What can you do about a noisy aircon condenser?

Noisy aircon condenser: who is responsible

The owner of the unit is responsible. HDB's renovation guidelines for air-conditioner installation works say flat owners are responsible for the proper installation, safety and stability of their air-conditioner, whether it is a casement or window unit or a split type. Owners must maintain their aircon regularly to avoid causing inconvenience or nuisance to neighbours, and attend to any nuisance when it arises. Otherwise, HDB will ask them to stop using or remove the condensing unit.

The same guidelines say units must not cause vibration in the building, with rubber padding at the base of the condensing unit. Owners must also keep the external wall free of stains at their own expense.

Whether the condenser is yours or a neighbour's, the aim is the same: get it checked and fixed.

If the condenser is yours

Leave finding the cause of the noise to a technician, and do not take the unit apart yourself.

HDB's home care guide for air-conditioners asks you to inspect your aircon regularly. Brackets should be fixed to concrete or brick walls only, not timber frames, and stainless steel brackets should be free of corrosion and rust. HDB also asks you to have the condensing unit serviced regularly by a licensed service provider, and to ask whether its brackets need replacing because of rust and corrosion.

1. Note when it happens. Write down when the noise starts and how long it lasts, for example at start-up or late at night. Share this with the technician.
2. Look from inside. From inside the flat, check whether a bracket looks loose or rusty, without leaning out.
3. Book a technician. Ask them to check the mounting, fan and brackets, and any condenser vibration.
4. Keep the service report. File it, so you can show what was checked and done if a neighbour raises the noise.

For sounds from the indoor unit or the aircon in general, see our guide to aircon making noise. The directory also lists companies that offer condenser cleaning.

What a technician visit costs

Published aircon repair and inspection rates, each as printed and linked to its source:

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published aircon repair and inspection rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published rates from 11 companies run from S$40 to S$100. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a market average or a quote.

See 21 published repair or inspection rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Skyzone Aircon Pte Ltd	Aircon diagnosis fee (residential)	S$27.25 per visit	skyzone.com.sg
Snowflake Services LLP	Diagnostic visit (waived if you proceed)	S$30 per visit	snowflakeaircon.sg
City Cooling Pte Ltd	Checking	S$35 per unit	citycoolingengr.com.sg
A-Max Aircon	Troubleshooting	S$40 per job	amaxaircon.com
Blossom Engineering & Construction Pte. Ltd.	Troubleshooting	S$40 per job	blossomaircon.com
Coolest Aircon Service Pte Ltd	Aircon Repair	S$40 per visit	coolestaircon.com.sg
Doctor Cool	Aircon repair or troubleshooting	S$40 per job	doctorcoolsg.com
SmartCool Aircon Servicing Singapore	Troubleshooting	S$40 to S$80 per job	smartcool.sg
Thetop Aircon Service	Aircon troubleshooting repair	From S$40 per job	thetop.com.sg
Goodcool	Aircon Troubleshooting	S$43.60 per job	bestairconservicing.com
Aircon Boon	Ttroubleshooting [sic]	S$50 per job	airconsg88.com
Sky Blue Aircon Engineering Pte. Ltd.	Troubleshooting & diagnostics visit (from; waived upon repair)	From S$50 per visit	skyblueaircon.com
Jiaxing Holdings Pte. Ltd.	Onsite inspection checking fee (waived if the repair proceeds within 1 month)	S$54.50 per visit	jiaxing-aircon.sg
Heng Aircon Pte Ltd	Diagnostic check	S$60 per visit	hengaircon.com
Same Day Aircon Servicing Repair	Repair troubleshooting (fix quoted separately)	From S$60 to S$80 per job	urgentairconservicing.sg
Vois Pte. Ltd.	Aircon troubleshooting	From S$60 per unit	vois.com.sg
Airple	Aircon Troubleshooting	S$60.60 per job	airple.com.sg
Lion City Air Conditioner Services	Gas troubleshooting	S$87.20 per job	lioncityaircon.sg
Joydom Engineering Pte. Ltd.	On-site troubleshooting visit	S$100 per job	joydom.com.sg
Cool-Aire Aircon Servicing	VRF Troubleshooting - On site survey / Transport charges	S$150 per visit	coolaire.com.sg
Homeone Aircon	Compressor replacement labour, split (<3hp), parts excluded	S$600 per unit	homeone.com.sg

21 companies publish a repair or inspection line. 11 of them price it per job: S$40 to S$100 per job, with S$43.60 per job in the middle (the middle company's own published rate, not an average). Other lines are printed per visit or per unit.

These are checking, troubleshooting and repair visit rates. The fix itself is quoted after the check, so ask what the visit covers before you book. You can compare companies on the aircon repair page.

If the noise comes from a neighbour

Start with a conversation, not a complaint letter. HDB's guide to managing neighbour disputes suggests these steps:

• Approach your neighbour at a suitable time.
• Do not confront them when you are angry.
• Work out what you want to say first.
• Stay calm and polite.
• Thank them, then wait a few days to see if the problem is solved.

When you raise aircon compressor noise with a neighbour, be specific about when you hear it and how it affects you. They may not know about it, and a clear description makes it easier for them to book a technician.

If it helps, you can mention that HDB's air-conditioner guidelines ask owners to maintain their aircon to avoid nuisance to neighbours and to attend to any nuisance when it arises.

Noise from drilling or hacking next door is a different matter. Our guide to making a renovation noise complaint covers it.

Mediation and the last resort

If talking does not solve it, HDB's guide to managing neighbour disputes lists the next steps. Grassroots leaders can help with informal mediation. The Community Mediation Centre offers mediation with trained volunteer mediators. The mediator does not provide solutions or make decisions. The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals handle unreasonable interference with the enjoyment or use of a home, but HDB calls them a measure of last resort and strongly encourages mediation first.

In a condo, start by asking the management office how it handles noise between units. For other rules on works in a condo, see our guide to condo renovation rules.

When to stop and call a professional

Book a technician without waiting if:

• A bracket looks loose or rusty. HDB's home care guide warns that an improperly installed or maintained aircon can fall and cause serious injury or death to people below.
• The noise started after an installation. Check the work against the aircon installation rules for HDB flats and ask the installer to come back.
• The unit also leaks or trips the power. Stop using it until a technician has checked it.

To plan the visit, compare aircon servicing prices and the aircon companies listed in the directory.

Questions