Same Symptom, Very Different Repairs
"Not cooling" is the most common aircon call we get in Wellington, and it is also the one most often misdiagnosed. Low refrigerant, a clogged filter, a failed run capacitor, a dirty condenser coil, a faulty thermostat or sensor, and a failing compressor all produce exactly the same complaint — warm air from a unit that sounds like it is working. Our Wellington aircon team measures before it quotes.
How We Find the Actual Fault
The technician checks the temperature split across the indoor coil, reads the suction and discharge pressures, tests the capacitor and contactor, and inspects the coils and filters. Fault finding costs R580 and takes about half an hour. It tells us whether you are looking at a clean, a capacitor, a regas, or a compressor replacement that is often not worth doing on an older unit. If the repair comes to more than R1,000 we waive the call-out, so you only pay for the work.
The Cheap Checks Worth Doing First
Before you call anyone: pull the indoor filters and look at them — a filter thick with dust chokes the airflow and is the single most common cause. Check that the outdoor unit is not boxed in by a wall, plants or a new fence, and that nothing has been built over it. Make sure the remote is on cool and not fan-only. If all of that is clear, the fault is inside the system and needs a technician.
