For some of us, air conditioning isn’t a luxury, it’s a mercy. But aircon units can be pretty high maintenance, especially if you use them frequently. Unfortunately, regular air con servicing is just the price we have to pay for comfort and sanity.
So if (or rather, when) it’s time for you to get your aircon serviced, who should you call? In Singapore, aircon service companies can be divided into several categories.
For maximum assurance, you’d want to go for retailers (furniture/electronics stores) or manufacturers (companies that make the aircons and provide servicing for their brand only). Usually they’d only service units under warranty, though.
If you want to try and get a cheaper deal, you can look for one of the many independent aircon servicing companies around. These range from self-owned businesses where the owners themselves are the technicians, to pretty large outfits that hire technicians to do the job.
Here’s a quick look at some prices for a one-time servicing session at 8 popular companies:
| Company | Type | Price for one-time general servicing |
| Panasonic | Manufacturer | $20 to $350 |
| Gain City | Retailer | $30 to $50 |
| Mitsubishi | Manufacturer | $40 to $70 + $35 transport |
| AireControl | Independent | $40 to $130 |
| SoCool | Independent | $42.80 to $449.40 |
| COURTS | Retailer | $45 to $350 |
| Daikin | Manufacturer | $80 to $120 (first time) / $40 to $80 (subsequent) |
| Aircon Astiquer | Independent | From $148 |
Panasonic aircon servicing
Panasonic offers a 90-day warranty after servicing.
Cost: $20 to $350 for general servicing
$80 to $290 for chemical wash
$150 to $480 for chemical overhaul
$30 to $120 for gas top-up
Contact: 6871 4855
Hours: 9am – 6pm weekdays
9am – 1pm Sat
Gain City aircon servicing
Electronics store Gain City also provides air con servicing for appliances under warranty. They promise satisfaction or you don’t have to pay, plus no extra charge for servicing on Sundays and public holidays.
Contact: 6222 1212
Cost: $30 to $50 (one-time service)
$88 to $840 (1-year package, 2 to 6 times)
$220 to $700 (2-year package, 5 times)
$396 to $1,260 (3-year package, 9 times)
Mitsubishi aircon servicing
Mitsubishi provides servicing for its aircons under warranty. It’s cheaper if you get it done for the entire system in your house (assuming you bought more than 1 unit) each time.
Cost: $40 (one room) or $80 (package) for evaluation
From $70 (room) or $150 (package) for repairs
From $300 (room) or $350 (package) for system work
From $400 for pressure test
+ $35 for transport
+ surcharge for after hours, urgent or same-day service
Contact: 6473 0308
Hours: 8:45am – 5pm weekdays
8:45am – 12pm Sat
AireControl aircon servicing
One of the most recognised aircon servicing companies, AireControl has a huge pool of over 20 technicians and are the only company that repairs the aircon’s circuit board. Other pluses: a 90-day warranty, plenty of promotions and a track record of dealing with almost any brand including the most popular ones in Singapore: Daikin, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, LG, Samsung and Carrier.
Cost: $40 to $130 for general servicing (one time)
$207 to $504 for general servicing (yearly contract)
$150 to $250 for chemical cleaning or circuit board repair
+ $20 for transport
Contact: 6659 5959
Hours: 9am – 5.30pm Weekdays
9am – 12.15pm Sat
SoCool Pte Ltd aircon servicing
Another established independent aircon servicing company with extended servicing hours – great for people who find it difficult to arrange their work schedules to accommodate the typical aircon servicing timeslots.
Cost: $42.80 to $449.40 for general servicing
$90.95 to $374.50 for chemical wash
$160.50 to $588.50 for chemical overhaul
Contact: 6631 8348 / 9323 4748
Hours: 8am – 10pm daily
COURTS aircon servicing
When you go to retailers, you know they can be relied on. You probably bought your aircon from them anyway. COURTS’ one-stop home solutions provide GURU not only service appliances under warranty, but also all new or existing air con units, including those not purchased at COURTS.
COURTS handles basic aircon servicing i.e. checking and cleaning of fan, air filter and cover, blower wheel, drip tray and drainage pipe.
Cost: $45 to $350
Contact: 1800 222 6868/ [email protected]
Hours: 9am – 5pm weekdays
Daikin aircon servicing
Daikin tends to your aircon even if it’s no longer under warranty. The downside is that it’s quite pricey.
Cost: $80 to $120 (first time) / $40 to $80 (subsequent) for general servicing
$220 to $990 for chemical flushing
$180 to $790 for steam cleaning
$380 to $500 for pressure testing
$240 to $620 labour for replacing parts
Contact: 6311 8686
Hours: 9am – 5pm weekdays
9am – 12pm Sat
Aircon Astiquer aircon servicing
For mould issues, consider independent, self-owned company Aircon Astiquer. It has its own patented aircon cleaning machines for clearing out mould.
Cost: from $148 for HydroJet cleaning
from $250 for ChemJet cleaning
$168 to $348 for repairs/replacement
From $128 to $248 gas top-up
Contact: 9067 4867 (Kevin)
Hours: 10am – 6pm weekdays
Frequency of aircon servicing and other factors
You might be surprised to know that even for general servicing, there’s a huge range of prices. Apart from the company you hire to service your aircon, there are other factors that can affect the size of your bill.
Number of units: Obviously, the more aircon units are serviced, the more it’ll cost. But some companies charge a standard rate for multi-split systems which can lower the average price of servicing per unit.
Frequency of servicing: One-time servicing tends to cost more per servicing compared to a package deal. If you’re comfortable with the company’s service and reputation, consider getting a package to save on costs.
Type of servicing: General servicing doesn’t include services like chemical cleaning, steam cleaning or even replacement parts. Should your unit require any of these, you’ll be charged more. It’s good to clarify these costs with your aircon servicing company before you actually need them.
Number of coils: The more powerful the aircon, the more expensive it is to service. That’s because they have more coils, and servicing coils usually begins at $35 to $40 per coil, with extra charges (from $15) per subsequent coil.
Extra levies: If you want the company to rush down for an urgent visit, they will most likely charge you an extra fee. But what you might not know is that some companies also levy an extra charge if the aircon is mounted above 3m or on the ceiling.
What goes into an aircon servicing?
If you’re not doing it already, you SHOULD be performing some basic aircon maintenance on your own. This includes regularly wiping down the aircon vent, vacuum-cleaning the fan inside, and removing and washing the aircon filter (which also needs to be replaced every 6 months to 1 year).
Here’s what might happen during an aircon servicing session.
Advanced cleaning: A more complete cleaning of your aircon unit – the filters, outer panels, coils, drain pan, drain pipes and getting rid of air and moisture in the system to ensure clear airflow. A good aircon serviceman will make sure all parts are dry before re-assembling your aircon to prevent corrosion.
Oil fan lubrication: The fan bearings are lubricated so the aircon can work quietly.
Check the parts: A check of all the parts to see if any replacements are needed: compressor, controls, thermostats, blower, motor, drain line, operating pressures, coils, hoses, filters, belts, refrigerant levels, and return plus supply lines and connections to ensure the compressor and condenser are in working order.
Troubleshooting: Check for and troubleshoot problems such as coolant leaks, stuck vents, blockages, cracks in the casing and any other issues that may affect the performance or lead to a breakdown.
Top up refrigerant gas: The gas in your aircon, Freuon, is a cooling agent that helps the refrigerant (or coolant) create cool air. You don’t have to top up the refrigerant gas unless there is a leak in the aircon system, in which case your aircon serviceman will fix the leak and fill it up.
Chemical cleaning: This is not part of the standard servicing procedure. A more thorough cleaning using chemicals rather than just water, you can request for this. The aircon is dismantled and all its parts – evaporator coil, blower wheel, fan coil – are immersed in a chemical solution. With parts that can’t be dismantled such as the pipes, chemicals are flushed through them. This clears the aircon of corrosive substances and mould.
Test run: Finally, when all the servicing is done, there will be a test run to make sure everything is functioning smoothly.
You should service your aircon at least once a year, whether you use it often or not. An aircon that’s switched on daily needs to be serviced once every 2 to 3 months.
Have you ever been ripped off by aircon servicing? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
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