Split System Air Conditioning Installation

Capacity is quoted in kilowatts and it should come out of a calculation, not a table on a box. Room volume is the starting point, then insulation levels, the area and orientation of glazing, ceiling height, and whether the space is closed off or opens into a hallway or stairwell.

Undersizing means the unit runs at maximum on hot days, never quite catches up and wears out early. Oversizing is worse than most people think. A large unit cools the air quickly and shuts off before it has removed much moisture, leaving a room that is cold and clammy, and short cycling is hard on compressors. The right unit runs long, gentle cycles at low speed.

A single head system pairs one indoor unit with its own outdoor unit. A multi head runs two to five indoor units from one outdoor unit, which is the answer when there is no room for several outdoor units on a narrow side path, a common problem in Yarraville, Seddon and Williamstown.

Multi head trades away some flexibility. All heads share one compressor and one refrigerant circuit, so they cannot run heating and cooling simultaneously, part load efficiency is lower than a well matched single, and one outdoor fault takes out every room at once. Repairs are also more involved. Where the space exists, we usually recommend singles.

The spread between $2,500 and $7,500 is mostly capacity and installation complexity, not brand. A back to back install, where the head is on an external wall with the outdoor unit directly behind it, is the cheapest configuration there is. Every metre of extra pipe, every storey of height, every core drill through double brick and every new circuit adds cost.

What should never be optional is the part you cannot see. Brazed joints, a nitrogen pressure test, a proper vacuum to remove moisture from the lines, insulated and UV protected pipework, a graded condensate drain that goes somewhere sensible, and a dedicated circuit with an isolator. Quotes that come in well under the market usually have one of those missing.

Indoor heads should not blow directly onto a bed or a lounge, should not sit above a doorway where the air hits a wall two metres away, and need clearance above for airflow. The head also has to drain, so a wall with no fall to an outside point means either a condensate pump or a different wall.

Outdoor units need clearance for airflow and service access, protection from the full afternoon sun where possible, and distance from bedroom windows. On coastal streets in Altona and Point Cook we position units to reduce salt exposure and recommend a coil rinse each spring, because salt corrosion is the main reason outdoor coils fail early in these suburbs.

Refrigerant handling in Australia requires an ARC licence, and the electrical connection must be carried out by a licensed electrician who issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety on completion. Pivot holds REC 37223 and carries out both parts, which is also what most manufacturers require before they will honour a warranty claim.

Keep the certificate and the commissioning details with your house records. They are what a manufacturer asks for when a compressor fails in year four, and they matter at sale. Our own workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months on top of the equipment warranty.