00
We get the story
What it's doing, when it started, how old the unit is. Half the diagnosis is knowing what changed.
Every common Actron Air fault code, what causes it, and which ones mean switch it off now. From the Sydney crew that has repaired Actron since 1991.
Actron Error Codes Explained: A Sydney Technician's Guide
Actron Fault Codes
Reading an Actron Error Code
Ducted Actrons show the code on the wall controller. Wall splits like the Serene have no display at all, you count the flashing lights instead.
Actron does it two ways depending on what you own. On ducted systems with an LM7, LM24, LR7 or LC7-2 wall controller the fault shows as a short code on the display. On the newer NEO and QUE Touch controllers you get a warning icon and a written message on screen instead.
On Serene, Serene 2 and Aurora wall splits there is usually no display at all. Count how many times the lights on the indoor head flash, then match the count to the table below. Write it down before you cut power, because a reset wipes the code.
One thing worth knowing up front. Actron's own service notes say a fault may not show on the wall controller until it has happened several times. So if a code has just appeared, odds are the problem has been building for days.
Actron is the big Aussie brand and one of the three we install, so we see these codes every week across Macarthur and the south west. If yours is not in the list, read it to us on (02) 9820 4500 and we will tell you what it likely means before we come out.
0+
Years of Industry Experience
Licensed, Certified & Insured Technicians
Environmentally Responsible & ARCtick Certified
100% Service Satisfaction Guarantee
Flexible & Affordable Financing Options
Wide Range of Systems & Leading Brands
Most Common Codes
The Actron Codes We See Most
Top four. The full list is below.
E5 - communication error
The most common Actron ducted fault. Indoor and outdoor have stopped talking, usually a damaged data wire, a tripped breaker or vermin at a terminal. Safe check: kill both isolators for 2 minutes. If it returns, book a tech.
E6 - discharge temp too high
The compressor is running too hot, nearly always low gas from a leak or an outdoor coil that cannot breathe. Clear the outdoor unit and wash the filters. If it comes back, stop running it and book a leak test.
EE - condensate water fault
The drain tray float says water is not getting away. Blocked drain, dead pump or sludge. Switch it off now, this is the code that puts water through ceilings. Call the same day.
E01 - indoor fan feedback
The indoor fan is not spinning at the speed the board asked for. Blocked filters cause most of these. Wash the return air filters, check your zones are not all shut, then reset.
The Full Actron Error Code List
Every code below comes from Actron's own service documentation. Where their documents disagree with each other, and on E10 they do, we say so rather than guessing.
| Code | What it means | What causes it | What to do | Keep running it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 (splits) | Indoor and outdoor units have stopped talking | Damaged interconnecting cable, a loose terminal, water in a terminal box, or a failed board. Indoor light flashes twice. | Kill power at the isolator for 2 minutes, then restart. If it comes back, book a tech. | Turn it off |
| E3 | Room temperature sensor has failed | The sensor that reads your room temp is open or short circuit. The system cannot tell how warm the room is, so it runs oddly or not at all. | Tech required. It is a cheap part and a quick job. | Turn it off |
| E4 | Indoor coil sensor has failed | Sensor on the indoor coil is open or short circuit, so the system loses its anti-freeze and defrost reference and locks out. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| E5 | Communication error between indoor and outdoor | The most common Actron ducted fault. Usually a damaged data wire, a tripped breaker on one unit, or vermin damage at a terminal. | Turn off the wall controller, kill BOTH isolators for 2 minutes, restore power. Recurring means a tech. | Turn it off |
| E6 | Discharge temperature too high | Compressor gas has gone past its limit. Nearly always low refrigerant from a leak, or the outdoor coil cannot breathe. | Clear debris around the outdoor unit and wash the filters, then reset. If it returns, you have a leak. Book a tech. | Turn it off |
| E7 | Outdoor coil sensor has failed | Sensor on the outdoor coil is damaged, often after weather or vermin. The unit loses defrost control. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| E8 | Outdoor discharge sensor has failed | The sensor watching hot gas leaving the compressor is open or short. The unit shuts down because it can no longer protect itself. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| E9 | Low pressure switch tripped | On older sets this also covers high pressure and 3-phase supply faults. Usually refrigerant loss, a blocked coil, or a lost phase. | Tech required. Gas loss and phase faults are not homeowner jobs. | Urgent |
| E10 | Pressure circuit fault (see note below) | Actron own documentation disagrees on this one. Their service PDF calls it a low pressure sensor error, their public FAQ says high pressure. Either way it is a pressure fault. | Tech required. Quote the code and your model when you call. | Urgent |
| E11 | High pressure switch tripped | Pressure went past the safety limit. Almost always restricted airflow over the outdoor coil, or a dead outdoor fan. Can also be overcharge. | Clear anything blocking the outdoor unit, gently hose the fins, wash filters, then reset. Recurring means a tech. | Turn it off |
| E01 | Indoor fan speed feedback error | The indoor fan is not spinning at the speed the board asked for. Blocked filters, a seized motor, or a fan control fault. | Wash the return air filters and check your zones are not all shut, then reset. | Turn it off |
| E51 | Communication error, newer platforms | Same fault as E5 but on Classic 2, Advance, Aires and QUE Platinum. The data link between indoor and outdoor has dropped. | Kill both isolators for 2 minutes and restore. If it returns, book a tech. | Turn it off |
| E52 | Wall controller has lost the indoor unit | Damaged controller cable, a loose plug behind the controller, or a dead controller. | One reset at the isolator is worth a go. Otherwise a tech. | Turn it off |
| E56 | No master wall controller found | In a multi controller setup the system cannot find the master. Usually a disconnected or wrongly addressed controller. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| E4 (splits) | Room sensor on the head unit has failed | Serene and Aurora wall splits. The sensor or its plug has died. Indoor light flashes 5 times. Unit may run non stop or not start. | Tech required. | Keep using |
| E5 (splits) | Evaporator coil sensor has failed | Coil sensor on the indoor head is gone, so the unit loses freeze protection and defrost timing. Indoor light flashes 6 times. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| EC | Refrigerant leak detected | The unit has spotted a pattern that says low gas. A real leak, a blockage, or a crook coil sensor. Cooling will be weak or missing. | Tech required. Refrigerant work is licensed in Australia. | Turn it off |
| EE | Condensate water fault | The drain tray float says water is not getting away. Blocked drain, dead condensate pump, or sludge. Real risk of ceiling damage. | Switch it off now and call. Do not keep running it. | Urgent |
| F1 | Outdoor air sensor has failed | Outdoor ambient sensor or its wire is damaged, common after sun and vermin. Outdoor light flashes twice. | Tech required. | Keep using |
| F3 | Compressor discharge sensor has failed | The sensor protecting the compressor from cooking itself has died, so the unit stops. Outdoor light flashes 4 times. | Tech required. | Turn it off |
| P1 | Voltage protection tripped | Mains supply is outside the safe range. A brownout, a dodgy supply, or a loose connection. | Check if other appliances dropped out too, and reset once. If it repeats you may need an electrician as well. | Turn it off |
Heads up on the same code meaning different things. Actron have run three separate code sets over the years. The older Classic and ESP ducted units use a short E2 to E9 list. Newer Classic 2, Advance, Aires and QUE Platinum use a longer list where the comms fault moved from E5 to E51. The Serene and Aurora wall splits use their own E, F and P codes. Match the code to your controller before you act on it.
Safe DIY Checks
What You Can Safely Try First
Three things fix a surprising share of Actron callouts and none of them need a screwdriver. Work through these before you book anyone. If the code comes straight back after all three, it is a real fault and the table above tells you how urgent it is.
Restart at the isolator
Turn the system off at the wall controller first. Switch off the isolator by the outdoor unit AND the indoor isolator, wait two full minutes, restore both. A one off glitch clears. A real fault comes straight back.
Wash the return air filters
Blocked filters cause more Actron codes than anything else, especially E01 and E6. Pull them out, rinse in the laundry tub, dry properly, put them back. Every three months.
Clear the outdoor unit
Leaves, clippings, a bin, a trellis. Anything crowding the outdoor unit stops it dumping heat and throws E6 and E11. Give it 300mm clear all round and gently hose the fins with the power off.
What you should not do
Do not pull covers off the outdoor unit. Do not touch refrigerant, DIY gas work is illegal in Australia. And do not keep resetting a unit throwing E6, E9, E10 or EC. Running through a gas fault is how a small repair becomes a compressor.
When to Call a Technician
Call us when a code comes straight back after a restart plus a filter and outdoor clean, when it is a gas or pressure code (E6, E9, E10, EC), a sensor or board code, or any time the unit is tripping the breaker or dripping water. EE is a same day call, that one wrecks ceilings. We quote the fix before we touch anything, our pricing and costs page shows how that works. We carry common Actron parts on the van.
Diagnosis Process
Actron Repairs, Done Properly
Actron is Australian gear and one of the three brands we install, so we are not learning it on your driveway. We do not throw parts at a code. We read the fault, put gauges on if it is gas related, test the electricals and sensors, then quote before we start. Since 1991, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Call (02) 9820 4500.
00
Gauges on, pressures read
Refrigerant pressures tell us straight away if it's a gas problem or something else.
00
Electricals and capacitor tested
We check the capacitor, test the fan motors and go over the electricals for anything on the way out.
00
Coils and filters checked
Covers come off so we can see the state of the coils and filters, not guess at them.
00
Fixed quote before we fix
Once we know the fault, we quote the repair before we start. You decide. Most jobs get done same visit.
Real Jobs
Code Not Listed?
Actron has run three different code sets over the years and their own documents even disagree on E10, the service PDF says low pressure sensor while the public FAQ says high pressure. Read us the exact code and your model on (02) 9820 4500 and we will place it against the right list, and tell you straight when the paperwork is ambiguous.
Licensed and Local
NSW licence 273312C, ARCtick AU13058, $20M public liability, our own techs not subbies. We repair every brand and install Daikin, Panasonic and Actron. Family run since 1991.
FAQ's
Actron Error Codes - Common Questions
On a ducted system read it straight off the wall controller. On a wall split count the flashes on the indoor unit lights and match them to the table above. There is no homeowner fault history on QUE or NEO controllers, that sits behind an installer menu, so write the code down when you see it.
The indoor and outdoor units have stopped talking to each other. Nine times out of ten it is the data wire between them, a tripped breaker, or water and vermin at a terminal. Try one full power down at both isolators. If E5 comes back, it needs a tech with a meter.
The compressor is running too hot. Usually the system is low on gas because it has a leak, or the outdoor coil cannot breathe. Clear the outdoor unit and wash your filters. If it throws E6 again, stop running it and book a leak test. Topping up gas without finding the leak is not a repair.
You can clear the display with a power cycle at the isolator. That is not the same as fixing anything. If the code returns within a day or two, the fault is still there and the unit is telling you so.
It depends entirely on what failed. A sensor is a small part and a short visit. A board, a fan motor or a compressor is a different conversation. We give you the price before we start, not after. Our pricing and costs page shows what drives the cost.
We do. Jay’s Air Conditioning has been fixing air con across Sydney since 1991, and Actron is an Australian brand we see constantly in Macarthur and the south west. Licensed (NSW 273312C, ARCtick AU13058), every repair carries 12 months on parts plus our lifetime workmanship guarantee. Ring (02) 9820 4500.
If the unit’s under about 10 years and it’s a capacitor, a fan motor or gas, repair it every time. If it’s 12 years plus, running old R22 gas, and the compressor or board’s gone, a new system’s usually the smarter spend. We’ll give you the honest call, not the dearest one. If you’re weighing up a new system, our sizing guide tells you what you actually need.
Yeah, the lot. Daikin, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Actron, LG and the rest. Ducted and split, homes and businesses. We do split system repairs and ducted repairs right across Sydney.
Jay’s Air. Family run since 1991, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing and no surprises. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and we’ll get it sorted.