The question comes in on WhatsApp more than any other: "How long will the technician be in my house?" People are working from home, or have a baby sleeping, or have only a Saturday morning free, or are taking half a day of leave to let someone in. A price tells you what the job costs. It does not tell you whether you need to rearrange your day.
This guide gives the times we publish for each type of job, turns them into a plan for a flat with one to four indoor units, and lists what stretches a visit beyond those times. Where a figure below is our arithmetic rather than a published time, we say so.
The three published times
Our service pages state a time per indoor unit for each of the three wall-mounted jobs. These times include the 9-point pre-check and the final testing, so you do not need to add them on.
| Job | Published time | Published price for 1 unit |
|---|---|---|
| General servicing | 30 to 45 minutes per indoor unit | $45 |
| Chemical wash | 60 to 90 minutes per indoor unit | $135 |
| Chemical overhaul | 2 to 3 hours per indoor unit | $200 |
Two published whole-flat figures sit alongside these. A typical 3-bedroom HDB flat with three fan coil units takes about 90 to 120 minutes for general servicing, and the same flat is usually done in well under half a day for a chemical wash. The overhaul has no whole-flat figure, so the per-unit time is what we have.
What that means for your flat
The table below multiplies the per-unit times by the number of indoor units. The 3-unit general servicing figure is the published one. Every other cell is simple multiplication, not a promise about your home, and it assumes the work is done unit after unit.
| Indoor units | General servicing | Chemical wash | Chemical overhaul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 to 45 min | 60 to 90 min | 2 to 3 hours |
| 2 | 60 to 90 min | 2 to 3 hours | 4 to 6 hours |
| 3 | about 90 to 120 min (published) | 3 to 4.5 hours | 6 to 9 hours |
| 4 | 2 to 3 hours | 4 to 6 hours | 8 to 12 hours |
Read the right-hand column carefully. A chemical overhaul takes the whole indoor unit apart, so it is the job that does not fit into a tidy half day once you have three or four units. We do not publish how a multi-unit overhaul is scheduled, so do not assume it is a single visit. Ask when you book.
The scheduling trap: splitting the job to fit your day
If a long job is the problem, the obvious fix is to book half the units now and half later. Check the price before you do that, because our published tables fall per unit as you add units to one visit.
- Chemical wash, 4 units: $425 together. Two visits of 2 units each is $245 + $245 = $490, which is $65 more.
- Chemical overhaul, 4 units: $640 together. Two visits of 2 units each is $370 + $370 = $740, which is $100 more.
- General servicing, 4 units: $115 together. Two visits of 2 units each is $70 + $70 = $140, which is $25 more.
Those are sums of the prices on our pricing page. The takeaway is not "never split". If the overhaul genuinely cannot fit in one day, the extra is the cost of making it fit. But decide that on purpose, and ask for the total to be confirmed on WhatsApp first, instead of discovering it on the second invoice. We go through the same arithmetic for one problem unit in chemical wash for every aircon or just one unit.
What stretches a visit beyond the times above
The published times are for the cleaning job. Three things can add to your day.
1. The pre-check finds something
Every visit starts with the 9-point pre-check, and it is included in the per-unit times. If it points to a separate problem, such as a choked drain, low gas or a worn part, we show you and quote the work before doing anything. You approve it or you do not. Our published figures for what follows: a standard repair (drainage, electrical) is $80, and compressor or PCB replacement is quoted on site. Our repair page describes a blocked drain as fixable in under an hour, and our overview puts repairs at 1 to 3 hours depending on the issue. That is the one part of the day nobody can fix in advance, so if you must be out by a certain time, tell us when you book.
2. Access to power and water
The technician needs power supply access, and water for flushing the drain. A locked utility room, a water supply that is switched off, or an isolator you cannot find costs time before any work starts.
3. Things in the way
Beds, wardrobes and dressing tables under an indoor unit have to be moved or covered. A bedroom that is clear when we arrive is quicker than one where furniture is moved first. If your units are on a high floor and reached from a ledge, the visit also needs separate arrangement. We do charge extra for ledge access on a case-by-case basis, confirmed for your block before work starts, and that is a booking conversation rather than a time you can read off a table.
What the booking confirmation tells you
A confirmed booking gives you a date and a 2-hour arrival window. Same-day service is usually available. So the part of your day you cannot use is the arrival window plus the job time from the tables above. Someone does not have to watch the whole job, but someone does need to be there to let us in, and to say yes or no if the pre-check finds a repair.
The unit being cleaned is opened up and switched off while the work is done, so plan on that room being without aircon for that unit's share of the visit. If a bedroom is for a baby or someone who is unwell, mention it when you book, and ask which room is done first.
How to plan the day, by situation
- Working from home, 1 or 2 units, general servicing: up to 90 minutes in total on the published figures. A call-free morning window is enough.
- 3-bedroom flat, general servicing: about 90 to 120 minutes. Block two hours, plus the arrival window.
- Chemical wash on the whole flat: published as well under half a day for three units. If you have four, the multiplication gives 4 to 6 hours, so treat it as most of a day and ask for a time estimate for your block.
- Overhaul of three or more units: not a half-day job on the per-unit time. Ask how it is scheduled before you book, and ask for the total for one visit and for a split so you can compare.
- Mixing jobs: if only one unit needs the deeper clean, a chemical clean on a unit while we are already on site for another job is published as $100 to $150 per unit. Ask for the exact figure for your unit when you book.
A short checklist for the morning of the visit
- Clear the space under and around each indoor unit.
- Make sure the water supply is on and the power points near the units work.
- Know where the aircon isolator is.
- Have someone present who can approve or decline a repair, and agree the price before work starts.
- Tell us which unit is the worst, so it is not left for last.
For what to prepare specifically before an overhaul, read how to prepare your home for a chemical overhaul. For what the technician should show you at the end of the visit, see what your aircon technician should show you before they leave.
The short version
General servicing is 30 to 45 minutes per indoor unit, a chemical wash 60 to 90 minutes and a chemical overhaul 2 to 3 hours, all including the pre-check. A three-unit flat is about 90 to 120 minutes on general servicing and well under half a day on a chemical wash. Overhauling three or four units is a long day by arithmetic, so ask how it is scheduled, and check what splitting it would cost. Tell us your unit count and what you want done and we will confirm the total. The job details are on our aircon servicing, chemical wash and chemical overhaul pages.
Not sure how long your flat will take? WhatsApp us on 9107 2601 with your unit count and the job you want, and we will confirm the total and the visit length.