Aircon Service Singapore: 9 Essential Warning Signs

Most aircon failures announce themselves weeks before they happen. The units that die suddenly are almost always the ones whose earlier symptoms were ignored. Here is what to watch for.

1. Weak or uneven cooling

If one room cools and another does not, or the unit runs constantly without reaching the set temperature, the coil is likely fouled or refrigerant pressure has dropped.

2. A musty smell when it starts

That smell is biological growth on a damp evaporator coil. It will not clear on its own and it is being blown into the room you sleep in.

3. Water dripping from the vents

Usually a blocked drain pan or pipe. Left alone, the overflow reaches your ceiling and walls — a far more expensive repair than clearing a drain.

4. Ice on the pipes or coil

Ice means restricted airflow or low refrigerant. Running the unit in this state puts the compressor under load it was not designed for.

5. A jump in your electricity bill

A dirty coil transfers heat poorly, so the unit runs longer for the same result. The bill rises before the cooling visibly fails.

6. Hissing or bubbling noises

Hissing frequently indicates a refrigerant leak. Topping up without leak testing simply pays for gas that escapes again.

7. The unit short-cycles

Starting and stopping every few minutes stresses the compressor and is often a sensor, capacitor or airflow problem.

8. Visible dust on the fins

If you can see build-up from the floor, the interior is significantly worse. This is the point at which a chemical wash beats a general service.

9. It has been more than a year

Singapore humidity is hard on aircon systems. Quarterly servicing is the cheapest insurance against a compressor replacement.

If you recognise two or more of these, book a diagnostic. We tell you what is actually wrong before quoting parts.