Honestly, most people don’t think about their AC until it stops working.
And that’s completely understandable. Life is busy. As long as the room is cold, who has time to worry about filter schedules or refrigerant levels? But here’s the thing — by the time your AC is struggling to cool the room or making noises it didn’t used to make, the damage is usually already done. And the repair bill that follows is rarely a pleasant surprise.
At Selex, we’ve been doing home maintenance across Abu Dhabi for years. The calls we get most often aren’t about complicated failures. They’re about small, avoidable problems that were left too long. A dirty filter. A blocked drain. Things that take minutes to fix early on, and hundreds of dirhams to fix once ignored for months.
So here are ten simple habits that will genuinely make a difference.
1. Clean your filter — this one matters more than everything else
When the filter gets clogged, your unit works twice as hard to push air through. That means weaker cooling, higher electricity bills, and a compressor aging faster than it should. In Abu Dhabi’s dusty climate, filters block up quickly.
The fix is simple:
- Remove the filter every two to four weeks
- Rinse it under water
- Let it dry fully, and put it back
Five minutes, zero cost.
2. Stop blasting it at 16°C
We get it — it’s 43 degrees outside, and you want the room cold fast. But setting your thermostat to its lowest point doesn’t cool the room any quicker. It just hammers the compressor and inflates your DEWA bill.
The sweet spot is between 22°C and 24°C. Comfortable, efficient, and much kinder to your unit.
Try it for a week and notice the difference in your electricity costs.
3. Close the doors and windows
This sounds almost too obvious. But we walk into homes all the time where the AC is running at full power with a balcony door slightly open or a window not fully latched. Every bit of hot air creeping in makes your unit work harder than it needs to. Seal the room before you switch it on.
Small habit, real impact.
4. Use the timer
Most modern AC units have a built-in timer, and most people never use it. Running your AC all day in an empty apartment isn’t just wasteful — it puts continuous strain on the compressor. Set it to switch off when you leave and cool the room down before you return.
Your unit will last longer for it.
5. Give your AC breathing room
Take a look at your indoor unit right now. Is there a wardrobe, a curtain, or a shelf sitting right in front of it? Even a partial blockage affects how cool air moves through the room. Your AC needs at least 50cm of clear space in front to work properly.
Sometimes moving a piece of furniture a few inches is all it takes.
6. Get it professionally serviced twice a year
This is the one most people skip — and the one that costs them the most in the long run.
A proper AC service covers refrigerant levels, internal cleaning, and a full efficiency check. Doing this every six months, ideally before summer and again after peak season, means small issues get caught before they turn into big ones.
Our team at Selex has found refrigerant leaks, worn parts, and blocked drainage systems that homeowners were unaware of.
Fixing those things early costs a fraction of what a full breakdown does.
7. Don’t ignore water leaks
Some moisture around your unit during heavy use is normal. But actual dripping, pooling water, or damp patches on nearby walls mean something is wrong — usually a blocked drain pipe or a refrigerant issue. Both are simple to fix early. Leave them too long, and you’re adding water damage to your list of problems.
If you see it, deal with it.
8. Listen to your AC
Your unit should run quietly in the background. Rattling, clicking, unusual humming, or vibration that wasn’t there before — these are signs that something needs attention. They don’t go away on their own.
A quick check now is almost always cheaper than whatever happens if you wait.
9. Run a fan alongside it
A ceiling or standing fan helps circulate cool air around the room, distributing it more evenly and faster. The result? You can raise your thermostat a degree or two and still feel just as comfortable. Less energy used, less strain on the unit.
It’s a small change that genuinely adds up over a summer.
10. Act on early warning signs — don’t wait
- Cooling that’s weaker than it used to be.
- A faint smell when the unit kicks on.
- An electricity bill that’s quietly crept up.
These aren’t coincidences. They’re early signals that something needs attention.
The difference between acting early and waiting a few months can be the difference between a minor service call and a full replacement.
We’ve seen it more times than we can count.
Small habits, cooler summers, and a bill that doesn’t hurt to
Keeping your AC in good shape in Abu Dhabi doesn’t have to be complicated.
- Clean filter
- Sensible temperature
- Unblocked airflow
- Professional service every six months
Do these consistently, and you’ll get more years out of your unit, lower bills, and far fewer stressful breakdowns when the summer heat is at its worst.
Want to make sure your AC is ready before the heat really hits?
Selex Home Maintenance is based in Abu Dhabi and ready to help. Routine service, repairs, or a simple check-up — we come to you, get it done right, and leave your unit running the way it should.
Get in touch today!
