“Our split stopped cooling in a heatwave. FreshDuct found a leak on the outdoor unit, repaired it and re-gassed it — icy cold again the same day.”
Verified
Oakleigh mixes post-war brick-veneer houses with flats and shop-top homes, and the splits cooling them are often older units run hard year-round. FreshDuct diagnoses the real fault — capacitor, fan motor, gas or board — and repairs it, all major brands.
An older split that starts weak and fades is telling you a part is failing, not that it needs a quick gas top-up.
Oakleigh is a busy, mixed south-eastern suburb where solid post-war brick-veneer houses sit alongside blocks of flats and homes above the shops. The splits doing the cooling here are frequently older units, many worked hard right through the year because they double as the main heating as well.
Run that hard, a split fails at its most stressed parts. The start capacitor weakens, the outdoor fan motor bearings wear, and a tired unit starts weakly and then loses its cooling. We diagnose whether it is electrics, a worn fan motor, a low charge from a leak or a control-board fault, and repair the genuine cause rather than papering over it.
The faults we see most on Oakleigh split systems — based on the local homes, install styles and conditions.
Older Oakleigh splits run hard all year, and the outdoor fan motor and start capacitor are the parts that give out first. We test both under load and fit replacements that match the condenser rather than a rough substitute.
When an Oakleigh split blows warm we work through the likely causes in order — capacitor, fan motor, refrigerant charge and board — so we find the real reason it has stopped cooling instead of guessing at the most expensive part.
A sealed split low on gas has a leak somewhere in the circuit. We pressure-test the lines and joints on these older Oakleigh units, repair where the refrigerant is escaping and re-gas to spec, so the fix actually lasts.
Real photos from FreshDuct split-system diagnostics, refrigerant work and repairs. We document every job with clear before-and-after photos.



One local team for the whole system — from a not-cooling diagnosis and re-gas to parts, board repairs and an annual tune. Need a hygiene clean instead? We do that too.

Not cooling or heating? We fault-find the whole system — refrigerant, electrics, sensors and board — and tell you plainly what it needs.
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Low on refrigerant means a leak. We pressure-test, find and repair the leak, then re-gas to the correct charge — not just a top-up.
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A full service and tune — pressures, electrics, capacitor, fan and drain checked so the system runs efficiently and reliably.
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Capacitors, fan motors, PCBs, sensors and contactors sourced and replaced for all major brands, with a clear quote first.
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Need a hygiene clean instead? Deep coil and barrel-fan cleaning, mould treatment and sanitising for cleaner, healthier air.
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Ducted, evaporative and multi-head systems too — one local team for heating, cooling and ventilation across Melbourne.
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When an older split in Oakleigh stops cooling, the fault is rarely obvious from the wall unit. We run the system, read any error codes and test the start capacitor, the outdoor fan motor, the refrigerant charge and the control board so we know exactly what has failed before quoting a repair.
On a hard-run unit the usual answer is a weak capacitor or a worn fan motor, sometimes alongside a slow leak that has bled off the charge. We fit the failed part or repair the leak and re-gas correctly, then re-test cooling and heating output so the unit is genuinely back to strength.
FreshDuct repairs and services split systems throughout Oakleigh 7 days a week, and we are regularly nearby in Clayton, Bentleigh, Glen Waverley and Dandenong, so an Oakleigh job fits neatly into the day.
From the homes and flats around Oakleigh village and the station to the streets towards Huntingdale, we can usually offer a prompt appointment and prioritise a unit that has quit in the middle of a heatwave.
A methodical diagnosis and repair — we find the actual fault, quote it clearly, and fix it right the first time.
We run the system, read any error codes and test the electrics, sensors and refrigerant pressures to find the real fault, not just the symptom.
If it is low on gas we pressure-test to find the leak — a re-gas without fixing the leak just fails again in a season.
You get a clear, itemised quote before any part is fitted — capacitor, fan motor, PCB, sensor or a re-gas, with honest advice on repair-versus-replace.
We fit the part, repair the leak and re-gas to the manufacturer charge, then re-test cooling and heating output.
Electrics, contactor, fan, drain and airflow checked and tuned so the system runs efficiently and reliably.
A clear report with photos and honest advice on whether to keep servicing or plan a replacement.
Verified 5-star reviews from across FreshDuct’s split-system, heating and cooling services.
“Our split stopped cooling in a heatwave. FreshDuct found a leak on the outdoor unit, repaired it and re-gassed it — icy cold again the same day.”
Verified
“Bedroom head was throwing an error code and shutting down. They diagnosed a faulty PCB, quoted it and had it running the next visit.”
Verified
“Honest team — the outdoor fan motor had failed and they replaced it rather than pushing a whole new system. Saved me a fortune.”
Verified
“Great communication. They tested the capacitor and pressures, showed me the readings and explained exactly what was wrong.”
Verified
“Multi-head system, one room never cold. They tracked it to a blocked drain and low charge on that circuit and sorted both.”
Verified
“Quick, professional and tidy. The report and photos showed exactly what they checked and fixed on the unit.”
Verified
We cover Oakleigh and the surrounding suburbs. Explore nearby areas and related FreshDuct services.
A split blowing warm is usually fixable. On the older units common in Oakleigh the cause is often a failed capacitor or outdoor fan motor, or a low charge from a slow leak — all repairable for far less than a replacement. We test each part in turn, tell you what has failed and only recommend a new system when the compressor itself is gone.
Yes. We work on splits in Oakleigh houses, units, flats and homes above the shops. The diagnostics are the same regardless of the building — we run the system, read the codes and test the electrics, charge and board — and we are used to accessing condensers on balconies, walls and shared areas around Oakleigh.
Yes. FreshDuct diagnoses and repairs split systems across Oakleigh and the surrounding south-east, 7 days a week — not-cooling and not-heating faults, re-gas and leak detection, error codes and parts for all major brands. Call 04 3191 8137 or request a free quote.
It is usually one of a few things: low refrigerant from a slow leak, a failed capacitor or fan motor on the outdoor unit, a blocked filter or coil, or a fault on the control board. We diagnose the actual cause rather than guessing, and quote the repair before we start.
We do, but a split system is a sealed circuit — if it is low on gas it has a leak. A top-up alone just leaks out again within a season, so we pressure-test to find the leak, repair it, then re-gas to the correct manufacturer charge.
It depends on the age, the brand and the fault. A capacitor, fan motor or sensor on an otherwise sound unit is well worth repairing; a failed compressor or a leaking coil on a 12-to-15-year-old system often is not. We give you honest, itemised advice either way.
Not-cooling & not-heating diagnostics, gas re-gas and leak detection, error-code faults, capacitor, fan-motor and board repairs, and an annual tune — a clean, documented service with photo proof. Available 7 days.
Tell us the fault and your split system — we respond fast, 7 days.