In the hot tropical weather, most of us in Singapore will notice immediately when our air-conditioning unit isn’t working. Most of us are used to enjoying the cold air in the all-year-round-summer Singapore.
However, when it comes to aircon installation or aircon servicing or repair, most of us are easily confused by the types of servicing and brands available.
In this cost guide we attempt to share the information and costs as much as possible so you can make the best decision for your next aircon project.
Types Of Aircon Installation
There are different types of air conditioners, depending on the use and utilization. In general, they are:
Wall-mounted air conditioners
This type of air conditioners are the most common in households in Singapore. There are many different brands, including Mitsubishi and Daikin.
Generally suitable for small living spaces such as the bedroom or the living room, these type of aircon is common amongst modern homes. They are modern, easy to install, but may not be suitable for a long day as the coils are small.
Ceiling Cassette air-conditioners
Ceilig Cassette, sometimes known as a cartridge air conditioner, is commonly used in offices or large rooms. Ceiling or floor type air conditioners, as its name implies, can be installed both on the ceiling and the floor. It has excellent airflow and is suitable for all kinds of places, large space or small places alike. The only downside is that the designs are limited.
Ceiling Suspended air-conditioners
These air-conditioners are used where there is no suspended ceiling to install a cassette and where there is sufficient ceiling height to suspend an under ceiling unit.
As these are designed to be entirely within a room, they are made to be reasonably aesthetic, however, the under ceiling air conditioners do inevitably look like overly cumbersome items to hang from a ceiling.
Packaged air-conditioners
Package type air conditioners is usually for occasions when you want to cool more than two rooms or a larger space at your home or office.
As the name implies, in the packaged air conditioners all the important components of the air conditioners are enclosed in a single casing like window AC.
It can be easy to install, and its cooling effect can be fast.
Window air conditioners
Window type air conditioners are slightly older models, used to be the most widespread configuration of air conditioner.
Main disadvantages of window air-conditioners are increased noise and necessity of mounting into the window opening or more usually through a narrow wall. On the plus side they are reasonably priced and easy to fit. Disadvantages include high noise level and may not be as efficient.
Portable or mobile air conditioners
These units do not require special mounting but do come with a flexible air pipe which is routed through a window or hole in the wall.
Its advantages include its compact, that installation is not required and can be taken outside and used inside.
The downside is that it can be pretty noisy and limited in capacity.
Aircon Installation Costs
In general, for products, we refer you to look at the various aircon product sellers. They include:
Factors Affecting Aircon Installation Costs
There can be a few factors affecting aircon installation price. They are:
Types of aircon servicing
Normal Servicing
The service usually include cleaning of the indoor fancoil and outdoor condenser, clearing of the drainage piping and checking of the air conditioning system’s performance.
For normal servicing, these are the common things that will be done:
** Do note that different companies may cover different aspects, not all companies provide the same level of servicing.
Chemical Wash
Aircon chemical wash involves a very thorough overhaul of the air conditioning fancoil unit. Chemical wash is usually used when a general cleaning of the aircon unit does not improve the condition.
Professionals will dismantle the aircon unit, such as, fan coils, water trays, and air filters and wash those with a chemical-based solution.
This help wash away accumulated dust and dirt, eliminate molds, hence increasing the cooling efficiency of your system.
During chemical wash, these are the common things that will be done:
** Do note that different companies may cover different aspects, not all companies provide the same level of servicing.
Chemical Overhaul
Chemical overhaul is a more in-depth, higher level chemical cleaning. It involves dismantling the whole unitand then chemical washing them. More work is actually required than chemical cleaning.
These are the common activities done for aircon chemical overhauls:
** Do note that different companies may cover different aspects, not all companies provide the same level of servicing.
Troubleshooting
Most aircon professionals can provide troubleshooting services.
Troubleshooting involces investigation of the fault and giving an estimate of the repair cost. A report may or may not be given, depending on the company you engage with. It will describe the problems you currently face and the recommended solutions.
Do note, some companies only charge for transportation and miscellaneous charges, and may waive these charges upon confirmation of repair work.
** Do note that different companies may cover different aspects, not all companies provide the same level of servicing.
Gas Topping
Air-conditioners use liquid or gas as a refrigerant for the air that will be delivered to cool a room or space. Overtime, there may be refrigerant storage leaks and the chemical seeps out slowly emptying the container.
Gas top ups refill the refrigerant storage unit with the chemical gas coolant used by your air-conditioner, so your air-conditioner can continue work at top efficiency and last for a longer time.
A number of factors may lead to gas leakage. These may include improper installation, poor quality copper pipe, as well as simple weat and tear over time.
Aircon professionals usually use a gauge to check for the refrigerant level inside your air-conditioning unit., checking the level of gas needed and then a refrigerant tank will be used to charge up gas into the air-conditioner so that the gas levels go back to normal.
** Do note that different companies may cover different aspects, not all companies provide the same level of servicing.
Aircon Chemical Cleaning Vs Aircon Chemical Overhaul
Most people are confused with the difference between aircon chemical cleaning/washing and chemical overhaul.
Simply put, general servicing is just a simple cleaning of the front panel, then replace the filter which usually gets clogged with dirt, dust, and other debris. However, dust and dirt will accumulate inside the device overtime. Sometimes, regular service cannot get rid of the dirt and other unwanted debris.
When that happens, it becomes necessary to use a more through and intense cleanup, or what we know as chemical cleaning/wash.
Aircon chemical cleaning/washing comprises more than just general servicing. Chemical wash is done using the hanging tray method whereby only the front cover and the filter is removed and a tray is hanged below the fancoil and chemical wash done at the unit itself. The cleanup will get rid of stubborn stains, grease, and accumulated dust. The evaporator is also removed and the chemical replaced inside the unit.
Though more thorough than general servicing, this method may not be thorough enough compared to chemical overhaul. For example, it may be insufficient to reach the water tray behind to get rid of the dirt and jelly. As time goes by the dirt and jelly will build up and lead to leaking.
Aircon chemical overhaul, on the other hand, involves dismantling the whole unit and thorough clean every part using chemical wash. As you can see, its cleaning effect is extremely thorough and will clear all the jelly and grime from the water tray.
This service will be provided after aircon chemical cleaning, or when chemical cleaning will not be effective.
Since the effort is more, its price is definitely higher than chemical wash, usually more than 100SGD. We will cover the price range below.
A thorough, well executed chemical servicing and chemical overhaul offer a number of benefits. Benefites include lower electricity bills, higher effiency, smoother running, cleaner (and thus healthier) air.
Benefits Of Aircon Servicing
The benefits of regular aircon servicing, be it normal overhaul or chemical washing, is numerous. It includes:
All of these eventually lead to the most important benefit: prolonging the air-conditioners lifespan.
Aircon Servicing Prices
Ad-hoc Aircon Maintenance (One-Time)
This depends on the number of units cleaned and how deep the cleaning is. In general, prices are:
Number of air-conditioning units Rates
No. of Units Price
Chemical wash
Type of cleaning Rates
Unit(s) Price
Aircon Chemical Overhaul
Unit(s) Price
No. of aircon fancoils Price
<= 12000 BTU ~ $120 per fancoil
>=18000 BTU ~ $150-$180 per fancoil
Contractual Air-conditioner Maintenance
No. of Units Price (Quarterly)
Aircon Gas Top Up
Type Price
R22 Gas $30-$80
R410A GAS $60-$150
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting charges of $40 to $50 inclusive of transportation and checking.
It will usually be waived off if client engage with subsequent repairing service.
Aircon Labor Cost Factors
If you are embarking on either an aircon installation or aircon repair project, labor is likely to be the highest cost factor. A few factors which may be involved with labor pricing include:
There can be 101 problems which may occur if you do the installation or repair yourself.
Improperly designed systems may have ducts too small for air blowing out, and at the other end of the spectrum, an overly large duct may siphon off air that should be going to another part of the house.
In another case, the air-conditioning system could be undersized too large as well, providing more or less pressure than ducts are designed to handle.
Get quotations from local and air-conditioning contractors if you have a specific job in mind.
A good aircon contractor can do a calculation of your unit and determine the power, size of air-conditioner your home needs based on the following factors:
For more information about Interior Design please visit their website: https://sghomeneeds.com/.
