A home split system should not need a regular regas. Refrigerant is sealed inside the system and doesn’t get used up, so if the system is low on gas, there is a leak. The right repair is to find and fix the leak, pressure test the system, evacuate it and recharge it to the amount on the unit’s rating plate. Topping up gas without fixing the leak only buys a few weeks or months. In Australia this work must be done by an ARCtick-licensed technician.
This guide is about home split and ducted air conditioners, not car air conditioning.
Signs your system may be low on refrigerant
- Cooling or heating that gets weaker over weeks
- Ice or frost on the thin copper pipe at the outdoor unit, or on the indoor coil
- A hissing or bubbling sound near the pipes
- The outdoor unit running constantly without the room reaching the set temperature
- Oily marks around pipe joints, which can mark a leak point
- An error code for low refrigerant or high discharge temperature
Dirty filters and a blocked outdoor coil cause some of the same symptoms, so rule those out first. See air conditioner not cooling.
What a proper regas involves
- Leak detection: with an electronic detector, bubble solution or nitrogen pressure testing.
- Repair: re-flaring or brazing a joint, or replacing a leaking coil or valve.
- Pressure test: to prove the repair holds.
- Evacuation: a vacuum pump removes air and moisture from the system.
- Recharge: refrigerant added by weight to the manufacturer’s specified charge.
- Performance check: pressures and air temperatures confirmed.
What it costs
The price depends mostly on finding and fixing the leak, not the gas itself. A leak at an accessible flare joint is a much smaller job than a leak inside the indoor coil. We quote after diagnosis, and on an older system we will tell you if a replacement makes more sense. See is it worth repairing an old AC.
R32, R410A and R22
| Refrigerant | Where you’ll find it | What it means for repairs |
|---|---|---|
| R32 | Most new split systems | Current refrigerant; widely available |
| R410A | Many systems from roughly the last 15 years | Still serviced and available |
| R22 | Older systems, mostly installed before about 2010 | Being phased out in Australia; scarce and costly, so a leak often means replacement |
The refrigerant type is printed on the rating plate on the side of the outdoor unit.
Book a leak test
The technicians who attend our jobs are ARCtick licensed. Book online and tell us the brand and what you have noticed, or see our air conditioner service page.
In Australia, refrigerant work must be done by a technician who holds an ARC licence. You can read more about licensing on the ARCtick website.
Reviewed by AC repair and service specialist on 22 October 2026. How we write our articles