Air Conditioning Maintenance Costs and What Affects Them

Air conditioning maintenance should be at the top of your priorities. As we potentially move into a UK heat wave and temperature AC maintenance should be even more important in order to ensure that your air conditioning can cope with the constant fluctuations and temperature highs and lows experienced in the UK.

What Happens When Air Conditioning Maintenance Is Neglected?

As we’ve discussed in a number of other articles when air conditioning maintenance is ignored or neglected your HVAC can start to develop a range of issues. These include:

• lack of temperature control leading to your business or home being either too hot or too cold.
• reduced air quality as your air conditioning fails to filter the air that’s moving through the system resulting in an accumulation of dirt, dust, toxins or pollutants which then may be dispersed into the air, lowering the air quality.
• refrigerant leaks can cause a complete breakdown of your air conditioning. It’s important to note that refrigerant leaks can be dangerous and should only be handled by a professional air conditioning engineer.
• failure of components can occur if an HVAC system isn’t maintained, leading to individual components failing faster than expected which in turn may affect other components causing a cascade of issues.
• the general wear and tear of the system as it gets older is to be expected however lack of maintenance can mean the system has to work harder to compensate for failing parts which in turn can cause more wear and tear and result in more serious issues. More component failures will result in higher repair bills and energy charges.
• unpleasant smells within the system which can be the result of the accumulation of water in the ductwork, drain lines or drain pan or the build up of dust and dirt can lead to the growth of mould and mildew. Dirty filters can also cause smells especially in hot weather.
• where an HVAC has to work harder it will use more electricity to do the same job it was intended for, resulting in higher energy bills.

The Benefits of Air Conditioning Maintenance

What’s the point of regular maintenance? Why not just call out an engineer when my system has an issue? Surely that would be more cost effective? It’s a question we’re often asked. It’s clear that maintenance is important. Planned preventative maintenance can be very cost effective, saving you the cost of expensive repair bills. Regular maintenance can help to:

• prolong the lifespan of your system as it will be working efficiently and effectively rather than having to “overwork” or compensate when there are issues.
• prevent permanent damage to a part (or multiple parts where one failing part has impacted other components within the system).
• pick up issues promptly rather than leaving them to become major issues.
• ensure your air conditioning system is working as it should to clean the air and maintain the right temperature.
• make savings on your electricity bill as your system maintains it’s efficiency. A poorly performing system will use more energy to get the same result as an efficient system.
• stops bad smells and odours from being generated by your system.

How Much Does Air Conditioning Maintenance Cost?

Clearly air conditioning maintenance is important if you want to avoid issues and keep your HVAC running smoothly throughout the summer and winter months with no disruption to service. Maintenance could, in fact, save money in the long term. However, you may be asking how much will air conditioning maintenance (planned preventative maintenance) cost?

AC maintenance costs will depend on several different factors including:

Size

The size of your HVAC system is important. The bigger your building the more air conditioning units, ductwork etc. will be required to maintain and regulate the air and temperature. The bigger the system the more work will be involved in maintaining it. Conversely the smaller the system the less it will cost.

Type Of Units

Different types of air conditioning come with different types of technologies and different levels of complexity. The more complex an AC system the more it’s likely to cost to repair.

Age

The age of your system will play a major role in how much it costs to maintain it. The average lifespan of an air conditioning unit ranges from between 10 to 15 years. As AC systems get older, like all electrical and mechanical equipment, they tend to become less reliable and have more issues and therefore require more maintenance. More frequent maintenance visits are also required to try to prevent more serious issues. Older systems parts can also become harder to source and as a result they are also frequently more expensive to replace.

Air conditioning systems over 15 years old using R-22 HCFC which develop issues, including problems with the R-22 refrigerant, may need to be replaced or modified to accept new eco-friendly refrigerants, as it is illegal to top up or replace R-22.

Accessibility

Where your air conditioning units are sited can also affect maintenance costs. If your units are harder to get to then maintenance checks and repairs can take longer.

Frequency of Repair

As your system requires more maintenance, usually towards the end of its lifespan, it will require more frequent maintenance visits which will increase the cost of maintenance.

Once a system reaches the end of its life or when your system is constantly having issues requiring more maintenance visits, it’s time to look at replacing your system with a newer, more energy efficient model.

Synecore For Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and Maintenance

Synecore are approved installers of the industry’s leading office air conditioning products by Mistusbishi Electric, Daikin and Toshiba. We operate throughout Kent, London and the UK, providing commercial and industrial clients with the very best in air conditioning maintenance.

If you’re looking to install a new air conditioning installation or need to replace an old system, contact our team or call on 01795 509 509. We’ll talk you through your options and provide you with expert advice on the right office air conditioning system for your business.