Your handy guide to Split System Air Conditioning
What Split Systems are best for
Split System Air Conditioners heat and cool the room or area their indoor unit is installed in.
The indoor unit is either mounted on a wall or hidden in a bulkhead so you only see the vent. This is opposed to ducted systems which use ducts and outlets in the ceiling or floor.
Split System Air Conditioning units both heat and call, which is why they are sometimes called reverse cycle split systems.
They are installed over ducted systems for the following reasons:
- Only want to heat / cool 1 room or open plan area
- Budget-friendly – cost effective to install and run
- Want to use electricity for home air conditioning
- There is no room in your ceiling or under house to install a ducted system
Costs to install and run a Split System Air Conditioner
Split Systems are economic to install and run, as seen on our heating & cooling comparison charts.
Factors which can affect install costs include:
- The size (in KW) of the unit you need for your room or area
- Features you want
- Where the unit is to be installed – the further the outdoor unit is away from the indoor unit, the greater the cost can be
- The brand and model you choose
Factors which can affect running costs include:
- The size of the area you are air conditioning
- How often you use it
- The temperature you set it at
- Cost saving features of your unit – eg motion sensor or economy mode
What size Split System do you need
Installation of a Split System AC needs to be done by a qualified technician.
To determine what size unit needs to be installed, they will take into consideration:
- Room size
- Ceiling height
- Which direction your room faces in relation to the sun
- Amount of windows
- House insulation
Before installing, they will come out and do a site inspection to double check the unit is suitable for the area and determine the best location for the indoor and outdoor units.
But to give you an idea of what size unit you need, have a look at our room size calculator.
Common sizes for Split System area 2.5KW which is considered a small or mini split system commonly used for studies and bedrooms, 3.5 which is a small to medium, 5kw which is a medium and 7kw & 8kw which are considered large and can be used for open plan kitchen/dining/lounge areas.
Compare features of different Split System Air Conditioner brands
Check out our handy chart to compare features, star rating and prices of Split System Air Cons we recommend and install.
The features for Mitsubishi, Daikin, Rinnai, Fujitsu and Actron Air Split Systems are consistent throughout the series listed. The price listed is for the 2.5KW supplied and a installed (current at the time of publishing).
For other sizes or a personalized quote, contact our friendly quoting team either through phone or web enquiry form.
Helpful Facts
Here is some extra information you might find helpful in your Split System Air Conditioner research:
- As of time of publishing (May 2024), the Australian Government is offering Rebates for replacing your Gas Space Heater with a Split System Air Conditioner. Contact us for more information.
- Regular Split System Air Conditioners have 1 outdoor unit and 1 indoor unit
- Multi-Split System Air Conditioners have 1 outdoor unit and multiple indoor units in different rooms – typically used on houses which require whole-house heating and cooling but is not suitable for a ducted system
- Split Systems use Refrigerated Cooling, which allows you to have precise control over the temperature (as opposed to Evaporative Cooling where you cannot set a temperature)
- Split Systems have separate star ratings for both heating & cooling, so be sure to check both
- It is cheaper to install a split system where the outdoor system is directly on the other side of the wall to the indoor unit. Otherwise extra copper pipe may be required as well as a pump if the indoor unit is installed on an internal wall.