What Perth adds to a small commercial job
Hot trading days
Perth gets 26 days above 35 degrees in an average year, and ActronAir says capacity drops above 35. A shop full of people and lighting, with a west-facing window, needs sizing with that margin in mind.
Premises near the beach
A café or shop close to the surf sits in the GAA's C5 or C4 corrosion bands, and Daikin's warranty card leaves extra corrosion protection in sea air to the owner. Ask what the outdoor unit will get.
WA electrical licensing
Business or home, the switchboard protective device and fixed wiring for a new unit are electrical installing work in WA, needing a licensed electrical contractor whose EC number is on their business materials.
What counts as small?
Wall splits or ceiling cassettes in a shop or office, a multi-split for a few treatment rooms, or a small ducted system for a fit-out. Mitsubishi Electric suggests cassettes for offices and open-plan spaces where wall room is short.
Chillers, VRF across a building and big packaged units are another trade, usually designed by a mechanical services engineer. Tell us about the job anyway, and we'll say plainly whether we have the right installer. The national commercial air conditioning page has more on where the line sits.
Warranty and servicing for business use
Check the commercial terms before you buy. Carrier's certificate gives its hi-wall, multi and ducted systems 7 years in a home but 5 in commercial use, and TCL's terms drop to 12 months for commercial purposes. Mitsubishi Electric treats server and communication rooms as commercial, with 1 year parts and labour.
Long trading hours make servicing matter more, and Mitsubishi Electric recommends a professional service once a year. For the running side, multiply input power in kW by your trading hours and your rate, or use the running cost tool.
What you can sort out, and what the installer does
You can
- Note your trading hours and when the space gets hottest.
- Count the usual number of people and the equipment that runs all day.
- If you lease, find out from the landlord what can go on the roof or an outside wall.
Leave to a licensed installer
- A heat load that counts people, equipment, glass and afternoon sun.
- The electrical work, under a licensed electrical contractor.
- Refrigerant work, commissioning and a service schedule that keeps the warranty valid.
What we'd do
What we'd do
For a small Perth shop or office, we'd treat it like a home install that works longer hours: a heat load that counts people, equipment and the afternoon sun, a model the brand warrants for commercial use, and a yearly service booked from day one. If it's more than a handful of units, we'd talk to a commercial mechanical contractor first.
