When you decide to buy an air conditioner, you come across so many technical jargon that it can feel like you are trying to decipher some foreign language. Understanding terms such as BTU, SEER, EER, HVAC, COP, inverter technology, refrigerant, IP rating, noise level (dB), etc., can be overwhelming and confusing for many. However, educating yourself with these terminologies can make a huge difference and help you make a smart purchase.
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In this article, we will provide you with a glossary of air conditioner terms that will help you make a thoughtful choice. We will also list down the types of air conditioners available and their features, top picks on GARVEE, and more.
Here are a few air conditioner terms that you should know before you decide to purchase one. This will give you a better understanding of what kind of AC you want based on your preferences.
Air Handler: An air handler is a key component of an HVAC system that basically works in conjunction with the outdoor unit. It helps circulate conditioned air all throughout your home, ensuring consistent airflow and temperature control.
BTU (British Thermal Unit): BTU is the measurement of the cooling capacity of an air conditioner. It represents the amount of heat an AC can remove from a space in a given period of time. The higher the BTU rating of an air conditioner, the greater its cooling capacity.
Blower: A blower is a fan inside the AC unit that helps push cooled air through the ductwork and into your home. It is one of the most essential components as it helps distribute cool air that is felt from the vents.
Compressor: The compressor is basically a key part or rather the heart of an air conditioner. Located inside the condenser unit, it pressurizes the refrigerant, enabling heat transfer. A high-quality compressor definitely improves efficiency and longevity.
Condenser Coil: A key part of an air conditioning system is a condenser coil. It is located in the outdoor unit where it releases all the heat absorbed by the refrigerant to the outside air. Thereby, cooling the refrigerant down and letting it cycle back to the system to cool your space.
Cooling Capacity: Cooling capacity is the amount of heat an air conditioner can remove from a space per hour. It is typically measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) or tons and is a key factor in selecting the right AC unit based on your room size.
COP (Coefficient of Performance): COP (Coefficient of Performance) basically is a measure of an air conditioner’s efficiency, indicating how much cooling it can produce per unit of energy consumed. Hence, the higher the COP of an AC, the greater its efficiency, as more cooling is achieved with less energy consumption.
Dehumidifier: A dehumidifier can be one of the features in some air conditioners that helps with the removal of excess moisture from the air, enhancing your comfort levels.
EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio): EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) is a measurement of how efficiently an air conditioner operates under peak or specific conditions. It is calculated by dividing the cooling capacity (in BTUs) by the power input (in watts). The higher the EER, the more efficient your AC unit is, meaning you get more cooling with less energy consumption.
Evaporator Coil: An evaporator coil located in the indoor unit of the air conditioner basically absorbs heat from the air in your home and enables the cooling process.
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning): HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. Basically, it is an umbrella term for complete climate control systems that regulate heating, cooling, humidity, and air quality in residential and commercial buildings.
Heat Pump: A heat pump is essentially a type of HVAC system that can cool as well as heat a home by reversing the cooling process. In the cooling mode, it works like a traditional AC and in the heat mode, it extracts heat from the outside air and transfers it indoors.
Inverter Technology: Inverter technology is basically a feature that is found in most modern air conditioners. This inverter technology adjusts the compressor’s speed, saving energy, and maintaining temperatures.
IP Rating (Ingress Protection Rating): An IP rating indicates an air conditioner's resistance to dust and water. The higher the IP rating, the greater the protection.
MERV Rating (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value): MERV Rating measures the effectiveness of air filters in capturing airborne particles. The higher the MERV rating, the better it filters dust, pollen, mold spores, and other contaminants.
Noise Level (dB - Decibels): dB or decibels measures the noise level of an air conditioner. Residential AC units can fall under the 40 to 70 dB category. Below 50 is usually considered quiet and perfect for bedrooms, however, there are some quieter models that can be as low as 19-25 Db.
Refrigerant: A refrigerant is a chemical compound that absorbs and releases heat, enabling the cooling process in air conditioners. The most common ones are R-410A and R-32.
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio): SEER is the measurement of how efficiently an air conditioner cools over a typical cooling season. The higher the SEER ratings, the greater the energy savings and lower the electricity bills.
Ton: Ton basically refers to the measurement of an air conditioner’s cooling capacity. 1 ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Let’s take a look at the types of air conditioners and their features below.
Central air conditioners are basically designed to cool your entire home. Cool air is distributed throughout a network of ducts. These ACs provide uniform cooling and are best suited for larger spaces. However, central air conditioners are much more expensive to install than other types of air conditioners.
Features:
• Central ACs work with a thermostat for automated control
• Requires ductwork
• High cooling efficiency
As the name suggests, ductless mini split air conditioner requires no ductwork. These kinds of ACs are wall-mounted units that have an outdoor condenser and indoor air handlers. With a ductless mini split air conditioner, each room’s temperature can be controlled independently. Additionally, they have a higher initial cost but their operating expenses are lower.
Features:
•Wall-mounted indoor units
•Zone-based cooling for energy efficiency
•Operates quietly compared to central air conditioners
A window air conditioner is a compact single unit that is mounted in a window or a wall opening of a room. While these ACs are affordable and easy to install, they may not be as efficient as central or ductless air conditioners and they can be noisy. Additionally, they have a limited cooling range, as they are designed to cool only a single room or small space efficiently.
Features:
• They are easy to install and remove
• Compact design
• Affordable options
A portable air conditioner is a freestanding AC unit with wheels that can be moved from one place to another, taking up your floor space. These air conditioners need an exhaust hose to vent hot air outside. Besides, though less efficient than ductless or window ACs, portable air conditioners are ideal for those looking for non-permanent options.
Features:
• It doesn’t require permanent installation
• Needs an exhaust hose
• Has wheels for easy mobility
• Suitable for small to medium-sized rooms
Hybrid air conditioners are dual-fuel systems that combine electric cooling with a gas-powered heating system for enhanced energy efficiency. These systems automatically switch between power sources based on outdoor temperatures and energy demand, providing both heating and cooling. However, they have a higher upfront cost and can be complex to install.
Features:
• Automatically switches between power sources
• Reduces energy costs
• Perfect for areas where temperature fluctuates
Smart air conditioners are Wi-Fi-enabled units that can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app or voice assistant. While they have a higher initial cost, they integrate seamlessly with home automation systems, offering enhanced convenience.
Features:
• Compatible with smart home systems
• Energy monitoring features
• Programmable temperature settings
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing an AC for your home.
Measure Your Room: Use a BTU calculator to match the AC unit to your space size. Here’s a general BTU recommendation based on room size. Up to 150 sq. ft. → 5,000-6,000 BTU, 150-350 sq. ft. → 6,000-8,000 BTU, and 350-550 sq. ft. → 8,000-12,000 BTU.
Check Energy Efficiency Ratings: The higher the energy efficiency ratings, the lower your energy cost. Therefore, look for AC units with higher SEER, EER, and Energy-Star certification so that you can save up on your electricity bills.
Consider Noise Level (dB): Look for lower dB ratings for quiet operation, especially if you are looking for AC units for bedrooms.
Consider Usage Needs: When deciding on an AC unit remember to keep in mind your usage needs. If you need to cool just a single room, then more practical options will be window or portable ACs, but if you need cooling in multiple rooms, then more ideal options would be central or ductless AC units.
Consider Installation: If you cannot permanently install something, probably because you do not want to or you stay in a rented home, then go for a portable air conditioner.
Look for Smart Features: Wi-Fi control, timers, and eco-modes enhance convenience.
Explore garvee.com for a wide range of high-quality air conditioners that are tailored to meet your needs and preferences.
Fitting 23-36" windows, this ultra-quiet BTU window air conditioner is quick and efficient enough to cool a 350 square foot area. It has a 3-in-1 functionality – cool, dehumidify, and fan. In addition, it offers a sleep mode that guarantees you soundless sleep. It also has an environmentally safe R-32 refrigerant, which guarantees quick and effective cooling.
this GARVEE BTU portable air conditioner can cool an area of up to 700 square feet. It has three functions: cooling, fanning, and dehumidifying. It also has energy-saving features including a timer and sleep mode. Besides, you can move it from one area to another easily because of its 360° wheels.
This BTU Split Air Conditioner offers efficient cooling and heating all year round. It has 5 modes, a self-cleaning and auto-defrost feature, and a remote for easy control. Additionally, this mini split air conditioner can seamlessly integrate with Google Home and Alexa, enabling effortless control via the app.
This BTU portable AC can effectively cool 350 square feet of space with its BTU capacity. It has four built-in features: fan, sleep mode, drying, and cooling. It also features a manual draining system and self-evaporation. An installation kit, exhaust hose, and remote control are included.
this BTU window AC can cool up to 250 square feet. It also features DC technology and an energy-saving mode. Additionally, its creative U-shape reduces noise.
This GARVEE mini split AC has a powerful BTU cooling capacity and a high 19 SEER energy efficiency. It has a 4-in-1 functionality – cool, heat, fan, and dry. Additionally, it also has an automatic cleaning function and comes with an easy DIY installation kit.
We hope this ultimate glossary of air conditioner terms will help you understand air conditioners better so you can make an informed and smart decision when purchasing one.
Explore more such air conditioners on garvee.com here!
In the Australian climate, air conditioning is not so much a luxury as a basic necessity — heatwaves are officially our most deadly type of natural disaster. Split system air conditioning is very common in Australian homes, and you’ll probably see the term start popping up the moment you start googling anything about air con.
But what is a Split System air conditioner? Why is it called that? Is it different from a reverse cycle air conditioner, or an evaporative? How is it different from ducted air con, and what is a “multi head split system”. Let’s take a moment to run through the essentials and help you understand what a split system is, and what it does.
Key Takeaways
A split system is a common type of air conditioner in Australia. They’re generally easy to spot in a house, as there’ll be a large white box (generally about a metre wide) attached to a wall above head-height. There’ll also normally be a small remote control somewhere nearby to operate it, often mounted on a wall.
This is different from ducted air conditioning — the most common alternative to a split system — where the only visible signs are normally vents in the ceiling, and the controls on the wall.
The term is actually a bit misleading, as in reality a lot of ducted air conditioners are a type of split system. Technically, what we normally call a “Split System” is officially called a High Wall aircon unit — (for hopefully obvious reasons). But normally if you’re talking to air con companies or looking up brands on the internet, the two options you’ll normally be discussing are ducted AC or a split system.
Most cooling technology nowadays — including refrigerators — work on a very similar principle, and have four basic components:
To make it all work, a chemical known as refrigerant travels through these four components and moves heat around.
First, the expansion valve releases very cold liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. This is a series of coiled metal tubes that the cold refrigerant travels through while a fan blows air over the coils. This is where the cool air comes from in an air conditioner — it’s normal air blown over coils of chilled refrigerant to cool it down.
At the same time as it cools down the air, it’s warming up the refrigerant liquid, and causing it to evaporate into vapour or gas — which is why the coils are called the evaporator. This gas then goes into the compressor where it gets changed from cool gas at normal pressure to highly pressurised hot gas.
That might sound like black magic, but it’s actually just clever physics in action. But that might be a question for another blog. Although if you’re curious, there’s a good explanation on the live science website.
Once it’s passed through the compressor, the hot, high-pressure refrigerant gas then goes into the condenser – which is another set of coils like the evaporator. But in this case, the air is blowing across hot refrigerant, which means hot air is blown out (you’ll know that if you’ve ever stood near the outside part of an aircon unit), and the gas is cooled down and turned back into liquid — still under high pressure.
At this point it moves into the expansion valve, where it gets turned back into a cold, low pressure liquid (by clever physics again), and starts the cycle all over again.
This is the basic idea of air conditioning.
It’s called a “split system” because the system is divided into two separate units — one of which normally goes on the outside of the building. This is connected by insulated copper piping to the inside unit, which is normally mounted high up on a wall in the room you want cooled.
The indoor unit normally just contains the evaporator, which is where the cooling happens. The outside unit normally has the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve. This means the inside cooling unit is a lot quieter (compressors are pretty loud machines), and the hot air from the evaporator is blown outside. The inside unit just needs the evaporator, a low-noise fan, and the electronics to operate the system and talk to the remote control.
Now, there are two answers here — the normal answer, and the technically correct answer.
The answer people are normally looking for when they ask this question is that split system air conditioning is normally just used for one room or living area. It has a wall-mounted cooling unit which is designed specifically to cool that room.
Ducted air conditioning is normally mounted in the roof, and designed to cool a large part of the house. The name comes from the many air-ducts in the roof that lead from the cooling unit to the various rooms. Ducted doesn’t have the wall mounted air con units you see with a split system — normally the only internal sign that a house has ducted is air vents in the roof of many rooms, and a wall mounted control pad in at least one room.
There are also different types of ducted air con — evaporative and reverse cycle being the two most common options.
That’s the answer people are normally looking for when asking that question. But it’s worth knowing that comparing “ducted” and “split system” air conditioning is a bit tricky, as many ducted aircon units are actually split systems.
Technically speaking, “split system” just refers to the mechanism being in two parts — one inside and one outside. There’s actually a range of different types of split system. This can include:
What we normally talk about as a “split system” is officially a high wall split system, because — in case it’s not obvious — it’s mounted high on a wall.
But normally, if you’re talking to people about “split system” vs “ducted” air con, then a “split system” is the type of air con that has a big plastic box on the wall and a remote control, and “ducted” is the one with roof vents in different rooms and a touch screen on the wall. And a ducted system will normally be either reverse cycle or evaporative — which work quite differently, but don’t look much different from inside the house.
A multi head split system is simply a kind of split system where there is more than one indoor unit connected to the same outdoor unit. The outdoor unit will have the same setup — with a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve. But the pipes that lead inside the house will be connected to several cooling units, each in a different room with their own evaporator.
They’re normally an option for when someone needs more than one area cooled, but doesn’t want to go all out and install a ducted system. They can also be a workable option in situations where a ducted system is not practical due to the construction of the building.
No. Although that might not mean what you think. If what you’re actually asking is “can you get an evaporative split system”, then no — evaporative coolers work differently from the air conditioning cycle described above. Evaporative coolers draw air from outside, cool it, and blow it inside — so the process is very different.
However, there are split systems that only cool — they can’t heat.
A reverse cycle air conditioner uses the same principles described above, but has one extra feature — the process is reversible. This means that reverse cycle AC units can heat as well as cool. When you switch your reverse cycle air conditioner over to heating mode, the compressor and expansion valve reverse the way they work. This means the evaporator and the condenser switch jobs, and your air con is now blowing warm air inside the house, and cold air outside.
Not every split system air conditioner is built like this though — particularly when you’re talking about older air con units. So it’s quite possible to come across split system AC that only works as a cooler.
The key thing about a split system unit is that it’s best for cooling a single room or small indoor area. As such, they’re a great choice for either a small unit, or a home or business where you have one area that you particularly need to keep cool — such as a bedroom or home office. Because a single room split system is generally a lot cheaper to run than a full ducted system, this makes it far more economical for cooling one specific room.
They’re also a workable option for a home or building where ducted air conditioning isn’t really a viable option — such as a multi-level apartment that doesn’t have a roof space.
This is generally a bad idea. While a single split unit is normally cheaper to run than a whole ducted system, it’s only cheaper because you’re only cooling one small area. If you’re looking at cooling multiple rooms at once, then a ducted unit is going to be far more efficient than multiple split systems. And given many modern ducted systems will allow you to set which rooms need to be cooled — or even set the temperature room-by-room — there are not a lot of benefits to buying split systems in bulk.
Not to mention the fact that your outside walls would have a bunch of different aircon units cluttering up the place and blowing hot air at you as you walk past.
If for some reason you need multiple spaces cooled and a ducted system is not a viable option, you’re normally a lot better off going for a multi-headed split system. That gives you a lot of the benefits of having multiple split systems, but in only requires one external AC unit, it’s cheaper than several split systems, and it’s more energy efficient.
One of the main limits on getting a split system air conditioner is wall space — you need an area of wall where you can mount the cooling unit. This doesn’t have to be an external wall (as in a wall on the outside of the house), but it has to be a wall that the installer can run copper pipes through to connect to the outside unit — so it can’t be a fibreboard partition, for example.
Also, it’s worth remembering that air conditioners often cause a little bit of moisture — the air from the room blowing across the evaporator coils generally causes condensation (same as an icy cold can of drink gets condensation on it when you take it out of the fridge and leave it on the counter). While it’s not a LOT of moisture, it’s normally good to avoid installing the cooler near anything that doesn’t like getting a bit wet now and then — like electrical equipment, or musical instruments that you care about.
Looking broadly at some of the issues we’ve already touched on, situations where a split system might not be ideal could include:
In addition to these, it’s also worth considering your external space — whether you have a well ventilated location for the external unit on the outside of your house.
This isn’t often an issue, but if — for example — you lived in a block of units and your rear wall opened onto a small enclosed verandah, you’d need to either put up with the aircon taking up room in your backyard and filling the space with hot air when it’s running, or having a moderate sized aircon unit fitted to the front of your house.
Even if these things are true, a split system aircon may still be the best option available for your situation. So if the home described above is a ground floor unit with another unit above it, ducted may not be an option and your choices are a split system or no aircon at all. But these are all factors to consider.
For more information, please visit AirTS.
Generally, the size of a split system is measured with a power rating in kilowatts (kW). In South Australia, the split system air conditioners used in most homes normally range from around 2.5kW up to 9kW. This also gives a general idea of how big a space the air conditioner can cool. A 2.5kW split system is generally enough for a single bedroom, while a 9kW is better for a large open-plan space. Any larger and you’re normally better off looking at a ducted system.
The main problem with going too large is cost — a 9kw system will cool a small bedroom easily, but you’ve paid way more than you needed to cool one small room. It’ll also cool very quickly, meaning it will turn on and off very frequently — which isn’t energy efficient, and can shorten the life of the unit.
If your aircon is too small however, you’ll generally find it won’t do its job — it won’t be able to cool the space you’ve installed it in. So a 2.5kw system is probably not going to cut it for your combined kitchen / lounge room / dining area.
There are a few things that can affect what size aircon you’d need for your home, but the table below gives you a rough sense of what different size split system can do.
SizeArea cooledPossible room sizesType of room2.5kWUp to 20m²4m × 5m or 6m × 3.5mBedroom / Study3.5kWUp to 25m²5m × 5m or 6m × 4mEnsuite bedroom / Small living area5kWUp to 40m²6m × 6m or 8m × 5mLarge lounge room / Combined Kitchen/Dining Area7kWUp to 50m²7m × 7m or 5m × 10mOpen-plan living area9kWUp to 70m²8m × 8m or 7m × 10mLarge open plan spaceFor a general rule of thumb, work out the area of the room you want air-conditioned in square metres. To do that, just measure the width and the length in metres, and then times those two numbers together. Then divide that number by 7.7 — your split system needs a kW rating larger than the result.
So if you want to cool a room that’s 4.9 metres by 6.3 metres, first multiply those two numbers together…
4.9m × 6.3m = 30.87m²
Then, divide that by 7.7
30.87 ÷ 7.7 = 4.009
That means the kW rating on your split system needs to be higher than 4.009kW. So you’re probably looking at needing a 5kW split system to cool a 4.9m × 6.3m room.
Of course, while these numbers can give you a rough idea of the size you’ll need, there are a lot of other factors that can affect things. The layout of your house can change how much the sun will warm up your rooms. The height of the ceilings can change the amount of air in each room and how heat gets trapped. And the location of your home — up in the hills or down on the plain — can influence how warm your home gets.
As such, it’s always a good idea to talk to an expert before choosing a split system, and getting them to do an inspection if possible.
This very much depends on what size and brand of unit you buy, who you get to install it, and what sales or deals are on offer. But broadly speaking, you’re normally talking about a few thousand dollars for a new split system air conditioner.
Once you’ve chosen the right split system air conditioner for your home, proper air conditioner installation is key to ensuring it runs efficiently. Professional installation ensures your system is set up for optimal performance, helping you avoid future issues and maximise energy savings.
If you found this article by searching for anything to do with air conditioning, there’s a good chance that google is already trying to sneak ads for split systems into your search results — and the ads on your social media will probably start showing up soon. Those prices change pretty regularly, and they don’t take any account for the layout of your house or your specific needs. So if you’re looking at prices, you really need to sit down and do the homework — hunt around, check out the companies that install in your area, and get quotes. Anything else is just wild guess work.
But when you’re shopping around, here are a few valuable tips…
If you’re interested, REQ does obligation free quotes for homes anywhere in South Australia. We’d love to help you kick off the hunt for the perfect aircon — and we’re always happy to answer any other questions you might have.
No, not all air conditioning brands are the same, and yes the brand can be important to consider. In air conditioning, the rule is often “you get what you pay for”.
While for many people, it’s tempting to rate air conditioners based on the high-tech toys and features it may have, this is not the most important thing. Rather, it’s very helpful to look at what after-market service the brand offers on their AC units — what kind of warranty do they provide, and how willing are they to fix the problem if the unit breaks down.
Not only is this important if your AC does develop issues, but the kind of warranty and support the company offers is also a good sign of how reliable it’s going to be. Companies that offer a really solid warranty probably aren’t going to sell products that break down all the time.
The time needed to install a split system can vary depending on the house, but as a general rule, it will normally take around four to six hours — generally closer to four if there are no complications.
Yes. Most modern air conditioners — particularly those made for Australian conditions — are designed to be run continuously for days on end without any issues.
It will be using electricity while it’s running, so having your aircon going non-stop can be a little expensive. But in intense bouts of hot weather, it may be worth the cost — particularly if you have a solar system and can make the sunlight work for you.
Take note, though — it’s important to set the temperature of your AC wisely.
Many people assume that the temperature setting on your AC (also called the thermostat) is a little like an accelerator on a car — when you press harder, it works harder. So if people come into a hot room, they’ll often turn the thermostat on the AC down to 17 °C — even if they only want the room at something comfortable like 23 °C. They assume that’ll make the air con work harder, and cool the space down quicker.
In reality, it doesn’t work like that. The temperature you set is the goal temperature that your AC unit is aiming for, but it doesn’t change how “hard” the aircon is working, or how fast it cools the room. If your split system is capable of cooling the room down to 23 °C (which depends on things like the size of your unit and how hot the day is), it’ll get you to that temperature and then stop cooling until the room starts to warm up again. If it’s not able to get the temperature down that low (if it’s 40 °C in the rest of the house and you’ve left the door open, for example), then turning the thermostat down to an even lower temperature won’t make any difference.
The only difference turning the temperature down low will make is that if it does get the temperature down to 23 °C, it’ll keep going — at which point you’ll soon be reminded that 17 °C is actually uncomfortably cold for most people. Not to mention that the lower the temperature you set, the more electricity you’ll use.
So as a general rule, it’s smart to leave your thermostat at a comfortable temperature — which is normally around 22-24 °C in summer, and around 19–21 °C in winter.
That’s a more difficult question to answer than you might think, because there are lots of factors that affect your running costs. A small split system might cost you 20-30c an hour to run, but that’s only part of the picture. It doesn’t give you a sense of the overall annual cost, which could be anywhere from thirty to several hundred dollars a year.
Some of the factors that will affect your running costs include:
These are just some of the factors in play.
And of course those factors only affect the amount of energy used by your split system — they don’t influence factors like the price of electricity, or whether you have a solar system that offsets electricity costs.
Just to give an example, here are some average annual running costs for a single split system reverse cycle air conditioner in a small room in different locations around Australia for both heating and cooling.
Climate ZoneCityAverage Usage RateAnnualCooling CostsAnnual Heating CostsHotBrisbane31.2c / kWh$155$46HotDarwin28.1c / kWh$140$41AverageSydney35.3c / kWh$61$193AverageAdelaide44.9c / kWh$78$246AveragePerth30.8c / kWh$54$169ColdMelbourne26.3c / kWh$30$206ColdHobart29.5c / kWh$33$231ColdCanberra26.4c / kWh$30$206Source: Canstar Blue
And this is just comparing how the general climate of the city impacts things.
If you wanted more specifics, Canstar Blue has some useful numbers on aircon running costs.
As your split system is running, dust and particles from the air are drawn in by the fan and caught as they pass through the air filter. Over time, this can mean the air filter becomes clogged, restricting the flow of air and causing the unit to cool less effectively. Fortunately, split systems are designed so the filters can be cleaned by the user from time to time.
The exact method of opening up the unit, removing the filters and cleaning them will vary from unit to unit, but the instructions provided with your AC unit will normally explain the process. You may have also had specialised equipment provided with your air con — such as vacuum cleaner attachments.
Well known brands will generally also have the instructions available online, and may also have instructional videos explaining how to clean the filters — such as this “How to” video. This can be very handy if you bought a house with aircon already installed, and the instructions were not provided.
How often the filters will need cleaning can depend on factors like how often the split system is run, and if it’s in a quiet bedroom or a busy common area. But generally, cleaning your filters every three to six months is a smart idea.
Many manufacturers recommend having your split system serviced every six months to keep them operating efficiently, but this is pretty cautious. As a general rule of thumb, having your AC serviced once a year will generally keep your split system working smoothly without costing a fortune.
The price of servicing an air conditioner varies from company to company, but generally servicing your split system will set you back around $100-$200, depending on the company and how comprehensive their service is (i.e. exactly what they’re checking). It’s worth doing your homework before hiring someone, and making sure they have a good reputation — just as you would when getting your car serviced.
If getting your aircon serviced seems like an unnecessary expense, remember that it generally pays for itself. Regularly serviced split systems run more efficiently (so they cost less), last longer, and are much less likely to break down — so you pay less in the long run by looking after your system.
For reference, REQ’s split system aircon service will cost you $180, and any small repairs needed are included in that fee. If it turns out you need any larger repairs, we’ll waive the servicing fee so you only pay for the repair. Just something to think about.
The life of a split system can vary greatly with factors like the quality of the unit, how frequently it’s used, and how well it’s maintained. Broadly speaking, you should expect to get around 7–12 years of regular use out of a split system, provided you’re looking after it.
Of course, it’s not unusual for a split system AC to last longer than that. But you may find over time that the unit is losing efficiency — meaning it doesn’t cool as well, and it burns more electricity (making it more expensive). It can also be harder to get parts for very old models, meaning repairs could be more expensive.
Although replacing your split system after a decade or so might seem expensive, the amount you can save on power bills with an aircon unit that’s working efficiently is pretty substantial — so the unit can often pay for itself in reduced energy costs over a few years.
Split system air conditioners are a very common sight in Australia, where aircon is less of a luxury and more of a basic necessity. They’re relatively cheap to install, can be adapted to many home layouts, and excellent at cooling (or heating) a single room or small living area.
They aren’t suited to every household or situation, and normally give way to ducted systems when it comes to heating and cooling an entire house. But they are an incredibly versatile, affordable, and practical option for air conditioning your home.
Article by Lochy CupitThe information in this blog has been checked and verified by…
Filip Krawiec
CEO of REQ Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
The information in this article was reviewed and checked for accuracy by Filip, who also provided much of the source information.
Filip is the owner and CEO of REQ. In addition to owning and running his own air conditioning business, he’s also a fully qualified and highly experienced air conditioner technician. He’s worked in the AC industry for more than a decade — repairing, installing and designing builds for all types of AC systems. He’s also appeared on podcasts as a local expert in the air conditioning field.
Braydon Fleming
Install Manager at REQ Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
The information has also been reviewed and checked for accuracy by Braydon.
Braydon is the install manager at REQ, responsible for overseeing the installation teams and ensuring all work is done to a high standard. Braydon has four years of tertiary qualifications in the mechanics of air conditioning, and nearly a decade working in the field — as a technician, managing teams of other technicians, and training apprentices in the trade.
Article written by…
Lochy Cupit
Content Writer, Author, Storyteller, and Wordsmith
Lochy Cupit is a professional content writer, content researcher, published author, multimedia & web developer, youth worker, actor, radio presenter, podcaster, and creative arts specialist. He holds bachelor’s degrees in computer science and multimedia, a masters in creative writing, and a graduate diploma in theology – because “why study just one thing”? He lives in Adelaide with his wife and two highly energetic boys.
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