The calls tend to come in the same way. A couple is in the last two months of a pregnancy, or a new parent is already home, and the aircon in the baby's room is doing something they have decided they do not like: it is slow to cool, it makes a new noise, it smells a little when it starts. They want it sorted, and they want it sorted before the baby sleeps in that room, because nobody wants a technician in the flat during the first weeks.
This guide is about timing and sequence, not about health claims. We are aircon technicians, not doctors, so we will not tell you what temperature a baby should sleep at or what a smell might do to anyone. What we can tell you is what to book, in what order, how long the work takes, and what to check so that nothing is left to be fixed once the baby is home.
Work backwards from the due date, not forwards from the problem
The mistake we see is booking the service for the week the baby is due, because that is when the family finally has time to think about it. A service is rarely the whole story. The 9-point pre-check can find something that needs a second visit, such as a drain that needs more work or a part that has to be replaced. If you book in the final fortnight, a second visit lands on top of the birth.
Our suggestion, which is a planning habit and not a rule: book the aircon work early enough that there is still room for a follow-up before the due date. Babies do not always arrive on schedule, so the earlier the better. If the pre-check says the unit needs more than the general service you booked, you then have time to decide calmly rather than on the day.
Which job to book for the baby's room
You do not have to guess between a general service, a chemical wash and a chemical overhaul. Every service booking includes a 9-point pre-check, part of the $45 minimum for one unit and not an extra charge. It checks power and the thermostat, the temperature drop across the unit, refrigerant pressure, drainage, the outdoor condenser, the blower, any corrosion or damage, and how dirty the filter and coil are. It answers the question of which job the unit needs, which is cheaper than paying for a deep job the unit did not need.
As published on our pricing page:
- General servicing: $45 for 1 unit, $70 for 2, $95 for 3, $115 for 4, and $25 for each unit from the fifth.
- Chemical wash: $135 for 1 unit, $245 for 2, $345 for 3, $425 for 4, and $100 per unit from the fifth.
- Chemical overhaul: $200 for 1 unit, $370 for 2, $515 for 3, $640 for 4, and $150 per unit from the fifth.
The displayed price is the final price. If the room's unit smells musty when it starts, or cooling has dropped, a chemical wash is the usual answer, because that smell comes from mould and bacteria growing inside the coil and drain, which general servicing does not remove. If the unit has been working and is simply due, a general service is enough. The pre-check tells you which, and it is far better to find out a month before the baby than the night before.
One room, one visit, and which room goes first
Our published times are about 30 to 45 minutes per unit for a general service, 60 to 90 minutes per unit for a chemical wash, and 2 to 3 hours per unit for a chemical overhaul. During that time the room being worked on has no aircon, and there is water and cleaning solution involved on a chemical wash, so the floor and the wall under the unit need clearing.
If you are servicing more than one unit, tell us when you book that one of them is the baby's room and ask for it to be done first. That way, if the visit overruns, it is the baby's room that is finished, and the room has the longest time to air and settle. See our note on how long aircon servicing takes for the day-planning detail.
The cot, mattress and soft furnishings are best moved out of the room before the visit, not after. A technician working on a unit above a cot is working over something he does not want to damage, and the water used in a wash has to go somewhere. If you set up the nursery before the baby comes, hold off assembling it until the aircon work is finished. That one ordering decision saves most of the awkwardness.
Avoid the weeks after the birth
Many Singapore families keep the home quiet and the number of visitors low after a birth, and that is entirely their call. If you want no tradesperson in the flat during that time, the aircon work has to happen before. If something fails afterwards, say the unit stops cooling at night, you will still need a visit, and that is when the arrangements matter.
Our process asks for power and water access, and for an adult aged 18 or above to be home. The driver messages or calls about 15 minutes before arriving, so you or a family member can be ready and nobody has to answer the door to a surprise. Same-day service is available for urgent faults. If you are in the confinement period, say so in your message and ask for the visit to be kept as short as the work allows. We cannot promise a shorter job than the unit needs, but we can tell you honestly whether the job is a 40-minute service or a three-hour overhaul before anyone comes.
What to look at before and after the service
These checks cost nothing and tell you whether the unit is ready for the room it is going to be used in:
- Listen for a new noise at start-up and at full fan. A rattle, a buzz or a click that was not there last month is worth mentioning to the technician. Our guide to aircon sounds explains what the common ones mean.
- Look at the wall under the indoor unit and the ceiling around the pipe route. A damp patch or a stain means water is going somewhere other than the drain. Our note on a recurring choked drain covers the usual causes.
- Smell the air for the first minute after you switch it on. A musty or sour smell is the coil telling you it is overdue.
- Check where the airflow lands. Where the unit sits relative to the bed is a placement question, and we cover it in where to place an indoor unit in a bedroom. If the cold air hits the cot directly, you can often change the louvre angle. How cold the room should be is a question for your doctor, not for us.
- Ask to see what came out. We take before and after photos on our own jobs, and the photo on this post shows a blower wheel taken out of an indoor unit during one of them. Ask the technician to show you the filter and the coil, and look at the water as it drains.
The ledge, if your flat has one
If the outdoor unit sits on a ledge reached from a window or service yard, tell us when you book. High-floor and ledge-access work can carry an extra fee, which we confirm for your specific block before the work starts. That figure is worth settling in a WhatsApp message a month ahead, not on the doorstep with a newborn in the next room.
Warranty and payment, briefly
Our servicing carries a 90-day workmanship warranty. If something we did is not right, tell us promptly; that is also the reason to do the work early rather than the week before the due date, because you can test the unit through a few real nights before it matters. Payment is on completion, by PayNow (our preferred way), bank transfer or cash, with card available on request.
A simple order of events
- Book the pre-check and service, saying the room is a nursery and which unit goes first.
- Clear the floor and wall under the unit, and keep the cot out of the room until it is done.
- Run the unit for several nights and watch for noise, drips and smell.
- If anything is not right, message us straight away, while there is still time to return before the due date.
- Set up the room last.
Common questions
When should I service the aircon before the baby arrives?
Early enough that a follow-up visit is still possible before the due date. Babies do not always arrive on schedule, so we suggest booking well ahead rather than in the final fortnight.
Do I need a chemical wash for the baby's room?
Not automatically. A chemical wash is for a unit that smells musty or cools weakly. Every booking includes a 9-point pre-check, which tells you whether the unit needs a general service or a chemical wash.
Can I ask for the baby's room to be done first?
Yes. Mention it when you book. If more than one unit is being serviced, ask for that room first so it is finished and has the longest time to settle.
How long will the room be without aircon?
Our published times are about 30 to 45 minutes per unit for a general service, 60 to 90 minutes for a chemical wash and 2 to 3 hours for a chemical overhaul.
What if the unit fails after the baby is born?
Message us. Same-day service is available, an adult aged 18 or above needs to be home, and the driver contacts you about 15 minutes before arriving.
WhatsApp 9107 2601 to book a service before the baby arrives and tell us the due date and which room is the nursery, and we will confirm which job to expect before anyone comes out.
Related reading: full price list · aircon chemical wash · how long servicing takes · indoor unit placement in a bedroom · recurring choked drain