Air conditioner repairs in Epping

Most air conditioner faults fall into four groups: airflow problems from dirty filters or coils, drain blockages, electrical or control faults, and refrigerant leaks. A published Melbourne cost table lists a minor repair at $160 to $525 per job and a major repair or regas at $315 to $1,250. The first step is always a diagnosis, because the same symptom, such as a unit blowing warm air in summer, can come from a cheap fault or an expensive one.

Common symptoms and likely causes

Symptom	Common causes	Who usually fixes it
Blows air but does not cool or heat	Blocked filters or coil, low refrigerant from a leak, faulty sensor, outdoor fan failure	Refrigeration technician
Water dripping from the indoor head	Blocked or kinked condensate drain, unit not level, iced coil	Refrigeration technician
Ice on the pipes at the outdoor unit	Low refrigerant charge, restricted airflow	Refrigeration technician
Trips the circuit breaker	Compressor, fan motor or wiring fault, water in electrical parts	Licensed electrician with a technician
Flashing light or error code	Sensor, communication or inverter board fault, depending on brand	Technician with the brand’s fault code chart
Loud rattle or grinding from outdoor unit	Loose panels, failed fan bearing, debris in the fan	Technician
Remote works but unit will not start	Control board, power supply, isolator switch	Technician or electrician

Write down any error code before you turn the unit off at the isolator. Many units clear the code on restart, and the code saves diagnosis time.

Things you can safely check first

1. Remote batteries and mode setting. A unit left in dry or fan mode will not cool properly.
2. The circuit breaker at the switchboard and the isolator switch next to the outdoor unit.
3. Filters. Clogged filters cause poor airflow, iced coils and leaks.
4. The outdoor unit. Clear leaves, plants or stored items within reach of it so air can move freely.

If none of that helps, stop. Do not remove covers, top up refrigerant or reset a breaker that keeps tripping.

Low on gas: finding the leak before a regas

Refrigerant runs in a closed loop and is not used up. A unit that is short of it has a leak, usually at a flare joint, a damaged pipe or a corroded coil. A careful technician finds and repairs the leak, pressure tests the circuit and then recharges it to the weight on the manufacturer’s label. Simply adding gas to a leaking system means paying again in a few months while the refrigerant escapes into the air.

Handling refrigerant needs a licence. The Australian Refrigeration Council runs the national licence scheme, and before anyone touches the gas you can confirm their licence or business authorisation on its Look for the Tick search.

Electrical faults

Faults in the power supply, the isolator or the wiring between the indoor and outdoor units are electrical work. Energy Safe Victoria lists licensed electricians and registered electrical contractors on its public register search. Where an electrician repairs or replaces wiring, you should receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Many air conditioning businesses hold both refrigeration and electrical licences; others bring in an electrician when needed.

Repair or replace?

Ask the technician for the repair cost in writing next to an estimate for a replacement unit. Things that push towards replacement:

• The system is old and the part needed is a compressor or main board.
• It has been regassed before and the leak has come back.
• Parts for the model are no longer available from the manufacturer.
• It never heated or cooled the room properly because it was undersized.

Before you decide, check the Victorian Energy Upgrades heating and cooling discounts. The program requires the system being replaced to be more than 2 years old, and the discount must be arranged through an accredited provider before the new unit is bought or installed. Our split system installation guide and ducted air conditioning guide cover what a replacement involves.

Rentals: when a repair is not possible

For landlords and property managers, Consumer Affairs Victoria has set a minimum cooling standard that starts on 1 March 2027. Under that standard, a split, ducted reverse cycle, window or room evaporative cooler that fails and cannot be repaired has to be upgraded to an energy efficient fixed cooler in the main living area. A failed ducted evaporative system is the exception: it can be upgraded or replaced like for like. A technician’s written finding that the unit cannot be repaired is useful paperwork in that situation. The efficiency definition is on the CAV cooling standard page, and our servicing guide explains how service records fit in.

What the technician will need

• Brand, model and approximate age of the unit (the label is usually on the side of the indoor head or outdoor unit).
• The symptom, when it started and any error code.
• Whether the unit was recently serviced, moved or had work done on it.
• Access details for the outdoor unit, especially if it is on a roof, balcony or behind a locked side gate.
• For ducted systems, safe access to the roof space through a manhole.

What a careful repairer will not do

• Recharge refrigerant without leak testing.
• Bypass a safety switch or sensor so the unit “runs for now”.
• Reset a breaker that keeps tripping without finding out why.
• Quote a replacement before testing the unit, unless the fault is obvious and visible.

Local notes

Lalor and Thomastown grew strongly during the 1950s and 1960s, so a repair that means drilling a new wall penetration or moving a unit can run into asbestos cement sheeting. Any house in those suburbs that was built, or had renovation work, before 1990 should be treated as likely to have asbestos somewhere, according to the Victorian Asbestos Hub. A technician should stop and ask before cutting into eaves or cladding they cannot identify. In South Morang and Epping North, where most houses date from the 1990s onwards, the job is usually simpler to reach, and the model number and error code are the most useful things to send.

What to do next

Note the symptom, the error code and the model number, then describe the fault on the enquiry form. A local independent technician considers the enquiry and, if they can help, tells you their call out and diagnosis charges before attending. Pricing for repair work is set by that provider, not by this site.

Send a job enquiry