{"id":95016,"date":"2026-01-08T08:05:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T22:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=95016"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:14:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T03:44:29","slug":"air-conditioner-size-to-breeze-through-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/air-conditioner-size-to-breeze-through-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Waste Cold Cash On The Wrong Sized Air Conditioner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"peopleSweltering through a heatwave and desperate for a new air conditioner? Don’t rush into a decision before working out what size of unit you need – otherwise you\u2019ll be blowing all your cold cash on hot air.<\/p>\n

Does Air Conditioner Size Matter?<\/h2>\n

If a reverse-cycle air conditioner is too small, it may struggle to adequately cool or heat a room. Even if it can achieve the desired temperature, the unit may take a long time to get there and be stuck in overdrive, devouring excess electricity. Go too big however, then not only will the owner spend more money than needed on the purchase and running costs, but the unit will undertake frequent short cycles and struggle to maintain the desired temperature, running too hot or cold.<\/p>\n

Split Systems Or Ducted?<\/h2>\n

The first question to resolve is how many rooms require cooling. Individual reverse-cycle split systems are significantly more efficient for a single room, but if you require more than two systems across a property than ducted central systems are worth considering.<\/p>\n

Tim Johnston, the founder of Victoria-based installer Powrhouse<\/a>, believes both types of system have their place.<\/p>\n

“My general rule of thumb is splits for a small house, ducted for a large house. Ducted for a small house is probably overkill, but if you flip it the other way, split systems for a large house might need six different units. That’s a lot of hardware and can be expensive, where ducted can be more effective,” Johnston says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other installers spoken to by SolarQuotes agree that split systems are typically more efficient, but warn that (unless opting for a multi-head split system) each has an outdoor and indoor unit, which can be unsightly when there’s lots of different rooms that require heating and cooling.<\/p>\n

There’s also the option of multi-head splits – read more about the benefits and downsides of splits and ducted here.<\/a><\/p>\n