Aircond Chemical Cleaning for 5 Ceiling Cassette Units in Cheras Restaurant

The Customer's Situation

Encik Rizwan Hakim runs a popular nasi kandar restaurant in Cheras, seating about 80 customers. The restaurant has been operating for four years and is open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Five York 3.0HP ceiling cassette units keep the dining area cool — or at least they used to.

Encik Rizwan contacted us because his customers had started complaining about the heat. "Even with all five aircond running, the restaurant felt warm, especially during lunch rush. Some regular customers told me they might start going elsewhere if we don't fix the cooling."

For a restaurant owner, losing customers over something like aircond is a nightmare scenario. Encik Rizwan had already called another aircond company two months earlier, but they only did a basic filter wash and charged RM50 per unit. The improvement lasted about two weeks before the cooling started deteriorating again.

The Inspection

Our team lead, Azmi, visited the restaurant early one morning before opening hours to inspect all five units. What he found wasn't surprising for a restaurant environment, but the severity was notable.

Why Restaurant Airconds Need Chemical Wash

Restaurant environments are one of the toughest conditions for aircond units. The air is full of cooking oil vapour, smoke, and steam. These particles are much stickier than normal household dust — they coat the evaporator coils with a greasy film that regular water cleaning simply cannot remove.

This greasy layer acts as insulation on the coils, preventing heat exchange between the warm air and the cold refrigerant. The result is that the aircond blows air, but it's not cold. The compressor runs constantly trying to cool the room, consuming more electricity and wearing out faster — all while the restaurant stays warm.

A standard cleaning using just water can wash off surface dust, but the grease layer underneath stays put. That's why the previous company's RM50 cleaning only lasted two weeks — the grease was never actually removed. What Encik Rizwan's units needed was a proper chemical wash using degreasing agents specifically designed to dissolve cooking oil residue.

The Chemical Cleaning Process

We scheduled the work for a Tuesday morning — Encik Rizwan's quietest day — starting at 7am to finish before the lunch rush. Azmi brought one assistant, and they worked systematically through all five units.

Cassette units like the ones in this restaurant are popular in commercial spaces because of their even air distribution. Learn more about cassette vs wall-mount systems to understand why cassettes suit high-ceiling commercial environments.

The Runoff Was Shocking

When Azmi started pressure-washing the coils on the first unit, the runoff water was dark brown — almost black — with a distinctly oily texture. Even Encik Rizwan, who was watching the process, was surprised. "I didn't know all that was inside my aircond. No wonder it wasn't cooling."

The unit closest to the kitchen was the worst. The coil fins had turned from silver to a yellowish-brown colour from months of accumulated cooking oil vapour. It required two rounds of chemical application and rinsing before the coils looked clean.

Results

• Immediate temperature difference: The dining area dropped from 28-29°C to 23-24°C within 30 minutes of turning on all units
• Airflow dramatically improved: Staff could feel strong, cold air from all cassette vents — previously it was barely noticeable
• Units cycling properly: Compressors now cycling on and off instead of running continuously, meaning they're reaching the set temperature
• Reduced noise: Without the grease-caked blower fans struggling, the units ran noticeably quieter
• TNB bill impact: Encik Rizwan reported approximately RM200 lower electricity bill in the month following the service

Pricing Breakdown

• Chemical wash × 5 ceiling cassette units (3.0HP each): RM200 × 5 = RM1,000
• Drainage clearing and flushing (3 units with clogged drains): RM100
• Total: RM1,100

At RM220 per unit average, this was a very cost-effective service considering the complexity of ceiling cassette units and the heavy grease contamination. For context on what different aircond services should cost, check our 2026 aircond service pricing guide.

Maintenance Recommendation

For restaurants and food establishments, we always recommend more frequent servicing than residential properties. Encik Rizwan agreed to a bi-monthly maintenance schedule — every 2 months — with alternating standard cleaning and chemical wash:

For commercial kitchens and restaurants, we recommend servicing every 2-3 months due to grease and smoke exposure. Check our guide on how often to service your aircond for recommended schedules based on environment type.

• Month 1: Chemical wash (all 5 units)
• Month 3: Standard cleaning (all 5 units)
• Month 5: Chemical wash (all 5 units)
• And so on...

We also advised him to install mesh pre-filters over the cassette air intakes — a simple RM10-15 add-on per unit that catches larger grease particles before they reach the evaporator coils. This extends the time between services and reduces the amount of grease that penetrates the system.

Customer Feedback

"The difference was like night and day. My restaurant is cold again, my customers are comfortable, and my TNB bill went down. I wish I had called Total Aircond earlier instead of wasting money on the basic cleaning that didn't last. Azmi and his team were professional, fast, and the pricing was fair. Highly recommended for any restaurant owner."

— Encik Rizwan Hakim, Cheras