An annual service on one split is a single indoor unit, its outdoor unit, the drain and a check of how it runs. Three splits on the same visit cost more, because each coil, filter and drain takes time, and they cost less than three separate callouts because the engineer travels once. In 2026 illustrations a straightforward single service often sits in the low hundreds or less, and three healthy units on one visit sit higher without becoming three full fees. That is an illustration, not a tariff. If your warranty says a service is required, the record of the visit is part of what you are buying.
Filters, drains and a run test
The engineer cleans or checks filters, looks at the indoor coil and the drain, checks the outdoor coil for leaves and debris, and runs the system to see that it cools or heats. They are not, on a routine visit, opening the refrigerant circuit. If they need to, the company should be F-gas certified.
The second and third indoor unit on the same walk
The expensive part of a single callout is often getting a competent person to your street. The second and third indoors on the same walk add time and filters.
- One unit: one indoor, one outdoor, one drain.
- Three units: three of those checks, one trip.
- Travel is paid once. Labour follows the unit count.
- Keep the sheet if the warranty asks for annual service.
One condenser and three drains
If all three indoors share one multi-split outdoor, there is still only one condenser to inspect, and three drains that can block. A service for three units is not three times the price. You pay more than for one unit because there is more to check, and less than three separate callouts because travel happens once.
Access equipment and a coil that is not a service
A service finds a blocked pump and a dying capacitor earlier than a heatwave callout. It does not rebuild a compressor. Ask for a note of what was checked on each unit. Dirty coils, a failed pump, or a high outdoor unit that needs access sit outside the healthy-system illustration. Those are repairs or access, priced when found.
A recorded visit when the warranty asks for one
Some warranties require a recorded service by a competent person. Others do not. Read yours. Missing a service voids cover only when the warranty makes that a condition. A cheap visit with no paperwork may not satisfy a maker who asks for a record. Using a different service firm is often allowed. Running cost still depends on hours and your unit rate. A clean system uses less time to hold the same room. Energy Saving Trust's air-to-air heat pump advice is the efficiency context. It is not a service price. A routine service checks the system and cleans the serviceable parts. Adding refrigerant means the circuit is opened, which is F-gas work, and it means there is a leak to find. That is extra.
A service sheet that was never the repair
One visit for three healthy units is the wrong reading when the outdoor unit needs access equipment, when a leak has to be found, or when the price says 'service' with no unit count. A sheet with nothing written on it is also the wrong reading if the warranty requires a record.
Core buying guides
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Related guides
Sources and further reading
How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local AC Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.