Your local residential and commercial Air Conditioning servicing professionals.

Costs to repair air conditioning can vary dramatically.

Firstly, you want a fully qualified Refrigeration Mechanic to attend to your air conditioner. These highly skilled Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technicians can investigate and resolve all possible AC problems. If you get just any tradesman (like an Electrician), you may end up paying 2 call out fees as they are limited in terms of what they can do for your aircon system.

The initial cost is the call out fee. Many companies charge a call out fee that includes travel to site and initial labour onsite (ideally up to 1 hour) to investigate, test, diagnose and/or repair where possible. Sometimes less time may be required onsite to work on the AC units, but time can be made up offsite chasing up part details from suppliers and negotiating best price possible if further repairs are required.

It pays to be wary of anyone charging a cheap call out fee. Be sure to ask exactly what’s included in this fee. Some companies charge a call out fee of ~$50, BUT this literally only brings a Technician to your home or business. The additional cost to then investigate your broken air conditioner can be many hundreds of dollars on top of this call out fee, let alone repair the AC system.

If more time is required (typically for repairs or complex testing), a Technician should be upfront about requiring extra time and seek approval before proceeding. Smaller additional time blocks can be beneficial so you only pay for what you need. For example, 30 minute time blocks rather than 1 hour blocks for additional labour onsite.

Materials for air conditioning repairs can be a matter of dollars (e.g. fuses, silicone, duct tape, small patches of insulation, etc.), a few hundred dollars (e.g. gas leak search/repair materials, capacitors, etc), many hundreds of dollars (e.g. PC board, condenser fan motor, etc.), or into the thousands of dollars (e.g. compressor, indoor fan deck, multiple PC boards and fan motors, etc.).

Reputable AC companies stock up their HVAC Technician’s work vehicles with standard repair parts, materials and equipment. In addition, accounts are opened with a wide range of wholesalers around town to allow for rapid collection of specific repair components that aren’t practical to carry in the vehicle. Alternatively, quotes can be formed for repair work following the initial visit. An AC repair quote will usually be provided if the necessary air conditioner parts are interstate, if several repair options are to be presented, or upon request.

Sometimes aircon repairs are not a suitable or even possible option. It is worth noting that it isn’t always financially viable to repair an AC system. Repairs may be more expensive, similar in price or not cost effective compared to the cost of replacing air conditioning. Alternatively, parts may no longer be available to repair an air conditioner, with no compatible substitute parts on the market. If that is the case, replacing the air conditioning units is the next option.

To repair, or not to repair, that is the question.

A number of factors should be considered when weighing up AC repair or replacement. Factors include cost of repairs, age of the system compared to expected lifespan, current condition, refrigerant in use, energy efficiency and running costs, likelihood of further component failure, maintenance history, importance of the system (e.g. server room vs spare room), peace of mind and personal preference.

It is strongly recommended to have a fully qualified Refrigeration Mechanic (aka HVAC Technician) initially investigate the air conditioner and make a full assessment. This simple assessment could save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary replacement costs. For example, a system may not be turning on as a result of a faulty fuse or simply have water in the isolator. Simple, cheap fixes! Alternatively, an air conditioner not working properly may just need a basic service or clean. Routine AC maintenance at a fraction of the air conditioning replacement cost!

Sometimes air conditioning repairs are not cost effective. It isn’t always financially viable to repair an air conditioner as the cost to replace the whole system may be similar to or even less than the repairs option. It is also worth considering all of the factors outlined previously, especially age. If the system is aged and repair costs are significant, it may be worth investing that money into a new aircon with 5 year warranty and a whole new lifespan.

In some cases original parts may not even be available to repair an AC unit, with no suitable substitutes available. In this instance, the answer is to replace the air conditioner.

Air conditioner lifespan depends on many different factors including size, unit type, application, usage, maintenance, and exposure to the elements. For example, some air conditioners can run for decades if infrequently used and maintained well. On the flip side, there can be cases of inferior brands or “lemons” being installed that barely last their manufacturer warranty period despite the best of care.

As a general rule of thumb, the larger the system the longer the average life of an air conditioner. As commercial HVAC systems tend to be larger, they tend to have longer lifespans. The standard routine maintenance of commercial air conditioners further helps to extend their lifespan.

A standard domestic air conditioner could be expected to last 10 years under normal operating conditions. Smaller units and inferior brands could struggle to reach or lost efficiency by their 10th birthday, while larger units and superior brands could go on well past this and work well into their teens.

There are a wide range of common air conditioning problems. 9 times out of 10, the answer will be YES to one or more of the following questions:

• Is an air conditioner unit physically broken?
• Is your air conditioner not running as well as it used to?
• Is your air conditioning not working at all?
• Can’t get your air conditioning system to switch on or respond at all?
• Will your air conditioner not turn off?
• Does your air conditioning unit keep running when turned off?
• No power to your air conditioner?
• Is your air conditioning system not heating?
• Is your aircon not warm enough or takes too long to heat up?
• Does your air conditioner show a fault or error code?
• Are there multiple error codes on your air conditioner display?
• Do you hear an abnormal air conditioning noise?
• Is your air conditioner unit beeping loudly?
• Is your air conditioner making a long beep?
• Is your air conditioning system noisy in general?
• Do room temperatures not match aircon unit settings?
• Do you need a new air conditioner remote?
• Do you need a new AC wall controller?
• Is your air conditioning system tripping the power?
• Does your air conditioning unit leak?
• Is your air conditioner dripping?
• Is an air conditioner unit iced up?
• Is you AC unit blowing hot air?
• Is you air conditioner not cold enough or taking too long to cool?
• Is your air conditioning not cooling at all?
• Are some areas of you home unusually hotter than other areas?
• Are some areas of you home unusually cooler than other areas?
• Is your energy bill higher than normal or expected?
• Does your AC unit smell?
• Is your system due for routine air conditioning service?
• Does your aircon unit need a clean?
• Is your air conditioning system not quite right in any other way?

If you answered YES to any of these, Ice Blast can help. Contact us today via enquiry form or call us