FAQ's

A key consideration in selecting an air conditioner is how energy efficient it is. Pick the system that suits you best. To make sure your system is energy efficient, it’s vital to ensure the system is selected and installed (often referred to as “designed”) for you properly:

How well can it zone? For true energy efficiency and comfort, it all comes down to how well your system can zone. And thanks to our unique Tru-Zoning, no-one zones better than us.

How well can I control it? Advanced controls bring advanced functions, like the ability to operate your system remotely , or to set schedules for more efficient performance. Our wide range of controls gives you more choice of control options than any other brand, all backed by a single warranty for total peace of mind.
Is it the right size for my home? If your system is too small for the space you’re conditioning, it will end up working extra hard as it struggles to keep you comfortable, which is not energy efficient at all – that’s why it’s vitally important that you select the right sized system for your home and your lifestyle. 

Has it been installed correctly? If your system has been poorly installed, or used low quality components like badly insulated ductwork, it can have an extremely negative impact on the energy efficient performance of your air conditioner. That’s why it’s important you work with high quality installers – and when you work with an Red Desert Cooling and Electrical, you can rest easy knowing you’re working with the best of the best.

Rating Systems
Additionally, energy performance information can also be found in a number of rating systems. These rating systems often leave a lot to be desired, because they’re not necessarily reflective of how you actually use an air conditioner, or the conditions an air conditioner operates in, and assumes that the design of the system is appropriate for you home. As such, whilst these rating systems are a quick source of information, to achieve energy efficient performance it’s far more important to get the overall Design correct.

These energy ratings system include the following:

Non-ducted systems: Energy Label
Found on non-ducted products like Wall Hung Split systems, the Energy Label gives a quick reference to the expected energy efficiency performance of your system in each of the climate regions found in Australia. Put simply, the higher the star rating, the better the expected energy efficiency of your system

How do I clean the air filters on my ducted unit?
Maintaining clean air filters will help keep your air conditioner performing at its best, though we always recommend maintaining your system with regular services from a licensed professional – feel free to contact us
If you are planning on doing it yourself, in most cases you can simply remove the front panel/grille of your return air, which you will likely find in the ceiling centrally located in your home. With that out of the way, you should be able to access the filter.
To clean the filter, simply take it out of the return air and remove any dust build up by gently brushing or vacuuming. You can also gently clean it using water, making sure you allow it to dry fully before putting back into place, putting the front panel/grille back on to secure it.

What’s the best way to maintain my air conditioner?
Like any complex machinery, your air conditioner is more likely to keep performing at its best when it’s regularly serviced.
Properly maintaining your system should lead to improved air quality, better performance, and prolonged system life expectancy. We always recommend maintaining your system with regular services from a licensed professional – feel free to contact us.
That being said, if you prefer a more hands on approach there are some things you can do yourself, like cleaning the filters and making sure the outdoor unit stays free of leaves and clutter.

What do I do if my air conditioner is leaking refrigerant?
Air conditioners require refrigerant in order to keep you cool and comfortable.
Refrigerant is a controlled substance as it can be hazardous and harmful to the environment, so if you think your air conditioner is leaking refrigerant then it’s important to get this fixed, and quickly.
In these cases, it’s really important that you get a professional to inspect, test and repair your air conditioner (including recharging it with any lost refrigerant) – feel free to contact us.

How do air conditioning systems work?
When it comes to air conditioners, you need to know what type of system will best suit your needs. Ducted air conditioners have fast become one of the most popular systems on the market, primarily due to their easy operation and efficient performance. When you know a little more about how your air conditioners work, you can help make better decisions about what systems are suitable for your needs.

What are ducted air conditioners?
Historically, ducted air conditioners were typically used in commercial settings and workplaces. These days almost every new home built in Australia will have a ducted air conditioner included. Ducted systems include a central location for the air treatment and use fans and cuts to transport the temperature adjusted air to each room. Due to these functions, ducted air conditioners are practical for large spaces or houses, as you’re better able to pick and choose what rooms to cool and heat.

How ducted systems work?
Ducted systems typically come in two parts—the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is installed outside your home and is connected to the indoor unit via copper tubes and electrical cables.
The indoor unit is located inside your roof cavity and connects to the ductwork installed throughout your home. These ducts will allow your unit to deliver temperature-controlled air to your rooms via a vent or outlet  – typically installed in the ceiling. The ducted systems work by extracting hot air from the room to cool it. This air is then run over coils containing refrigerant which absorbs the heat and transforms it into a gas. Air is blown over the coils and delivered back to the room at the desired temperature. The gas by-product is sent to the outdoor unit, where it’s pressurised by the compressor and converted into a liquid that flows through the unit’s coils. A fan then blows the heat from the liquid and expels the hot air from the unit. For heating in air conditioners, the process is the same but in reverse. 
The treated liquid from the unit is then sent back up to the indoor unit to repeat the cycle – that’s why it’s called a “reverse cycle” air conditioning system.

How to find the perfect system for you?
If you’re interested in installing a ducted air conditioner in your home, you need to make sure you choose one that will meet your requirements. There are many things to consider, such as the size of your home, the number of rooms you choose to cool and the number of zones you want to control individually. While all reverse cycle air conditioners use the same method to cool or heat air, not all will have the same performance levels.

ActronAir ducted air conditioners are designed for Australian conditions and are suited to harsher climates. ActronAir systems help maintain energy efficiency, even in the middle of summer. The Tru-Blue systems are guaranteed to keep operating in temperatures up to 50C.

With true energy efficiency and comfort zone technology, ActronAir ducted units allow you to have more control over your air conditioner. While other brands provide zoning, only Australian-made ActronAir ducted systems give you Tru-Zoning for the best in choice, comfort and efficiency.

When it comes to getting an air conditioner installed in your home, the typical costs can roughly be broken down into 3 areas:
Air conditioning system
Parts & accessories like ducting and ceiling vents
Labour
As you can imagine there is a lot of variance in the final cost of a fully installed system, based on the unique needs of the specific job:

What features did you want? Adding on desirable features like advance controls or premium zoning can add to your costs.
How big of a system did you need? As a general rule of thumb, the bigger a system is the more expensive it will be.
What type of system did you buy? Prices vary dramatically based on the type of system you buy, with Wall Hung Split systems being significantly cheaper than Ducted systems. And even within the Ducted category, the prices can vary between a more basic system versus a more premium system.
What quality parts and accessories did you use? Premium accessories, like linear grilles and better insulated ducting, can bring premium aesthetics and performance, but are also more expensive.
 

There are a number of differences between Ducted and Wall Hung Split systems.

A big difference is the amount of heating or cooling they can provide. Typically, Split systems are suited to treating smaller spaces like a single room, whereas Ducted systems are better at treating your entire home. That’s because Ducted systems usually come in bigger sizes than Split systems, allowing them to provide more powerful comfort to bigger areas. Another obvious difference is how they look. With a Split system the indoor unit is usually mounted on your wall, whereas for the most part Ducted systems are more discrete, with most of the components of the system (like the indoor unit and ducting) installed inside your ceiling space, with the ceiling vents and the wall controls/sensors the only visible parts of the system inside your home.
Another crucial difference is zoning and advanced controls. For true efficiency and comfort, zoning is extremely important, and while Split systems can provide you with some advanced control options, for example mobile control apps like our Easy Connect, they don’t offer you any zoning options.
 

Selecting the right sized system for you home is really important to get right, as it directly impacts how comfortable you’ll be and how efficiently your system will run. A lot of factors impact what size system you need:

• How big of an area are you looking to condition?
• The bigger the space, the bigger air conditioner needed.
• How well is your home insulated?
• A well-insulated home better maintains temperature, which means you likely won’t need as much heating or cooling.
• What climate do you live in?

If you live in a particularly challenging environment, like tropical or sub-tropical areas, more demands are put on your system than in less harsh climates. If you feel like you’ve factored in the above, there are a number of options you can use to calculate the size system you need:
Use a formula, Use an online calculator, Get a professional to visit your home and calculate the right size for specifically for you

Using a formula
This can be a quick and easy method, but it also tends to be fairly broad/non-specific, so can be good in terms of getting a general idea of the size you need but for anything more specific than that it can leave a lot to be desired. To use this method:
Confirm the length & width of the room you’re looking to condition, then multiply them with each other – this will give you the area’s m² size
The next step depends on your ceiling height
If it’s 2.4m high: multiply the m² by 150 watts
If it’s 2.7m high: multiply the m² by 160 watts
If it’s 3m high: multiply the m² by 175 watts
This gives you the amount of watts needed, which you can then divide by 1,000 to convert to a kilowatt figure
For example: A house has an area that is 10m wide x 10m long, with 2.4m ceilings.
10m wide x 10m long = 100m²
Based on 2.4m ceiling height: 100m² x 150 watts = 15,000 watts
15,000 watts / 1,000 = 15 kilowatt
A 15kW unit is roughly the right size for this room.

Use an online calculator
Online calculators may give you a more accurate estimate than the basic formula, but you typically will have to provide more information on a range of factors – the more information you can supply, the better the calculation. There are a number of calculators online that you can find with a quick Google search.

Get a professional to visit your home and calculate the right size for specifically for you
By far the best method, we strongly recommend using licensed air conditioning professionals to visit your home and size the right system for you. They have the experience and the expertise required to compensate for any number of site-specific factors, and your intended usage, to not only specify the best size system for your needs, but the best specific product as well. If that sounds good to you, please contact us today and we’ll connect you with one of the many high quality air conditioning professionals in our National Dealer Network, for an obligation free site visit that will outline the best solution for your specific needs.