Advice on Getting an Air Conditioner Installed

qaz182 on 26/11/2024 - 23:55
Last edited 26/11/2024 - 23:56

I am looking at getting a single room split system air conditioner installed and realised like with a car mechanic, i'm at a big informational disadvantage when it comes what is a reasonable price or reasonable system choice vs being ripped off by paying too much for installation or an installer that's getting kickbacks for recommending a less than ideal product for my needs.

Have you been through the process of getting air conditioning installed?
What was the process?
What did you do to ensure that you were being charged a reasonable price?
Any mistakes or things you if you had your time over would have done differently?

Do you prefer any particular brands of split system? (or any other system more broadly for anyone reading)
Is there a trustworthy site or place where different systems can be compared?

General Discussion

Comments

  • shxhshzhz on 27/11/2024 - 00:04
    +2

    As usual, get several quotes to understand what a reasonable price is before choosing. You can also buy the split system yourself if there are good discounts and pay for installation only if you want to. If you're buying it, select the kW capacity based off the size of the room.

  • bargaino on 27/11/2024 - 00:21
    +2

    Did it myself. Needed a couple hundred dollars for tools, and was a big job. Definitely not worth it for one aircon, but less stressful than dealing with tradies :)

    • airzone on 27/11/2024 - 00:24
      +1

      I'm pretty sure you need a license for the electrical work, and a different license for the refrigerant work.

      • MS Paint on 27/11/2024 - 00:29

        Username checks out

  • freefall101 on 27/11/2024 - 00:21

    One thing to keep in mind is the risk of buying the aircon then getting someone else to install. It can be cheaper, but if there's an issue it can get expensive to diagnose and do the return if there's an issue with it.

    I also recommend bunnings, particularly if you don't know what you're looking for. The install price is based on the install and is reasonable, the cost of their aircon is open to price matching and they stock a wide range and they organise the install. It wasn't a whole lot cheaper for me recently (and they charge per-unit, no discount for multiple ones), but it was very easy. I bought the unit on the day and took it home, installer was in a few days later.

    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries seems to be the preferred Ozbargain aircon, I have two, work great except a slight rattle in one unit. It's worth going with a big name because there are more people who can repair them. I bought a house last year with a Samsung aircon, it was difficult finding a Samsung aircon repairer. Just remember MHI and Mitsubishi Electrics are two entirely different companies, despite sharing a name (but both are pretty good).

  • airzone on 27/11/2024 - 00:22
    +1

    I've always installed Daiken splits in my workplace environments and run them 24x7. Last installation cost $7k, but that was because we needed to hire a crane. They are generally pretty bulletproof. I just get a quote from the installer to supply and install (you need to find one local to you). A retailer may offer an install service but that can be subject to a lot of conditions, or fully T&M.

    My old man had a 10yo LG that ended up blowing up when trees fell on a powerline and knocked 22kv into the 240v line. Along with everything else in the house bar the solar inverter. Before that it was flawless.

    My home has a ducted Mitsubishi and the thermostat is off with the fairies, but I suspect that's due to a dodgy install. The interior temp can be mid 20's, but the temp sensor may think it's mid 30's… It's coupled to the roof space temperature.

    I see a lot of Actron Air systems around where I live. I suspect they're reasonably good.

    You need to make sure you can support the electrical current demand (which will depend on the system size) and you have somewhere where the outdoor unit can freely circulate air. An old unit I lived in had something blocking the unit and it would continually ice up in winter. Also a reverse-cycle inverter system is the way to go. Can keep you warm in winter, and is much more energy efficient than the old on/off style compressors.

    Also given the temperature forecast, expect installers to be out there charging like wounded bulls. This is the exact wrong time to install one if you want a good price.

  • JIMB0 on 27/11/2024 - 06:10

    If you're looking to get any kind of government rebate buy it through a retail store such as The Good Guys, Bunnings or Harvey Norman. They do installation and don't seem to jack up the price to take away most of the rebate savings.

    Mitsubishi Electric is my go-to brand.

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