HomeServicesRefrigerant Leaks & Re-Gas
If your split or ducted system has stopped cooling because it is losing gas, we find the refrigerant leak, repair it and then re-gas. This page covers air conditioner regas in Rockhampton for homes and businesses, not car aircon, which is a separate licence. For other faults, see our air conditioning repairs in Rockhampton.
We don't just top it up. Adding gas to a system that hasn't been tested for leaks is illegal under ARC guidance, and the gas leaks straight back out. Fixing the leak first means you pay to sort it once, not every summer. It also keeps the refrigerant in the system instead of in the air.
The system is left sealed and tested, with the gas back at the amount the manufacturer specifies. Many leaks are slow ones that finally show up in the heat, on units that cooled fine the summer before. Call 07 3543 8972 or send the quote form and tell us the make, how old the unit is and what it is doing.
A sealed air conditioner shouldn't lose gas, so low refrigerant always has a cause. Here is what we do on split and ducted systems.
Warm air from the vents, ice on the indoor coil or the pipes, a hissing sound or oily residue around a joint all point to an air con gas leak. We search with an electronic leak detector and a bubble test on suspect joints. Where the leak is slow or hidden, we isolate sections of the system and run a nitrogen pressure test to see where pressure drops. We keep looking after the first find, because systems often have more than one leak.
Most leaks start at a flare joint, a brazed joint or a stretch of pipework that has rubbed, vibrated or corroded. We re-make the joint or replace the damaged section, then pressure test it before any gas goes in. Coil leaks are harder. A leaking evaporator or condenser coil can sometimes be repaired, but often the coil or the unit is the better fix. We tell you which before any work starts.
Whether it is a split system regas or a ducted one, once the repair holds a pressure test, we pull a vacuum to remove air and moisture, then charge the system by weight to the amount on the nameplate. Charging by weight is how we avoid under or overfilling, and a correct charge is what lets the compressor run cool and the unit reach its rated output. Once it is running we check the pressures and temperatures. Adding extra refrigerant during an installation needs a technician who holds, or is affiliated with the holder of, a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation (RTA).
Check the nameplate on your outdoor unit to see which gas it uses. Most newer split systems run R32 or R410A. Australia's HFC phase-down began in 2018 and reaches an 85% cut in bulk HFC imports by the end of 2035, but existing equipment isn't affected and technicians can still get gas to service it. Older R22 units are a different case, and we check whether repair is worth it before you spend money on one.
The order matters here. We confirm the fault, find the leak, fix it and only then put gas back in.
Poor cooling isn't always low gas. A blocked filter, a frozen coil from poor airflow, a blocked drain or a failed fan or capacitor can look the same. We rule those out first, so you don't pay for a re-gas the system doesn't need.
We use the leak detector and a pressure test to locate every leak, not just the first one. Finding them all is what stops the same fault coming back in a few months. We check the joints at both units, the pipework between them, the service valves and the coils, since each is a common place for gas to escape.
We re-make the flare or brazed joints or replace the damaged pipework, then hold the system under nitrogen pressure. If the pressure holds, the repair is sound. If it drops, we keep looking until it holds. We don't charge a system that is still losing pressure, because that only puts expensive gas back into the air.
We vacuum the system, charge it by weight to the nameplate and run it. Then we check pressures and supply and return air temperatures to confirm it is cooling as it should. We also look over the airflow and drain before we finish, so the unit is left running properly and you know what we found.
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A slow leak can go unnoticed through the mild months. Then the first run of hot days finds it. Rockhampton averages around 140 days a year at or above 30°C, and about 20 at or above 35°C, according to Bureau of Meteorology figures. A system short on gas has to run flat out in that heat, and it often gives up when you need it most.
Salt air adds to the problem along the Capricorn Coast. Daikin Australia notes that outdoor coils near the coast are exposed to salt damage and corrosion, which is why unit position and upkeep matter in places like Yeppoon and Emu Park. A corroded coil or pipe can start leaking years before the rest of the unit wears out.
The approach is the same on a split at home and a ducted system in a shop or office. We fix the leak, then re-gas. We don't work on car air conditioners.
Refrigerant work is regulated in Australia. These are the rules the work has to follow.
ARC guidance says topping up a system before it has been fully tested, for example when leaks haven't been repaired, is illegal. It also doesn't work. The gas leaks out again, you pay again, and the refrigerant is released into the air. A proper repair costs less over a few summers than repeated top-ups.
Under Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) rules, a person needs a refrigerant handling licence to work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. Handling fluorocarbon refrigerant without one is an offence. The ARCtick licence is the industry rule for this work, so ask any technician who quotes you to confirm they hold it.
The ARC's RAC01 full licence covers work on air conditioning and refrigeration equipment other than automotive. Car air conditioning is a separate trade under a different licence, AAC02. This page and this site are about home and business systems only, so if you need your car's air conditioning looked at, you'll need an automotive specialist.
We don't quote a number without seeing the system, because no two leaks cost the same. These are the main things that move the price. Send the quote form or call 07 3543 8972 and tell us what the unit is doing.
One obvious leak is quick to locate. Several slow ones, or a leak that only shows under pressure, take longer to track down.
An accessible flare joint is a straightforward fix. A coil leak or a break in pipework buried in a wall or roof space is more work.
R32, R410A and R22 systems use different gases, and a larger system holds more of it. That changes how much refrigerant goes back in.
A unit on the ground is easy to reach. A roof, a high wall or a tight roof space adds time and equipment.
Only a person holding an ARC refrigerant handling licence can repair or re-gas an air conditioner in Queensland. Holders of the restricted split system licence (RSS03) can install and decommission single-head splits, but can't do service or repair work that involves handling refrigerant.
You can tell your air conditioner has a gas leak when it blows warm or weak air, ices up on the indoor coil or the pipes, hisses, or shows oily residue at a joint. A unit that runs constantly without cooling the room is another sign. A technician needs to confirm it with a leak test.
No, an air conditioner doesn't need to be re-gassed regularly. A sealed system should hold its gas for its whole life, so needing more means there is a leak. The fix is to repair the leak, not to refill it each year.
No, you can't legally just top up the gas in a leaking air conditioner. ARC guidance says topping up a system that hasn't been fully tested, such as one with unrepaired leaks, is illegal. We find and repair the leak first.
R410A is part of Australia's HFC phase-down, but your existing unit isn't affected. The phase-down limits bulk imports, reaching an 85% cut by the end of 2035. Equipment already here can still be serviced, and technicians can still get gas for it.
Your split system's refrigerant is printed on the nameplate on the outdoor unit, so check there for R32 or R410A. Both are HFC refrigerants. If you can't read the label, send us the make and model and we'll confirm it.
The cost of an aircon re-gas in Rockhampton depends mostly on finding and repairing the leak, not the gas itself. The number of leaks, where they are, the refrigerant type and how easy the unit is to reach all play a part. We only work on home and business systems, not car aircon.
Tell us when your system last had gas and what it is doing now. Call 07 3543 8972 or send the quote form. We work on home and business systems only.