Do you want to make sure your home doesn’t trigger allergies? Then getting your air conditioner serviced becomes an important task when preparing for summer. Over time, air conditioners tend to gather grime, bacteria, and even mold. Therefore, it is important to make sure to have your air conditioner cleaned so it does not blow around your home and make you sick.
- Listen to the BlogCast
- About Servicing Air Conditioners
- When to Service an Air Conditioner
- Reasons to Service an Air Conditioner
- Who Pays to Have Your Air Conditioner Cleaned?
- Information to Provide Air Conditioning Service
- My Experiences With Air Conditioner Cleaning
- Air Conditioner Service Recommendations
- Support Information for Finding an AC Technician
- Special Notice Regarding Pets
- Learn More About Maintaining Your Korean Home
Listen to the BlogCast
Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul.
About Servicing Air Conditioners
Air conditioners can help keep your home healthy and clean when maintained correctly. Korea has humid summers and many days with bad air quality. Therefore, it is a good idea to make sure that you service your air conditioners regularly since they help with dampness and air quality. With heavy-duty use, air conditioning units can build up dust, grime, bacteria, and even mold in the system.
It may feel important to know that Korea does not have central air and heating units like in the States. Instead, most air conditioning exists as stand-alone systems with individual units in every room. Therefore, each unit in the home needs cleaned, not only the primary unit in the living area.
When to Service an Air Conditioner
In order to keep your air conditioners at peak performance, most recommend having them cleaned prior to heavy use or after not using them for an extended period of time. This means that those living in South Korea usually have their AC cleaned in the spring around April or May.
If you have just moved into your apartment in the spring or summer, check with your landlord or realtor about when the air conditioning unit was last serviced. You may or may not need to get the unit serviced when you move in. If it hasn’t been serviced, try to get this negotiated in your lease to have it cleaned once a year.
Reasons to Service an Air Conditioner
Here are a few reasons to consider getting your air conditioning units cleaned:
- Improved Air Quality: When your air conditioner is dirty, it may circulate dust, dirt, pollen, and allergens throughout your home. Having these things circulating in your home will lead to possible health issues with your respiratory system or even allergies.
- Increased Efficiency: When dirt and debris are in the coils of your air conditioning unit, it makes it more difficult for the unit to cool properly. In addition, keeping your air conditioner in peak performance may help save money on your energy bills.
- Increased Lifespan of AC Unit: Maintaining the air conditioner in your home helps to prevent malfunctions and breakdowns which can be very expensive to repair.
- Improved Performance: When your air conditioner has regular maintenance, it can keep the unit running at peak performance.
Overall, having the system maintained properly may help to avoid any issues, especially during the hot and humid summers.
Who Pays to Have Your Air Conditioner Cleaned?
Since Korea is not all the same and situations vary, renters should check with either their leasing agent or their landlord to determine who pays. Since different landlords and realtors provide a variety of services to their tenants, it is possible that this might be something that they will help to schedule for you and will cover the cost. However, not all landlords or realtors provide the same services. Therefore, take the time to find out what services are available to you
Information to Provide Air Conditioning Service
Not all homes have the same air conditioning units. So, we recommend making sure to have the following information on hand before contacting services for quotes:
- Brand of air conditioner: Sometimes a service will only maintain certain brands. Therefore knowing the brand of air conditioner will help when you are finding the right service for you. If you know the model, this is helpful as well. Note: It is often most helpful to send pictures of your units to help the service to know the brand and model as well.
- What Type of Air Conditioner: The service requires information about the units to prepare for cleaning your units, (whether your unit is wall mounted, standing or ceiling).
- How Many Units to Clean: This will help the service to be able to estimate about how long it might take to clean your units.
My Experiences With Air Conditioner Cleaning
Air conditioners are something I value during the Korean summer months, as I don’t deal well with the heat and humidity. I find it super important to get my AC cleaned and ready for summer each spring by a professional air conditioner cleaner. AC cleaners and fixers become super bogged down in the summer months. Therefore, I recommend finishing this task before the summer months start.
Also, I choose to hire a professional cleaner because I have the worst luck with my hands. I have a history of breaking unexpected objects and machines, and breaking an AC in a place I am renting did not appeal to me at all. Plus, my unit is a ceiling unit, and I can already imagine my clumsy self falling off the ladder and landing in the ER. I was more than happy to invest in a professional cleaner for my safety and sanity.
The first time I took care of this business was in March 2022, and I recently did a second round in April 2023. This post is to share my experience and what one can expect from a professional AC cleaner. Please keep in mind that these are all 2022 or 2023 prices and that prices may also depend on the unit, level of dirtiness, et cetera. Therefore, it is best to communicate with the service before proceeding to find proper pricing.
Using LG Service Center
In 2022, I contacted the LG service center (because my unit is an LG), and my apartment maintenance office had their number. I called the service center and set a date and time for the cleaner to come to my place. Two workers came – one to clean the actual unit and one to assist with the AC cleaning equipment in the bathroom. It took about an hour to clean my ceiling unit. I gathered from the worker that it had never been cleaned since the building opened over five years ago. The worker even asked if I wanted to see the inside; I immediately declined, saying I did not need to see that! When they finished, they cleaned up everything and left. The total cost for this cleaning was 150,000 KRW, which I paid via Korean bank transfer. I gave them both a cold drink and bid them farewell.
Using An Independent Air Conditioner Cleaner
For 2023, I decided to try one of the independent cleaners. I saved one cleaner’s contact info from one of the Facebook posts and looked him up on Naver to see if the gentleman was still in business. Before contacting him, I snapped a photo of my unit. Then, I sent him that photo with a text message inquiring about his service fees. The gentleman was super responsive and gave me a quote of 80,000 KRW. Then we set a date and time, and I sent him my address. I also sent him photos of the layout of my room so he could see them in advance.
The gentleman arrived on our promised day and time, and he brought his equipment. The first thing he did was to test out my AC unit – both the indoor and the outdoor (condenser) units – to make sure they were both in good working order. He noted that my outdoor unit was incredibly dirty, and he offered to clean that for an extra 10,000 KRW. I agreed to it.
Then he turned the AC power switch off and proceeded to get ready for the actual cleaning. He set up his equipment in my bathroom and removed all the indoor unit parts. First, he put a plastic cover to allow the water to drip and fall through its designated pipe. I helped by just sliding my bed away from the AC to give him more space. Then he cleaned the inside. While he did this, I sat back, relaxed, and chit-chatted with him a bit.
It took him about an hour to do everything including cleaning the outdoor unit, repacking his equipment, and cleaning up any messes. I was happy that my AC was cleaned and ready to be used for the upcoming summer. Honestly, he was worth the money. I paid him via Korean bank transfer and gave him two cold drinks to take with him. This gentleman was lovely, and I plan to contact him again next year!
Air Conditioner Service Recommendations
Here is the contact information for a couple of recommended air conditioner cleaners. I used GG Service for cleaning my air conditioner unit this year. My friend used 옥이 좀 케어 to service their air conditioning units. (I also remember seeing the second contact’s information floating around.) Please note that these independent workers may not understand English. So, it is best to utilize Papago or to ask a Korean speaker to help with contacting them. Both of these services are available and recommended for those in the Pyeongtaek area!
GG Service
01055297159
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Air conditioner service specializing LG and Samsung. Cleans air conditioners. Does not speak English.
Jade Care
01056540230
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Service offers professional maintenance cleaning air conditioners, washing machines. Also detail cleaning services for move in or move out. Speaks some English
Support Information for Finding an AC Technician
If you are searching for an air conditioner cleaning service on your own, you can type 에어컨 청소 in Naver and look at reviews to help you find someone.
In addition, there are some services like Wonderfull that offer assistance in finding and hiring a service to clean your air conditioner. Keep in mind that services like Wonderful often do require an additional fee for their assistance in coordinating this task. Remember everyone’s time is valuable and charging fees is acceptable.
Special Notice Regarding Pets
If you have a pet, make sure to let the technician know before they arrive and make sure the pets are kennelled while the technician visits your home.
Learn More About Maintaining Your Korean Home
Read more articles about maintaining your home in South Korea.
Traditional Market Ingredients Vocabulary
Looking for all the hard-to-find ingredients vocabulary you need to understand traditional markets in South Korea? Look no further, we have PDF lists you can print for shopping and studying! Also, we have a variety of traditional market ingredients vocabulary lists to help you shop like an expert. About Traditional Markets Korean traditional markets exist…
Tips for Controlling Pet Odor in Homes in Korea
Struggling with pet odor in your home in Korea? Especially during the rainy season, it may feel hard to stay on top of the pet odors in small Korean homes. Here are some tips and tricks we use for cleaning up after pets in our Korean home. Factors in Controlling Pet Odor in Korea Before…
Continue Reading Tips for Controlling Pet Odor in Homes in Korea
Home in Korea: Caring for Windows
Caring for your windows and screens in Korea can greatly increase your quality of life. Maintaining your window systems throughout the year may limit many common areas of discomfort experienced by new international residents. A little extra housework such as this goes a long way to improve your mental health while living abroad. Listen to…
Spring Cleaning in Korea
With the arrival of spring comes spring cleaning! The chance to prepare your home for ultimate summer fun and comfort. This post talks about specific cleaning tasks that help you get into the flow of life in Korea and makes managing your home a little easier. If you don’t do the following things, life may…
Start Gardening in Korea for Mental Health
Do you love houseplants, growing your own tomatoes, and learning about the world around you? Taking up gardening in South Korea may improve your mood and help you feel at home. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We…
Winterize Your Korean Home
When the weather drops below freezing outside, you need to prepare for the cold in and winterize your Korean home. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our…
Tara Popp holds a Master of Arts degree in Youth Development with an emphasis on youth and technology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Romantic and Modern literature and poetry. Ms. Popp was born and raised in Seoul for 30+ years as a Korean-American living around military and civilian communities. She moved down to Pyeongtaek officially in 2018. Though she misses the big city life in Seoul, she has grown to love the Pyeongtaek area and country living.
