Different companies adopt different strategies in selling their aircon servicing. Many also adopt different innovative ideas of cleaning aircon to attract customers and bring up the sales figures. As a result, there are different types of aircon servicing services available in the market.
Some vendors also claim that vacuum cleaning is better than chemical wash. However, it is a well known fact that vacuum cleaner has many limitation and can never be as effective as chemical treatment. Basically, vacuum cleaning can’t remove stubborn grime, grease, stain and fungi. That is why we still need to mop our floor with water after a vacuuming the floor.
Although chemical wash is more effective in cleaning your air conditioners. Different types of practice procedures used in chemical wash can also make a big difference to your air conditioners. Let’s compare the two most common practices that companies in Singapore are using for aircon chemical wash service.
Onsite vs. offsite chemical cleaning
Aircon Chemical Wash Service is sometimes differentiated into 2 different types of services as follow and the key difference is shown below:
| Service Type | Key Different |
| a. Chemical Cleaning Service | Onsite cleaning |
| b. Chemical Overhaul Service | Offsite cleaning |
If you compare both types of services, chemical cleaning service is much cheaper than chemical overhaul. This is because a number of key and important procedures required for a proper chemical wash service has been cut down. In fact, it is also known as onsite chemical wash as the cleaning is done onsite where the fan coil is mounted. On the other hand, chemical overhaul service is more an offsite cleaning service as the fan coil will be removed from the wall and fully dismantled for chemical treatment. Although both type of services use chemical solution, onsite cleaning is much easier and much faster compared to offsite cleaning as removing and dismantling individual components for a chemical overhaul will definitely involve more time and technical skill.
Pricing of onsite chemical wash vs. offsite chemical wash
As mentioned earlier, the job scope for onsite chemical wash does not involve the removing and dismantling of fan coil. As a result, the cleaning procedure is very straight forward and the time required for such practice is also very much shorter.
A substantial amount of time and effort is saved because more time consuming procedures including removing the fan coil, dismantling the fan coil parts, reassembling the fan coil parts and re-attaching the fan coil units back to the wall has been eliminated. Due to the shorter amount of time required and lesser technical skill required for onsite chemical wash, aircon servicing companies are able to offer such services at a much lower rate. In fact, it is also easier to attract customers as the pricing can be up to 50% cheaper than offsite chemical overhaul. However, watch out for the side effects of such practices.
Side effects of onsite chemical cleaning service
If you do not dismantle the fan coil and clean the inner components piece by piece for chemical treatment and rinsing, it is impossible to do a thorough cleaning. In fact, it is very difficult to clean evaporator coil onsite because you can’t spread it out to do a thorough cleaning. Note that the evaporator coil is the part where huge layer of dust, dirt and grime are trapped and accumulated. It is rolled and coiled up in the fan coil. Therefore, it is very difficult to get rid of all the filthy particles stuck on it if you vacuum or apply chemical solution on it onsite. In addition, if you apply any chemical on the coil onsite, it is very difficult to ensure that you can rinse away all the chemical used in cleaning the evaporator coil and inner components of the fan coil. Note that any chemical residue left in your evaporator coil can cause corrosion of the coil and ultimately cause leakages of aircon refrigerant. Note that the evaporator coil is a major component in the fan coil. Once the evaporator coil becomes defective, you will have to replace the entire fan coil because you can’t find a replacement for the coil easily. In fact, the price difference for replacing an evaporator coil and the whole fan coil would be very minor.
Besides the danger of corroding the fan coil, onsite cleaning is not effective in removing all the dirt, dust, grime and mould from your fan coil. These dirty particles can clog your fan coil and block air transfer and your air con will need to work harder and consume more energy for it to function. In the long run, you may be paying more because dirty fan coil coupled with chemical residue means higher wear and tear and repair cost. Instead of prolonging the lifespan of your air con, improper cleaning procedure can reduce the lifespan of your air con. Moreover, as the aircon is not thoroughly cleaned, you can’t expect the aircon to release clean air.
