Which kind of system suits your home?
A single-storey house that's lived in end to end often suits ducted. A unit, a townhouse, or a home where you spend most of your time in two or three rooms usually suits split systems or a multi-split. If you're replacing gas heating, reverse cycle does both jobs.
The housing mix shapes the job. In 2021, 16.3% of Greater Adelaide's homes were semi-detached, row or terrace houses or townhouses, 8.2% were flats or apartments, and 28.4% of all homes were rented. Shared walls, strata rules and a landlord's say-so can all decide what goes where.
What changes an install in Adelaide
Noise next door
Most domestic noise in SA falls under the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016, and aircon noise that reaches a neighbour's habitable room, courtyard or entertaining area counts as a local nuisance. Outdoor unit placement is part of the design, not an afterthought.
The coastal strip
Closer to the gulf, salt air attacks outdoor coils. Mitsubishi Electric's manual lists salty places such as the seaside among spots to avoid, and Daikin says all its outdoor coils carry its 'Blue Fin' anti-corrosion treatment. Ask what the brand you're quoted offers for a coastal site.
Exposed hilltops
Lysaght's wind guide puts a house on top of a hill in Adelaide's suburbs in wind region A, class N3. On an exposed site, ask how the outdoor unit will be fixed down.
Gas or electric
Australian Gas Networks supplies gas across greater Adelaide. If you're choosing between a new gas heater and reverse cycle, the ACT Government says gas heats quickly but reverse cycle has much lower running costs. Our gas or electric tool helps you compare.
Who's allowed to install it in SA?
Anyone handling refrigerant needs an Australian Refrigeration Council licence: the full RAC01, or the restricted RSS03, which only covers installing and decommissioning single-head splits under 18kW. The ARC says its licence covers refrigerant handling only, and tells holders to check state rules for electrical, contractor and other licences.
We couldn't confirm South Australia's licence details at the source, so ask the installer for every licence number they and their electrician work under, and check each one. Their RTA number, which starts with 'AU', belongs on the quote and invoice. Our licence guide explains the checks.
Your part, and the installer's
You can
- List the rooms you use, morning and night, summer and winter.
- Walk the side passages and yard for a spot that's clear, reachable for servicing and away from a neighbour's bedroom.
- Check whether you need strata or landlord approval before anyone quotes.
Leave to a licensed installer
- The heat load and the sizing.
- Refrigerant pipework, testing and commissioning.
- The electrical connection and any new circuit.
- Fixing the outdoor unit to suit the site.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- What heating capacity will this give me on a cold July night, not just cooling on a hot day?
- Where exactly will the outdoor unit go, and what's on the other side of that fence?
- Is this unit suited to a coastal site, and what does the warranty say about corrosion?
- Which licences do you and your electrician hold, and what are the numbers?
- What paperwork will I get when you finish?
What we'd do
Our take
We'd plan the install around winter as much as summer, put the outdoor unit where no one next door has to listen to it, and want an installer who fits your type of system all the time. Then we'd take the written quote away to read, rather than signing on the spot.
If you sign at home
Asking for a quote doesn't make the visit 'invited'. A deal negotiated at your kitchen table can be an unsolicited consumer agreement under the Australian Consumer Law, with a 10 business day cooling-off period during which the installer can't take payment or start the work. Our cooling-off guide explains when it applies.
When you're ready, tell us the job and your postcode. Licence-checked installers near you who specialise in that kind of install get to see it, and the first one to take it is the only one given your contact details. The national installation page and our Adelaide page have more.
