Aircon Repairs & Fault Finding
We diagnose the actual fault instead of topping up gas and hoping. You get told what is wrong, what it costs to fix, and whether fixing it is even worth it.
“It just needs gas” is usually wrong
Air conditioners do not consume refrigerant. The circuit is sealed. If the gas is low, it has escaped - and it will escape again. Topping up a leaking system is the most common shortcut in this industry, and it is the reason so many people believe aircons simply need regassing every summer.
We pressure test, trace the leak, repair it, pull a proper vacuum to remove moisture and non-condensables, then weigh in the correct charge to the manufacturer’s specification. It takes longer. It also means you are not calling us back next December.
What your aircon is trying to tell you
| What you notice | Common causes |
|---|---|
| Running but not cooling | Low refrigerant from a leak, fouled condenser coil, failed compressor or capacitor |
| Tripping the breaker | Compressor drawing excessive current, failing capacitor, wiring or earth leakage fault |
| Ice on the pipes or indoor coil | Low refrigerant, restricted airflow from a blocked filter, or a failed indoor fan |
| Water dripping from the indoor unit | Blocked or incorrectly fallen condensate drain, or a frozen coil thawing |
| Loud rattle or grinding | Fan bearing failure, loose mountings, debris in the outdoor fan |
| Starts then stops repeatedly | Short cycling from an oversized unit, control fault, or high head pressure |
| Error code on the display | Brand-specific - tell us the code when you call, it narrows diagnosis immediately |
If water is dripping onto electrics or ceiling boards, switch the unit off at the isolator and call us. Running a system that is leaking internally turns a cheap drain clean into a ceiling replacement.
Repairs we handle
Refrigerant leaks
Pressure testing, electronic leak detection, flare and braze repairs, coil replacement, evacuation and correct recharge.
Electrical faults
Capacitors, contactors, fan motors, sensors, earth leakage and wiring faults, isolator and circuit issues.
Control boards
PCB diagnosis and replacement, remote and wall-controller faults, communication errors on VRF systems.
Compressors
Diagnosis, replacement where economical, and an honest assessment when it is not worth the spend.
Drainage & leaks
Blocked drains, incorrect falls, failed condensate pumps, and the water damage that follows them.
Airflow problems
Blower wheels, fan motors, crushed flexible ducting and badly balanced systems.
Straight answers
My aircon needs regassing every year. Is that normal?
No. A sealed refrigeration circuit should never lose gas. If a unit needs topping up annually, it has a leak, and repeatedly refilling it is money poured into the atmosphere. We pressure test and trace the leak properly - usually a flare joint, a cracked braze, or corrosion on the outdoor coil - and fix the cause. Anyone who offers to just top it up again without finding the leak is not doing you a favour.
Should I repair or replace an old air conditioner?
Our rule of thumb: if the unit is more than ten years old, uses R22 refrigerant, and the repair costs more than about a third of a new system, replace it. R22 has been phased out, so gas for those units is scarce and expensive. A modern inverter unit will also use substantially less electricity, which closes the gap faster than most people expect. We will tell you honestly which way the numbers fall.
How quickly can you get to a breakdown?
It depends on the day and where you are. Maintenance-plan customers get priority. For everyone else we triage by severity - a server room or a cold room with stock in it moves ahead of an office that is merely uncomfortable. Call or WhatsApp us with what has happened and we will tell you honestly when we can be there rather than promising same-day and not arriving.
Do you repair any brand, or only what you install?
We work on all major brands, including units we did not install. Older or discontinued models can be limited by parts availability rather than by skill - if a control board is no longer manufactured, no amount of diagnostics will conjure one up. We will tell you at diagnosis stage if a unit is genuinely unrepairable instead of charging you to find out slowly.
How we actually diagnose a fault
Fault finding on a refrigeration circuit is not guesswork, and it is not parts-swapping until something works. It is a sequence of measurements that each eliminate a set of causes.
- Visual and electrical. Supply voltage at the isolator, condition of the terminations, state of the capacitor, obvious water or burn damage.
- Airflow. Filters, evaporator coil, blower wheel, condenser coil. A surprising share of "not cooling" calls end here, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a repair.
- Pressures and temperatures. Suction and discharge pressure, superheat and subcooling, air-on and air-off split. These four readings together separate undercharge from restriction from compressor wear.
- Current draw. Measured against the nameplate. A compressor pulling well over its rated current under normal conditions is failing, whatever the pressures say.
- Leak trace, if indicated. Nitrogen pressure test, electronic detection, and dye only where the first two are inconclusive.
What each repair typically involves
| Fault | What the repair involves | Usual outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Failed capacitor | Test, replace, verify start current | Same visit, inexpensive |
| Blocked condensate drain | Clear, flush, treat, check fall | Same visit |
| Fan motor failure | Source and fit correct motor and capacitor | Parts dependent |
| Refrigerant leak | Pressure test, trace, repair, evacuate, weigh in charge | Often two visits |
| Control board | Diagnose, confirm availability, replace | Parts availability decides it |
| Compressor failure | Recover, replace, filter drier, evacuate, recharge | Usually compare against replacement |
Repair or replace: the honest arithmetic
There is a point past which repairing is the worse decision, and a contractor who never tells you that is not on your side.
Replace rather than repair when three or more of these are true:
- The unit is more than ten years old.
- It runs on R22, which is phased out, scarce and expensive.
- The quoted repair exceeds roughly a third of replacement cost.
- It has already had two or more significant repairs.
- It is fixed-speed, so a modern inverter would cut running cost substantially.
- The outdoor coil is visibly corroded through, which no repair addresses.
The R22 trap. If your unit uses R22 and loses its charge, you are paying a premium for a refrigerant that is being withdrawn. Spending that on a repair buys you time on equipment with a known end date. We will tell you the gas type at diagnosis, before you decide.
Why repeat regassing is the industry's worst habit
A refrigeration circuit is sealed. It does not consume refrigerant any more than your car consumes brake fluid. If the charge is low, it escaped, and it will escape again at the same rate.
Topping up without tracing the leak is faster and cheaper on the day, which is exactly why it is so common. It also means: you pay again next season, the system runs undercharged for months beforehand with elevated superheat and poor oil return, the compressor wears faster, and refrigerant is vented to atmosphere.
Find the leak. Repair it. Evacuate properly. Weigh the charge in. It costs more once and less over five years.
What to do before we arrive
- Note the error code on the display or the flashing light pattern. These are brand-specific and narrow the diagnosis enormously.
- Leave it switched off if it is tripping, icing or leaking water. Running it makes the damage worse.
- Clear access to both the indoor and outdoor units, including anything stored under or in front of them.
- Find the paperwork if you have it. Model and serial numbers let us arrive with the right parts.
Not sure what you are looking at? Our free troubleshooter walks through the symptoms and tells you how urgent each one is.