Is there a smell?
Aircon Cleaning South Africa goes further than a routine service: the indoor unit is stripped, the blower wheel and coil are washed properly and the tray and drain are treated. It is what fixes a musty smell and weak airflow that a filter wash does not touch.
Tell us how many units and get cleaning quotes.
Get the Best QuoteWhat a Deep Clean Involves
- Covers off. The front panel and the drip tray come off rather than being wiped.
- The blower wheel. The fan barrel, where the black build-up actually sits.
- The coil. Washed with a proper coil cleaner, not sprayed with air freshener.
- A catch bag. The dirty water collected rather than run down your wall.
- Tray and drain. Cleared and treated so the slime does not return by January.
- Sanitising. An antibacterial treatment on the coil and tray after washing.
Signs a Unit Needs One
- A musty smell. Strongest in the first minute after it starts.
- Weak airflow. The unit runs but the air barely reaches across the room.
- Black specks. Blown out of the vanes onto the floor or the bed below.
- Longer run times. It takes far longer to reach the temperature it used to.
- Visible build-up. Shine a torch at the barrel fan behind the vanes.
- Hay fever indoors. A loaded coil is a reservoir, and the unit blows it around.
Cleaning and Health
- Mould likes wet coils. Condensation plus dust is exactly what it wants.
- Filters are not enough. They catch the big dust, not what grows behind them.
- Fan-dry the unit. Run fan only for a few minutes after cooling to dry the coil.
- Replace tired filters. Washed too many times, they stop filtering much at all.
- Do not ignore a smell. It is the one symptom that is telling you something directly.
- Schedule it. Once a year on a unit in daily use keeps it from ever getting bad.
Aircon Cleaning Prices
Ballpark cleaning figures so you can check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| Mid-wall split, deep clean, stripped | R1,200 - R2,800 |
| Each additional unit at the same address | R750 - R1,800 |
| Cassette unit, deep clean | R1,600 - R3,500 |
| Ducted indoor unit, deep clean | R2,200 - R5,000 |
| Coil sanitising treatment | R300 - R900 |
| Filter set replaced | R250 - R950 |
| Outdoor coil wash | R450 - R1,200 |
| Drain line clear and treat | R450 - R1,100 |
Prices JUST UPDATED. Ballpark figures, rounded, excluding VAT. They reflect typical South African aircon and refrigeration rates. They are not our prices or quotations, and no provider is bound by them. Confirm what each quotation includes, such as the unit capacity, the standard pipe run, the electrical work, making good and callout fees.
Get a deep clean price for your own units rather than a range.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- How bad it is. A unit never cleaned takes two or three times as long.
- The unit type. A cassette in a ceiling is a different job to a wall unit.
- How many units. Per-unit prices fall once the technician is on site.
- Access. Height, ladders and ceiling voids all add time.
- Whether filters are replaced. Replacement sets are a separate line.
- Travel. Distance from the technician's base.
What to Include in Your Request
- How many units. And what type each one is.
- The symptom. Smell, weak airflow, black specks or just overdue.
- When last cleaned. Or never, which is a useful answer.
- Where they are. Height off the floor and what is underneath them.
- Whether anyone is sensitive. Allergies or asthma in the house changes the priority.
- The building. Home, office, shop or clinic.
Before the Technician Quotes
- Ask whether the unit is stripped. A wipe-down is not a deep clean.
- Ask about the blower wheel. That is where the build-up is and it is easy to skip.
- Ask how the water is caught. A catch bag, not your wall and carpet.
- Ask what the treatment is. And whether it is safe around children and pets.
- Check filters are included. Or priced separately and clearly.
- Book it with the service. One visit rather than two is cheaper both times.
Aircon Cleaning FAQs
What is the difference between a service and a deep clean?
A service checks and cleans the accessible parts: filters, the face of the coil, the drain and the electrics, with a performance check. A deep clean takes the indoor unit apart far enough to wash the blower wheel and the full depth of the coil, catch the dirty water and treat the tray. If a unit has never been cleaned, or it smells, a service alone will not fix it.
Why does my aircon smell musty?
Mould and bacteria growing on a damp indoor coil and in the drip tray. The unit condenses water out of the air every time it cools, and if dust has settled on a wet coil it becomes a very good place for things to grow. A deep clean and a sanitising treatment normally clear it; running fan only for a few minutes after cooling helps keep it away.
How often should a unit be deep cleaned?
Once a year for a unit in daily use, or every two years for one used lightly in a clean environment. Bedrooms that run every night, kitchens, dusty sites, coastal homes and anywhere with pets need it on the shorter cycle.
Can I clean it myself?
You can wash the filters, and you should, every month or two. Everything past that means taking the unit apart over electrical components with water involved, and a damaged coil fin or a wet board costs far more than the clean. The blower wheel in particular cannot be reached without stripping the unit.
Will cleaning fix weak cooling?
Often, partly. A blocked filter and a loaded coil cost real cooling, and a clean restores it. If the unit is also low on gas or has a failing compressor, cleaning will help the airflow but not the fault, which is why a clean is usually quoted with a performance check alongside it.
Cleaning is one of the jobs providers listed on Aircon Hub quote for, alongside servicing, repairs and installation.
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