Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2018 and may now be outdated.
The price of air conditioner installation depends on your split system air conditioner price, as well as the price of the installation. For example, Harvey Norman air conditioners are priced from below $600 and up to almost $2600. Add $80 per hour as an average cost of air conditioning installation to this price.
| A/C Type |
Minimum price |
Maximum price |
| Split System |
$598 |
$2399 |
| Inverter Split System |
$669 |
$2599 |
Of course, you can find a $6000 air conditioner if you want. It is possible to find cheaper and more expensive air con systems, but these are the prices you should be thinking about.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Air Conditioning in Your House?
You can expect to be charged from $70 to $90 per hour for the installation. This price depends on the location of your house and on the complexity of the installation process.
If there is a lot of drilling, piping and material involved, the price will be bigger. If it is a simple job with easy installation – you are looking at a low price of work.
You may be tempted to try to do your air conditioning installation yourself. Don’t ever do that. You need to hire a real air conditioning installer for the job.
The first reason is that it is not legal to do this type of work if you do not hold a proper certification. Australian Refrigeration Council issues this licence for Refrigeration & Air Conditioning. There is also a restricted licence that allows professionals to do only split system installations, which is enough for your needs.
The second reason is – it will cost you more in the long run. If you are not an expert, you may damage your walls and cause the damage there. You can damage the electrical grid of your home which is not just expensive to repair but also dangerous because it can cause fires.
The third reason is – that installing the air conditioner yourself can mean you lose the guarantee you get on that product when you buy it. Also, it is more likely for it to work longer and better if a professional installs it than when you install it.
Therefore, make sure you find a professional for your air con installation. Get quotes for air conditioning installation from certified professionals and choose the best one for the job.
How Does a Split System Air Conditioner Work?
The split system has two parts. One is the outdoor unit, and the other one is the indoor unit. The entire system works in the following way: the indoor unit extracts the hot air and the moisture from the room and leads it to the external unit via the system of pipes.
The outdoor unit uses the compressor and the refrigerating gas to change the gas pressure and cool down the air that was led to it by the indoor unit. When the air is cooled down, it is then returned to the indoor unit which uses the fans to spread it indoors.
When you know how your air con works, you realise that you can influence the running costs of your air conditioning system if you already have some sort of natural way to cool down your indoors.
Such efforts would involve getting the best insulation possible for your home, surrounding your home with natural shade, choosing the sun-reflected colours for your roof and many more.
How Much Is an A/C Split Unit?
The prices can vary from around $600 to $2600, and it all depends on the split system brand and the power output (cooling-heating). As a guide, here are the current prices you can expect from Harvey Norman air conditioners.
| A/C Power Output |
Minimum price |
Maximum price |
| 2.5 kW |
$598 |
$1199 |
| 3.5 kW – 7.0 kW |
$798 |
$1999 |
| 7.0 kW – 9.4 kW |
$1623 |
$2599 |
Again, this is just the price of the unit without the installation costs. It is difficult to look at the price of your unit as the only price of your air conditioning because you cannot install it yourself, and you have to pay for the installation.
The cheapest installation would be in a low house that is easily accessible and requires only one split system unit. If you are on the top floor, even if your space for cooling is not big, you may have the safety risks calculated for your installation costs due to the height.
If there are no complications and everything is easily accessible, you are looking at an installation that doesn’t have to be more than 6 hours long. On the other hand, if there are complications, you can even be looking at the cost of several days of work.
To avoid any nasty surprises, always look for several quotes from air conditioning installers before committing to one of them. You will get a good estimate before the work even starts, and you will easily calculate the entire cost of your air conditioning installation, unit included.
What Is the Best Brand of Split System Air Conditioners?
Now that you know the best way to find the installer, it is time to decide on the best split system air conditioner brands. The following four brands are the most commonly used and regarded as the best:
- Kelvinator
- Mitsubishi
- Fujitsu
- Panasonic
Kelvinator is a brand that attracts a lot of interest with its attractive prices. However, these lower prices do not mean that it is not reliable and that the customers are not satisfied with their money-for-value ratings.
Mitsubishi is regarded as a very reliable brand that produces long-lasting and high-quality air conditioners. While they are not as cheap as Kelvinator, this is a go-to brand for those who enjoy stylish electronics since Mitsubishi always ensures good design.
Fujitsu is more than a solid brand; and it has been on the Australian market for ages. It is hard to go wrong with them since they offer different ranges of products and different product lines, so you can choose the ones that match your budget range. The same goes for Panasonic air conditioners.
Besides these, the other brands of air conditioners that are worth noticing are Samsung, LG, Rinnai and Daikin.
The wisest thing you can do to ensure the best possible split system for your home that will work well and long is to find the air conditioning installer first and consult with them.
Ask for quotes from Service Seeking professionals from your area and discuss the specifics of your home with them. After you get the estimate for their work, you can talk to them and ask them to recommend a split-system air conditioner that they think will work best for your home.
Listen to their tips and recommendations because Service Seeking gets you in touch with trusted and reviewed professionals who want to get the job done and to get it done well.
