Scheduled Heating and Cooling Maintenance

For most homes we work on two visits. An autumn visit prepares the heating side and a spring visit prepares cooling, and on a reverse cycle system both visits touch the same equipment with a different emphasis. Homes with only one split system used mainly for cooling are usually fine on a single annual spring service.

Rental properties and small commercial sites tend to sit on a fixed twice yearly cycle regardless, because the record matters as much as the work. We keep the history on file so you are not relying on a shoebox of invoices when a warranty question comes up in year five.

A real service involves measurements, not just a wipe down. We clean or replace filters, wash the indoor and outdoor coils, flush the condensate drain and test the overflow switch, check and tighten electrical terminations, test capacitors under load, measure running current against the nameplate and check the temperature difference across the coil.

On refrigerated systems we assess charge by measuring, not by adding gas. On ducted systems we inspect accessible duct joints and insulation, check zone motors drive fully, and look at return air filtration. On evaporative we service the pads, pump, water distribution and drain, and check the roof penetration for signs of leaks.

A dirty condenser coil can add a noticeable percentage to running cost because the system has to work harder to reject the same heat. A restricted filter does the same at the other end. Neither of those failures announces itself, they just quietly raise your bill and shorten the compressor life.

The other value is timing. A capacitor that reads low in September will fail in January, and January is when the diary is full and the repair costs more. Almost every emergency we attend in a heatwave had a symptom that a service in spring would have caught. The other cost is availability. In the middle of a hot week the whole industry is booked, so the wait is measured in days rather than hours, and you are competing with every other household in the same position.

Manufacturers expect equipment to be maintained, and a failed compressor on a filthy system with no service history is a difficult warranty conversation. A dated report showing the system was serviced and the measurements taken removes most of that argument.

For rental properties, documented servicing supports your obligations around appliances being kept in good working order, and it protects you when a tenant reports a fault. We can schedule maintenance directly with tenants and copy reports to the agent or owner.

Clean the return air or head unit filters every one to three months during heavy use, keep at least half a metre clear around the outdoor unit and cut back any shrubs growing into it, and rinse the outdoor coil with a gentle hose spray in spring if you live near the bay in Altona, Williamstown or Point Cook where salt is a factor.

Listen to the system. New noises, longer run times to reach the same temperature and water appearing where it did not before are the three signals worth calling about rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.