Mad March Heat Stresses Coolers

Mad March: A Recent Air-Conditioner Burnout Is a Timely Warning

Cooling systems are getting their biggest workout in recent years. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the “exceptional” run of hot weather will continue all the way to May. This will put additional stress on household cooling systems, which have already had to cope with the highest ever February temperatures recorded in South Australia and unusually windy weather before that.

The air-conditioning unit that failed and burned out was a victim of irregular servicing. “We don’t wait for the wheels to fall off the family car before getting it serviced,” says Sharpe Group spokesman David Sharpe. “But at least 80 per cent of Sharpe Group’s service requests are from people whose systems are not working properly because they haven’t been correctly maintained.”

In this case, the compressor failed, probably because the unit had run low on refrigerant. This put excessive current through the printed circuit board and capacitor, resulting in an ugly and expensive mess.

Good news for the householders is that the failure will most likely be covered by home insurance. But this burnout is by no means an isolated incident.

“Our technicians have uncovered major faults in air-conditioning systems stressed by the recent weather” says Mr Sharpe.

“Now a lack of rainfall and dry winds means filters will be getting clogged up with dirt and dust.”

Sharpe technicians have discovered unusually high damage to cooling components. Some of the worst affected are evaporative systems, with blown-in filter pads, mounting frames cracked by wind buffeting from the major storms late last year and water leaks from piping damaging ceilings.

The gale-force gusts have actually blown in some frames but also caused less obvious structural damage to component mountings and brackets.

“Call us for advice if you have any doubts about your system,” says Mr Sharpe. “Our technicians can thoroughly check your entire system and its operating performance.”

Mr Sharpe says the best policy is to have your evap air-con serviced before Summer or with reverse cycle air conditioners the end of Summer prior to the demands of Winter heating.