Hallam in a few facts
A 1980s suburb
Hallam had 178 people in 1954 and 6602 by 1991, after the 1980s subdivisions. It reached 10,162 in 2011 and 11,355 at the 2021 Census.
Townhouses and renters
At the 2021 Census, 77.6% of occupied homes were separate houses and 20.9% townhouses or similar. 25.9% were rented.
Next to Dandenong
Hallam is 5 km east of Dandenong, which the National Construction Code puts in climate zone 6 with Melbourne. Its northern edge is the Eumemmerring Creek and the Monash Freeway, behind sound barriers.
Replacing an ageing heater in Hallam
A gas heater put in during the 1980s has done a lot of winters. You can replace it with another gas heater: Victoria's 2027 rules for existing homes cover gas water heaters, and the regulations have no equivalent rule for gas space heaters. DEECA says existing homes don't have to switch heating to electric.
The other path is reverse cycle, which adds cooling. If you have gas ducted heating, the ACT Government guide says the old ducts can't be reused for ducted reverse cycle. In a smaller house, a couple of splits may do the job instead. Our repair or replace tool helps you weigh up a tired system.
Splits in a Hallam townhouse
With a shared wall, the outdoor unit's spot matters. EPA Victoria says a split on cooling mustn't be heard inside a neighbour's habitable room after 11pm, and on heating after 10pm, so keep it away from their bedroom window.
Licence-checked installers near Hallam who handle this sort of job see it, and only the one who takes it gets your details. If none of the installers near Hallam takes it within 48 hours, it can be shown to installers elsewhere in Victoria.
What we'd do
What we'd do in Hallam
If the 1980s heater still works, we'd get it serviced and checked for carbon monoxide before another winter. If it's failing and you want cooling, we'd price reverse cycle against a new gas heater, and in a townhouse, settle the outdoor unit's spot with the neighbours in mind.
