Aircon Pressure Test Cost in Singapore

What is a pressure test — and when do you need one?

A pressure test checks whether your aircon's refrigerant circuit is sealed. The system is pressurised and monitored with professional gauges: if the pressure holds, the circuit is sound; if it drops, gas is escaping somewhere. Book one if you notice any of these:

• The aircon blows air but it is not cold, or takes far longer to cool the room than it used to.
• Hissing sounds near the indoor unit or along the piping.
• Ice forming on the copper pipes or the indoor coil.
• Water dripping when that ice melts — often mistaken for a drainage problem.
• You have been told the gas "ran out" — refrigerant never runs out. It circulates in a sealed loop, so low gas always means a leak.

What happens during the test?

1. The technician runs the 9-point pre-check first — power, temperature drop, compressor pressure reading, drainage flow and more — to confirm the poor cooling is actually gas-related and not a dirty coil.
2. The refrigerant circuit is isolated and pressurised.
3. The gauges are monitored: a steady reading means the system is sealed; a dropping reading confirms a leak.
4. The leak is traced to its source — flare joints, valve connections, the piping run or the coil itself.
5. You get the finding and an exact quote before anything else happens. Top up, repair, or leave it — the decision is yours.

Why topping up without a test wastes money

Refrigerant is not petrol — your aircon does not burn through it. If the gas is low, it escaped, and topping up without finding the escape route means the new gas follows the old gas out. Some companies are happy to sell you a top-up every few months and never mention the word "leak"; it is good repeat business — for them.

If the leak is slow, an occasional top-up may genuinely be the sensible choice, and we will say so. If it is fast, the money simply evaporates. The only way to know which you have is to test — and since the test is covered by the same $45 visit fee, and waived if you proceed with the top-up, there is no reason to skip it.

How the $45 fee and the waiver work

• No leak found — you pay $45, and the visit still includes the full 9-point pre-check and standard servicing, so you leave knowing the real cause of the poor cooling.
• Leak found, you proceed with a gas top-up — the $45 is waived entirely. You pay only the flat top-up price: R22 $115, R410A $130 or R32 $170.
• Leak needs piping or coil work — you get an exact quote upfront before any work starts. If you decide not to proceed, you pay only the $45.

What if the leak needs a real repair?

Some leaks cannot be fixed with a top-up alone — a corroded coil, a pinholed piping run, or a failed joint buried in trunking. In those cases we quote the repair upfront after the pressure test, before any work starts — never mid-job. Standard repairs such as drainage or electrical faults found during the pre-check start from $80; piping or coil replacement depends on access and the length of the run, so it is always quoted first.

All repair work carries a 90-day workmanship warranty, and nothing goes ahead without your agreement. For the full picture of what a leak repair involves, see our aircon gas leak repair cost guide.

Frequently asked questions

Related services and pricing

• Aircon Gas Leak Repair Cost — what happens, and what it costs, when the test finds a leak
• Aircon Repair & Gas Top-Up — from $45 incl. pre-check
• Aircon Servicing — from $25/unit
• Transparent Pricing — every price on one page, no GST