Preparing your air conditioning for the wet season

From November, Far North Queensland combines maximum cooling load with extreme rainfall and electrical storms. Everything that was marginal in September fails in January.

Drainage first

• ·Flush and flow-test every condensate drain
• ·Check tray falls and clear blocked or crushed drain lines
• ·Confirm overflow switches and secondary trays are installed and functional
• ·Inspect roof penetrations, flashings and sealant around plant

Then the plant itself

• ·Clean condenser coils so capacity is available when the load peaks
• ·Check refrigerant charge, an under-charged system will not cope
• ·Verify fan motor and bearing condition before continuous run hours begin
• ·Test surge protection and check earthing after storm season damage
• ·Confirm mounting, restraint and tie-downs on external plant

Humidity management

Wet-season complaints are usually about humidity, not temperature. Check that systems are running long enough to dehumidify, that fresh air intakes are not oversized, and that exhaust systems are actually moving air out of wet areas.

Have a plan for failure

Know who you are calling, know your response time, and know whether critical spaces have a fallback. Contract clients get priority attendance for exactly this reason, the wet season is when everyone rings at once.