Which Rinnai system does Rinnai say suits which home?
| What Rinnai says it suits | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Wall split | One room. Rinnai's size guide puts 2.5 kW at spaces up to roughly 20 square metres and 3.5 kW up to about 30. | Rinnai says all its current split ranges use inverter technology. |
| Multi split | Homes needing 2 to 5 rooms covered, with each room controlled separately. | One outdoor unit runs several indoor units. |
| Ducted | Whole-home comfort, larger floor plans, or a clean built-in look with zone control. | Vents in several rooms, linked to one central unit. |
| Portable | Renters, temporary cooling, or a room where a fixed system isn't an option. | Not part of Rinnai's move to 7 years. |
What's in the Rinnai range
Rinnai's air conditioning range covers split systems, including cassette and floor console models, multi split, ducted, Mini VRF, portables and commercial ducted and packaged systems. It also sells Brivis evaporative coolers, and Brivis ducted gas heating is a Rinnai brand too: see Brivis.
For bigger spaces, Rinnai's size guide pitches 5 kW at up to 40 square metres, 7 kW at up to 60 and 8 kW at up to about 70. It also says higher ceilings and sun-facing rooms ask more of a system.
Rinnai Australia describes itself as a subsidiary of Rinnai Japan Corporation and says it has been in Australia for over 50 years. Its Braeside factory makes hot water products, and Rinnai makes no claim that its refrigerated air conditioners are made here. We're not a Rinnai stockist and don't sell its products.
Rinnai's warranty, in its own words
Rinnai's April 2025 warranty booklet gives refrigerated and VRF products in residential and light commercial use 7 years parts and labour, from the date installation is completed. Rinnai says it moved from 5 to 7 years for a broad range of products bought from 1 April 2025, not including portables. Commercial refrigerated products get 2 years parts and 1 year labour.
The booklet excludes damage from "excessive moisture, salt or other corrosive substances or atmospheric conditions", products in a caravan, boat or trailer, and products re-installed away from the original site. You need to tell Rinnai within 30 days of a defect appearing.
Adding cooling to an existing ducted gas heater is a different kind of job. If that's your plan, ask the installer which Rinnai warranty term applies to your setup, and get the answer in writing.
Paperwork to keep from a Rinnai install
- Certificates of Compliance from the installer. Rinnai's booklet asks you to get them, and says refrigeration, plumbing and electrical work must be done by licensed people.
- The date installation was completed, since that's when your 7 years start.
- The purchase date, which shows whether the unit falls under the 7 year terms.
- Model numbers for every unit, so you can find the manuals on Rinnai's support site.
- The installer's RTA number, printed on both the quote and the invoice.
What's yours to do
You can
- Register the warranty through Rinnai's support site soon after the install.
- Search Rinnai's product support pages by model number for your owner's manual.
- If something goes wrong, note the date and contact Rinnai within 30 days.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Sizing the system to your rooms, then the install itself.
- Refrigeration, plumbing and electrical work, all of which Rinnai says need licensed people.
- Positioning the outdoor unit away from salt spray where the site allows.
What we'd do
Our take
With a Rinnai, the day the job is signed off is the day that counts. We'd want the completion date and the compliance certificates handed over with the invoice, and we'd register the warranty that same week. Rinnai's room sizes are a fair first guess, but we'd still have a split or ducted specialist measure up, because ceiling height and a sunny wall change the answer.