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UAE: AC issues in summer see some residents spend up to Dh6,000 on upgrades

Some residents resort to buying extra fans and coolers as maintenance teams work on resolving issues

Air-conditioning woes at many well-established communities in Dubai are forcing residents to spend thousands of dirhams on repairs with some of them even contemplating relocating to different neighbourhoods.

There have been several complaints about frequent disruptions in air-conditioning systems particularly this summer, even as rapid maintenance work was undertaken following the April 16 floods.

Residents are resorting to purchasing extra fans and coolers while consistently urging their building maintenance teams to resolve issues.

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Residents of Al Ghozlan 3, a residential building located in The Greens, are among those who are experiencing trouble with their ACs with the temperatures increasing.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Saurav Sharma, a resident, said, “Everything was fine till the excessive rainfall in mid-April. After that, there have been frequent maintenance issues, especially with the air-conditioning. One week the ACs works fine, then they collapse the next week. Moreover, the communication with the maintenance team has not been great. Only later did we get to know from the security staff that there was somebody to fix the problem. A lot of residents. including our neighbours, as well as several people in Old Greens (buildings) are facing this problem.”

The owner of the flat reiterates this summer particularly has been challenging with problems recurring every two weeks.

Sharma adds, “People were discussing that the air conditioning system is so old that probably some heavy equipment needs to be replaced. But we need more clarity to understand if there is a permanent solution for this or not. I have had to procure ceiling fans because the temperature doesn’t go down below 25-26 degrees Celsius with the ACs.”

Moving homes

Sharma pointed out some people are very disheartened as they have invested a lot in their homes, and for some moving out to newer buildings seems like the only choice.

“But that is easier said than done. Property prices are so high in Dubai at the moment. One may consider it but it isn’t always feasible. I am hopeful that a long-term corrective action will be taken soon to mitigate our problem,” said the resident who has been living in The Greens for the past 4.5 years.

Similarly, a resident at The View said their building’s air-conditioning was shut down the entire day on Sunday for maintenance purposes.

Indian expat Divisha Modi said, “The air-conditioning has been out of order since last night or early this morning. Then, this morning, the building management notified us that it won't be fixed until 7 pm. To manage, we've drawn the curtains to help keep the temperature down since we don't have any fans. Surprisingly, it's not too uncomfortable here. However, in the Old Greens, air conditioning problems are a major concern for residents. This is one of the reasons we never even thought about renting a flat there, as it seems to be a persistent issue.”

Scheduling periodic maintenance in villas

French resident Louis Dubois, who has been living in the Springs for the past 10 years. said with properties getting older periodic professional maintenance checks are important.

The owner of a three-bedroom villa in the city’s prominent residential neighbourhoods said, “I have four air-conditioning units in the villa. Every year at the onset of summer, the AC works, but not up to the optimal level. Even if the temperature meter shows 24 degrees Celsius, it doesn’t feel so. We are aware that Springs villas are now almost 20 years old. So, it's quite natural that some of the ACs will have issues. Also, we see a lot of landlords or tenants not maintaining the AC units properly. This results in a breakdown.”

He stressed it is important that people have their AC unit serviced frequently, especially before the onset of summer.

“Basic servicing can cost between Dh150 to Dh 250 per (AC) unit. If someone has to change it completely, the cost varies between Dh6,000 and Dh15,000 depending on the number and make of the AC. This year I spent a substantial amount changing two of my units,” Dubois added.

Moisture, corrosion in AC units

Residents at another Dubai residential development with district cooling noted rust and corrosion in numerous villas and apartments, particularly in older or poorly maintained units, due to prolonged exposure to moisture after rainfall.

A resident of Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT), Farhat Parveen, said, “Things were improving until the temperatures began to soar. In my apartment, the A/C in the living room is completely ineffective; it feels like only the blower is working and the temperature isn't dropping at all. When I called the maintenance guy over the weekend, he mentioned that many flats and villas in JVT are facing the same issue.”

“The chillers apparently haven't fully recovered from the damage caused by the rainfall. While things were starting to return to normal, the extreme heat is causing new problems due to the high demand during the summer months. As a result, the A/C drains are constantly getting blocked due to the high humidity, so, pipes are being replaced is what I am told. Servicing alone isn't enough, so the staff is in the process of changing the entire system to resolve the issue,” she added.

Dh2,000 spent on annual maintenance

American expat Natalia Miranda, who has been in Dubai for seven years, said she prepares ahead of the summer every year. The ritual includes a thorough cleaning of the air conditioner, possibly wrapping the chiller pipes, and spraying for pests.

“This year we opted for cleaning and setting up our dehumidifiers. We’ve had mold in the past, so now I’m particularly vigilant about summer prep. It’s a bit like when people prepare for the hurricane season in the USA. We spend at least Dh2,000 on the entire exercise here,” said the Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) resident.

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