Pre-Season Aircon Checklist for Jeffreys Bay Holiday Homes

Why timing matters

In Jeffreys Bay, December is our busiest month by far. The town fills up, the heat arrives and every aircon that was ignored all winter gets switched on in the same week. If yours fails then, you are competing with everyone else for a technician, and if a part needs to be ordered, it may not arrive before your guests leave.

Doing your checks in October or early November gives you a buffer. Most problems can be fixed in one visit, and anything needing parts has time to be sorted.

The checklist

1. Look before you switch on

Before running the unit, take a look at both parts of the system.

Indoor unit:

• Are there any water stains on the wall below it?
• Is there mould or black spots on the vents or louvres?
• Is the remote there and are its batteries working?

Outdoor unit:

• Is sand piled up against or inside the unit?
• Are the fins white, powdery or crumbling from salt?
• Are there signs of insects, nests or rodents?
• Are the brackets and bolts rusty?
• Is the area around it clear of plants, boards, bins and debris?

2. Clean the filters

Open the front panel of the indoor unit and slide out the filters. Rinse them under a tap, shake off excess water and let them dry in the shade before refitting. Dirty filters are the simplest cause of weak cooling and frozen coils.

3. Rinse the outdoor unit

Switch the unit off at the isolator. Using a gentle spray from a garden hose, rinse the outdoor coil to remove sand and salt. Do not use a pressure washer, which bends the fins. Remove any sand that has collected at the base.

4. Run it properly

Switch the isolator back on, wait a minute, then set the unit to cooling mode at around 20 degrees. Let it run for at least 30 minutes with doors and windows closed.

5. Check the air temperature

After 15 to 20 minutes, the air from the indoor unit should feel noticeably cold. If it feels cool rather than cold, or the room is not cooling, the unit may be low on gas or have a fault.

6. Check the outdoor unit while it runs

• Is the fan spinning?
• Is the compressor running? You should hear a steady hum.
• Is warm air blowing out of the unit?
• Is there any ice on the pipes?

7. Check the drain

After half an hour of cooling, water should be dripping from the drain pipe outside. If there is no water outside, but water appears at the indoor unit, the drain is blocked.

8. Listen

Rattles, buzzing, squealing or clicking can indicate loose parts, worn fan motors or electrical problems. Note when the noise happens and which unit it comes from.

9. Smell

A musty smell when the unit starts suggests mould on the coil. A burning smell means switch off immediately and call a technician.

10. Test heating if you have it

If your unit is reverse-cycle, briefly test heating mode too. Guests may want it on cooler evenings, and over Easter.

When to call a technician

Book a service or repair if:

• The air is not cold after 20 minutes
• The outdoor unit does not start, or hums without the fan spinning
• Ice forms on any pipes
• Water leaks indoors
• There is an error code
• There are persistent unusual noises or smells
• The outdoor unit shows significant salt corrosion

Even if everything works, a professional service once a year is worth it for a rental. It catches weak capacitors, slow gas leaks and early corrosion that a visual check cannot.

Make it easy for guests

• Leave a laminated card with simple instructions next to each remote.
• Suggest a temperature of 23 to 25 degrees.
• Ask guests to close doors and windows when the aircon is on.
• Include a contact number for problems.
• Ask guests not to dry wetsuits and towels in air-conditioned rooms, which floods the unit with moisture.

During the season

Between guests, ask your cleaner to check that filters are not clogged, that there is no water on the wall below the indoor unit and that the remote is working. A two-minute check between bookings catches small problems early.

After the season

In February or March, rinse the outdoor units, clean the filters and switch off at the isolator if the house will be empty for a long time, or ask someone to run the units monthly.