Blog

Air conditioning in a hot and humid climate like Brisbane and Queensland is an essential for year round comfort. However, if you’ve noticed an unpleasant, musty smell coming from your air conditioner, it could be an indication that mold or mildew is growing somewhere inside the unit. This is not a problem to put off or ignore as contaminants in your air conditioner can lead to poor air quality, and health problems for your household.

There are a number of possible causes of a musty smelling air conditioner, from excess moisture within the unit, to an oversized air conditioner that is unable to properly dehumidify. Below are the most common causes of a musty smelling air conditioner and how to fix them.
Excess Moisture In Ducts Or Vents
One reason for musty smelling air coming from your air conditioner is if there is a build up of excess moisture in the ducts or vents. In humid climates like we have in Queensland, the moisture in the air can cause excess moisture to build up inside the air ducts and vents of your air conditioning system.

Unfortunately, the dark and damp environment created by the build up of moisture inside the system is an ideal place for mold and mildew to form. Not only will this cause the musty smell coming from your air conditioner, it can also affect the air quality in your home as contaminants are circulated through the air. This is particularly harmful in households with children, elderly, or anyone with respiratory conditions, so it’s important to address the problem as soon as possible.
How To Fix It
The best way to ensure that any mold or mildew is completely cleared out of your air conditioning system is […]

Is your air conditioner running up the power bill more than it used to? Taking longer to cool down the house? Needs repairs and maintenance more frequently than it used to? Installed over 10 years ago?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to seriously consider replacing your air conditioner.
Signs It’s Time To Replace AC

Higher Energy Bills
If you’ve noticed that your energy bill has been increasing, but your usage has stayed relatively the same, it may be a sign that it’s time to replace your AC unit. As an air conditioner reaches the end of it’s warranty and useful life, parts of the system will become worn, operating less efficiently than they used to. As a result, the air conditioner will use more energy to cool the same room, driving up your power bill.

Depending on the type of air conditioner you have, this can happen anywhere between 5 to 10 years after installation. For air conditioners that have not been well maintained, a significant decrease in energy efficiency can happen much sooner.
Takes Longer To Cool
Another sign that your air conditioner may be failing is if it takes longer to cool a room or area than it used to. If this happens to your air conditioner, there are a few things you can try before jumping straight to replacing the unit.

For starters, clean both the indoor and outdoor units of your air conditioner. Ensure that there is no grass, branches, or debris in or around the outdoor unit that could be clogging up the system. In addition, change the filter and book in a professional service.

If the problem continues or returns soon afterwards, it’s time to replace the unit.
Needs Frequent […]

Air conditioning in schools is often considered an unnecessary luxury. However, warm classrooms can negatively affect all aspects of the school experience including learning capacity, concentration, test results, attitude, and even health.

Air conditioning is essential for schools in hotter climates to not only ensure that comfort and health of staff and students, but also to increase productivity, behaviour, engagement, and results.
The Benefits of Air Conditioning In Schools

Increase Concentration
One of the many benefits that air conditioning can provide in schools is increased concentration, not only for students, but teachers as well.

A classroom that does not have air conditioning can become overheated on hot days, resulting in reduced concentration. This is because, as your body temperature increases, your brain starts to focus more and more energy on lowering it, resulting in a lowered cognitive and concentration levels. This means that in classrooms without an air conditioning system, any given lesson can be derailed by a sunny day. And in sunny Queensland with new all time highs being recorded each summer, this problem is even more prevalent.

Conversely, in an air conditioned classroom, the room temperature can be controlled to create a comfortable environment, allowing more energy to be put towards concentrating on what is being taught. This means that schools with air conditioned classrooms have a clear advantage over schools without, as the comfortable learning environment facilitated by the aircon can result in better grades for the school overall.
Improve Behaviour
Similarly, an uncomfortably warm classroom can affect the mood and behaviour of your students. As temperatures rise, your body has to work harder to lower body temperature. This can cause your heart to start beating faster and increase our blood pressure. These physical changes can cause changes in […]

Ducted air conditioning is arguably the best option for household heating and cooling in Australia. However, many homeowners are concerned with how much a ducted AC unit will cost to run, and whether or not ducted aircon is cheaper to run than other air conditioning systems.

If you want an unobtrusive, highly effective, and energy efficient cooling solution, ducted air conditioning is the way to go. To help you through the purchasing process, and to save you money, we have outlined how to calculate the cost of running ducted air conditioning and how to reduce the running costs of your ducted air conditioner below.
How To Calculate The Cost Of Running Ducted Air Conditioning
The cost of running a ducted air conditioner varies from household to household due to a number of factors such as insulation, windows, energy efficiency of the system, and size/layout of the house.

However, an estimated ducted air conditioning running cost can be calculated using the energy star label on your air conditioner. The energy star label should list the ‘power input’ of the air conditioner in kilowatts.Take the provided power input and multiply it by the kilowatt hour (kWh) cost listed on your last electricity bill. This will give you the cost per hour for running your ducted air conditioner.

For example, if the power input listed on the energy star rating label is 2.6, and the kilowatt house cost on your last electricity bill is $0.35/kWh, the cost per hour for running your ducted air conditioner would be $0.91 per hour. (Eg. 2.6 x 0.35 = 0.91)

Note: All figures provided are examples only. The actual running cost of your ducted air conditioner will vary based on the power input and electricity cost in […]

As anyone who has lived through a summer in Brisbane knows, having a working air conditioner in Queensland is a necessity. In fact, hot weather is not only uncomfortable, it can even be dangerous for children and the elderly when temperature rise above 32 degrees.

Unfortunately, your air conditioner is most likely to break down during summer when it is getting the most use. However, this is the busiest time of the year for air conditioning technicians which means you could be waiting days or even weeks before your air conditioner is back up and running. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips on what to do when your air conditioner breaks down.

Want personalised professional advice?
Call Advanced Climate Solutions Now on 07 3206 3542
Check The Remote

The first thing to check when your air conditioner stops working is the remote control. It could be a simple case of the batteries in the remote going flat, resulting in the air conditioner not turning one.

If changing the batteries in the remote doesn’t do the job, try downloading a universal remote app and using that to turn on the air conditioner. If the app works, there is something wrong with the air conditioner remote and it may need replacing.

Note: Universal remote control apps will only work for some air conditioner models made by certain manufacturers.
Check Circuit Breaker
If the remote control appears to be working fine, check the circuit breaker. It’s quite common for a surge of electricity in the air conditioner to trip the circuit breaker resulting on power to the air conditioning unit being cut off. To check this, simply go to the circuit breaker and check if the switch has been flipped. If it has, flip […]