What shapes an install in Bundaberg
Flood levels
In January 2013 the Burnett River flood inundated over 4,000 homes, with depths of up to 3 m in parts of North Bundaberg. For flood-prone homes, Get Ready Queensland wants air conditioner units and switchboards up above the flood level.
Cyclone susceptibility
Get Ready Queensland names communities within 50 km of the coast from Bundaberg north to Thursday Island as the most susceptible to cyclones, so how the outdoor unit is fixed down deserves a proper question.
Summer heat
January's mean maximum at the Bundaberg station is 30.4 degrees, and the council says heatwaves are most common in January. ActronAir says tropical and subtropical areas make much greater demands on a system than cooler regions.
Beachside suburbs
At Bargara and Burnett Heads, sea spray reaches the outdoor unit. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' warranty terms make the owner responsible for extra corrosion protection in coastal sea air, so read the clause for the model you're quoted.
Timber and tin
Bundaberg Regional Council has made parts of some older suburbs with 'timber and tin' homes into neighbourhood character areas, alongside the heritage town centres of Bundaberg and Childers. Mitsubishi Electric lists construction materials among the factors in a heat load, so a timber and tin house should be sized as one.
Which system suits a Bundaberg home?
Separate houses were 85.0% of occupied homes in the council area at the 2021 Census, so most installs are in houses. A split system covers a bedroom or living area, a multi-split gives a few rooms their own controls, and ducted suits a bigger house with roof space.
With July's mean minimum at 10.3 degrees, heating is a small job here, and a reverse cycle system handles it. Australian Gas Networks does supply natural gas to Bundaberg, so if you're replacing a gas heater, its removal is gas fitting work, which the QBCC says needs a licence regardless of value.
What makes a Bundaberg install bigger or smaller?
Height is the local factor. Lifting an outdoor unit above the flood level onto a frame or wall bracket adds work, and so does relocating a low switchboard. Our page on brackets and mounting covers the choices.
In an older timber and tin house, ask early whether the switchboard can take a new circuit. Mitsubishi Electric says an air conditioner needs a dedicated power supply, and an upgrade is better found at the quote than on install day. After that it's the usual: the number of rooms, the pipe run and whether an old unit needs to come out.
Who's allowed to install it?
In Queensland the installer's business needs a QBCC licence for mechanical services work, at any value. The technician needs the right ARC licence: RSS03 is limited to single-head splits under 18kW, so a multi-head or bigger system needs an RAC01 holder.
New wiring and the interconnect cable between the units are electrical installation work, which the QBCC says a refrigeration and air conditioning restricted electrical licence doesn't allow. That part is for a licensed electrician.
Questions to ask a Bundaberg installer
- Is my block flood-prone, and how high would you put the outdoor unit?
- How will the outdoor unit be fixed down, and what's it bolted to?
- Did you size it from a heat load for my rooms, and how does it cope on a heatwave day?
- Near the beach: what does this model's warranty say about salt, and does it have a coated coil?
- Can my switchboard take a new circuit, and who's doing the electrical work?
- Which QBCC licence class do you hold, and will the RTA number be printed on the quote?
What we'd do
What we'd do
We'd have the heat load done for January, then spend as much time on the outdoor unit's position as on the model: above the flood level, firmly fixed and, near the beach, sheltered from the spray. On an older timber and tin home, we'd ask about the switchboard first. Licence-checked installers near Bundaberg who do installs like yours every week will see your job, and your contact details go to whichever of them takes it. If no one near Bundaberg takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Queensland may see it too.
