEgo]

21 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Mine is 6 months old, so kinda due a clean but I'm slightly nervous about getting it cleaned. A well known company put gas in unnecessarily and on a later clean managed to cause a fault, so they are out for sure, can others be trusted?

 

I get our units cleaned every 2-3 years. 

 

It all depends on how often you use them, we only use them at night going to bed and also press the auto clean button on the control every week or so.

 

I have used 2 different air con cleaners, both useless and always try to extract extra baht from me, but I tell them up front, only clean air conditioners, no gas, no need, when they argue, I tell them I was a refrigeration mechanic many years ago and they shut up as they know they're game is up, suffice to say, unless there is a leak, there is no need for a top up of gas.

 

These guys are rough as guts, and if I wasn't worried about falling off the ladder, I'd do it myself, hang on a second, the wife is younger than me by 2 decades.

 

[Hummin]

Before and after rainseason we service, and clean filter every month or so.

[connda]

Once a year including full cleaning, servicing, and Freon check/top-off.  Clean the filters myself.

[seajae]

just had ours done this week, we usually do them every 6 months unless we start to get dripping water from them(caused by lots of dust in the air) then we get them cleaned straight away. We have found good cleaners  and they do a really top job, they also fit air conditioners as well so are up on what needs to be done, they actually removed an air con from our other house and fitted it into our daughters new bangalow we have had built next to out house and patched the holes etc where it came from in the other house. We have had a couple of dud cleaners over the years so when you find a good one you stick with them

[OneMoreFarang]

I can easily lean the filter screens of my Daikin ACs myself. 

It seems these screens will block most of dust, hair, etc.

 

Ask neighbors about AC cleaning companies which they use and their experience.

I have a guy with a small family business and he and his son do a good job.

[OneMoreFarang]

44 minutes ago, connda said:

Freon check/top-off

is this really necessary?

I think normally ACs don't lose "gas".

And if they lose it, then the ACs work not as good and it's easy to know something has to be checked and done.

[SAFETY FIRST]

56 minutes ago, connda said:

Once a year including full cleaning, servicing, and Freon check/top-off.  Clean the filters myself.

If you are getting your Freon topped up, your AC has issues, it's a closed system.

 

Freon should not be escaping. 

 

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Usually they add on extra for gas, 500 for clean is standard in Pattaya, 200 extra for gas which may or may not be legit

4 years now and no gas added, as long no leaks, not necessary 

 

Google search

The refrigerant gas in the air conditioning system is not consumed or used up with normal use. The refrigerant simply circulates through the system, without fading or depleting. Unless there is a leak in the system, there is no need to recharge the refrigerant gasA common belief is that refrigerant gas runs out over time and therefore needs to be recharged. However, this is incorrect. The refrigerant gas in the air conditioning system is not consumed or used up with normal use. The refrigerant simply circulates through the system, without fading or depleting. Unless there is a leak in the system, there is no need to recharge the refrigerant gas.

 

https://www.climamarket.eu/blog/en/is-it-necessary-to-recharge-the-air-conditioning-in-your-home/#:~:text=The refrigerant gas in the,to recharge the refrigerant gas.

[novacova]

25 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

is this really necessary?

I think normally ACs don't lose "gas".

And if they lose it, then the ACs work not as good and it's easy to know something has to be checked and done.

If an ac ever needs recharged with refrigerant then it certainly it has a leak and needs to be repaired. If a serviceman is loading refrigerant annually then they either are lackies or scammers.

[Gottfrid]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Mine is 6 months old, so kinda due a clean but I'm slightly nervous about getting it cleaned. A well known company put gas in unnecessarily and on a later clean managed to cause a fault, so they are out for sure, can others be trusted?

In Pattaya

Trust no one! Anyway, the recommendation for air con daily used is a clean every 3 months.

[novacova]

3 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Trust no one! Anyway, the recommendation for air con daily used is a clean every 3 months.

Haven’t cleaned this for at least three years…

using a pre filter stays clean.

[proton]

22 hours ago, BKKKevin said:

Have them all done annually... Complete spray clean and gas topup... Same local guy I've worked with for years... Never a problem... Accept once when one had a fault that turned out to be a gecko trying to mate with a motherboard... Not a pretty sight... ;-(...

I'm located in Chiang Mai...

 

The gas top up is often a scam, unless it's leaking no need, if it is they have to fix the leak before top up. Ours used to do this every time he came, when we got the Mitsu guys round they said there was too much gas and had to let some out!

[Gottfrid]

10 minutes ago, novacova said:

Haven’t cleaned this for at least three years…

using a pre filter stays clean.

The recommendation will still be every 3 month, even if YOU don´t clean.

[FritsSikkink]

every 6 months

[CallumWK]

13 minutes ago, novacova said:

Haven’t cleaned this for at least three years…

using a pre filter stays clean.

 

I'm sure your cross flow fan will look very clean as well, as does the drain tray

[novacova]

1 minute ago, Gottfrid said:

The recommendation will still be every 3 month, even if YOU don´t clean.

I assume the filters you mean? During the smoke season weekly for the filters. If the interior of head and fins are clean then it’s not a bother. 
 

 

1 minute ago, CallumWK said:

 

I'm sure your cross flow fan will look very clean as well, as does the drain tray

Of course, everything is checked when the filters are cleaned 

[Cameroni]

I met this tall intelligent Chinese guy. He told me to use 3M filter sheets during burning season. Is anyone doing this as well?

[chiang mai]

Just now, Cameroni said:

I met this tall intelligent Chinese guy. He told me to use 3M filter sheets during burning season. Is anyone doing this as well?

Yes. Filtrette by 3 M, cover two thirds of the air intake screen only.