Air conditioning installation in Essendon

A split system has one indoor unit on the wall and one outdoor unit, and suits a single room or open-plan area. A multi-split runs several indoor units from one outdoor unit, which keeps the side of the house tidier when you want several rooms done. Ducted reverse-cycle hides the indoor unit in the roof space and delivers air to every room through ceiling vents, with zones so you only condition the rooms in use.

Whoever you get quotes from, ask for the make, model and capacity of each unit in writing, so you can compare like with like.

• Split system installation
• Ducted air conditioning installation

Capacity depends on a room's floor area, ceiling height, insulation, windows and which way it faces. Many Essendon homes have ceilings well above today's standard 2.4 metres, often 3 metres or more in Victorian and Federation houses, so a room needs more capacity than its floor area alone suggests.

We measure each room rather than going by the floor plan. An undersized unit runs flat out and still struggles on hot days; an oversized one switches on and off, wasting power and leaving the room clammy.

The outdoor unit needs airflow around it, a firm base or wall bracket and room to be serviced. On Essendon's period homes it usually goes down the side or at the back, out of view from the street. Pipe runs through solid brick are drilled once, in the right place, and longer runs are covered neatly.

Inside, the indoor unit goes where its air reaches the whole room, clear of curtains and not blowing straight at a couch or bed.

Larger systems need their own circuit, and some older switchboards in Essendon's period homes have no room for another one without an upgrade. We check the switchboard at the quote and tell you before you commit if it needs a licensed electrician's work, so there are no surprises on the day.

Replacing a unit is often quicker than a new install, because the wall penetration, and sometimes the pipe run, can be reused if they're in good condition and suit the new unit. The old refrigerant is recovered by our licensed technicians, never released, and the old unit can be removed as part of the job.

• Decommissioning & refrigerant recovery