Air Conditioning Broken Down?

First, check the mode on your remote control. If you want cooling, make sure it's set to the snowflake icon — not the sun (heat) or fan-only mode. It sounds obvious, but this is one of the most common callouts we attend. Also check the set temperature: for cooling, it needs to be lower than the room temperature, and for heating, higher.

Check your outdoor unit — is it frozen or covered in ice? In cold weather, the system runs a defrost cycle to clear ice from the outdoor coil. During defrost, the indoor unit will stop blowing warm air for a few minutes. This is completely normal. Just give it time to complete the cycle and it should resume heating. If it stays frozen or keeps cycling without recovering, give us a call.

This is usually a blocked condensate drain. When your AC cools, it produces condensation that normally drains away through a pipe. If that pipe gets blocked with dirt or algae, water backs up and leaks from the unit. Turn the system off to prevent water damage and call us — we'll clear the blockage and get it draining properly again.

A rattling or buzzing sound usually means something has come loose — a panel, a screw, or debris caught in the unit. A clicking noise when the system starts or stops is normal. However, grinding, squealing, or loud banging is not — these could indicate a failing fan motor, compressor issue, or damaged bearings. Turn the unit off and contact us before it causes further damage.

A musty or damp smell usually means mould or bacteria has built up inside the unit — typically on the evaporator coil or in the filters. This is common in systems that haven't been serviced in a while. A professional deep clean will sort it out. If you smell burning or an electrical smell, turn the unit off immediately and call us.

If your system keeps shutting down, it may be overheating due to dirty filters restricting airflow, or the outdoor unit could be obstructed. Check that nothing is blocking the airflow around the outdoor unit and clean the filters if you can access them. If it continues to trip out, there may be an electrical fault or refrigerant issue that needs professional attention.

Flashing LEDs or error codes on the indoor unit mean the system has detected a fault. Try turning the unit off at the isolator, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on — this resets the system. If the error comes back, note down the code or take a photo and call us. The error code tells our engineers exactly what's wrong, which speeds up diagnosis.

Replace the batteries first — this solves it most of the time. Make sure you're pointing it directly at the unit's receiver (usually a small window on the front panel). If the display on the remote is blank or faded, it's almost certainly the batteries. If new batteries don't fix it, the remote may need replacing — we can supply replacements for most brands.