Gauteng · Local appliance technicians
How much does an aircon service or regas cost?
A service, a repair and a regas are different jobs at different prices. A unit that cools poorly often needs a clean, not gas. Gas is only needed when there is a leak, and finding it should come before anyone tops it up.
Why there is no rand figure here
Each technician we work with prices their own jobs, and the one who takes yours quotes before any work starts. We are not going to copy a figure off another website or an industry average instead. You would plan around it, and it would not be the price of your repair.
What we can tell you is what moves the price and what to ask, so the quote makes sense and two quotes can be compared.
The longer answer
Clean the filters yourself first. On most split units they slide out from behind the front cover and rinse under a tap. Blocked filters are the most common reason a unit cools poorly or ices up.
A service usually means cleaning the filters, the indoor coil and the outdoor unit, clearing the drain and checking the electrical side. Ask what is in it, because two technicians can mean different things by the same word.
A regas is a different job. An aircon does not use up gas, so low gas means a leak. Ask for the leak to be found and fixed before the unit is regassed, or you pay for gas that escapes again. Work on the refrigerant circuit is for a registered gas practitioner.
What decides the price
| Call-out and diagnosis | Usually charged whether or not you go ahead, because somebody drove out and opened the machine. Ask up front whether it comes off the bill if you do go ahead. |
|---|---|
| Fridges, freezers and air conditioners | Anything that opens the sealed refrigerant system is a different class of job and should be done by a registered gas practitioner. A regas quoted suspiciously cheap is worth a second question. |
| Getting to the unit | An outdoor unit on a roof, high up a wall or on a balcony takes longer to reach and clean than one at ground level. Say where yours is when you message. |
| How many units | Several units on one visit usually cost less each than one at a time. Ask. |
Ask before they start
- What does the service include, item by item?
- If it needs gas, where is the leak, and will you fix it first?
- Are you a registered gas practitioner?
- Which gas does the unit use, and is it in the price?
- Is the call-out taken off the bill if I go ahead with the repair?
- Is the part new or reconditioned?
- Under the Consumer Protection Act, parts and labour carry three months. Are you giving longer, and in writing?
- Is it worth fixing, honestly, or should I put the money towards a new one?
- Is that including VAT?
Questions people ask
Does my aircon need regassing?
Only if it has lost gas, and an aircon does not use gas up, so that means a leak. Dirty filters, a blocked coil or a fault in the outdoor fan cause poor cooling more often. A technician should find which before quoting a regas.
How often should an aircon be serviced?
Clean the filters yourself every few weeks while it is in use. A full service, which cleans the coils and the drain and checks the electrical side, is usually done once a year, and more often for a unit that runs most days.
The job, and other price questions
Tell us what is wrong
Takes under a minute. An appliance technician near your area phones you back and quotes before any work starts. There is nothing to pay to be put in touch.