Thanks for the question, Lorraine. This is undoubtedly a common one. As always, the cost depends upon the type of house, the size of the rooms, and, of course, your requirements, but there are a few basic guidelines you can follow in terms of pricing.
Of course, your budget is an essential factor when you ask for a quote for a new air conditioning system, and the size of the house affects the price. But before you start crunching the numbers, you must ensure you’re quoted on the right size split air conditioning system.
An incorrectly sized unit will be inefficient, use excessive power to run, and have a shorter lifespan. You’ll be saddled with these costs simply because you didn’t get the correct advice in the first place—or you were looking to spend less upfront by installing a smaller unit. Apart from a split air conditioning system, you may want to check the ducted air conditioning cost for your room if you’re going to cool/heat all the rooms in the unit simultaneously.
Your contractor will first examine a room’s dimensions. You may need a small system to control the temperature efficiently if it’s small. Wrong. Other factors come into play. We’d also inspect the room’s orientation and its direction. If it faces north or northwest, you will have a more significant heat load and need a bigger unit.
Windows are another feature that comes into an assessment. Outside shading, indoor blinds, or curtains also affect the room’s heat load. A glass sliding door may also influence the cost as it will let through more light/heat. Then, there’s the actual layout of the space. We’re looking at how the room retains heat based on whether or not there’s another floor above it and what materials the walls are made of.
If you don’t install the correct size system for the size of space, you won’t get the cooling efficiency you need, and as a result, you’re wasting your money.
As you can see, many variables affect the system size you need. Split system air conditioners start at two kilowatts and go up to nine-and-a-half kilowatts. Depending on the unit size you need for your home or business, the costs can range from $2,000 to $4,500.
No two properties are the same, and some require more time on-site to complete the installation. A standard split system installation would take a team half a day to put a system in. If the outdoor unit has to be placed some distance from the indoor unit, it would require longer piping. In this case, installation may take up to a day to complete, and in addition to higher labour costs, you have the extra materials to consider.
When we perform an installation, we also want it to complement the home’s existing features, which means we match the existing gutter pipes. These details and the materials we use to cover the system also require additional materials. Choices between stainless steel brackets or a moulded plastic condenser base are some decisions that will affect the quote, for example. Floor-mounted systems tend to cost a bit more than wall-mounted systems.
If you install more than one unit at a time, your cost per unit will also drop.
We stress that you must have your property inspected to get an accurate quote because there are many factors to consider. Most bedrooms would require a 2.5- to 3.5-kilowatt system. We typically install a 6—to 7-kilowatt system for a downstairs lounge room.
Here’s a rough guide to what you can expect to pay for different-sized split-system air conditioners:
If you’re thinking about installing a split system air conditioner and unsure about costs, get in touch, and we’ll arrange to have one of our friendly technicians come out, inspect your property, and provide you with a quote.
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