If you manage an office in Petaling Jaya or anywhere in the Klang Valley, you know how quickly things fall apart when the aircond breaks down. Employees become unproductive, clients visiting your premises get a poor impression, and the emergency repair bill always seems to arrive at the worst possible time. The good news is that most office aircond breakdowns are entirely preventable. In our years of servicing commercial properties across PJ, Subang Jaya, Damansara, and Shah Alam, we have seen the same maintenance mistakes repeated over and over.
Here are five practical tips that will keep your office aircond running reliably while reducing both your repair costs and electricity bills.
1. Schedule Filter Cleaning Every Two Weeks
This is the single most impactful thing you can do for your office aircond, and it is also the easiest. Office environments generate more dust and airborne particles than most people realise. Paper dust from printers, fabric fibres from carpets and upholstery, and outdoor pollutants that enter through doors and windows all accumulate on your aircond filters rapidly.
A clogged filter forces the aircond to work harder to push air through, which increases energy consumption by 5 to 15 percent. More importantly, restricted airflow causes the evaporator coil to freeze, which can lead to water leakage and compressor strain.
What to do: Assign someone on your office team to remove and rinse the filters under running water every two weeks. Let them dry completely before reinstalling. For offices with heavy foot traffic or located near construction sites, weekly cleaning may be necessary. This simple habit alone can prevent a significant percentage of the service calls we receive.
2. Invest in Quarterly Professional Servicing
While filter cleaning handles the surface-level maintenance, the internal components of your aircond need professional attention. The evaporator coil, blower fan, drain pan, and condensate line all accumulate dirt and biofilm that basic filter cleaning cannot address.
We recommend quarterly servicing for most offices in Malaysia. During each visit, a qualified technician will:
- Chemically clean the evaporator coil to remove embedded dirt and bacteria
- Clear the condensate drain line to prevent water leakage
- Check refrigerant pressure and top up gas if needed
- Inspect electrical connections for signs of wear or overheating
- Test thermostat calibration and temperature output
- Clean the blower fan to restore proper airflow
A quarterly service visit typically costs between RM 80 and RM 150 per unit, depending on the type and size. Compare that to an emergency breakdown repair that can easily exceed RM 500 to RM 1,000 per unit, plus the productivity lost during downtime. The math clearly favours preventive maintenance.
3. Keep the Thermostat at 24 to 25 Degrees Celsius
Many offices in Malaysia set their aircond to 20 or 21 degrees Celsius, thinking that colder is better. In reality, setting the temperature too low creates multiple problems.
First, it dramatically increases electricity consumption. Every degree below 24 Celsius adds approximately 6 to 8 percent to your aircond’s energy usage. For an office running multiple units 10 hours a day, that adds up to hundreds of ringgit per month in unnecessary electricity costs.
Second, extremely cold settings cause the compressor to run continuously without cycling off, which accelerates wear on the compressor motor and shortens the unit’s lifespan.
Third, the large temperature difference between the cold interior and hot exterior causes excessive condensation, leading to more frequent drain blockages and water leakage issues.
The Energy Commission of Malaysia recommends a setting of 24 to 25 degrees Celsius for commercial premises. At this range, most people feel comfortable, the aircond operates efficiently, and component wear is minimised. If employees still feel warm, the issue is likely poor airflow distribution rather than insufficient cooling — which brings us to the next tip.
4. Ensure Proper Airflow and Do Not Block Vents
Walk around any office in PJ and you will find aircond vents blocked by filing cabinets, stacks of boxes, or positioned directly behind tall partitions. Blocked vents disrupt the airflow pattern and create hot spots in the office, which leads to complaints about the aircond “not working” even when it is functioning perfectly.
Common airflow mistakes in Malaysian offices:
- Placing desks or cabinets directly under wall-mounted units, blocking return air
- Covering ceiling cassette vents with decorative panels that restrict flow
- Running the aircond with doors and windows open, forcing it to work overtime
- Overcrowding meeting rooms beyond the aircond’s designed capacity
What to do: Ensure at least 30 centimetres of clearance around all aircond vents. Rearrange furniture if necessary. For meeting rooms that are frequently packed beyond capacity, consider installing a supplementary unit rather than overloading the existing one.
Also, check that your office layout has not changed significantly since the aircond system was installed. We frequently visit offices in Petaling Jaya where renovation or reorganisation has altered the room layout, but the aircond placement was never updated to match.
5. Do Not Ignore Early Warning Signs
The most expensive office aircond repairs happen when small problems are ignored until they become major failures. Train your office team to report these warning signs immediately:
Unusual noises. Rattling, buzzing, or grinding sounds indicate loose components, a failing fan motor, or debris inside the unit. Addressing these early is a minor repair; ignoring them leads to complete motor failure.
Reduced cooling performance. If the aircond is running but the room is not reaching the set temperature, the most common causes are low refrigerant, dirty coils, or a failing compressor. Early diagnosis can mean the difference between a RM 100 gas top-up and a RM 2,000 compressor replacement.
Water leakage. Even a small amount of water dripping from the indoor unit means the condensate drain is partially blocked. A simple drain flush solves it. Left unchecked, water damage to ceiling tiles, walls, and even electrical systems can cost thousands to repair.
Foul or musty smell. This indicates mould or bacteria growth inside the unit, typically on the evaporator coil and drain pan. A chemical wash will eliminate the problem, but prolonged exposure affects indoor air quality and employee health.
Frequent cycling. If the aircond turns on and off every few minutes without maintaining temperature, there is likely a refrigerant issue, a sensor problem, or the unit is undersized for the space.
The Bottom Line for Malaysian Offices
Consistent maintenance is not an expense — it is an investment that pays for itself many times over. A well-maintained office aircond system in Malaysia should last 10 to 15 years with minimal breakdowns. The combination of regular filter cleaning, quarterly professional servicing, sensible temperature settings, proper airflow management, and prompt attention to warning signs will keep your office cool, your employees productive, and your maintenance budget under control.
PJ Kool Aircond Service offers commercial maintenance contracts for offices throughout Petaling Jaya and the Klang Valley. Our contracts include scheduled quarterly servicing, free gas top-ups, priority emergency response, and detailed maintenance reports for your facility management records. Contact us to discuss a maintenance plan tailored to your office needs.
Learn more about our commercial aircond maintenance service — flexible monthly and quarterly plans for offices, F&B outlets, and retail spaces.
