What we know about Forest Lake
Brisbane's first master-planned community
Delfin started building Forest Lake in 1990 and it was launched in 1991. A system fitted with one of the first houses would now be well past 15 years, the age at which Solar Victoria says units typically use over three times the energy of a modern reverse cycle one.
Almost all houses
94.9% of occupied homes were separate houses in 2021, 3.4% townhouses or semis and just 1.6% flats. If your house has a clear roof space, that's where a ducted indoor unit usually goes.
Inland, south-west of the city
Forest Lake is 23.7 km south-west of the CBD. Brisbane's inland station at Archerfield averages a January top of 30.8 degrees, against 29.1 at Brisbane Airport on the coast, and has reached 43.5 degrees.
Mortgaged households
46.9% of homes were owned with a mortgage, 26.0% rented and 24.8% owned outright.
Brisbane City Council
Forest Lake (postcode 4078) sits across the Forest Lake and Calamvale wards.
Replacing an original system
If your home still has the air conditioner it was built with, a service will tell you its real condition. If it's past 15 years and needs a major part, compare a replacement quote before you pay for the repair. Our repair or replace tool helps.
When you replace, don't simply match the old unit's size. Mitsubishi Electric says a professional heat load calculation should account for climate, orientation, insulation, windows and doors, construction and ceiling height. An extension or a closed-in patio since the house was built can change the answer.
Ducted in a Forest Lake roof
A single-storey house with a clear roof space suits ducted air conditioning, with the indoor unit in the ceiling and outlets in each room. The ACT Government notes ducting through the ceiling reduces its insulation, and its guide recommends at least R1.5 insulation on the ducts, so check both on the quote.
For a family home, zones for sleeping and living areas are the sensible minimum. If you only need a couple of rooms done, a reverse cycle split in each is a solid alternative.
What we'd do
Where we'd start in Forest Lake
If the house still has its original system, we'd have it serviced and get a replacement quote at the same time, then decide with both in hand. For a new ducted system, we'd insist on a room-by-room heat load and insulated ducts in writing, and we'd want someone who installs ducted reverse cycle every week. Tell us whether it's a replacement or a new system, plus your postcode. Licence-checked ducted installers see the job, and your details go to the one who takes it. If 48 hours pass without anyone near Forest Lake taking it, installers elsewhere in Queensland may see it too.
