Smartlink Electrical

Air Conditioning Installation

Air Conditioning Installation
Depending on the climate zone, heating and/or cooling can account for 20% to 50% of energy used in Australian homes.

Choose the most energy-efficient appliances or system that best suits your needs.

To maximise energy savings and personal comfort, choose the right sized appliance for your heating or cooling needs. You can also seal draughts around doors and windows with weather strips. Roof and wall insulation, as well as good curtains, can significantly reduce cooling and heating loads.

More expensive measures like double glazing need to be assessed for the energy savings they might bring compared to their initial cost and embodied energy. Double glazing may be an unnecessary expense when energy-efficient reverse-cycle air conditioning is installed.

Most home air conditioners (single phase, non-ducted) display an Energy Rating Label which shows the energy efficiency of the system. This Energy Rating Label is endorsed by the Australian Government’s Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program.

For the householder, the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of heating is greatly improved when the power is sourced from solar panels. Solar battery storage is also becoming more economical to buy and install.

In 2019, a Zoned Energy Rating Label (ZERL) was introduced that provides a seasonal efficiency rating for 3 distinct climate zones across Australia, providing more detailed information regarding an air conditioner’s energy efficiency.

Heating choices

  • Electric reverse-cycle air conditioners (medium to high cost) 
  • Electric or gas portable or installed heaters (low to medium cost) 
  • Ducted gas heating (high cost) 
  • Electric in-slab floor heating (medium to high cost) 
  • Wood fireplaces (medium to high cost) 
  • Heat shifters (low cost) 
  • Cooling choices ceiling, pedestal and personal fans (low to medium cost) 
  • Electric reverse-cycle air conditioners (medium to high cost) 
  • Electric evaporative cooling (medium to high cost) 
  • Intake of cool night air (free) 
  • Purging of hot air (free)

    Split system or reverse-cycle air conditioning installation


    This is an electrical climate-control system that provides heat as well as refrigerated cooling. Reverse-cycle air conditioning is 300–600% efficient, which means that it can take one unit of electrical energy and turn it into 3 to 6 times as much heating or cooling energy. Under mild conditions, some products can achieve efficiencies of over 1000%.
    Split system air conditioners are made up of 2 units: an exterior compressor and an interior unit. The interior unit can either be non-ducted (such as a wall-mounted unit) or ducted in the roof cavity and connected to various points of the dwelling through ductwork.The 2 units are connected by pipes that carry refrigerant. Ducted systems are not as efficient as the wall units, because a larger fan is used and energy is lost through the ductwork.

    Multi-split systems (2 or more interior units connected to one outside compressor) are also available.

    A split system with an inverter (which adjusts compressor speed according to outside temperatures) can achieve 30% more operating efficiency than a conventional fixed speed model.

    Window air conditioners are installed into a window space. Models can be cooling only or cooling/heating. These systems are generally better suited to smaller rooms or homes.

    Choose an energy-efficient model

    Look for the model that suits the layout of your house and has the right capacity for your needs. Non-ducted room air conditioners are required to carry an Energy Rating Label. Look for models that carry the Zoned Energy Rating Label to get a more accurate representation of energy efficiency across a year.

    With 35 years in the business, this reliable and professional team can cover all types of air conditioning and heating advice. For complete air conditioning requirements Smart Link Electrical Services provides prompt money-saving service for domestic, commercial and industrial air conditioning.

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