Many factors impact the overall cost of installing ducted air conditioning in your home. The specific features of your home will determine whether it is more cost-effective for you to have ducted or split system, wall mounted air conditioning.

How large is your home?

As a very general guide, these are the prices that you can expect when installing ducted air conditioning in a:

Small house or apartment = $6000
One story, average-sized house = $10 000 – $12 000
Two-storey house = $15 000 or more

Ducted air conditioning in a large, two-storey home is always going to be a bigger investment because it requires vertical ducting, which can be more complicated to install.

Factors that will determine the cost of your system

When investing in a ducted air conditioning system, it’s important to consider the following:

• How many rooms your house has?
• What each room is used for?
• How many people are in your household?
• How hot or cold the climate is in your location and for how many months a year?
• Whether you sleep with the air conditioner on?
• If it is reverse cycle?
• How long each member of your household spends in the home (e.g. if you are a stay at home parent, the aircon will stay on longer rather than being switched off when everyone leaves for work/school)?
• Where the cooling unit will be situated (if it needs to be located outside a bedroom, we would recommend an inverter model, which is quieter than non-inverter types)?
• If you are in a large home, you may need a three-phase power supply to run ducted. If you do not already have one of these, it will be an extra cost.

This seems like an overwhelming amount of factors to consider – but don’t be dismayed! If you go through a professional air conditioning installation company, they will have many years of experience in judging exactly what you need for your home for the best price.

Why you don’t want to skimp out on installation costs

If there is one thing that you want to spend your pennies on, it’s installation. Having a reliable company to install your ducted properly is essential and can save you a huge amount in the long run. Installing ducted air conditioning is a complicated business, and hiring a company that knows their stuff will ensure yours is done right and doesn’t need to be fixed at your own expense a few years down the track. Even more importantly, choosing a company that has excellent customer testimonials or has been referred by a friend can instil trust when they are giving advice!

If you’re in, you should be all in

If you’re going to splurge on ducted, you need to do it right. Making a worthwhile investment for your home, for years to come, means you are better off spending more money up front which you will save on in the long run.

The size and capacity of your system is important. If you buy a smaller system to try and save money, but it doesn’t have enough power to cool your entire house, you’re ultimately going to be paying more on your electricity bill. This will also shorten the lifespan of your ducted by making it constantly work overtime.

Considering eco functions and add-ons to save energy will decrease your electricity bill. Think about installing zoning or a smart system which senses when a room is in use or not, and adjusts cooling temperatures accordingly. These small changes can make a big difference for a one off cost that will keep your bills low and cool your house effectively! Check out MyAir to see if one of these add-ons would be beneficial to your home ducted system.

Is it worth it?

Ducted air conditioning is becoming an essential part of every modern Australian home. Our hot climate means that air conditioning is key to experiencing comfort. Ducted air conditioning increases the net worth of your house, boosts productivity by providing a controlled temperature, and creates a haven of comfort. We think it is well worth the investment if the factors above suit your needs!

Need assistance quoting on ducted air conditioning for your home? Contact Star today for friendly, reliable and trusted service!