About Toronto
An 1887 lakeside town
Toronto grew from an 1887 subdivision by the Excelsior Company, timed with the opening of the Great Northern Railway. The Toronto Hotel, built that year from local bricks, is on the Register of the National Estate. The town is about 28 km from Newcastle's CBD.
Older than the rest of the city
The median age was 50 in 2021, against 42 for the Lake Macquarie council area.
A real mix of homes
77.7% of occupied homes were separate houses, 14.4% semis, terraces or townhouses and 7.5% flats or apartments.
Owners and renters
37.4% of homes were owned outright, 24.0% with a mortgage, and 34.9% were rented.
Replacing an old system: how it usually goes
Note what you have
Take a photo of the indoor unit's label and the outdoor unit. Note which rooms it heats and cools, and what bothers you about it: noise, cost to run, or a remote nobody can read.
Have the room sized again
The old unit's size may never have been right. Rinnai says an undersized system struggles to heat or cool, and an oversized one short cycles. A size check gives you a starting point.
Ask about the old pipes and bracket
An installer who does replacements every week will say whether the existing pipe run and wall bracket can be reused, or whether new ones are safer.
Choose simple controls
If someone at home finds apps or small buttons hard, ask to see the remote before you choose the model. A big, clear wall controller is worth asking about.
Townhouses and the lake
In a townhouse or unit block, start with the owners corporation. Under NSW strata rules, a reverse cycle installation counts as a minor renovation, so it goes to a vote at a strata meeting. NSW's Noise Control Regulation 2026 also restricts when an air conditioner can run if it's heard inside a neighbour's home, so keep the unit away from their bedroom windows.
Right on the water, treat the outdoor unit as you would near the coast: on the sheltered side, with a yearly service and a read of the warranty's corrosion terms. Our Lake Macquarie page covers the salt question.
What we'd do
Our advice for Toronto
If the old system still runs but it's loud or hard to drive, we'd replace it with a well-sized reverse cycle split before it fails in a heatwave, and pick the model for its controls as much as its stars. If you rent, we'd ask the owner in writing.
