Air Conditioner Maintenance: Regular Servicing, Regular Savings
6 min read · Document by Australian Refrigeration Council · Page updated 29 July 2026
The ARC’s maintenance brochure carries a title we’d happily put on our own vans: regular servicing, regular savings. An air conditioner is like a car — with routine care it runs efficiently for years; neglected, it quietly costs you more every summer until it fails on the hottest week of the year.
The brochure splits maintenance into two honest halves: the simple checks you can do yourself, and the work that genuinely needs an ARC-licensed technician. This page summarises both, adds the Melbourne-specific advice we give our own customers, and links the official PDF for your fridge door.
Key takeaways
- Clean or replace split system filters regularly and keep the outdoor unit clear — the two highest-value tasks any owner can do.
- Set 24–25°C in summer: every degree cooler adds about 10% to cooling costs.
- Book a professional service annually — inspection, clean, performance test and leak check by an ARC-licensed technician.
- Anything involving the refrigerant circuit is licensed-only work, legally and practically.
- A system that has 'just stopped cooling as well' is usually leaking — early attention is dramatically cheaper.
What you can safely do yourself
For a split system: clean or replace the return-air filters regularly (monthly in heavy summer use — they slide out in seconds), keep the indoor unit’s coils free of dust, and keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, grass clippings and anything stacked against it. Airflow is everything: a choked filter makes the system work harder for less cooling, and the ARC notes reduced airflow shows up directly in your power bill.
The brochure also covers efficiency habits. Set 24–25°C in summer — each degree cooler adds roughly 10% to cooling costs. Keep heat-generating appliances like TVs and lamps away from the thermostat sensor so the unit isn’t chasing a false reading. Our running-costs guide puts real Melbourne dollar figures on these habits.
What needs a licensed technician
An annual professional check-up is the ARC’s baseline recommendation. A licensed technician inspects and cleans the system properly, performance-tests it, checks the refrigerant circuit for leaks, and tells you honestly where the system is in its lifespan. Refrigerant work is the hard line: testing, recharging or anything touching the sealed circuit is licensed-only territory — both for safety and because a leak must legally be repaired before gas is added.
Skipping the annual service rarely saves money. A slow refrigerant leak, a failing capacitor or a blocked condensate drain all cost a few dollars to catch early and a lot to catch late — our servicing-frequency guide walks through the failure math in detail.
How True Line structures this
We built our Trueline Care plan around exactly the ARC’s recommendation: an annual service and clean, priority booking, next-day response and 10% off any repairs. It’s included free for the first year with every Trueline Care and Premium installation. We service all major brands— including systems we didn’t install — across Bentleigh and southeast Melbourne.
Who should read this
Every split system owner — especially if your system hasn't been serviced in over a year, or you've noticed weaker airflow, odd smells or creeping power bills.
Why this matters
Maintenance is the cheapest insurance in air conditioning: a serviced system cools better, costs less to run, lasts years longer and keeps its warranty intact.
Common questions
How often should a split system be serviced?
The ARC recommends an annual check-up by a licensed technician, on top of the simple checks you do yourself (cleaning filters, keeping the outdoor unit clear). True Line's Care Plan schedules this automatically — an annual service and clean with priority booking.
What temperature should I set in summer?
The ARC brochure suggests 24–25°C in summer. Every degree cooler can add roughly 10% to cooling costs, so 21°C on a 35°C day costs real money for little extra comfort.
Can I service the system myself?
You can safely clean or replace filters, keep the indoor unit's coils dust-free and keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves and debris. Anything involving the refrigerant circuit, electrical components or performance testing needs a licensed technician — both for safety and to keep your warranty intact.
Related True Line services
Keep reading
- How often should aircon be serviced?
- Split system servicing: what's included and how often it's needed
- Split system running costs in Melbourne: cooling and heating
Related resources
Official industry publications and customer guides from our free Resource Centre.
