Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Advice
What we get asked
on every job.
Faults, servicing, sizing and the things worth knowing before you spend money on a system, for Wollongong and the Illawarra. Tania Elsafin writes the guides, drawing on what our team does on the job.
Rebates & costs
What temperature should you set your air conditioner?
The NSW Government says 24 to 26 degrees in summer and 18 to 20 in winter. Why that range works, what each degree costs and what to do when it still feels wrong.
5 min read
Air conditioning
Who does what when a new air conditioner goes in
The technician fits the system and handles the refrigerant. Switchboard work is for an electrician. Who does which part and why the two often come on the same day.
5 min read
Air conditioning
Air conditioner remote symbols explained
The snowflake, sun, water drop and fan, plus the timer, sleep, swing and economy buttons: what each one does and which to use in summer.
4 min read
Air conditioning
What does dry mode do on an air conditioner?
Dry mode takes moisture out of the room without chilling it. When to use it instead of cool mode, whether it saves power and why it needs a clear drain.
4 min read
Air conditioning
What is reverse cycle air conditioning?
One system that cools in summer and heats in winter by running its refrigerant in either direction. How it works and why it is the cheapest way to heat with electricity.
5 min read
Air conditioning
Air conditioner not turning on?
Five checks to do before you call anyone, what the way it fails tells you and the signs that mean you should leave it switched off.
5 min read
Commercial refrigeration
How a glycol beer system works and why the beer goes warm
What the glycol loop does between the keg and the tap, the handful of faults that put a venue on warm beer mid-service and what to check before you call anyone.
6 min read
Maintenance
Why does my air conditioner smell?
Musty, sour, burning or chemical: each smell comes from somewhere different. Only some of them are a filter you can wash yourself.
6 min read
Air conditioning
Ducted or split system: which one suits your house?
The choice comes down to what your roof space, your rooms and the way you live will let you run, so start there instead of with the brochure.
6 min read
Rebates & costs
How much does it cost to run an air conditioner?
Running cost comes down to the power a system draws, the hours it runs and the rate on your bill. How to work out each one and what an old system adds.
6 min read
Air conditioning
Air conditioner running but not blowing cold air?
Six reasons a system runs all day without cooling the room, which two you can check yourself in ten minutes and the one that means you should turn it off now.
6 min read
Air conditioning
How long do air conditioners last?
Most systems last 10 to 15 years. What shortens that, how to tell how old yours is and when a replacement makes more sense than one more repair.
5 min read
Air conditioning
What size air conditioner do I need?
How to get to a sensible kilowatt figure for a room, why the rule of thumb everyone quotes is only a starting point and what makes an oversized system just as bad as one too small.
6 min read
Maintenance
How to clean your air conditioner filter
A ten minute job that fixes weak airflow, a musty smell and a surprising share of the call-outs we get. Split system and ducted, step by step.
6 min read
Air conditioning
Why is my air conditioner leaking water?
Water dripping inside is almost always drainage, not gas. What causes it, what you can safely clear yourself and when to switch the system off before it wrecks a ceiling.
6 min read
Commercial refrigeration
What temperature should a cool room be?
The temperatures a commercial cool room and freezer room need to hold, why the wall display is not the number that matters and what makes a room drift before it fails.
5 min read
Reliable cooling, when you need it most.
Whether it is a new installation, planned maintenance or a breakdown, Standby Services gives you a clear way forward.