Find a trusted air-con installer in Canberra

In Canberra, air con is a heater first

In most Australian cities, air con is bought for summer. In Canberra, it earns its keep in winter too. Reverse-cycle systems are one of the cheapest ways to heat a room with electricity, and as the ACT moves away from gas, many households are replacing gas space heaters and ducted gas with reverse-cycle splits or ducted systems.

That changes how you choose a unit. A system’s heating output drops as the outdoor temperature falls, and on a frosty morning it also has to pause to defrost the outdoor coil. Ask the installer for the heating capacity, not just the cooling rating, and look at the cold-zone figures on the Zoned Energy Rating Label, as that’s the climate that matches Canberra’s winters. Undersize it and it’ll run flat out and still leave the room cold.

Ducts, roof spaces and older homes

Plenty of Canberra homes already have ducted gas heating, and converting to ducted reverse-cycle is a common upgrade. Whether the old ducts and vents can be reused depends on their condition and where they sit, so ask the installer to inspect them before quoting. Where there’s no usable roof space or the ceiling is raked, a multi-head system with one outdoor unit can heat several rooms instead.

Older homes add two checks. Larger units tend to need a circuit of their own, and a switchboard still running ceramic fuses may have to be upgraded first. And in a home built before 1980, make sure the roof space is clear of loose-fill asbestos before anyone climbs up to run ducts or pipes; the ACT publishes a register of affected properties.

Who can install air con in the ACT

An air con install involves two licences. Whoever handles the refrigerant needs a national ARCtick licence; look them up on the ARC licence check. The electrical connection needs an ACT electrical licence: either unrestricted, or the restricted refrigeration and air conditioning class, which only covers disconnecting and reconnecting. New circuits and switchboard work need an unrestricted electrician on the Access Canberra register. Our ACT licence check guide explains both lookups.

What air con installation costs in Canberra

Canberra prices track the national ranges. Most standard split systems come to $1,500–$3,000 with the unit supplied and fitted, and fitting a unit you bought elsewhere usually costs $600–$1,500. One outdoor unit running several indoor heads is roughly $4,500–$11,000. For a typical house, zoned ducted reverse-cycle sits between $8,000 and $18,000. Allow about $250–$450 when a new circuit is needed, and $120–$300 to service each split. The ACT Government’s Sustainable Household Scheme offers low-interest loans for reverse-cycle systems, so check what’s available when you get quotes. See the air con price guide for more.

Matched with one Canberra installer

Tell us how many rooms you want to heat and cool and where you are in Canberra, and we’ll match you with one installer whose ARCtick licence, insurance and reviews we’ve checked. No callbacks from five companies, and it’s free.

Elsewhere? See air con installers across Australia. Need an electrician for the circuit as well? Browse all Canberra trades. Ready to go? Ask for a free quote.