The AC in Your Flat
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The stained face of an old apartment building at Andheri East, with outdoor units on many balconies
Each of these units has been opened by someone. Ask questions before you hand over the job.

Stories / The service visit / story 13 of 18

Before you let someone open your AC

Choosing an AC technician comes down to five questions: who trained them, what the visit covers in writing, how they check for leaks, how they reach your outdoor unit, and what happens if it fails again.

From The AC in Your Flat. Updated 4 November 2026.

This site doesn't recommend or rank Indian firms, and it takes no bookings. What it can do is give you the questions.

Is there a national licence for AC technicians?

We couldn't find one for household AC work that you can look up. A summary of the India Cooling Action Plan gives an aim of 100,000 trained and certified servicing technicians by 2022-23, and reports 43,450 trained and certified under national skill schemes by March 2022, plus 29,000 trained under the Montreal Protocol. Those figures are from 2022, and we found no later public count. Ask what training a person has and from whom, and don't be surprised by a mix of answers.

A domed old apartment block at a Mumbai junction, with balconies above buses and trucks
A walk-up in Mumbai: the person who comes may be excellent, or new. A good firm won't mind the questions.

Which questions should you ask?

Use this list on the phone, before the visit:

  • Who will come, and what training do they have?
  • What is included, and what does it cost? Please send it in writing.
  • If it needs gas, how will you find the leak first?
  • How will you reach the outdoor unit, and who does any work outside the railing?
  • What happens if it drips or fails again next week?

If the warranty still runs, also ask whether the firm is authorised by the maker.

Tall cream society blocks with green hills behind, seen across overhead railway wires at Ulhasnagar
Ulhasnagar: in a large society, the secretary may know who has been allowed on the terrace.
Old curved apartment blocks with balconies in Mumbai, above a road of yellow-roofed taxis
In the older blocks, ask who else in the building has used them.

Should you use the maker's authorised service?

While the warranty runs, check your warranty card before anyone else opens the unit. After that, it's your choice. Authorised centres may cost more or less than others, so compare written quotes. Business Today's explainer advises certified technicians over local vendors, but gives no way to check them, and plenty of independent technicians are good at the job. Judge by the answers.

What to do

Yours to do

  • Ask the five questions, and write down the answers.
  • Get the price and the warranty on paper or by message.
  • Pay against a bill that names the work and any gas used.

Leave to the trained person

  • Telling you honestly when a spot isn't safe to reach, or a repair isn't worth doing.

Also asked

Are online booking apps better?

We have no data on that. They publish prices, which helps comparison, but the person who arrives is still the one to question.

A technician says my AC is finished. Should I believe it?

Ask for the reason in writing, and get a second opinion if the amount is large. Keep the gas story in mind for repair decisions.

Where this came from

This story rests on those pages, opened or checked by 4 November 2026, and on no tests of our own. Maker pages speak for their makers, and rules and wiring differ by building, so check your own manual.