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New air conditioning guidelines safeguard residential consumers With the ongoing hot weather prompting many homeowners to install air condition, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) is warning consumers to avoid unqualified advice when purchasing systems. AIRAH has cited the increasing number of white goods retailers selling split system air conditioning systems, together with the lack of industry experience by sales people and the use of unqualified installers, as major contributors to ongoing problems with residential air conditioning. As a result, AIRAH has released its Residential Air Conditioning Best Practice Guideline to protect consumers from incorrect system choices and installations. The guidelines are primarily intended to apply to split air conditioning and heating systems for single residential dwellings, including individual apartments in a multi-residence building. They may also be used for individual small commercial systems, by do not apply to large or complicated commercial systems. According to Jennifer Pelvin, AIRAH's Chief Executive, the development of these guidelines defines a minimum level of service the AIRAH considers should be delivered by a provider in order to produce a quality result for customers. "As an association, we've recognized several problems associated with residential air conditioning installation, and these guidelines will help contractors provide a better service to their customers," said Ms Pelvin. "Unfortunately, consumers are being sold air conditioning systems which are unsuitable for the space required. The over-sizing or under-sizing of equipment can cause ongoing problems for the customers." "If units are too small, comfort conditions are not achieved, while if they are too big, we see problems with short cycling, and the constant on and off of the equipment can lead to the premature failure of components. Either way, the customer suffers as a result," warned Ms Pelvin. The AIRAH Residential Air Conditioning Best Practice Guidelines can be downloaded at www.airah.org.au For further information contact:
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