Emergency means different things to different people, so we triage honestly. A unit that has stopped cooling entirely, a breaker that keeps tripping, or water running into a ceiling gets priority. A unit that is cooling weakly can usually wait for the next standard slot, and we will tell you so instead of selling you an emergency premium.
What to do while you wait
- Check the breaker. If it trips again immediately after reset, leave it off - that is an electrical fault, not a cooling fault.
- Check the remote and batteries. Mode set to fan instead of cool is a surprisingly common "breakdown".
- Look at the filter. A matted filter can stop cooling completely; rinsing it may get you through the night.
- If water is leaking near electrics, switch that circuit off and put a towel down - do not run the unit again until it is checked.
- Close curtains and doors on the hot side of the home and use a fan to move air; it will not cool the room but it helps comfort.
What we carry on a callout
Vans are stocked for the faults that stop a unit working at night: run and start capacitors, contactors, relays, thermistors, fuses, drain-cleaning tools, refrigerant for R410A and R22 systems, flare and brazing kit, and a nitrogen test set. Most total failures are back running the same visit. When a part has to be sourced - a compressor, a board, a specific fan motor - we tell you at the door rather than after two more visits.
What it costs
The callout and diagnosis charge depends on the time of day. Repair pricing is the same as daytime, quoted before work starts, and no part is fitted without your agreement. Late-night rates are confirmed on WhatsApp before dispatch - you will never get a surprise total at 1 a.m.
Prevention beats a 1 a.m. call
Almost every emergency we attend has a warning sign weeks earlier: a weak airflow, a slightly warm vent, a growing electricity bill, water under the indoor unit. A pre-summer service in April or May - wash, drain flush, gas pressure check, electrical inspection - is the cheapest way to avoid the peak-season breakdown.
What we can and cannot do at night
Late-night visits are set up for faults that stop cooling or create a safety issue: electrical failures, capacitors, contactors, tripped breakers, drain overflows, and refrigerant loss where a leak can be isolated. What we usually cannot complete overnight is anything that needs a part sourced from a supplier - a specific control board, fan motor or compressor. In that case we make the unit safe, confirm the diagnosis, leave a written quote, and book the earliest slot with the part in hand.
Being clear about this up front is better than an arrival that cannot solve the problem.
Commercial and multi-unit sites
For a restaurant, clinic, salon or office, a single failed unit can close a space. Tell us the unit count, the type (ducted, cassette, split), and whether the site can stay open while we work. Multi-unit sites are quoted per unit with a shared callout, and we can schedule around trading hours.