AIR CONDITIONING
www.heatingandventilating.net Getting ready for summer
After the recent warm spell and with summer rapidly approaching, how can we prepare for peak performance from air conditioning and air movement systems? Jerry Hall, head of technical services – air conditioning and part of the expert team at Climate Centre, serves up some practical maintenance tips ahead of seasonal demand spikes
W
e all perform maintenance checks on our vehicles, so why wouldn’t we do it with our critical building climate systems? As the weather starts to improve, so too will demand on air conditioning systems in workplaces, schools, hospitals, retail and other commercial buildings. Regular checks don’t just ensure that the unit is working properly, but can also keep energy use, callout charges and wear and tear to a minimum. Remember, it will only take one hot day with no air conditioning to impact productivity, employee satisfaction and – where applicable – turn customers off.
Statutory requirements
There are, of course, regulatory requirements to consider. An inspection by an energy assessor is required every five years on air conditioning units with an output of over 12kW, under the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, as amended in 2020 (the EPB regulations). Additional requirements around F-gas are specified in the Fluorinated gas (F gas): guidance for users, producers and traders. However, these are minimum requirements – think of it as the MOT, compared to annual servicing. All reputable manufacturers recommended regular, additional maintenance checks at least twice a year, and particularly head of seasonal demand spikes.
Boost your system efficiency
We work closely with manufacturer partners to help customers understand how to use, maintain and
14 July 2025
optimise their systems. Whether you are a contractor selling added value maintenance solutions, a facilities management company with responsibility for client buildings, or an in-house maintenance/ estates manager, these simple steps will help you to boost system efficiency and keep systems running more effectively. 1. Clean or replace filters The role of an air filter is to remove air pollutants, so it is inevitable they will get clogged. This impacts system efficiency, making the system work harder and adding unnecessary strain to parts. It will require more energy, cost more to run the system and could reduce the lifespan of parts by adding strain. Simply cleaning or changing the air filter every few months will help businesses to run a more efficient system. 2. Clear blocked coils The next step is to locate, inspect and clean the evaporator and condenser coils of your AC unit. External evaporator coils need to be cleaned to ensure any commercial AC system performs efficiently, particularly as they are susceptible to dirt, debris and leaves, building up on the external casing. When there is too much dirt, the coil won’t transfer heat efficiently and can potentially lead to temperature control issues or even a potential component failure. Make sure you are familiar with manufacturer
guidance. Cleaning coils requires the system to be powered off and use of a specialist cleaning solution. 3. Confirm correct refrigerant charge Another vital element of air conditioning maintenance is to make sure that the refrigerant in the system is checked and any leaks are repaired and reported
under F Gas Regulations. A technician will first check the refrigerant charge, if the charge is low, they will locate the air conditioning unit’s refrigerant lines and access valves. If the system is low on refrigerant, it may be an
indicator that there is a leak which needs to be repaired by a HVAC specialist in line with F Gas regulations. With older systems, there is a potential for a number of different refrigerants to be used on the same site. Identify that the refrigerant each system is optimised to use, to ensure that systems operate with the correct type of refrigerant. 4. Inspect drain line Next, locate and check the drain line, which is the small pipe that removes water and debris from the drain pan to a drain or outdoors. This water must be drained for any air conditioning unit to function properly, but again there is a risk that dirt and other debris might block the pipe. It is an easy fix once you have located the pipe. Some systems use a condensate pump, which
removes water from the drain pan when required. Check the correct operation of the condensate pump, including effective condensate removal with no restrictions. 5. Check electricals Finally, it is vital to check the AC electricals as part of any maintenance programme. This should include checking wiring, connections and components for signs of wear, damage, or loose connections. Make sure electrical connections are properly tightened and for a thorough maintenance check, test the electrical components are working properly, by measuring voltage and amperage.
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