Air-conditioning
Air-conditioning fault diagnosis in Brisbane
Diagnosis is the work of finding out what is actually wrong. Air-conditioning faults are unusually good at presenting identically: a unit that runs without cooling could be low on refrigerant, choked with dust, or have a failed fan or capacitor.
- Licence 90673
- ARCtick L169731
- Fully insured
Because Hoff holds both the refrigerant and the electrical licence, the diagnosis does not stop at a boundary. Plenty of air-conditioning faults are electrical, and plenty of apparent electrical faults are the air-conditioner.
What it covers
What's included.
Symptom and history
What it does, when it started and what changed around then.
Error code interpretation
Manufacturer fault codes read and translated into what has actually failed.
Electrical testing
Supply, isolation, capacitors, contactors and control circuits checked under the electrical licence.
Refrigerant circuit assessment
Pressures and performance assessed to identify undercharge, restriction or a leak.
Airflow assessment
Filters, coils and fans checked, since restricted airflow imitates several other faults.
Written findings
What is wrong, what caused it, and what correcting it involves, before you commit.
Why people call
Common reasons for this job.
- An error code is showing on the controller
- The system runs but does not cool
- It cools intermittently or cuts out
- The breaker trips when it starts
- Ice is forming on the pipework or coil
- Another trade has been unable to identify the fault
Worth acting on
Signs something is wrong.
- Ice on the pipework or indoor coil
- A burning or electrical smell from either unit
- The outdoor fan not turning while the system runs
- Repeated tripping when the system starts
How Hoff works
The approach.
Nothing gets replaced on a hunch. Parts fitted speculatively are the most expensive way to arrive at a diagnosis, and they often leave the real fault in place.
Because both licences are held by one person, there is no split responsibility. A fault that turns out to be the circuit rather than the unit is still Hoff's to find and fix.
Where a system is low on refrigerant, that is treated as a symptom rather than a fault. Refrigerant is not consumed, so a low system has lost it somewhere and the leak gets traced.
Work on the refrigerant circuit requires ARCtick authorisation (L169731); electrical testing and repair requires an electrical contractor licence (90673). Hoff holds both. Note Hoff works weekdays 7am to 4pm and does not offer a 24-hour emergency service.
Suitable for
Where this comes up.
Fault diagnosis questions.
Codes are manufacturer specific. Have the model and the code ready when you call and Hoff can often narrow it down before attending.
Commonly restricted airflow or low refrigerant. Both reduce coil temperature until moisture freezes. It should be investigated rather than left, since running iced up puts the compressor at risk.
Could be a failing compressor or fan, a capacitor, an insulation fault, or a circuit that was never adequate. The electrical side is tested directly.
Yes. If the economics point at replacement you will be told, even though that is the bigger job.
Diagnosis takes time that varies with the fault. How it is charged is explained before Hoff starts, and any repair is quoted once the cause is known.
Send Hoff the fault diagnosis details.
Describe the job in plain words and Hoff will come back to you personally with a written price.