About Split System Services

A split system is an air conditioner which consists of two parts. The indoor unit (the evaporator) and the outdoor unit (the condenser). The evaporator is mounted inside the room, and is connected by refrigeration piping to the condenser, which is mounted outside.

Split system air conditioners operate on a vapour compression refrigeration cycle. This is a thermodynamic process of refrigerant changing state (from a vapour to a liquid to a vapour again) which enables air conditioners to heat or cool.

An inverter is an air conditioner which has the ability to vary the speed of the compressor. This enables the compressor to compress refrigerant as it is required.

This means that once the air conditioner reaches the desired temperature, the compressor keeps running, but at a very slow speed. This gives the air conditioner the ability to be energy efficient, quieter and hold a more stable temperature.

A fixed speed air conditioner has a compressor with two speeds. On and off.

This means that when you come home and turn the air conditioner on, the compressor runs flat out until the desired temperature is reached. Then the compressor turns off.

Assuming it’s in cooling mode, when the compressor is off, the temperature rises between two to three degrees before the thermostat tells the compressor to turn on again and produce more cold air.

The compressor then runs flat out until the temperature is reached and it turns off again. This cycle usually happens between 10 – 12 times an hour.

Reverse cycle air conditioners have the ability to reverse the flow of refrigerant, which enables the unit to heat as well as cool.

Reverse cycle heating is one of the most energy efficient forms of heat you can put into your property, as the heat is generated by the refrigerant condensing.

The power only runs the fans and compressor. Reverse cycle splits are about the same price as cooling only models.

Split system air conditioners come in a wide variety of sizes and are often measured in terms of their power (kW or HP). The type of system that you would need is primarily dependent on the area you are trying to cool.

A smaller room like a bedroom would only require a 2.5kW unit whereas a large family room would need a system between 5.0-8.0kW to effectively cool the room.

There are also many other factors to take into consideration when choosing a system, including ceiling heights, the number of windows surrounding the room, the building materials, the location of the room (ie. north facing / south facing) etc.

It is always advisable to have an expert technician provide you with the right advice when choosing your next split system.

To comply with the legal requirments of Victoria, and to protect your warranty, your split system must be installed by an Accredited and Licenced installer.