What shapes heating and cooling in Reservoir
A century-old suburb, still being rebuilt
Reservoir became a suburb around 1921, when its post office opened. Wikipedia describes standard brick or weatherboard homes alongside an increasing number of new developments, so an old heater and a brand new townhouse can share a street.
Townhouses everywhere
Of Reservoir's 20,261 occupied homes in 2021, 63.2% were separate houses, 32.5% were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses and 3.9% were flats.
More than a third rented
36.4% of Reservoir homes were rented in 2021 and 30.9% were owned outright. Victoria's rental heating and cooling standards will touch a lot of local properties.
The jobs that come up in Reservoir, and why
An older house with tired heating. Energy Safe Victoria wants a gas heater serviced at least once every two years by a qualified gasfitter, so that's the first call if yours still works. If it's very old, Solar Victoria says a system more than 15 years old typically uses over three times the energy of a modern reverse cycle unit. That's when to compare options on ducted heating in Melbourne.
A townhouse that needs a split. The hard part is rarely the indoor unit. It's finding an outdoor spot with airflow, service access and some distance from the bedroom next door. The ACT Government's guide says to avoid enclosed courtyards and never box the unit in with slat fencing, which matters on a narrow side path.
A rental that has to meet the standard. From 1 March 2027, a main living area heater that fails and can't be fixed must be replaced with an energy efficient electric one, and new rental agreements need fixed cooling. An efficient reverse cycle split that meets the ratings covers both. Our rental heating guide sets out the detail.
Before you book a townhouse install, ask
- Where will the outdoor unit go, and how close is that to the neighbour's bedroom?
- What's the outdoor sound power figure on the label?
- Do owners corporation rules say anything about outdoor units here?
- Will I get a plumbing compliance certificate and an electrical safety certificate at the end?
What we'd do
What we'd do in Reservoir
In an older house with gas heating that still runs well, we'd get it serviced and add a reverse cycle split to the living room for summer and the shoulder seasons. In a townhouse, we'd settle the outdoor unit's spot first and choose a quiet model, because Victoria's noise rules apply late at night and the neighbours are close.
Getting someone out to look
Send us the job and your 3073 postcode. Local installers who specialise in that kind of work, with their licences checked, see the job, and only the one who takes it gets your phone number. If nobody near Reservoir takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Victoria may also see it.
