Aircon Service South Africa is the annual work that keeps a unit cooling properly and stops the faults that cost real money. Compare per-unit prices, what each service actually covers and what a maintenance contract works out at across several units.
Tell us how many units and get servicing quotes.
Get the Best QuoteWhat a Service Should Cover
- Filters. Washed or replaced, which is most of the airflow problem solved.
- The indoor coil. Cleaned, because dust on the fins is lost cooling.
- The drip tray and drain. Cleared and treated, so it does not overflow in February.
- The outdoor coil. Washed down and cleared of leaves, grass and dust.
- Electrical check. Connections, contactor and capacitor looked at before they fail.
- Performance check. Pressures and temperature split measured and written down.
How Often
- Domestic, light use. Once a year, before summer, is normally enough.
- Domestic, heavy use. Twice a year where it runs most of the year.
- Offices. Two to four times a year depending on hours and occupancy.
- Coastal sites. More often, because salt air eats outdoor coils.
- Dusty sites. Filters block in weeks rather than months on a building site.
- Restaurants and kitchens. Grease loads the coils and needs its own schedule.
What Skipping It Costs
- More power. A loaded coil makes the compressor work harder for less cooling.
- Blocked drains. The most common call-out of the lot, and avoidable.
- Shorter life. A compressor running against dirt does not last its years.
- Mould and smell. A wet, dirty indoor coil is where that smell comes from.
- Warranty. Many warranties want a service record and will ask for it.
- Summer queues. The first hot week is when everyone discovers the problem.
Aircon Service Prices
Ballpark servicing figures so you can check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| Single domestic split unit, standard service | R650 - R1,400 |
| Each additional unit at the same address | R400 - R900 |
| Deep clean, indoor unit stripped | R1,200 - R2,800 |
| Cassette or ducted indoor unit service | R950 - R2,200 |
| Annual contract, two visits, one unit | R1,200 - R2,600 |
| Office contract, per unit per visit | R350 - R800 |
| Drain clear and treat | R450 - R1,100 |
| Filter replacement set | R250 - R950 |
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 per-unit price for your own site rather than a range.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- How many units. Per-unit prices fall quickly once a technician is on site.
- The unit type. A cassette in a ceiling takes longer than a mid-wall split.
- How dirty it is. A unit never serviced is a deep clean, not a service.
- Access. Ladders, roof access and ceiling voids all add time.
- Contract or ad hoc. A scheduled contract is usually cheaper per visit.
- Travel. Distance from the technician's base, outside the metros especially.
What to Include in Your Request
- How many units. And where they are in the building.
- What type they are. Mid-wall, cassette, ducted, floor standing or package.
- When last serviced. Roughly, or never, which is a useful answer too.
- Any current symptoms. Weak cooling, smell or noise, so they bring parts.
- The building. House, complex, office or shop, and the access.
- Whether you want a contract. One visit, or a schedule across the year.
Before the Technician Quotes
- Ask what is included. A filter wash is not a service and some quotes mean only that.
- Ask whether coils are cleaned. Indoor and outdoor, and with what.
- Ask for the readings afterwards. A service with no numbers cannot be compared.
- Check what is excluded. Gas, parts and the drain are common exclusions.
- Price the units together. One visit for four units should not be four callouts.
- Book before summer. October is calm, December is not.
Aircon Service FAQs
How often should an aircon be serviced?
Once a year before summer is enough for a domestic unit in light use. Twice a year is better where it runs most of the year, in offices, near the coast where salt attacks the outdoor coil, or anywhere dusty. Kitchens and restaurants need their own schedule because grease loads the coils far faster.
What does a service actually include?
A proper service covers the filters, the indoor coil, the drip tray and drain, the outdoor coil, the electrical connections and a performance check with pressures and the temperature split recorded. If a quote only mentions cleaning filters, it is a filter wash rather than a service, and the two are priced very differently for a reason.
Will servicing reduce my electricity bill?
It helps, sometimes noticeably. A blocked filter and a dirty coil make the unit run longer for the same cooling, and a unit low on gas runs continuously without reaching set point. Servicing will not turn an old non-inverter into an efficient machine, but it does stop it getting steadily worse.
Do I need a maintenance contract?
For one unit at home, usually not. For an office with several units, a contract is normally cheaper per visit, gets you scheduled rather than queued in the first hot week, and gives you the service record that a warranty claim will ask for.
My unit smells when it starts up. Is that a service issue?
Usually yes. The smell comes from mould and bacteria on a damp indoor coil and in the drip tray. A clean and a drain treatment normally clears it, and running the fan for a few minutes after cooling helps keep it from coming back.
Servicing is one of the jobs providers listed on Aircon Hub quote for, alongside cleaning, repairs and installation.
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