FAQ

Energy Savings

How can I save energy when using my air conditioner?

The following tips will help you ensure your air conditioner is both comfortable and economical all year round:

• During hot weather, turn your air conditioner on early in the day rather than working it harder once your building warms up.
• Adjust the louvers on split system air conditioners so they disperse air downwards when heating and horizontally when cooling as hot air will want to rise and cool air will fall naturally.
• Clean the air filters regularly.
• When purchasing an air conditioner check the energy star labels on your air conditioner – the more stars, the more energy efficient.

How do I make my air conditioner use less power?

1. Use it less.
2. You can eliminate unnecessary operation of your system by ensuring that your air conditioner switches off automatically if someone forgets to turn it off?
3. Have a timer programmed to turn off multiple times per day at predetermined times.

Can I reduce energy usage while still using my air conditioner

You can if you use it economically, if you close windows, doors, curtains and blinds, you can help your conditioner cool a room more quickly. Air Conditioners with inverters and auto settings are economical in power consumption because they automatically adapt and maintain the temperature you want.

Can I leave doors and windows open while operating my air conditioner

You can leave windows and doors open, but it’s not a very good idea if you are trying to heat or cool your room. If you are trying to cool down a room, it’s best to close the curtains, blinds and windows during the hottest part of the day. This will keep your home cooler and prevent your air conditioner from having to work harder or having to use more energy then it has to.

What is an Inverter?

An inverter in relation to air conditioning terms is a type of air conditioning system that incorporates a power conversion circuit which provides optimum power control and extremely efficient operation by changing the frequency of the power supply which varies the cooling or heating capacity. So even though you get accurate, smooth and flexible operation, you use less electricity than conventional units.

Please note that energy savings are only realised when the system is correctly sized. Undersized inverter systems will cost more to run.

Energy efficiency and maintenance

How often do I clean my air filter?

A general indication is when the filter light flashes. But depending on the environment or the air cleanliness, in a normal domestic situation once or twice every season can be adequate.

For a commercial situation, filter cleaning should be carried out once every month.

Some indoor units are fitted with Catechin and various Air Purifying Filters, which have specific maintenance instructions. Therefore the individual instructions supplied with each unit should be carefully followed.

I’ve cleaned my air filter but the light won’t go off?

You will need to press the filter timer reset button. On wall splits and floor consoles you will need to remove the grille to find the reset button. With ducted, light commercial and commercial situations the reset button is on the controller.

Can I switch my air conditioner off at the PowerPoint, Isolator or at the fuse box?

It is OK to turn the power off, especially if you are away for long periods or not using your air conditioner for weeks on end. Most units have a low wattage crankcase heater that keeps the compressor warm. If the compressor is cold, damage will occur at startup. If you turn your air conditioner off at the PowerPoint, isolator or fuse box it must be turned on at least 12 hrs before use.

I have a ducted air conditioner and the air only comes out in part of the house?

Ducted systems can be designed so that only parts of the house (zones) can be air conditioned at a time. Check that the zone switch is turned on.

During the heating cycle, a white mist is expelled from the outdoor fans?

During winter, most air conditioners defrost when the outdoor temperature is below 6°C. This mist is normal, it is only warm water vapour being expelled.

General

Can I have plants on or around the air conditioner? If so, how close?

The operation manual outlines the requirements when placing plants near an air conditioner. Plants should generally be kept from direct exposure to warm or cold air being blown from both the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. Try to place plants out of direct drafts from the indoor unit. The outdoor unit should never have plants or any other material obstructing airflow. At least 1m of space in front and 100mm behind the outdoor unit is required for trouble free operation. It is also a good idea to ensure that leaves and vegetation does not clog up the heat exchanger.

Can you have day/night mode or multiple zones on at the same time?

Yes, if your air conditioner is correctly sized and you know what your master zone is (the amount of area that your system was designed to cool or heat at a determined temperature) you can turn on that quantity of zones If it is cooler than the design temperature you can run more zones ok alternatively If you want to cool or heat up an area more quickly you can turn off a zone of two (depending on your design).

The ‘Master Zone’ concept

The ‘Master Zone’ is an important concept in understanding which air conditioning unit is right for your home and for your family. This can be the difference between an outstanding result and one that is perhaps a little less than perfect.

Essentially, the Master Zone represents the largest workload that the air conditioning unit will manage at any one time.

Do the feet on the outside unit have to be bolted to the floor?

The unit should be placed on a firm level base. A qualified installer should be consulted to determine the need for securing bolts on a case by case basis. It is always a good idea to strap the unit to a wall or roof if it is not fastened down at the feet to minimise the risk of the unit tipping over.

How far away from the wall should the outdoor unit be (from the front and back of it)?

Manufacturers have detailed information on how to locate their specific equipment which is generally included in the installation manuals, however here is some information if no other information is available.

At the front (fan side) of the unit, no less than a distance of 1m is recommended for a small split AC and 2m for a large package AC. More would be preferable. At the back (no fan side) of unit, no less than 100mm is needed for a small split AC and 200mm for a large package AC. More would be preferable. N.B All outdoor units not only need a minimum distance around them, but also must be located so that the discharge air they blow out can escape away from the unit, and new ambient air can be taken through the unit. Careful consideration regarding location is required by an experienced installer.

How much distance do I have to allow on the left and right sides of my outdoor unit?

On the side of the outdoor unit where pipes enter, maximum space possible should be allowed so that the unit can be serviced more easily. The minimum distance at the piping end should be 300mm for a small split AC and 500mm for a large package AC. At the end opposite pipes the minimum recommended distance is 100mm but more is preferable.

If I purchase three units, can I use just one remote controller for all of them?

No, this is not recommended. If one remote is used to start more than one unit, the load on the power supply is much too great. Each indoor unit should have a separate remote control. In this situation each remote must be set-up by the installer to operate its individual indoor unit correctly.

My unit (has been) (was) working in heating mode. Suddenly it has stopped and the outdoor unit has ice on it. Is this a problem?

No, ice on the outdoor unit is not a problem. The unit has controls that allow it to monitor the ice build up on the outdoor unit and will occasionally go into a de-ice mode to clear the ice. The full de-icing mode can last up to 30 minutes.

Why is my air conditioning blowing cold air but it is in heat mode.

If the desired temperature has been reached in the room space then the indoor unit will slow the fan but continue to circulate a small amount of air so as to measure room air temperature. This air is actually at room temperature but may feel “cooler” because the indoor unit has stopped heating the air until the room temp falls again.

The fan keeps cutting in and out. Is there a problem?

When the indoor fan is set to auto and when the air conditioner is set to heating mode the indoor fan can turn on and off automatically in order to provide the temperature conditions set by the user and also to protect the unit from icing up and other potentially damaging conditions.

The outside unit drips water. Is this normal?

It is completely normal for the outside unit to drip water, particularly when operating a window unit or in heating mode. The unit has a drain outlet and coupling supplied should you wish to connect a drain pipe to remove this water.

What is soft/dry mode?

Soft/Dry/Dehumidification mode is used to de-humidify the room space. The unit does this by air conditioning for a minimum amount of time, which allows collection of moisture from the air without changing the temperature noticeably.

What size air conditioner do I need to condition my room?

The correct size unit for a room is not only decided by room area, but also many other factors. Qualified assistance should always be sought when purchasing a unit for a specific room size.

Service, Maintenance and breakdowns

What happens if you don’t have your air conditioner serviced regularly?

1. The system becomes clogged up, diminishing cooling and heating ability.
2. Will cost more to run.
3. Increases Co2 Emissions.
4. Can void Warranty if not properly maintained.
5. Increase the risks of water damage to ceilings.
6. Lessens the life of the Air Conditioner.
7. Increased bacterial growth causing offensive odors and health issues.

Residential air-conditioners should be serviced at least once a year and commercial systems between 4 and 12 times a year (depending on the class of building) to ensure you get the maximum benefit from your investment.

Note - Some classes of buildings like nursing homes and hospitals need to be serviced to Australian standards once per month for compliance.

My air conditioner is noisy how do I make it quieter.

The outdoor unit is too noisy -

1. Move it to a more suitable location.
2. Build a fence or barrier that will baffle the sound without restricting the air flow.
3. Vibration is causing the noise
   • Ensure that the unit is mounted properly; Additional vibration rubber or rubber mounts can be fitted.
   • If the unit is mounted on wall brackets, sound may be transmitted throughout the building structure, consider relocating the unit.
4. The compressor is loud.
   • Refresh air conditioning can provide a sound deadening wrap to reduce the compressor noise.

How can I make my air conditioner last longer.

1. Ensure that it is serviced regularly.
2. Keep both the indoor and outdoor unit clean and free from chemicals and obstructions.
3. Ensure that it does not operate unnecessarily.

Can you make the air healthier and cleaner?

Yes, In addition to a basic service and filter clean or replacement, additional treatments like –

1. Detailed clean which includes partial disassembly if the air conditioner
2. Steam cleaning.
3. Chemical treatments specific to the equipment or problem encountered.
4. For mould buildup a simple combination of 80% vinegar and 20% water.
5. There is mould around the ridge cap of my roof.
6. Unfortunately a lot of bathroom and toilet ventilation systems extract humid air from inside the building and dump it inside the roof cavity.

Some ways to resolve this are to.

1. Duct the ventilation fans to outside.
2. Fit Roof ventilators in the roof.

Can you kill air bourn flu and other viruses?

Yes, A Daikin photocataytic air purifier can further enhance the quality of the air you breath by providing multiple levels of filtration and absorbs viruses and bacteria.

What will happen if I cut the gas pipes on an air conditioner.

Apart from being highly illegal, and releasing ozone depleting, global warming substance , you can contaminate the system with moisture and foreign matter which will ultimately result in an expensive equipment failure.

Please call Refresh air conditioning for decommissioning, disconnecting and moving refrigerant lines legally.

Why does my air conditioner smell some times.

If an air conditioner becomes dirty and is not regularly serviced they can smell, Another reason is when the system is working on cooling the heat exchanger becomes moist, if the unit switches to heating the bacteria in the moist coil can smell and soon goes away.

My air conditioner makes a large hissing noise when on heating.

This is ok, it is the reversing valve changing the direction if the gas, on some systems you can reduce this noise by setting the controller from auto to either heating or cooling.

My air conditioner is short of gas.

If your air conditioner is losing gas and needs regasing regularly It means that there is a gas leak and needs to be correctly repaired, sometimes it takes a while to locate tiny leaks but the time invested in a proper repair will offer the following advantages.

1. Better reliability
2. Lower risk of compressor failure.
3. Better performance
4. Lower power consumption.
5. Stops the release of ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants into the atmosphere.

My air conditioner is not working properly

Check that you have power and the power is on.

Check the settings e.g. select either cooling or heating.

Ensure the if you are trying to cool an area check that the temperature setting is set lower than the actual room temperature.

Ensure the if you are trying to heat an area check that the temperature setting is set higher than the actual room temperature.

TIPS TO GET THE BEST OUT YOUR AIR CONDITIONER…

• Be sure always to clean the air filters before use at the beginning of Summer and Winter (dirt and dust caught in the air filter causes a drop in airflow, which leads to a decline in performance). When using the unit in a location where dirt may easily accumulate, clean filters more frequently. Once every 2 weeks is recommended.
• Regularly inspect the outdoor unit to ensure the aluminum fins and fan outlets are not obstructed by vegetation or any other foreign objects.
• If the air filter is cleaned and the filter light won’t go off – you will need to press the reset button. For the wall split systems and floor consoles you will need to remove the grille to find the reset button. With ducted air conditioning systems the reset button is on the controller. (This filter light is just a reminder and works off a timer, so if it is on, it does not necessarily mean that the filter is dirty).
• If there has been a local power failure, simply switch off the power to the air conditioning in the meter box or the isolator that is next to the outdoor unit and switch it back on again after 30 seconds.
• Do not leave open any windows or door which will allow loss of conditioned air.
• Draw blinds or curtains over windows to prevent direct sunlight entering during the cooling cycle
• If the Air Conditioner is not being used for a long period of time, switch off at Isolator. When turning the system on after having it off at the isolator for a long period of time. Turn on the isolator and wait for 6 hours before running the system (tern the controller on).
  (This allows the oil to warm up and minimize the risk of compressor damage).
• If the Air Conditioning system is not working correctly or at all, please reset system and refer to your Operation Manual. If still faulty, contact our Service Department as soon as possible.

Ducted Air Conditioning Systems Only

• Make sure safety drain pipe not leaking
• On extremely hot days concentrate the air on specific areas by using the zone controller if installed.
• For small rooms and bedrooms – is there enough gap under doors or leave them open to allow airflow to return back to the return air grill for maximum efficiency.

Air Conditioning Split Systems Only

• Check batteries in remote control – is the machine beeping you when you operate the control. Make Sure they are correctly installed