Air-conditioning is the most searched-for repair in Hong Kong, and the price gap between a clean and an unmaintained unit is large. Cleaning, topping up refrigerant and replacing a whole unit are three very different jobs with three very different price tags.
Full price list
All reference prices are in Hong Kong dollars (HKD).
Every price here is the published starting rate for the work shown, not a quotation. The tradesman prices the job after seeing the site, so parts, transport and access to old buildings can move the final figure.
- Aircon deep clean (split unit) per unit
- Aircon repair per visit
- New aircon installation per unit
- Refrigerant top-up per visit
- Servicing / check-up per unit
- Window aircon installation per unit
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Common questions
What is the difference between a clean and a refrigerant top-up?
Cleaning is routine maintenance on the filters, coils and drain, and it is what most units need once a year. A top-up is a repair for a machine that is losing refrigerant, and if the leak is not found and fixed the gas will simply go again. A unit that has never been cleaned usually needs the clean first, and a quote that jumps straight to a top-up is worth questioning.
Why does a deep clean mean taking the unit apart, and what should I prepare?
The fan coil and the drain pan cannot be reached properly without opening the front panel and lifting the unit out, and that is what separates a deep clean from a quick wipe-down. Before the visit, clear the area under the unit, move the plants and the laundry rack, and ask how long the power and water will be off, because both are cut during the service. If it is a window unit, the route from the window to the work area matters.
Will a top-up always fix an aircon that is not cooling?
Not always. Low refrigerant is only one of the reasons a unit loses cooling, and the others include a dirty coil, a failed capacitor, a fan motor that has stopped or a fault on the electronic board. A technician who tests the current, the pressure and the temperature before adding gas will tell you which one it is, and if the fault is not gas, adding more is money spent for nothing.
What else is needed when a new unit is installed?
The bracket, the drain pipe, the electric supply and the refrigerant line all have to reach the position, and in some flats there is no route without cutting a chase or running the pipe outside the window frame. If a new position is needed on a wall or platform, that is normally a common part of the building and the management office or an owners decision is required first. Ask for the pipe route in writing before the unit goes up.
How do I check an aircon job before the technician leaves?
Ask them to run the unit in cooling mode for ten minutes with the room door closed, and check the temperature on the indoor unit rather than trusting the display. Watch the drain pipe while it runs and make sure nothing is dripping at the joint, and ask whether the filters were cleaned and left dry. If the unit is outside, look at the bracket bolts and the drip line before the scaffolding comes down.
What about the warranty, and do I need the landlord to agree?
Ask for the warranty period on the work in writing, and note that the compressor and the manufacturer parts follow their own terms, so a small unit that dies early is not covered as a whole machine. The unit itself usually belongs to the landlord, so replacing or relocating it needs the owner to agree, and any drilling on the external wall needs the management office to allow it.
Before you book
Ask for the price to state clearly whether it covers cleaning, a repair, a refrigerant top-up or a new machine, because the four are easy to confuse on a quote. Check whether the unit is drained before the visit and how long the power will be off. Confirm the access, the position of the outdoor unit and the pipe route, and pay the balance after the unit has been running and the drain is dry.
How the prices work
The reference figures cover a standard split unit for a normal household job, and the price depends on which of the four jobs you are buying. Cleaning is priced per unit and scales with the size of the machine and the height of the installation, while a repair moves with the fault and the parts needed. A new installation also carries the cost of the bracket, the pipe run and the access to the position, which is why a high floor or a narrow window can add more than the machine itself.