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Power Supply Check
We confirm power's actually reaching the unit, breaker, isolator and supply, before blaming any components.
Dead air con? We find the fault and get it going again. Sydney wide, since 1991.
Air Conditioner Not Turning On?
Common AC Problems
What Causes an Air
Conditioner Not to Start?
Air con not turning on? Before you call anyone, check four things: the remote batteries, the isolator switch next to the outdoor unit, the breaker in your switchboard, and whether the timer's been set by accident. Half the dead units we get called to are one of those, and they cost nothing to fix.
If it's none of those, you're looking at a real fault. The usual suspects are a blown fuse on the board, a failed capacitor, a dead PC board or a transformer that's given up.
Try this first - a quick video walkthrough:
A service call is $250 plus GST. That covers a tech coming out, tracing the fault and quoting the fix before we start. A capacitor swap is around $150 to $180 fitted. A new board runs $400 to $700 depending on the unit, and we'll tell you straight if it's not worth it. We've been getting dead air cons going across Sydney since 1991, 4.8 stars from 290+ reviews. Full prices are on our pricing page.
One warning. If you smell burning or the breaker keeps tripping, stop. Off at the breaker, leave it off, give us a bell.
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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
Quick Checks First
Before You Book a Service
Check the controller
Make sure the unit's not in timer or sleep mode. Kids and cleaners hit buttons. Set it to Cool or Heat and give it a couple of minutes, some systems take their time to kick in.
Check the remote batteries
Flat batteries are the cheapest fix in air conditioning. If the remote screen's blank or faded, swap them before you do anything else.
Check the power supply
Look in your switchboard for a tripped breaker. Flick it back once. If it trips again, leave it off, that's a real electrical fault and it needs a tech.
Check the isolator switch
There's a switch next to the outdoor unit. It gets knocked off by mowers, gardeners and curious kids. Make sure it's on, then restart the system.
Try a full reset
Turn the system off at the controller, isolate power at the breaker for a few minutes, then turn everything back on. Allow at least 10 minutes for the system to restart and stabilise before judging the result.
If the System Is Still Not Turning On
Still dead after the basics? Then the fault's inside the system and it needs proper testing, not guesswork. A blown fuse on the board is a cheap fix. A failed capacitor is $150 to $180 fitted. A dead PC board runs $400 to $700 depending on the unit, and a failed transformer we quote once we've confirmed it on the bench.
The trap with no-start faults is that three different parts can produce the same dead screen, so swapping parts on a hunch gets expensive fast. We test where the power stops instead, which is why most of these jobs are diagnosed and fixed in one visit.
We sort no-start faults on every system type. Wall units come under our split system repairs and ducted systems under ducted repairs. If your unit's flashing a light at you instead of starting, that's a code, and our error codes page explains what it's trying to say.
Common Factors
Common Start-Up Problems
Dead systems fail in different ways, and how yours fails tells us where to look. Match your symptom below, then give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and tell us which one you're seeing. It cuts the diagnosis time right down.
No power to the system
No lights, no beep, nothing on the indoor unit. Usually a tripped breaker, the isolator switched off, or a blown fuse on the board. Check the first two yourself, the third one’s ours.
System beeps but does not start
The unit’s got power and the brain’s awake, but something’s stopping it from running. Often a failed capacitor, or a fault the board’s detected and locked out on. If a light’s flashing, count the flashes and tell us when you book.
Circuit breaker trips when turning on
A short somewhere, the compressor, a fan motor or the wiring. Don’t keep resetting it. Each trip is the breaker saving you from a bigger problem. Leave it off and call us.
System completely unresponsive
If new batteries, the breaker and the isolator don’t wake it, you’re usually looking at a dead PC board or transformer. Boards run $400 to $700 fitted, and we’ll tell you if the unit’s worth it before you spend a cent.
When to Stop Trying
Two situations mean hands off. A burning smell, from the unit or the switchboard, means off at the breaker straight away and call us. That's wiring or a motor cooking itself and it won't improve with another restart. And a breaker that trips every time you reset it means a short, so leave it off.
If it's the height of summer and there are elderly folks, little kids or pets in the house, say so when you call. Our emergency repairs page covers what counts as urgent and what we can do. Otherwise, no shame in a dead air con, it happens to every brand eventually. Just don't keep jabbing restart and hoping.
Diagnosis Process
How We Diagnose the Issue
We trace power through the system until we find where it stops. No guessing, no swapping parts on a hunch.
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Voltage Testing
We test voltage at the boards and motors. Low or missing voltage points us straight at the failed part.
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Wiring & Connection Inspection
We check the interconnect wiring between the indoor and outdoor units. Corroded or chewed cables stop more systems than people think.
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Control System Testing
We test the remote, receiver and controller. Sometimes the system's fine and the controls are the fault.
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Component Diagnosis
Once we know where power stops, we test that part, capacitor, board, transformer or motor, and quote the fix before we start.
Choose the Right Fix
Repair or Replacement
Most no-start faults are worth fixing. A capacitor is $150 to $180 fitted. A board fuse or transformer is usually a cheap repair once we’ve confirmed it. Even a PC board at $400 to $700 makes sense on a system under ten years old.
Where we’ll talk you out of a repair: a 12-plus year old unit on old R22 gas with a dead compressor, or a board failure on a brand where the part costs more than the unit’s worth. At that point put the money toward a new system. Our sizing guide works out what your place needs and the pricing page has real install ranges, a 2.5kW split starts around $1,800 installed.
If your air conditioner won’t turn on at all, start with the $250 service call. Most of the time it’s a few hundred dollars and done, not a new system.
Get Your Air Conditioner Running Again
An air conditioner not starting is usually a smaller fix than people fear. Jay's Air Conditioning has been tracing electrical faults since 1991. Family run, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing quoted before we start. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 290+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturdays by arrangement.
FAQS
Air Conditioner Not Turning On - Common Questions
If your air conditioner won’t turn on, check the cheap stuff first: remote batteries, the isolator next to the outdoor unit, the breaker in the switchboard and the timer setting. If those are fine, it’s usually a blown board fuse, a failed capacitor, a dead PC board or a transformer. A $250 service call finds out which.
No. Reset it once. If it trips again there’s a short somewhere, the compressor, a motor or wiring, and every reset stresses the circuit. Leave it off and give us a call on (02) 9820 4500.
Absolutely, and it’s the most common fix we never get paid for. If the remote screen is blank or faint, swap the batteries before calling anyone. Many indoor units also have a manual start button under the front panel you can test with.
No. Most no-start faults are capacitors, fuses or boards, repairs in the hundreds, not thousands. Replacement only makes sense on an old R22 unit with a dead compressor, or when the part costs more than the system’s worth. We’ll give you the honest call.
The board’s detected a fault and shut down to protect itself. Could be a sensor, low gas or a motor problem. If a light’s flashing on the indoor unit, count the flashes or note the code and tell us when you book, it saves diagnosis time.
Usually within the week, and most no-start faults are fixed the same visit. A total failure in a heatwave with elderly people or young kids in the house, tell us when you call and we’ll do what we can to get there quicker.
Four things. Remote batteries, the timer setting on the controller, the breaker in your switchboard, and the isolator switch next to the outdoor unit. That covers about half the dead air cons we see, and it costs you nothing.
Some ducted systems lock out after a power cut and need a proper reset. Switch it off at the isolator, wait a few minutes, then switch it back on. If it still won’t start, the surge may have taken out a fuse or the board, which we can test and quote on the spot.
Jay’s Air Conditioning. Family run since 1991, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing and no surprises. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 290+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and we’ll get it sorted.