How to look after the air conditioning in your Jávea home while you are away

To look after the air conditioning in your Jávea home while you are away, you need three things: a check before you leave and another before you return, dehumidification cycles while it is closed up, and remote control from your phone. If you do not, the salt air corrodes the outdoor unit, damp stays trapped inside the house and faults appear on the very day you arrive. We explain how to organise it so you find the house ready.

What happens to the air conditioning in a closed-up house in Jávea

A unit that is not running does not wear out through use, but it does suffer from its surroundings. On the Jávea coast the air carries salt and humidity for much of the year, and a house closed up all winter is neither ventilated nor dried out. When you come back at Easter or in July, what you find depends on how you left it.

These are the problems we see most often when a second home is opened up:

• Salt air corrosion on the outdoor unit, especially in the Arenal, El Puerto, Duanes de la Mar or La Granadella.
• Damp and musty smells inside, which encourage mould in wardrobes, curtains and mattresses.
• Blocked drains caused by dust, leaves or insects, which make the indoor unit drip the first time you switch it on.
• Pressure drops in air-source heat pump or underfloor heating circuits, which go unnoticed until you need heating.
• Faults nobody sees until you return, such as a remote control with flat batteries, a tripped RCD or a jammed fan.

It does not affect every house in the same way. An apartment in the Arenal with the unit on the terrace, a few metres from the beach, gets much more salt than a villa on the slopes of the Montgó or in El Tosalet. And a ground-floor home or a house with a semi-basement builds up more damp than a well-ventilated penthouse.

Maintenance calendar for a second home in Jávea

The key is to spread the work over the year so that nothing catches you out on the day you arrive. This is the calendar we recommend to owners who spend periods away:

Before closing up the house

1. Clean, or have someone clean, the filters on all the indoor units.
2. Check that the drains discharge properly and that there are no leaves in the tray or the outlet.
3. Leave the dehumidification cycles programmed if the house will be closed for weeks.
4. If you have an air-source heat pump or underfloor heating, note the pressure shown on the gauge so you can compare it when you return.
5. Leave the remote control and access to the outdoor unit within reach of whoever has the keys.

Before returning

Ideally, the check should be done a few days before you arrive, not on the same day. That way, if a part needs replacing, there is time to get it. The technician starts the unit, listens to how the compressor starts up, checks whether water comes out of the drain and makes sure it cools or heats as it should.

Remote control: switch on the air conditioning in your Jávea home from your phone

With a wifi module or a zoning system such as Airzone, you can switch on the air conditioning from your phone a few hours before you arrive, check the temperature and humidity in the house and receive alerts if something goes wrong. Most current units support it, and it can be added to many older ones.

For anyone who lives in Madrid, abroad or simply in another city, it makes a big difference to the arrival. You set off, switch on the air conditioning from the app and, when you open the door, the house is already cool in August or warm at Christmas. With remote control you can:

• Switch each zone on and off without being in the house.
• See the indoor temperature and humidity at any time.
• Receive an alert if the unit shows an error code or loses power.
• Change the schedule of the dehumidification cycles depending on the weather.

During the visit we check whether your model supports the wifi module and, if it does, it can be set up on your phone.

Dehumidifying a closed-up house to stop it smelling damp in the Marina Alta

In the Marina Alta, relative humidity is high for much of the year. Programming dehumidification cycles while the house is empty prevents musty smells, mould in wardrobes and damage to wood and textiles. It is what owners appreciate most when they arrive after several months away.

This is how it works: the unit runs in dehumidification mode for a few hours, removes water from the air and expels it through the drain. That is why the drain has to be clean. If it is blocked, the water that should drain away ends up on the wall or the floor. It helps to leave the interior doors and wardrobe doors open, so that the dry air reaches the whole house.

Common mistakes with humidity

• Closing all the interior doors and dehumidifying only the living room.
• Leaving the unit running in cooling mode the whole time, which uses more energy and is not necessary.
• Wrapping the outdoor unit in a tarpaulin, which keeps the damp and salt stuck to the casing.
• Not checking the drain before programming the cycles.

How to protect your air conditioning from salt air in the Arenal, El Puerto and along the Jávea coast

Outdoor units near the sea corrode much sooner than those inland. A unit with factory anti-corrosion treatment, or a treatment applied to the coil afterwards, greatly extends its life. During the annual service we clean off the accumulated salt and check the condition of the casing and the connections.

Salt is visible to the naked eye: a whitish layer on the coil fins and rust on screws and brackets. When the fins become clogged, the unit exchanges heat less efficiently, works harder and uses more energy. When servicing a coastal home, the technician does the following:

• Cleans the outdoor unit’s coil to remove salt and dust.
• Checks the casing, the screws and the wall or roof brackets.
• Checks the condition of the electrical connections, which also suffer from humidity.
• Assesses whether an anti-corrosion treatment should be applied to the coil.

If you are going to replace the unit, ask about models with factory anti-corrosion protection and, if possible, position the outdoor unit sheltered from the wind coming off the sea.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave the air conditioning switched off all winter?

Yes, but it is best to have it checked before using it again and, if the house is closed up, to programme some dehumidification cycles to prevent damp. Before switching it off completely, clean the filters and check the drain.

Do you carry out checks even if I am not in Jávea?

Yes. We arrange the visit with you, your property manager or whoever has the keys, and send you a report of what we have done. That way you know what condition the installation is in without having to travel.

When is the best time for the annual service?

Ideally in spring, before the high season, so the house is ready for summer without the July waiting lists. If you only come in winter, autumn is better, before you ask the unit for heating.

Does an air-source heat pump need anything special if the house is left empty?

Yes. You need to keep an eye on the circuit pressure, which can drop over time, and check that the heat pump starts properly after weeks without running. During the service it is worth checking the pressure gauge, bleeding the system if necessary and leaving the unit programmed for your return.

Do you also look after homes in Moraira, Benitachell or Dénia?

Yes. From our Jávea branch we serve Benitachell, Moraira, Teulada, Gata de Gorgos and Dénia, with the same technicians and the same servicing calendar.

Maintenance for homes in Jávea

We are an official service centre for Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Bosch, Midea and LG, with our own technicians and more than 20 years of experience. If you want to replace your unit, we give you a fixed quote in writing after the technical visit.

From our branch on Calle Alameda we serve Jávea, Benitachell, Moraira, Teulada, Gata de Gorgos and Dénia. If you already have a breakdown, see our repair service in Jávea. For servicing and maintenance, contact Davofrío Jávea.

If you are thinking of changing the heating in your home, see air-source heat pumps and underfloor heating for houses and villas in Jávea. And if your home is in Dénia, we can help you there too: air conditioning in Dénia.