A Brisbane home without effective air conditioning is genuinely hard work for four months of the year. Summer daytime temperatures sit in the low-to-mid thirties, overnight lows frequently stay above 22°C, and humidity above 70% means the air never feels dry enough to sleep comfortably. Air conditioning here isn’t about luxury — it’s about being able to sleep, work from home and enjoy your living areas.
We are a complete residential air conditioning service for Brisbane homes: design and installation, servicing and maintenance, cleaning, repairs, and eventual replacement. Whether you need one split system in a hot bedroom or a fully zoned ducted system through a two-storey home, we handle the whole lifecycle.
Every Brisbane home is different, and we don’t have a default recommendation. A 1920s Queenslander in Toowong with VJ walls, raked ceilings and limited roof space needs a completely different approach to a rendered brick home in Carindale or a two-bedroom apartment in the CBD. We assess your actual house and recommend accordingly.
Residential solutions we provide
- Single split systems — the practical, affordable choice for individual bedrooms, studies and living areas.
- Multi-head split systems — two to five rooms from one outdoor unit; ideal for apartments, townhouses and homes with limited outdoor space.
- Ducted reverse cycle — whole-home comfort through discreet ceiling outlets with zoning.
- Floor-mounted units — excellent for Queenslanders and rooms where high wall space is taken by windows.
- Bulkhead and cassette units — for renovations and homes with specific ceiling constraints.
- Granny flat, studio and home office systems — including separately metered arrangements.
- New build and renovation systems — designed and roughed in during construction.
Benefits of a Properly Designed Residential System
- Sleep and liveability. The single most common thing customers tell us afterward is that they’re finally sleeping through summer nights.
- Humidity control, which matters more in Brisbane than raw temperature. A correctly sized system dehumidifies as it cools; an oversized one leaves rooms cold and clammy.
- Year-round use. Reverse cycle means the same equipment heats efficiently through Brisbane’s cool mornings, at roughly a quarter the running cost of electric heaters.
- Lower bills than people expect. Modern inverter systems modulate output continuously rather than cycling, which cuts consumption substantially compared with older units.
- Room-by-room control. Zone the house so you’re not paying to cool bedrooms at 2pm or the living room at 2am.
- Quiet enough for bedrooms. Good indoor heads run around 19–25 dB on low fan.
- Better indoor air. Filtration removes dust, pollen and particulates — noticeable during Brisbane’s spring pollen season and valuable for allergy and asthma sufferers.
- Property value. Air conditioning is an expected feature in the Brisbane market and reverse cycle ducted in particular appears prominently in listings.
- Works well with solar. Peak cooling demand aligns closely with peak rooftop solar generation.
Our Process
Free in-home consultation
We come to you. We walk through the house, discuss which rooms are uncomfortable and when, ask how you actually live in the space, and listen to your budget honestly rather than pitching the most expensive option.
Assessment and heat load calculation
Room dimensions, ceiling heights, orientation and glazing, insulation levels, roof space access, external unit locations, switchboard capacity and drainage routes. We calculate the load room by room. Brisbane’s western sun, high ceilings and humidity all push required capacity above what a simple floor-area rule would suggest.
Tailored recommendation
You get two or three genuine options — for example, three splits versus a small ducted system — with the real trade-offs explained: upfront cost, running cost, appearance, disruption during installation, and future flexibility.
Fixed written quote
Everything included: equipment, installation, electrical work, commissioning, old unit removal and cleanup. Any conditional items are identified before you commit.
Installation
Booked at a time that suits you. Splits are usually completed in a single day; ducted typically takes two to three. Drop sheets throughout, furniture protected, and the site cleaned at the end of each day. All work by ARCtick-licensed refrigeration technicians and QBCC-licensed electricians.
Commissioning and handover
Tested in both cooling and heating, temperature split and current draw verified, drainage confirmed. Then we sit down and set up your controller and app, explain timers and schedules, show you how to clean the filters, and register your warranty.
Aftercare
Annual servicing, maintenance plans, cleaning, repairs and priority support for the life of the system. We’re not disappearing after installation.
Indicative Residential Costs
Supply and install, AUD including GST, for standard Brisbane installations.
Solution | Suits | Indicative installed price |
2.5 kW split | Bedroom, study, nursery | $1,600 – $2,400 |
3.5 kW split | Main bedroom, small living | $1,900 – $2,900 |
5.0 kW split | Living area | $2,400 – $3,500 |
7.1 – 8.0 kW split | Open-plan living | $2,900 – $4,500 |
Multi-head, 2 rooms | Apartment, townhouse | $4,500 – $7,000 |
Multi-head, 3 rooms | 3-bedroom home | $6,500 – $10,000 |
Multi-head, 4–5 rooms | Larger home | $9,000 – $14,000 |
Ducted, 5–6 outlets, 3 zones | 3–4 bedroom home | $11,000 – $18,000 |
Ducted, 7–10 outlets, 4–5 zones | Large or two-storey home | $15,000 – $28,000 |
Granny flat or studio system | Self-contained space | $2,000 – $3,500 |
Ongoing residential costs
Service | Indicative cost |
Annual service, single split | $150 – $250 |
Annual service, ducted | $320 – $750 |
Deep clean, single split | $250 – $420 |
Repair call-out and diagnosis | $110 – $190 |
Annual maintenance plan, split | $130 – $200 per year |
Annual maintenance plan, ducted | $290 – $480 per year |
Typical running costs at South East Queensland tariffs: a 3.5 kW split costs roughly $0.20–$0.40 per hour of active operation in cooling and $0.15–$0.30 in heating. A ducted system running two zones sits around $0.60–$1.20 per hour, and whole-home operation on a peak summer afternoon $1.50–$3.00.
Brands We Supply and Service
- Daikin — the reliability benchmark, quiet indoor units and excellent inverter control.
- Mitsubishi Electric — outstanding efficiency and among the quietest available; a favourite for bedrooms.
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — strong dehumidification and excellent value.
- Fujitsu — dependable, widely supported, good mid-range pricing.
- Panasonic — strong filtration options and solid performance.
- ActronAir — Australian designed and built for Queensland conditions; particularly good ducted and zoning.
- LG — strong smart controls, app integration and competitive warranties.
- Samsung — Wind-Free draught-free cooling and clean modern design.
- Carrier — reliable, well-priced, long-established.
We’ll give you a straight opinion on which suits your home and budget rather than pushing a single brand.
Service Areas
Residential air conditioning throughout North Brisbane, South Brisbane, East Brisbane, West Brisbane, Brisbane CBD, Indooroopilly, Toowong, Chermside, Carindale, Sunnybank, Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and Moreton Bay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get split systems or ducted?
Splits make sense for one to three rooms, cost far less upfront, and let you stage the investment room by room. Ducted makes sense for whole-home comfort, larger or two-storey houses, and where you want a clean look with nothing on the walls. As a rough guide, once you’re conditioning four or more rooms, ducted usually becomes competitive and looks far better.
What size system does my room need?
Rough Brisbane guide: 2.5 kW for a bedroom up to about 20 m², 3.5 kW for 25–35 m², 5.0 kW for 35–45 m², and 7.1–8.0 kW for open-plan living up to 60 m². Add capacity for western or northern glazing, raked or high ceilings, poor insulation and open stairwells. We calculate it properly rather than guessing — an oversized unit is just as problematic as an undersized one.
Can air conditioning be installed in a Queenslander?
Yes, and we do it regularly. Queenslanders present specific challenges: limited or no usable roof space, VJ walls that need care when penetrating, raked ceilings, and heritage or character overlay considerations in some suburbs. Solutions include multi-head splits, floor-mounted units, bulkhead installations and under-floor ducted where the subfloor allows.
What about apartments and units?
Usually straightforward, but body corporate approval is normally needed for the outdoor unit location, external appearance and any penetration through common property. We provide the technical documentation your committee will want, and we’re familiar with the requirements in most Brisbane buildings.
How much will it add to my power bill?
Less than most people fear with a modern inverter system. A 3.5 kW split running four hours an evening across a Brisbane summer typically adds $25–$50 a month. Ducted running whole-home costs considerably more, which is exactly why zoning matters.
Do I need council approval?
For most Brisbane houses, no. Heritage-listed properties, character protection areas and body corporate properties may require approval. Brisbane City Council also applies noise limits at neighbouring boundaries, especially overnight, which we factor into where we place the outdoor unit. We’ll flag anything relevant at quote stage.
When is the best time to install?
Autumn or winter. From November onward demand spikes, lead times stretch to weeks and stock of popular sizes can run short. Booking in April through September usually means faster scheduling and a more relaxed installation.
How long will my system last?
A quality split, correctly installed and serviced annually, typically lasts 12 to 18 years in Brisbane. Ducted equipment usually reaches 15 to 20. Neglected systems commonly fail around year 8. Coastal properties in Redlands and bayside Moreton Bay should expect shorter condenser life unless coil protection and regular rinsing are kept up.
What maintenance do I need to do myself?
Wash the filters every four to six weeks during heavy use, keep plants and clutter clear of the outdoor unit, and book a professional service once a year before summer. That’s genuinely most of it.
Do you offer finance or payment options?
We can discuss payment arrangements for larger installations such as ducted systems. Ask when we quote.
