Aircon chemical wash in Singapore
A chemical wash goes deeper than a general service without taking the unit off the wall. The cooling coil and blower are treated with a cleaning solution, left to work, and rinsed through, while a catch bag around the unit takes the dirty water away.
Tell us how many units need it and what they’re doing, and we’ll pass it to a partner aircon firm, which confirms the job, gives you a quick quote and books a time. Many people book a chemical wash for one or two problem units and a general service for the rest.
What a aircon chemical wash includes
The partner firm confirms what its price covers when it quotes. Usually, in this order:
- 1
Panels and filters off
The front panel, filters and louvres come off so the coil and blower are exposed. Nothing else is dismantled, and the fan coil stays on its mounting.
- 2
Catch bag fitted
A waterproof bag is wrapped around the unit and taped to the wall, with a hose into a bucket, so the rinse water doesn’t run down the wall or onto the floor.
- 3
Coil treated and rinsed
The cooling coil is sprayed with a cleaning solution, left for the time the product needs, then rinsed thoroughly with a pressure sprayer until the water runs clear.
- 4
Blower and drain tray cleaned
The blower wheel is washed of the black build-up that throws dust and smell into the room, and the drain tray and drainage pipe are cleared and flushed.
- 5
Outdoor unit washed
Where it can be reached safely, the condenser coil outside is washed too, so the system can get rid of heat properly.
- 6
Reassembled and tested
Everything goes back on, and the unit is run while the technician checks the airflow, the drainage and the temperature of the air coming out.
Some firms quote the indoor and outdoor units separately, and some include the outdoor wash only in their chemical overhaul. Ask what the price covers when the firm quotes.
When people book it
- A unit still drips, smells or cools poorly after a general service.
- You can see black specks or dust blowing out of the louvres.
- A home has been empty for months, or you’ve just moved into a resale flat and don’t know the units’ history.
- After renovation, when fine dust has been drawn through the units.
What a chemical wash does that a general service doesn’t, and when it’s worth it, is explained in OurKampung’s aircon servicing guide, a sister guide run by the same team.
What a aircon chemical wash deals with
- 1
- 2
Cooling coil · Indoor
Sprayed with cleaning solution, left to work, then rinsed through.
- 3
- 4
- 5
Drainage pipe · Indoor to outside
Flushed once the tray is clean.
- 6
General servicing, chemical wash or chemical overhaul
The three cleaning services differ in how far the unit is taken apart. Side by side:
-
Level 1
General servicing
Unit stays up, front opened
- Filters washed
- Coil face and blower cleaned
- Drainage flushed
- Unit tested
-
Level 2
Chemical wash
Unit stays up, wrapped in a catch bag
- Everything in a service
- Coil treated and rinsed through
- Blower and drain tray washed
- Outdoor coil often washed
This page
-
Level 3
Chemical overhaul
Unit taken down and stripped to parts
- Everything in a wash
- Every part soaked and scrubbed
- Casing cleaned inside and out
- Rebuilt, remounted, tested
Each level takes longer than the one before, so it usually costs more. Which one a unit needs is explained in OurKampung’s aircon servicing guide, a sister guide run by the same team.
What affects the price
It comes with a quick quote. The firm will ask about:
- How many units need the wash, and whether the rest of the home needs a general service on the same visit.
- The type of unit. Ceiling cassettes take more work than wall-mounted fan coils.
- Whether the outdoor unit is washed as well, and how easy it is to reach.
- How dirty the coil and blower are, which the firm may only know once it opens the unit.
- Whether the firm finds a fault on the day that needs a repair, priced separately before any work is done.
Comparing quotes
Check whether the price is per indoor unit, whether the outdoor unit is washed too, and whether a general service for your other units can be done on the same visit.
How to prepare, and what happens on the day
Before the visit
- Tell the firm which units need the wash and which only need a general service, so it brings enough catch bags and time.
- Clear the area under each unit, move electronics away and take down anything hanging on the wall beside it.
- Make sure there’s a tap or bathroom nearby the technician can fill buckets from and empty them into.
- Open the window to the aircon ledge and clear the ledge, if the outdoor unit is to be washed.
On the day
- 1 The technician switches off the unit at the isolator before opening it.
- 2 Panels, filters and louvres come off, and the catch bag goes on.
- 3 The coil is treated, left for a few minutes, and rinsed until the water runs clear, then the blower and drain tray are cleaned.
- 4 The unit is reassembled and run, and you’re shown it cooling and draining before the technician leaves.
Afterwards
A faint smell of the cleaning solution can last a short while; leave the room ventilated if it bothers you. Run the unit normally and watch for drips over the next day or two. Keep the service report, and tell the firm first if anything isn’t right.
Aircon chemical wash in homes and offices
The same service is a different job in a flat, a landed house or an office. Here’s what changes.
HDB flats
In an HDB flat the wash is usually for one or two bedroom units, with a general service for the others. The outdoor compressor on the aircon ledge is reached through the window, so that window must open fully.
Condos
Condo units often have a ceiling cassette in the living room as well as wall units in the bedrooms, and cassettes take longer to wash. Check contractor registration and permitted working hours with management.
Landed homes
Landed homes tend to have more units across several floors and outdoor units on the roof or high brackets. Tell the firm which units are the problem and how the outdoor units are reached.
Offices
Offices with ceiling cassettes or ducted units usually book washes out of hours so desks under the units can be cleared. Building management may need to approve the work and the use of water on the floor.
Questions about aircon chemical wash
How long does a chemical wash take?
Longer than a general service: allow roughly an hour or more per wall-mounted unit, and more for cassettes. The firm will give you an estimate once it knows the number and type of units.
Is the chemical safe in a bedroom?
The solution is rinsed out of the unit before it’s reassembled. If anyone at home has asthma or a sensitivity, say so when you book, and ask the firm which product it uses.
Will my wall get wet?
It shouldn’t. The catch bag around the unit takes the rinse water to a bucket. Move anything you’d hate to see splashed, and point out wallpaper or fresh paint when the technician arrives.
Should I book a chemical wash or a chemical overhaul?
A wash suits most units that a general service no longer fixes. An overhaul takes the unit down and apart, for the worst cases. Describe the problem in the form, and the firm will suggest which it would do.
Get a quick aircon chemical wash quote
Tell us the service, how many units and roughly where you are. It takes a minute, and there's no obligation to book.
Thank you. Your enquiry is on its way.
We usually reply within one working day. We'll pass your enquiry to a partner aircon firm, which will contact you to confirm the job and give you a quote.
There's nothing else you need to do. If you left something out, send another enquiry.
