What to Expect on Air Conditioning Installation Day: Start to Finish

Nowra | Bomaderry | Worrigee | South Nowra | Shoalhaven

You've chosen the system. You've accepted the quote. The install is booked.

Now what?

For most people, installation day is a bit of a mystery. How long will it take? Will there be holes in the wall? Do you need to be home?

It doesn't need to be a mystery.

Here's what actually happens when we install an air conditioner in a Shoalhaven home, from the first visit to the moment we hand you the remote.

Before the Day: The Site Visit

A good installation starts well before anyone picks up a drill.

When we quote, we come to the house. We measure the rooms, look at the insulation and the windows, check which way the room faces, and work out where the indoor and outdoor units can go.

We also look at the things you wouldn't think about:

• Where the pipework will run, and how long that run is
• Whether the outdoor unit is better on a wall bracket or on feet at ground level
• Where the condensate (the water the unit removes from the air) will drain to

That's how you end up with a fixed price and a plan, rather than a guess. If you're still at the choosing stage, our guide on what to know before installing air conditioning covers it in more detail.

How to Get Your Home Ready

There isn't much to do, but these few things make the day quicker:

• Clear the wall where the indoor unit is going, and move furniture back about a metre
• Clear the spot outside where the outdoor unit will sit
• For ducted systems, make sure we can reach the manhole into the roof
• Keep pets inside or away from the work area – doors and gates will be open
• Let us know about parking and any access issues

That's it. We bring everything else, including drop sheets.

Installation Day: Split Systems

A standard split system installation follows the same steps every time.

1. Walk-through. We confirm the positions with you before anything is fixed to a wall. If you've changed your mind about where you want the unit, this is the moment to say so.

2. Indoor unit. The mounting plate goes on the wall, level, and fixed into the framing. One neat hole is drilled through to the outside for the pipes, the drain and the cable.

3. Outdoor unit. It's set on a wall bracket or on condenser feet, level and with clear space around it for airflow.

4. Pipework and drain. The copper pipes are run, insulated and connected. Outside, they're tidied into a pipe cover so you see a clean line down the wall, not loose pipe and tape.

5. Pressure test and vacuum. This is the step that gets skipped on rushed jobs. The pipework is pressure-tested for leaks, then put under vacuum to remove air and moisture before the refrigerant is released. It takes time, and it's the difference between a system that lasts and one that doesn't.

6. Commissioning. We run the system in cooling and heating, check the temperatures and the drain, and make sure everything is doing what it should.

A straightforward back-to-back install, where the indoor and outdoor units sit either side of the same wall, takes three to four hours. Most split system installs are finished within half a day.

Installation Day: Ducted Systems

A ducted system is a bigger job, and most of it happens where you can't see it.

The indoor unit goes into the roof space. Insulated ducting is run from it to each room. Outlets are cut into the ceilings, along with a return air grille, usually in a hallway. The outdoor unit is set in place, and the controller is mounted on the wall.

If you're having zoning with AirTouch, the zone motors are fitted and each room is set up and named on the touchscreen.

Then the same testing and commissioning applies – plus balancing the airflow, so the room at the end of the house gets its share.

Most ducted installations take one to two days, depending on the size of the home and the access in the roof.

Do I Need to Be Home?

Be there at the start, so we can confirm the positions together, and at the end for the handover. In between, you can get on with your day.

The Handover

Before we leave, we'll:

• Show you how to use the controller or the app
• Set the modes and the timers the way you want them
• Show you how to clean the filters
• Register the manufacturer's warranty for you
• Take the old unit and all the packaging away

You shouldn't be left with a remote you don't understand and a pile of cardboard in the driveway.

The First Few Days

A couple of things are completely normal with a new system:

• A short pause when you switch between heating and cooling
• Water dripping from the drain outside when it's cooling – that's moisture coming out of your air
• In winter, the outdoor unit stopping for a few minutes to defrost

If anything doesn't seem right, call us. We'd rather hear about it on day two than find out at the first service.

After That

Clean the filters every few months, and book a service once a year. A clean system uses less power and lasts longer.

Ready to Book?

Installation day should be the easy part.

If you're in Nowra, Bomaderry, Worrigee or anywhere across the Shoalhaven and you'd like a fixed quote with no surprises on the day, call us on 0472 642 491 or request a free quote.