Replace an air conditioner and the old one usually goes out with the installer. Yet a unit that still cools has buyers, and about 390 people a month worldwide search "sell used air conditioner", with 70 more asking "where to sell used air conditioner", according to Ubersuggest. What they want to know is practical: who takes it off the wall, who puts it back up for the buyer and who is responsible if it fails. The resale sources we found are thin and mostly Australian, so we point out where the rules in your country could differ. No prices are given. ScrapTrade runs a scrap marketplace and has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.
Taking it down
A fitted unit has to be disconnected and its refrigerant handled, and in many places that work is regulated. The summaries we read say US rules require recovery before small appliances are disposed of and certified technicians for equipment dismantled on site, and that EU rules require certified personnel for recovery from stationary equipment. Our guide to refrigerant rules before scrapping summarizes them. The safe path is a qualified technician who disconnects the unit and recovers the gas; keep their invoice to show the buyer. An Australian installer advertises a flat fee for disconnection with removal and recycling, a single firm's price in one country and no guide to cost elsewhere, but it confirms that removal is a paid job.
What the buyer is really buying
A second-hand unit comes with an installation attached. On an Australian task marketplace we saw people post second-hand split systems they had purchased and ask for licensed, insured installers only. A split-system supplier says a licensed technician is needed to install legally and keep the product warranty, a trade claim and not a regulator's. Whether installation rules reach a unit that was previously fitted depends on where you live: South Australia's energy department says its requirements do not apply to previously used units, and we found no equivalent for other regions, so check the buyer's location.
Writing the listing
Put the make, model and capacity up front, taken from the labels on both the indoor and outdoor units, since buyers search by model. Say how old it is and why it came out. State whether it was running when removed and whether it had been serviced. List what is included: remote, brackets, pipework and mounts. Say who recovered the gas, and make clear that you are not installing. Be straightforward about faults, because the person who pays to install a unit that does not work is the buyer.
Settling terms with the buyer
Agree the price and how it is paid before anyone lifts anything. Decide who removes the unit and who installs it, so there is no confusion about the gas. Let the buyer see it run before it comes down if you can. Spell out what is included and make clear that you offer no warranty unless you say so. None of this is a legal requirement we found; it is how we would structure a sale given the gaps below.
If an installer offers to take it
Many sellers get a removal offer from the installer fitting the new unit. Ask what it covers: disconnection, gas recovery, haulage and disposal, and whether the old unit is yours to sell afterwards. If the installer keeps the unit, you are giving up its resale value, so decide before the work starts. If you want to sell it, agree that the installer will disconnect and recover the gas only, and leave the unit with you.
What the sources do not cover
We found nothing on whether a manufacturer's warranty passes to a new owner, so assume it does not unless the maker says so. Nothing addressed whether older, phased-out refrigerants affect resale, and no source gave a selling price.
When it will not sell
An old or faulty unit is scrap, and its metal has value; our guide to scrapping an air conditioner explains how a yard prices it. An installer replacing your system may take the old unit away.
Where ScrapTrade fits
A single used unit suits a classifieds site or an installer, not ScrapTrade. The marketplace works better for a contractor, a property manager or a demolition crew with several units, or with the metal from them. Verified traders in more than 50 countries bid, nothing is charged to list and the buyer's 5 percent deposit is held in escrow after acceptance. Businesses and individuals can sell after verification. We could not confirm whether working units are accepted, so write to cs@scraptrade.com.au first. The Australian version is Sell a Used Air Conditioner in Australia.
Open questions
- Selling prices for used units.
- Warranty transfer.
- Resale and installation rules beyond the places we saw.
- Whether a private seller needs a licence to sell a unit already removed.
- Whether ScrapTrade lists working units.
Quick answers
Can a used split system be resold?
Yes. People buy and advertise them, and many insist on a licensed installer.
Who should take it down?
A qualified technician, since the gas must be recovered in many countries.
Does the warranty go to the buyer?
We found no source, so read the maker's terms.
Sell or scrap?
A recent working unit may sell. A dead or old one is scrap, worth its metal.
Should I list one unit on ScrapTrade?
Probably not. Larger lots fit better, and working units are unconfirmed, so ask support.
Sources
- Ubersuggest keyword data, global, queried November 2026.
- Australian task marketplace listings, installer pages, a South Australian government fact sheet and a split-system supplier's FAQ, plus US and EU refrigerant-rule summaries, as summarized in search results.
- ScrapTrade website, accessed November 2026.
Information only, not legal advice. Licensing and installation rules differ by country.