In a city like Hyderabad, where ACs run hard from March right through to October, “once a year” is not enough. Dust, long running hours and our water quality all take a toll. Here is a simple schedule that keeps your AC cooling well and your electricity bill down.
The short answer
For a home AC that runs daily in summer, service it twice a year: once before summer (February–March) and once after the monsoon (September–October). ACs that run almost all day — in a top-floor flat, a shop or an office — do better with a light service every 3–4 months.
Why Hyderabad is harder on ACs
- Dust: construction and road dust clog filters and coils faster than in many other cities.
- Long season: the cooling season runs 7–8 months, so components simply work more.
- Hard water: if you wash the outdoor unit with borewell water, mineral deposits build up on the coil.
What a proper service includes
A real AC service is more than a wipe-down. It should cover power-jet cleaning of the indoor coil and blower, filter washing, drain-line flushing, outdoor unit cleaning, a gas-pressure check and a cooling test. If it has been a long time, a foam-jet deep clean clears the grease and mould a normal service leaves behind.
Signs you are overdue
- Cooling feels weaker than last year
- A musty smell when the AC starts
- The electricity bill has crept up
- Water dripping from the indoor unit (a blocked drain)
Does regular service really save money?
Yes. A clogged coil forces the compressor to work harder, which quietly adds to your bill every month and shortens the AC’s life. The cost of two services a year is far less than one compressor replacement — or one summer week with no cooling.
Thomas Daniel
CoolSaathi’s lead AC specialist with 10+ years servicing split and window ACs across Hyderabad.