Winter is the best time to get your air conditioning serviced. Your system is under light load, engineers have easier access, and you can fix small issues before the first warm spell. In London, a well planned service schedule keeps rooms comfortable, cuts energy costs, and reduces surprise breakdowns in spring.
This guide explains how often to book service, what we check during a visit, typical price bands, what can increase costs, and what is and is not covered. We also clarify F‑GAS record keeping and our emergency response.
How often should air conditioning be serviced?
For most London homes and small offices:
- Annually, ideally in late autumn or winter.
For high use or commercial sites, such as clinics, retail and comms rooms:
- Biannual planned preventative maintenance, one visit in cooler months and one before summer.
Filter hygiene sits on its own cadence:
- Clean washable filters every 2 to 4 weeks during use.
- Replace disposable filters as specified by the manufacturer or sooner if visibly dirty.
If your system runs daily, sits in a dusty or greasy environment, or serves a critical room, step up the frequency.
What does an AC service include?
Our planned preventative maintenance covers a thorough set of checks and cleaning tasks to restore performance and spot early faults.
Core checks and cleaning:
- Filters: remove, clean or replace, and refit correctly.
- Indoor coils: inspect and clean evaporator coil to improve heat transfer.
- Outdoor coils: clean condenser fins and clear debris for proper airflow.
- Drainage: flush and test condensate drain and pump to prevent leaks.
- Airflow: check fan speeds, vanes, and obstructions; confirm static pressure where applicable.
- Temperatures and pressures: measure supply and return air temperatures; check refrigerant pressures for system health.
- Leak test: perform refrigerant leak checks suited to system size and regulation.
- Electrical checks: inspect terminals, capacitors, contactors, insulation resistance, and controls.
- Thermostat and controls: verify setpoints, modes, and scheduling; update settings for energy efficiency.
- Mountings and seals: confirm secure indoor and outdoor units, anti vibration mounts, and cabinet seals.
- Cleanliness and hygiene: wipe panels and grilles; advise on anti microbial treatments if required.
Compliance where applicable:
- F‑GAS documentation for qualifying systems, including leak test evidence and refrigerant movements.
You also receive clear notes on any advisories, parts showing wear, and optional upgrades that deliver value, such as improved filtration or smart controls.
F‑GAS, explained simply
You only need F‑GAS records if your system contains fluorinated refrigerant above certain thresholds measured as carbon dioxide equivalent. In short:
- Small domestic splits often sit below thresholds and do not need formal records.
- Many commercial systems and larger multi splits do require periodic leak checks and documented records.
If your system qualifies, we:
- Confirm the correct leak check interval based on CO2e.
- Document checks and any refrigerant top up or recovery.
- Keep your records compliant and ready for audit.
Not sure about your system? We can determine charge size and CO2e during the first visit and advise the correct schedule.
How much does it cost to service an air conditioner?
Prices vary with system type, access, and how many indoor units you have on site. Typical London service price bands for routine maintenance visits are:
Homes and small offices, single split:
- From £95 to £150 plus VAT for one indoor and one outdoor unit.
Multi split systems, 2 to 4 indoor units:
- From £140 to £250 plus VAT, depending on access and coil condition.
Commercial wall mounts, cassettes, or ducted units:
- From £90 to £130 plus VAT per indoor unit when booked as a grouped visit.
- Site minimums may apply for small callouts.
What can increase cost:
- Heavy coil fouling requiring deep chemical cleans.
- Blocked drains needing pump strip down or replacement.
- Out of hours attendance.
- Roof or difficult access that needs special equipment.
- Missing or overdue maintenance, which extends cleaning time.
What is not included in a standard service:
- Parts replacement, such as pumps, PCBs, fans, or sensors.
- Refrigerant recovery or recharge beyond minor corrective top ups where regulations allow.
- Complex fault finding beyond routine checks.
- Scaffolding, access platforms, or roof permits.
- Repairs to building electrics or controls outside the AC system.
We always seek approval before carrying out extra works and provide itemised quotes.
Annual versus biannual PPM
Choosing the right schedule protects comfort and budget.
Annual service works well when:
- Usage is moderate and indoor air is relatively clean.
- The system is domestic or non critical.
Biannual service is the better choice when:
- The system runs daily, serves customers or patients, or cools IT equipment.
- The environment has dust, flour, grease, or hair.
- You need documented compliance and predictable uptime.
Benefits you can expect:
- Fewer breakdowns because we catch early signs of failure.
- Lower energy use; clean coils and filters reduce power draw.
- Longer component life; fans, compressors, and pumps work less hard.
- Better air quality and fewer leaks from blocked drains.
Our 6 hour emergency response
If your system stops working, we guarantee a response within 6 hours across London. Here is what that means:
- You speak to our service desk and receive an ETA.
- An engineer arrives with a stocked mobile workshop to diagnose the fault.
- We aim to complete a first visit fix where parts are available.
What is covered:
- Diagnostic assessment, safety checks, and immediate stabilising actions.
- Temporary solutions where a permanent fix needs ordered parts.
What is not covered:
- The cost of replacement parts and return visit labour, unless you hold a contracted agreement that states otherwise.
For business critical rooms, we can also advise on resilience, for example splitting loads across multiple indoor units or scheduling proactive coil cleans before peak periods.
Practical care you can do between visits
- Clean or change filters every 2 to 4 weeks during use.
- Keep outdoor units clear by at least 300 mm on all sides.
- Set cooling around 22°C for a balance of comfort and efficiency.
- Use shading and close blinds on hot days to reduce load.
- Do not block indoor grilles with furniture or displays.
- Report unusual noises, smells, water drips, or error codes promptly.
Booking your service with ADK Kooling
We support homes and businesses across Greater London with F‑GAS certified engineers and clear communication. If you need routine maintenance or urgent help, our team can advise the right plan and get you booked in quickly.
- Call our Service Department on 020 3002 6631.
- Prefer a message? Use website chat or WhatsApp via our site.
- Need installation advice as well as maintenance? Our team can guide you from survey to commissioning as part of your ongoing ac service.
If a fault is already present, and you need to repair air conditioner equipment quickly, our engineers can attend, diagnose, and quote for parts on the spot.
Summary
Book AC servicing in winter to prepare for spring. Most homes need an annual visit, while high use and commercial sites benefit from biannual planned preventative maintenance. A proper service cleans filters and coils, checks drains, verifies airflow and electrics, runs leak tests, and, where required, updates F‑GAS records. Expect £95 to £150 plus VAT for a single domestic split, with multi unit and commercial sites priced per unit. Extra costs arise when access is difficult or deep cleans and parts are required. If you face a breakdown, our 6 hour emergency response gets an engineer on site fast. Ready to schedule? Call 020 3002 6631 and our service desk will get you booked in.