Fan Coil Unit (FCU) servicing
/The heating and cooling system installed at Canary Riverside is provided by fan coil units (FCUs) located in ceiling voids within the apartments. You can find details of the FCUs installed in your apartment here.
To maximise the efficiency of the heating/cooling and prevent damage to the unit (or apartment) it is essential that residents regularly clean the FCU filters.
If you use the FCUs without having ensured the mesh filters have been recently* cleaned you may find that:
- the heating does not come on - only ambient air is blown out, because there is not enough air passing over the heating element. This is a fire safety mechanism.
- water leaks from the FCU when the cooling is used caused by the cooling coil frosting over due to inadequate airflow.
- the chiller coil becomes damaged (costing c£1,000 to replace)
*it is suggested that the filters are cleaned at least twice a year.
Information on how to clean the FCU filters can be found here. The filters can be vacuumed in situ, or removed and washed (e.g., in the shower). It is easily done by anyone who is able to stand on a step ladder and open the large (and heavy) ceiling access panels that are located in your hallway and (for larger apartments) master bedroom, and the ceiling tiles in the kitchen (only 2-3 tiles need be removed, but they need to be in the right place).
If you would like information on companies that carry out FCU servicing please email us (address at bottom of the page).
Limited spare parts are available for the FCUs, and can take up to 6 weeks to be delivered: don’t wait until winter to find whether your heating is working!
The FCUs fitted in Canary Riverside are no longer manufactured by ActionAir (aka Swegon Air). If an FCU needs to be replaced it will be one made by another company (e.g. Trane), and is likely to require additional enabling works to join pipes, vents and wiring. It may also require building works to remove/install the units in the ceiling void, and will also require alteration consent.