What shapes an install in Hervey Bay
Three kinds of house
Fraser Coast Regional Council describes Federation Queenslanders with wide verandahs and timber stumps in Pialba and Urangan, Postwar Modern coastal homes with butterfly roofs and flat or low-pitched designs, and holiday flats ranging from modest fibro to geometric designs. Each one changes where the units and pipes can go.
Cooling first, mild winters
January's mean maximum at Hervey Bay Airport is 30.3 degrees and July's mean minimum is 10.0, with the trade winds keeping both in check. Size for summer, and check the heating capacity is enough for the cooler nights.
Salt on the bay side
The council's shoreline plan covers 112 km from Burrum Heads to Tinnanbar. Mitsubishi Electric's operating instructions name salty places such as the seaside among the places to avoid, so near the water, choose the most sheltered wall that still gets fresh air.
Cyclone history
The council records Tropical Cyclone Daisy making landfall on K'gari in 1972 with widespread damage at Hervey Bay, and Tropical Cyclone Wanda coming ashore near K'gari in 1974. How the outdoor unit is fixed down is worth a question.
Which system suits which Hervey Bay home?
A Queenslander on stumps: splits or a multi-split are often the simpler path. Ask the installer where the outdoor unit will sit and how the pipes will run, under the floor or along the outside, and how they'll be covered.
A postwar home with a butterfly, flat or low-pitched roof: there may be little or no roof space for ducts, which points to split systems or a multi-split. Get someone to look in the ceiling before you rule ducted in or out.
A larger, newer house with a roomy roof: ducted becomes realistic. The ACT Government's buyer's guide points houses above 180sqm towards ducted or multi-head systems.
A holiday flat or unit: a split, once the body corporate has agreed where the outdoor unit can go.
What makes an install bigger or smaller here?
Height and access come first. A high-set house can mean a longer pipe run down to the outdoor unit, and a two-storey block of flats can need a bracket or lifting gear. Those should be priced on the quote, not added on the day.
An old gas heater changes things too. Australian Gas Networks supplies natural gas to Hervey Bay, and taking a gas heater out is gas work. The QBCC says gas fitting needs a licence regardless of value, and the Queensland Government says a gas servicing licence doesn't include removing a type A gas device.
Then the switchboard. Mitsubishi Electric says an air conditioner needs a dedicated power supply, and an older house may need board work first. See the electrical side.
How to tell an installer is licensed in Queensland
Look at the ad. The QBCC says a licensee's advertising must show the name they're licensed under, a statement that they're licensed under the QBCC Act, and their licence number, and it counts websites, social media and online directories as advertising.
Then check the people. Installing air conditioning is mechanical services work that needs a QBCC licence at any value, the technician needs an ARC refrigerant licence, and new wiring needs a licensed electrician. Our installation page runs through the job from quote to handover.
Questions for a Hervey Bay installer
- Given the roof on my house, would you put in ducted, splits or a multi-split, and why?
- Which wall would the outdoor unit go on, and how will it be fixed down?
- What does this model's warranty say about salt air?
- If there's a gas heater, who'll disconnect it, and what licence do they hold?
- What's your QBCC licence number, and is your RTA number on the quote?
What we'd do
Where we'd start
Have someone look in the ceiling and under the house before deciding on a system, because on a Queenslander or a low-roofed postwar home that inspection usually settles it. Near the bay, we'd pick a sheltered, breathing spot for the outdoor unit and ask how it's bolted down. Where we have them near Hervey Bay, licence-checked installers who do this kind of work all the time can see your job, and your contact details go to one of them: the one who takes it. After 48 hours without a local taker, installers elsewhere in Queensland may see your Hervey Bay job too.
