What an AC service should actually include
“AC service” covers everything from washing two filters in ten minutes to a genuine strip and clean with measurements taken. Both get called the same thing. Here is the difference, item by item, so you can ask the right questions of whoever you use.
| Task | Full serviceFrom 3,500 | Filter wash~1,000 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor filters removed and washed | The one thing everybody does | ||
| Indoor coil deep cleaned | Where most of the lost cooling actually is | ||
| Outdoor condenser coil cleaned | Blocked fins mean the unit cannot dump heat | ||
| Drain line cleared and flushed | A blocked drain is the usual cause of water dripping inside | ||
| Blower wheel cleaned | Skipped almost universally; costs real airflow | ||
| Refrigerant pressure tested | Tells you whether gas is actually low | ||
| Leak test before any refill | Otherwise you buy the same gas again next year | ||
| Electrical connections checked | Loose terminals are a fire risk, not an inconvenience | ||
| Capacitor tested | The cheapest part that stops a compressor starting | ||
| Cooling measured before and after | Proof the service did something |
If it needs gas every year, it has a leak
A sealed system does not consume gas
Refrigerant circulates. It is not burned, used up or worn out. A unit that was correctly charged and is now low has lost it somewhere.
Annual topping up is a subscription to a leak
Every refill without a leak test buys gas that will be outside the system by next summer. It is the most common way people are quietly overcharged in this trade.
Find it, then fill it
Pressure test, locate, repair, then charge to the manufacturer's weight. It costs more on the day and stops the annual bill.
Service questions
- How often should an air conditioner be serviced?
- Once a year for a domestic unit, before the season starts. Twice for units running most of the year, or anywhere dusty — near a main road, a mill, or unmetalled ground. Dust is what kills units in this district, not age.
- Does gas need topping up every year?
- No, and this is worth understanding. A sealed system does not consume gas. If it is low, it is leaking. Topping it up annually without finding the leak means paying for gas every year to vent it into the atmosphere.
- How much does an AC service cost?
- From PKR 3,500 for a standard split unit service, covering coil and filter cleaning, drain clearing, electrical checks and a pressure test. Gas refill, if genuinely needed after leak testing, is charged separately.