Why Cabramatta homes heat up
A hot spot in a hot region
The council's 2023 tree plan rates Cabramatta a higher planting priority because of low canopy, higher surface temperatures and dense apartment living with poor cross ventilation.
Western Sydney summers
Nearby Liverpool averages 41 days a year above 30 degrees, against 15 in the CBD. The ABCB's map puts the Fairfield council area in climate zone 6.
An even mix of homes
At the 2021 Census, 38.8% of occupied homes were separate houses, 38.7% flats or apartments and 22.0% semis, terraces or townhouses.
Close to half rented
47.2% of occupied homes were rented, so the landlord's permission is part of many jobs.
Mid-century growth
Cabramatta became a suburb in the mid 20th century, helped along by a major 1960s state housing project in the Liverpool area.
The jobs that matter most here
A bedroom split in a unit. When a flat can't be cross-ventilated, the bedroom can stay hot well into the night. A small split sized for that room, rather than one big unit in the living area, is often the better first buy. Rinnai warns an oversized system short cycles and dries the air less well.
Villas and townhouses. These are often strata titled, so a new reverse cycle unit needs the owners corporation's approval, by majority vote or the committee if a by-law allows. Ask the installer to keep the outdoor unit off shared driveways and paths.
Houses. For a house, ask for the cooling capacity at 35 degrees in writing. ActronAir says a system loses capacity above that temperature.
Help your system through a hot spell
You can
- Close blinds on sunny windows early in the day.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, boxes and pot plants.
- Clean the filters as the manual says; Daikin suggests at least monthly through summer.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Sizing the unit to the room.
- Anything to do with refrigerant or wiring.
- Diagnosing a unit that runs but won't cool.
What we'd do
If it were our Cabramatta home
We'd cool the room we sleep in first, with a split sized to it, then add the living area if the budget allows. If we rented, we'd put the request to the landlord in writing with the installer's plan. Tell us the job and licence-checked installers near Cabramatta who fit splits every week will see it. Only the one who takes it gets your details. If no one near Cabramatta has taken it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in NSW may see it too.
