AC repair and servicing: cleaning, refrigerant gas, diagnostics
Cleaning, gas refill or a real repair
Not every problem with an air conditioner is a fault. Often routine servicing is enough: cleaning the filters, the indoor unit, the drain and the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit. If the AC cools worse, drips on the wall or smells unpleasant, first rule out dirt. A gas refill is needed when the system has a leak, not just “once a year”. The technician must find and fix the cause, not just top up the refrigerant.
More serious cases are a faulty control board, fan, compressor or sensors, or an error code on the display.
What to put in your request
- what kind of unit — split AC, window AC, multi-split;
- model — for example, Daikin FTKM35;
- what happened — leaking, not cooling, noisy, an error code, cleaning or gas refill needed;
- capacity — 1 ton, 1.5 ton, 2 ton;
- number of units — one or several ACs;
- access to the outdoor unit — the floor, balcony, and whether rope access or a ladder is needed;
- city and area, date, warranty on the repair, budget.
Example: “Three 1.5-ton split ACs need cleaning and diagnostics, and one of them cools weakly. One of the outdoor units is on the 7th floor and needs rope access. Manila, this week, 3-month warranty, budget up to ₱2,500.”
Access to the outdoor unit: the hidden part of the price
Many people do not think about where the outdoor unit hangs. If it is on the facade above the first or second floor, the work is done from a platform or with rope-access gear, and that can change the cost. So in your request be sure to write the floor and the way to reach it: from a balcony, from a window, or only from outside.
How to compare offers
- Whether diagnostics is included in the repair price, or the visit is charged separately.
- Whether the cleaning price is for one unit or for both (indoor and outdoor).
- What exactly is in the “cleaning”: pressure wash, disinfection, drain treatment.
- For a gas refill: whether the technician looks for the leak before refilling, and which refrigerant they use.
- What warranty comes with the work.
A typical mistake is putting off cleaning until the peak of the summer heat: technicians are overloaded, and you will wait longer. It is better to service the AC in spring. Also do not take the units apart yourself or release the gas: it is under pressure and needs tools and qualifications.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write a request once, and technicians reply in the chat: the price or what it depends on, the date of the visit, the warranty. The request is checked, and you are told what else to add. Technicians see their place among the other offers and often improve their terms, and reviews are visible next to them. Only the chosen technician sees your contacts. More: how it works.
If another household appliance is faulty, see home appliance repair, and you will find other kinds of service in the “Repair and servicing of appliances and electronics” section.
