Hi everybody

Could somebody tell me if there is any specific guidance on how often an air conditioning unit should be serviced. The unit is less than a year old and the company that installed it have signed my client up to a service contract which I have no problem with, but they are servicing it 4 times a year. I feel this is excessive but just wanted other people's opinions.

Thank you on advance

Hi Hayley

your post does not specify the duty of the unit - office or industrial, the capacity or the prevalent environmental conditions (dust, damp etc.)

Being responsible for facilities maintenance (both industrial and office units) at several employments a frequency of 4 visits per annum does seem excessive.

Currently have five office units, one server chiller and two industrial cool units via a service contract of two visits per annum - one in Spring just before the real demand kicks in (if we ever get a summer) and then an over winter clean down during Autumn.

The main legislative driver in the UK (over and above general plant safety - PUWER etc.) is environmental driven from Europe with a specific concern to Ozone Depleting Substances - the "F-Gas" regulations

https://www.gov.uk/manag...ditioning-and-heat-pumps

Hayley

As previous posters have mentioned, air conditioning systems are actually composed of a series of component parts: power supplies, electronic controls, refrigeration equipment (chillers), pipework carrying water or refrigerant, pumps, ventilation (ducts, filters, dampers and fans) and heat rejection (condensors and cooling towers). Small (e.g. wall mounted) A/C units might package these together in one unit but anything larger will separate at least the cooling/fan section and the heat rejection section (split units). In large buildings a whole room might be given over just to refrigeration or air handling.

Therefore maintenance intervals for different A/C component parts will vary. Filters might need to be checked monthly, whereas pipework might need to be inspected annually.

Many FM providers sign up to maintenance frequency guides such as SFG20 which provide maintenance interval advice on common building services plant.

Sounds like a small unit in a relatively clean environment. Probably excepted from F-Gas requirements as a new installation would not involve ozone depleting substances. Absolute maximum twice a year and possibly only warrants one service visit. Be very interested to hear a justification from the provider for four visits