KNOWLEDGE · SERVICING QUESTIONS
The answer first. Sources included. Even when it's a no.
Is servicing required by law, why does your air conditioning smell or leak, and what does a service cost? Rein Gerritse gives the answer, and where there's a law behind it, we link to the law itself.
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SERVICING QUESTIONS
What's on your mind?
Each question has the short answer underneath. The explanation and the sources are in the article.
Is air conditioning maintenance required by law?
No, there's no legal maintenance requirement for an ordinary air conditioning system at home. The only regular check the law requires is a leak check, and that only applies once the refrigerant adds up to 5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Article 5, Regulation (EU) 2024/573); a split system with about 1 kilo of R32 comes to 0.675 tonnes, well below that.
Why does my air conditioning smell?
A smelly air conditioner is almost always a dirty one: dirty filters, mould or bacteria on the fins behind the filter, or a dried-out condensation drain. The kind of smell often tells you where to look.
Why is my air conditioning leaking water?
Water from the indoor unit is almost always condensation, not refrigerant: usually the condensation drain is blocked or the filters are dirty. If the outdoor unit drips while it's heating, it's usually just defrosting and not broken.
Why has my air conditioning stopped cooling?
First check for yourself that it's set to cool and lower than the room temperature, that the filters aren't full of dust (switch it off first and just look behind the front cover), and that the outdoor unit is clear and free of ice. If it still won't cool after that, give us a call: some refrigerant may have leaked out, and only a certified technician is allowed to work on the refrigerant.
How much does air conditioning servicing cost?
Servicing a system with one wall-mounted indoor unit and one outdoor unit costs €199 a year on a plan, or €210 for a one-off service, including VAT. What you pay depends on how many indoor units you have, the type of air conditioning and how dirty it is.
Does air conditioning need topping up every year?
No, the refrigerant in your air conditioning goes round a closed circuit and doesn't get used up. If it needs more, something is leaking or too little was put in at some point, and a certified technician should find out which before topping it up.
WHO ANSWERS
Rein Gerritse
Owner, customer contact and installations
Rein owns Airco Holland together with Peter Reijling. They've known each other since they were kids and spent years in construction before starting the business together.
Every article includes what Rein sees in practice, and he checks it before it goes online. If it's about a rule or a law, we look it up in the official text and link to it.
Each article shows when it went online and when we last checked it. If the rules change, we update the article.
QUESTIONS
Short questions, short answers
How often does air conditioning need a service?
For a system at home, once a year is usually enough. If you use it for cooling and heating all year round, twice a year can make sense, and the technician will tell you at the first service.
How long does a service take?
With one wall-mounted indoor unit, about 45 minutes. Each extra indoor unit takes more time.
What if the technician spots something that needs extra work?
Then you'll hear what it is and what it costs first. We only go ahead once you've said yes.
What's the difference between a service and a clean?
In a service, the technician cleans what can be reached and checks and tests the whole system. In an intensive clean and a deep clean, the unit is opened up further and the parts inside are cleaned thoroughly.
Do you service my brand?
Very likely. We service all the common brands, such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, LG, Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung and Haier, even if another company installed your system.