Early preview. We're still finishing this site, so some details shown are placeholders.
Installers aim to call you within the hour.
Find my aircon

Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Heating and cooling in Alice SpringsDesert days, frosty nights.

An installer for Alice Springs

Licence-checked installers in Alice Springs who specialise in your kind of job see it, and the one who takes it calls you to quote.

  • Goes to installers who specialise in your job
  • Licences checked: ARCtick and the state register
  • Free for you: installers pay us for each job we pass on
  • Only the installer who takes your job gets your details

Alice Springs needs strong cooling for summer and real heating for winter nights. Alice Springs Airport averages a 37.1-degree maximum in January and a 3.9-degree minimum in July, and the town averages 12.4 nights below freezing a year. The air is very dry, which suits evaporative cooling, but only a heat pump or a heater will see you through July.

What's different in Alice Springs

Very dry heat

Average afternoon humidity at the airport is 21% in January and 30% in July. CHOICE says evaporative coolers are most effective in hot, dry climates with low humidity, as long as some windows stay open.

Frost

Alice averages 12.4 nights below freezing a year, helped by its elevation of about 545 metres, and the airport's record low is -7.5 degrees. Heating isn't a footnote here.

Extremes

The airport's record high is 47.5 degrees. ActronAir says cooling capacity drops above 35 degrees, and the average January maximum is already past that, so sizing for the heat matters.

Climate zone 3

The national building code puts Alice Springs and Tennant Creek in zone 3, which it labels hot dry summer, warm winter. The frost count says plan for cold nights anyway.

Gas and power

Australian Gas Networks lists Alice Springs among its regional centres, but its whole NT network is 40 km long with 1,190 customers, so check whether your street is connected before planning gas heating. Electricity comes from the southern grid, which serves about 28,000 people separately from Darwin's network.

Homes

At the 2021 Census, 64.2% of Alice Springs' homes were separate houses, 27.9% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses or townhouses, and 43.2% were rented.

The jobs that come up most, and why

Evaporative cooling fits the dry summer air. It doesn't heat, though, so it's only half of the answer for most homes. Our evaporative or refrigerated guide compares the two.

Reverse cycle, as splits or ducted, covers both seasons from one system. The ACT Government says good systems keep heating at -10 degrees, colder than the airport's record low, and that each unit of electricity gives 3 to 6 units of heat against one from a portable electric heater.

Servicing before summer keeps either kind running through the heat. Air conditioning service in Alice Springs covers what to book and when.

What we'd do

Our take

For most Alice Springs homes we'd want reverse cycle in the rooms you live and sleep in, so the frosty nights are covered, and then decide whether evaporative is worth adding for the peak of summer. If you already have an evaporative cooler you like, we'd keep it serviced and add a reverse cycle split for winter rather than relying on a plug-in heater.

Finding someone in Alice Springs

We're new, and still building our network, especially outside the capital cities. Where we have licence-checked installers in Alice Springs who do your kind of job, they can see it, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If no one in the Alice takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in the Northern Territory may see it too.

What this work looks like

Photos from real jobs in Melbourne, to show what the work looks like. They aren't from an installer near you.

Fitting a split system's indoor unit onto its wall plate
Fitting a split system's indoor unit onto its wall plate. A job in Melbourne.
A ducted outdoor unit on wall brackets under a window
A ducted outdoor unit on wall brackets under a window. Sep 2019. A job in Melbourne.
Two linear slot diffusers across a living room ceiling
Two linear slot diffusers across a living room ceiling. Oct 2023. A job in Melbourne.

More job photos

Heating and cooling jobs in Alice Springs

Questions people ask

Is evaporative cooling good in Alice Springs?
The dry air suits it, with January afternoon humidity averaging 21% at the airport. It only cools and needs windows open while it runs, so you'll still need heating for winter.
Do I really need heating in Alice Springs?
Yes. The town averages 12.4 nights below freezing a year, and the July mean minimum is 3.9 degrees. Reverse cycle is a far more efficient way to heat than a plug-in electric heater, by the ACT Government's figures.
Can my aircon cope with the hottest days?
Every unit loses capacity in extreme heat, which ActronAir says starts above 35 degrees. Keep the outdoor unit clear with plenty of air around it, and have it serviced before summer.
Who can install air conditioning in Alice Springs?
Anyone handling refrigerant needs the national ARC licence, the same as everywhere in Australia. Territory electrical licences apply too, which we couldn't confirm at the source, so ask for each licence number before work starts.

Ready for the right installer to take a look in Alice Springs?

Your postcode and three quick questions. Licence-checked local installers who specialise in your kind of job see it, and the one who takes it gets in touch to quote.

Free for you. Installers pay us for each job we pass on.

Read next

  1. 01Heating and cooling in the Northern TerritoryNational licences in the NT, what to ask about the wiring, and what Darwin and Alice Springs each need.
  2. 02Evaporative or refrigerated cooling?How each kind of cooling works, why humidity matters, and what each one needs from your home.
  3. 03Reverse cycle air conditioningHow reverse cycle heats and cools, which type suits your home, and what to check for winter.
  4. 04Evaporative coolingHow evaporative cooling works, where it suits, and what a good install involves.
  5. 05Heat pumps for heatingHow reverse cycle heats from outside air, and how it copes on frosty mornings.
  6. 06How to check an installer's licenceRun the ARCtick check, read RAC01 and RSS03, and check the state licence too.

Where this information comes from

We don't publish prices. Every home is different, so an installer's written quote is the only real number. How we write and check these pages.

Find my aircon