Both types of air conditioners do the same job, cooling your home, but the way they do it is entirely different. A ducted system hides all its equipment in the ceiling and delivers air through discreet vents to every room, with zoning so you only cool the areas you’re using. A split system pairs one slim indoor wall unit with one outdoor condenser and cools a single room or open-plan area. Ducted is the whole-home premium option; split systems are the affordable, efficient room-by-room option.
Ducted air conditioners suit most households and offer features no other type can match. They cool your entire house at a stable, even temperature, so wherever you are you’ll feel comfortable. You can zone the system, a bedroom zone for nighttime, a living zone for the day, so you never pay to cool empty rooms. They’re also incredibly discreet: the only part you see is the vents, with all the equipment safely concealed yet still easily accessible for maintenance and repair.
A split air conditioner is composed of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit is placed against or near the outer wall of the room to be cooled and houses the compressor, condenser coil and expansion coil. The slim-looking indoor unit contains the cooling coil, a long blower and an air filter. They’re quick to install, energy efficient and the most popular choice in Cairns homes.
The best time to have a ducted system installed is during construction of a new home, but that doesn’t mean your existing home isn’t suitable. Highset Queenslanders, block homes and most modern builds around Cairns can usually be retrofitted, depending on ceiling space. Call us today to book your FREE quotation and site assessment.
It’s important to have a refrigeration/air conditioning mechanic perform a heat load calculation to ensure you get the correct size system. Too small and the system won’t have the capacity to cool the area, it will run continuously without a chance to cycle off, wasting energy. Too large and it will cool the area too quickly without dehumidifying correctly, leaving you feeling clammy, a particular problem in the Cairns humidity, plus the extra running cost of a bigger system. Every one of our quotes includes a free heat load calculation.
Our team of professional air conditioning mechanics and electricians can have a split system installed in 3–6 hours depending on the complexity of the job. Most standard installs are done in under 4. Ducted systems are much larger jobs and normally take 1–2 days.
A reverse cycle system is suitable all year round, it provides cooling in summer and heating in winter, with no extra parts required. This feature is stock standard on the majority of the larger manufacturers’ systems. In Cairns you’ll rarely need the heating, but the dry mode that comes with it is genuinely useful through the build-up and wet season.
Through the heat of a Cairns summer your system should be set between 24–26°C. Any lower and you won’t notice much comfort difference, but you will notice the difference on your next power bill. Every degree lower adds roughly 10% to running costs. Overnight, try dry mode: it targets the humidity rather than the temperature, which is usually what’s keeping you awake.
The best way to keep your system running efficiently is regular maintenance, in the tropics we recommend a professional service at least every 12 months. Beyond that: set 24–26°C, close up the room while the system runs, rinse your filters monthly through summer, and keep the outdoor unit shaded and clear of garden growth.
We only install quality air conditioning systems, and to prove we stand behind the quality of our work we offer a 5-year warranty on new installation work. In addition, all new installations we supply come with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty, so all in all, you get a very comprehensive 5-year warranty on your new air conditioning system.
Apart from cleaning the filters, your role in maintaining your system is minimal. We recommend professional maintenance at least every 12 months in the tropics, and as a courtesy we’ll send you a reminder when your service is due. You’ll find our current maintenance pricing on our specials page.
We service the whole Cairns region, from Gordonvale in the south to Palm Cove and the northern beaches, west to Redlynch and Brinsmead, plus Port Douglas, Mareeba and the Tablelands by arrangement. If you’re not sure, just ask us.
That’s almost always mould on the indoor coil and fan barrel. Extremely common in Cairns because the coil stays cold and damp for months. It’s not just unpleasant: you’re breathing what’s growing in there. A professional deep clean removes the mould and treatment slows regrowth. See our cleaning & maintenance service.
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Free quotes · Heat load calculations · 5-year workmanship warranty
