Aircon Not Cold

Your aircon is running but the room stays warm. Three different faults look identical from where you sit — the fix depends on which one it actually is.

SAFETY WARNING

Stop using the unit and contact a technician if you notice burning or electrical smell, breaker tripping repeatedly, water near power points or exposed wiring, or loud metal banging from the outdoor unit.

Blocked Airflow

Your filter or evaporator coil is likely clogged. Cold air cannot reach the room properly even though the unit is running and the compressor is working. This is the most common cause of weak cooling and the cheapest to fix.

Airflow feels weaker than it used to.
Cooling is uneven across the room.
Getting gradually worse over weeks, not sudden.

A standard servicing or chemical wash clears the blockage and restores full airflow. Results are immediate once the obstruction is removed. If someone recommends a gas top-up before checking airflow, push back. Both faults feel identical from the room. An airflow check costs nothing and should always come first.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is escaping through a leak in the copper piping or a connection joint. The unit still blows air at normal strength, but there is not enough refrigerant left to cool it. Airflow feels the same as before — the missing piece is cooling capacity, not wind.

Cooling was fine before and has been getting worse over weeks.
Room takes noticeably longer to reach a comfortable temperature.
Airflow still feels normal in strength.

A pressure test locates the exact leak point. The joint or pipe section is brazed or resealed, and the system is properly recharged with refrigerant afterward. Repeated top-ups without fixing the leak will cost you the same amount again each time. The refrigerant drops back to the same level within weeks. The leak must be found and sealed first.

Compressor or Start Fault

The compressor cannot start or cannot hold its load long enough to cool the room. The indoor fan still blows air normally, so airflow feels fine, but no real cooling happens because refrigerant is not circulating through the system.

Outdoor unit sounds wrong: too quiet, humming then stopping, or cycling.
Cooling stopped suddenly, not gradually.
Running the unit longer makes no difference.

An electrical draw test at the outdoor unit confirms whether the compressor or a start component like the capacitor has failed. If it is a capacitor, it can be replaced on the spot. If the compressor itself has failed, a full diagnostic report is provided before any major repair decision. Compressor replacement is a major job. A smaller start component like the capacitor is sometimes the actual trigger. The root cause must be confirmed before approving major work.

Other Possible Causes

West-facing rooms in the afternoon, doors left open frequently, curtains not drawn, and heat-producing appliances nearby can all push heat into the room faster than a standard unit can remove it. In these cases the aircon is working fine — the room is simply gaining heat faster than the system can extract it.

How to Tell

Cooling feels weak only in the afternoon and improves at night.
Other rooms on the same system cool normally.
Airflow is strong and nothing has changed with the unit.

If this is the case, we will tell you on-site. No repair is needed — the conversation shifts to whether the unit is sized correctly for the room's heat load.

Help Us Diagnose Faster

Just observe, no disassembly required:

Airflow strength: weak / normal / strong compared to before
Timeline: sudden / gradually worse over days / weeks
Outdoor unit: steady / humming then stopping / clicking / silent
Time pattern: weak all day / only during certain hours

Same situation with your aircon?

Describe what’s happening. We’ll work out the likely cause and tell you the right next step.

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