Air Conditioning Maintenance: What Facilities Managers Need to Know

Facilities managers have a lot on their plate. Between fire safety, security, cleaning, and general building upkeep, air conditioning maintenance often slides down the priority list until something breaks. But reactive maintenance is always more expensive than preventive maintenance, and in some cases — hospitals, data centres, and food storage — downtime is not an option.

A proper air conditioning maintenance schedule should happen at least twice a year: once before the cooling season and once before the heating season. For high-usage commercial systems, quarterly visits are better. Each visit should cover filters, coils, drains, refrigerant levels, electrical connections, and controls.

Filters are the simplest and most overlooked maintenance item. A clogged filter reduces airflow, forces the compressor to work harder, and can eventually cause ice build-up on the evaporator. In a typical office, filters should be checked monthly and replaced or cleaned every three months. In dusty environments like warehouses or workshops, monthly replacement is not excessive.

Condenser and evaporator coils need annual cleaning. Outdoor condenser coils collect dust, pollen, and grime that insulate the fins and reduce heat transfer. Indoor evaporator coils can grow mould and bacteria if drains are blocked, which affects air quality as well as performance. Chemical cleaning restores efficiency and prevents the musty smell that makes occupants complain.

Refrigerant levels should be checked during every service visit. A system running low on refrigerant will have longer run times, higher energy consumption, and reduced cooling capacity. More importantly, low refrigerant usually means there is a leak that needs finding and fixing. Topping up without repairing the leak is just pouring money away.

Electrical connections loosen over time due to thermal expansion and vibration. Loose terminals generate heat, which can damage contactors and eventually cause failure. A proper maintenance visit includes torque checks on all terminals and inspection of contactor contacts for pitting or burning.

Controls and sensors drift. The room temperature sensor that was accurate when commissioned might be reading two degrees high after a year of dust accumulation and thermal drift. Re-calibration ensures the system runs when it should and stops when it should, which directly impacts energy consumption.

At Aboveboard Group, we offer maintenance contracts for all the systems we install. Our engineers know the equipment because they installed it, which means faster diagnostics and more effective repairs. We also keep detailed service records for warranty compliance and can advise when a system is approaching end-of-life and replacement makes more sense than another repair.

If your current maintenance provider is only changing filters and leaving, you are not getting proper maintenance. Call us for a free assessment of your current service schedule and we will tell you honestly what is being missed.