Living in Singapore’s tropical climate has all
of us heavily dependent on the magic of air
conditioning. Thank goodness for it! Hot and
sweaty days and nights do not sit well with all
of us so here are some things to note in order
to prevent your air conditioning unit from
breaking down.

1. Service regularly. It is advisable to give your
air conditioning unit a general servicing once
every three months to ensure it is in tip-top
condition. Varying between $30 and $50 dollars
per AC unit, you should sign up for a servicing
package to save some money.

2. What is chemical cleaning? Chemical
cleaning or wash is a thorough way of cleaning
the AC unit. A general service is usually not
sufficient to improve the condition of a badly
clogged unit, hence the need for a chemical
wash. The AC is dismantled piece by piece
and cleaned. You will need to give your unit a
chemical cleaning when it emits a bad smell,
is no longer cold and if it is noisy. Chemical
cleaning ranges between $150 and $180
per unit.

3. Gas top-up. You will know your unit needs
a gas top-up when the air it emits is not cold.
Your AC serviceman will usually inform you
when your unit needs a gas top-up. This will
set you back an additional $20 to $30 dollars. It
is money well spent if you are not in the mood
for sweaty nights.

4. Outdoor condenser unit. The question on
everyone’s mind is whether or not the outdoor
condenser unit needs to be serviced. The
answer is a definite “Yes”. Aim to get it serviced
at least once a year to ensure air circulation is
not clogged. This can avoid soaring electrical
bills. Most servicing companies will service the
condenser during the general servicing for no
extra charge.

"You will need to give your unit a chemical cleaning when it emits a bad smell, is no longer cold and if it is noisy."