It's coming to that time of the year where you should be looking at getting your air conditioners serviced prior to the summer hitting us. A common theme amongst models now is that they claim to be self cleaning. I assure you this is not the case. The single thing which allows brands to claim this for evaporative air conditioners is that they dump their water at intervals and do not store water in the tank for extended periods. Although it is good that they don't store stagnant water, there is still a lot of sediment and debris which will stay within the system. I advise a service every 12 months to keep the unit clean and in peak operating condition. This not only prevents call outs in the middle of summer but also keeps any bacteria at bay. Legionanaire's is a common one which we hear a lot. They survive in water temperature ranging from 20-45 degrees C. Something which people aren't always aware of is the condition of the filter pads. Out of sight out of mind isn't always healthy. As you can see from the picture, when the air conditioner is on, this is what you are breathing in. Anyone with new borns, breathing difficulties, asthma and the elderly will cope a lot better when the pads aren't in this state.