Oahu · Honolulu · Island-wide
When your AC quits in the Oahu heat, you need a technician who finds the real cause and fixes it right the first time. Universal Air Hawaii repairs split AC, central, window and condo systems in Honolulu and island-wide.
Free Second Opinion on Replacement Quotes
Got a quote to replace your AC? We will take a second look at no charge and tell you straight whether a repair makes more sense.
Code: 2NDLOOK
Why Oahu homeowners call us first
Got a quote to replace your AC? We will take a second look at no charge and tell you straight whether a repair makes more sense.
*Requires a written replacement quote from another licensed Hawaii contractor. Residential systems on Oahu. One per household. We will tell you honestly if a repair makes more sense than a replacement, even if that means no sale for us.
Hawaii Energy instant rebates on qualifying high-efficiency split AC systems installed by a Clean Energy Ally contractor. Counted per outdoor unit, so separate single-zone systems can each earn one.
*$400 to $550 per qualifying outdoor unit (condenser), set by size and SEER2. A 9,000 or 12,000 BTU unit earns $450 if rated 17.2 SEER2 or better, and nothing below that; $550 is for units of 30,000 BTU and up. Counted per condenser, so three single-zone systems can earn three rebates while one multi-zone system earns one. Newly constructed homes do not qualify; newly purchased homes do. Must be installed by a Hawaii Energy Clean Energy Ally. Requires a Hawaiian Electric account. First-come, first-served while program funds last; program year ends June 30, 2027.
Hawaii Energy pays a $75 instant rebate on a qualifying AC tune-up performed by a Clean Energy Ally, up to two condensers per year. Ask us whether your visit qualifies.
*Hawaii Energy instant rebate of $75 per qualifying condenser, up to 2 per year per residence. The multi-point tune-up must be performed by a Hawaii Energy Clean Energy Ally. Requires a Hawaiian Electric account; Kauai (KIUC) is not eligible. First-come, first-served while program funds last. Program year runs through June 30, 2027. We confirm your eligibility before the visit.
You have a problem right now. We diagnose it, quote it and fix it, with no obligation beyond the repair you approve.
Book online or call
Send your request in under a minute, any time of day.
A real person follows up
A real person from our team calls you to set a time that works for you.
Visit confirmed
We confirm your arrival window before your visit.
Diagnosis and price
Your tech explains what's wrong and the price before any work begins.
Cool again
We finish the work, test the system and clean up before we leave.
Air conditioning is not a luxury on Oahu anymore. About 70% of Honolulu homes had AC by 2019, up from roughly 14% in 1970, and when yours stops working on a still, humid afternoon, the whole house feels it. Universal Air Hawaii provides AC repair across Oahu, from Kapolei and Ewa Beach to Mililani, Honolulu, Hawaii Kai and the Windward side.
We repair every common system type on the island: ductless split AC and mini-splits, central air, window and wall units, and condo systems in high-rises. If your problem is a ductless unit specifically, our split AC repair page goes deeper on blinking lights, leaks and error codes.
Most calls start with one of these symptoms. Each has a short list of likely causes, and a good technician checks them in order instead of throwing parts at the problem.
The fan runs but the air feels room temperature. Common causes include a failed capacitor or contactor at the outdoor unit, a condenser fan that stopped spinning, a dirty or corroded outdoor coil, or low refrigerant from a leak. On Oahu, salt air speeds up corrosion on coils and electrical parts, especially in homes close to the ocean.
The system turns on, runs a few minutes, then shuts off, over and over. That can point to an oversized unit, a clogged filter, low refrigerant, a thermostat in a bad spot, or an overheating compressor. Short cycling wears parts out fast and leaves the house clammy, because the AC never runs long enough to pull humidity out of the air.
Ice on the indoor coil or the copper lines usually means restricted airflow or low refrigerant. Dirty filters, a clogged coil and a failing blower motor are the usual suspects. Turn the system off or set it to fan only so the ice can melt, and never chip at it.
A breaker that trips once may be a fluke. One that trips again is telling you something: a failing compressor, a shorted fan motor, a bad capacitor, or loose, corroded wiring. Do not keep resetting it. Leave it off and call us.
Your AC pulls a lot of water out of Oahu air. When the condensate drain clogs with algae and slime, or a coil freezes and then thaws, that water ends up on your floor, wall or ceiling. Shut the system off and put a towel down until we clear the drain and find the cause.
Grinding, squealing, banging or a loud buzz from the outdoor unit usually means a motor bearing, a loose fan blade or an electrical part on its way out. Catching a noisy part early is almost always cheaper than replacing what it damages when it fails.
Some no-cooling calls end in five minutes with a simple fix. Try these first. If none of them solves it, you have already saved your technician time.
We start by listening. You know how your system has been acting, and details like when it started, what it sounds like and whether it gets worse in the afternoon help us narrow things down fast.
Most Oahu systems installed in the last 15 years or so run on R-410A. New equipment now uses lower-impact A2L refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32, and R-410A production is being phased down. Your existing R-410A system is still legal to run and repair, but service refrigerant is expected to get pricier over time.
That makes a real diagnosis more important than ever. Refrigerant does not get used up. If your system is low, it has a leak, and adding refrigerant without finding the leak means paying for the same problem again. We locate the leak, explain your options and give you the numbers.
We will never push a new system when a repair makes sense. But at roughly 43 cents per kWh on Oahu, about 2.3 times the U.S. average, running an old, inefficient AC costs real money every month. Here is how we help you weigh it.
Every repair starts with a real diagnosis. We explain what failed and why, you approve the price before we start, and we test the system and clean up before we leave.
If your AC is completely down and someone at home is vulnerable to heat, see our emergency AC repair page. And once your system is running again, regular AC maintenance is the best way to keep it that way.
Two precision tune-ups and cleanings a year, priority scheduling and member pricing, all for one low monthly price.
We built Universal Air to be the AC company we would want to call: find the real cause, explain the price before we touch anything, and leave your home cooler and cleaner than we found it. If something isn't right, call us directly at (808) 400-6593.
Find your neighborhood:
Leeward
Central
Urban Honolulu
East Honolulu
Windward
North Shore
Helpful AC guides
All AC guidesRelated services
Split AC Repair
Blinking lights, water dripping down the wall, or a split AC that just blows warm air: we fix them all. Universal Air Hawaii repairs ductless mini-splits across Honolulu and Oahu, single-zone and multi-zone.
Learn moreEmergency AC Repair
When your AC dies and the heat puts someone at risk, call (808) 400-6593. You can also send an urgent request online at any hour, and it reaches our team flagged EMERGENCY. Universal Air Hawaii handles emergency AC repair for homes and businesses across Oahu.
Learn moreAC Maintenance
On Oahu, your AC runs nearly year-round against salt air, vog and humidity. Our AC maintenance and tune-ups keep split AC, central and condo systems running cold, efficient and reliable, and our Comfort Club puts it all on autopilot.
Learn moreBook online in under a minute, call, or text. One local team for every neighborhood on Oahu.
