Aircon & HVAC Marketplace
Buying & selling safely
The marketplace connects buyers and sellers; it does not inspect equipment or certify an installation. These checks help you decide what to verify before money, refrigerant or mains power moves.
Inspect the equipment
- •Match the model and serial plate to the listing. Ask for clear photos of the data plate, refrigerant line connections, indoor/outdoor pairing and any dents, corrosion or repaired brazing joints.
- •For split systems, ducted units and packaged units, ask for a video of the unit running under load, cooling and heating if it is reverse-cycle. A five-minute bench test on the workshop floor proves very little about compressor health.
- •Treat a corroded outdoor cabinet, oil staining around a flare fitting, a missing or damaged isolation switch, or a burnt plug or terminal as unsafe. Do not connect gauges, decant refrigerant or energise unknown equipment to see what happens.
Check fit and installation
- •Confirm refrigerant type, voltage and phase, rated capacity, allowable pipe run and indoor/outdoor compatibility before paying. A similar-looking outdoor condenser is not necessarily matched to a different indoor head.
- •Electrical connection work, and any work on the refrigerant circuit, must be completed by a licensed electrician or a refrigeration mechanic holding a current ARCtick licence. Confirm what applies with your state electrical safety regulator before installation.
- •A listing, invoice or seller statement is not an electrical compliance certificate, an ARCtick record of works, or proof that a manufacturer or resale warranty still applies to a used compressor or split system.
Pay and collect carefully
- •Inspect before paying where practical. For a ducted system or a large commercial unit, agree in writing what is included and who disconnects, recovers the refrigerant and transports it.
- •Never pay a deposit because a stranger creates urgency. Avoid gift cards, cryptocurrency and international transfer requests.
- •Keep the listing, messages, receipt and serial-number photos. A business seller may owe consumer guarantees that do not usually extend to a one-off private sale of a used compressor or split system, so confirm any warranty claim in writing before you rely on it.
Refrigerant and electrical hazards
- •Refrigerant handling, recovery and decanting is restricted under Commonwealth ozone and synthetic greenhouse gas law. A private seller should never be decanting, topping up or transferring refrigerant themselves - only a technician holding a current ARCtick licence issued by the Australian Refrigeration Council may do this.
- •Be wary of a unit still charged with refrigerant unless the seller can show it was decommissioned or serviced by a licensed technician. Signs of a slow leak, an over-tightened Schrader valve or a home-brazed joint make it a fire and health risk, not a bargain.
- •Mains-wired indoor and outdoor units must be isolated, tested and connected by a licensed electrician or refrigeration mechanic before use. Do not power up a used compressor or control board on a seller's word that it is safe - get it checked first.
Check who is licensed to install it
Licensing here is technician-specific, not just equipment-specific. Under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act, anyone handling refrigerant needs a current ARCtick licence issued by the Australian Refrigeration Council; electrical connection needs a licensed electrician or, in most states, a refrigeration mechanic holding a matching electrical endorsement.
Start with the Australian Refrigeration Council's licence lookup or your state electrical safety regulator, then use a licensed tradesperson for installation and any work on the refrigerant circuit.
Something look wrong? Read the listing rules or use the report link on the listing.