What shapes a Caboolture job
A river that floods
The Caboolture River is prone to flash flooding. Major floods were reported in 1967, 1972, 1974, 1989, 1991, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015. It runs out to Deception Bay, part of Moreton Bay, south of Beachmere.
A town that keeps growing
Caboolture was opened to settlers in 1842 and the railway arrived in 1888. Its population rose from 26,433 in 2016 to 29,534 at the 2021 Census, so newer homes sit alongside much older ones.
One home in five is a townhouse
At the 2021 Census, 77.3% of homes were separate houses, 19.7% townhouses, semis or terraces and 2.2% flats, averaging 3.3 bedrooms.
Lots of renters
42.2% of homes were rented, 33.7% mortgaged and 20.8% owned outright.
Inland from the bay
The town is 28.1 km north-west of Redcliffe, about 22 m above sea level, in the City of Moreton Bay (postcode 4510). Power comes through Energex.
If your street has flooded before
Get Ready Queensland's flood resilience advice includes raising air conditioner units and switchboards above the flood level. So if water has come up your street, ask for the outdoor unit on a wall bracket or a raised platform rather than a slab on the ground, and ask where the switchboard and isolator sit.
If floodwater has already reached a unit, leave it switched off and have it checked by a licensed technician before it runs again. A repair specialist can tell you whether it's worth saving.
Townhouses and rentals
In a townhouse complex, an outdoor unit or pipe run on common property needs approval from the committee or a general meeting, under Queensland's body corporate rules. Get that answer before you collect quotes.
If you rent, an air conditioner counts as a fixture. The RTA says fitting one without written approval breaches the agreement, and the owner or manager must reply to a request in writing within 28 days. Our Beenleigh page walks through the steps.
Questions for a Caboolture installer
- Did you size this from a heat load for my house, or from the floor area?
- How high will the outdoor unit sit, and is the bracket in the quote?
- Where will the condensate drain run?
- What's your QBCC licence number, and who does the electrical work?
- Will the person doing the work hold a full RAC01 licence, or the restricted RSS03?
What we'd do
If it were our Caboolture home
We'd check council's flood information for our street first. If it's flood-prone, we'd want the outdoor unit and its isolator mounted high and written into the quote. Then we'd pick a reverse cycle split for each room we really use, or zoned ducted for a whole family house. Send us the job and your postcode. Installers who've passed our licence checks and do that kind of install will see it, and just the one who takes it gets your contact details. If no installer near Caboolture takes it within 48 hours, it may be shown to installers elsewhere in Queensland.
