Complete Guide to Choosing Reliable Melbourne Heating and Cooling Services

Melbourne weather doesn’t play ‘mild’ for long. You’re pumping out the aircon hard one week, and then, the next week, you’re rugged up, wondering why the heater hasn’t been going any quicker. If you have ever searched Google for the closest heating and cooling company at 11 pm when your HVAC had just quit, you understand how important it is to choose the right company.

This guide walks you through what heating and cooling services do, why they are worth the investment, and how to choose a company in Melbourne that will not leave you without heating or cooling in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

What are Heating and Cooling Services?

Services are provided for your heating and cooling systems throughout their lifecycle, keeping your home or workplace at a comfortable temperature: from supply and installation to servicing, repairs, and eventual replacement, from the simple wall split in one bedroom to an extensive ducted system throughout a house; and the maintenance required to keep it running efficiently.

A good provider doesn’t simply hang a unit on your wall and leave. They’ll size the space, give the best system for the job and the right size, install it to Australian standards, be around after it to service and support warranties, and even be there for those rare emergencies.

Why is it that these services are needed?

Not only is there lots of marketing chiller jargon and puffery, but a few honest reasons, too:

Comfort, obviously. Melbourne’s four seasons in one day weather is no joke; you need heating and cooling systems that can handle it.

Energy bills. A poorly maintained system can be running on a lower budget than it deserves without you even realising it. That’s corrected by proper servicing and the right-sized equipment.

Health and safety. A heating unit that is not functioning properly or incorrectly installed can pose a real fire or gas hazard. This is no place for trial and error, or any “handyman”.

Property value. If you ever put your home on the market, a well-maintained, ducted or hydronic system can really be a selling point.

Compliance. It is not good practice, but the law, to ensure that a properly licensed professional carries out electrical and gas work safely.

What are the services included in Heating and Cooling Services?

The basics of cooling and heating options.

Heating Services

• Electric Heat Pump: draws heat from the outside air and is therefore less expensive to operate than older heaters.
• Wall Split Systems: heat (and cool) one room using one wall unit. Simple and budget-friendly.
• Conducted Heating: 1 unit, warm air via vents in each room. Ideal for larger houses.
• Modern Bulkhead: The boxed ceiling section that conceals ducting neatly, leaving your ducted system looking tidy, not bolted out of the wall.
• Hydronic Heating: Heats water and circulates it through radiators or floor pipes for even, warm heating. Ideal for older homes in Melbourne.
• Standalone Room Heating: Ideal for a home office or granny flat, this portable heater is for a single room only.
• Solar Heating:  Rooftop panels reduce your heating running costs.

Cooling Services

• Aircon Installation: This is where sizing and positioning come in; you don’t want your air conditioner to whirl without cooling the house, do you?
• Air Conditioning Service Melbourne: Regular servicing (filters, gas checks, coil cleaning) will prevent minor problems from leading to a breakdown on the hottest day of the year.
• Ducted Cooling: This is the same principle as ducted heating, but in reverse, for cooling during the summer months.
• Split System Cooling: Room-by-room cooling, easy to install, quick and cheap.
• Use evaporative cooling: it is less expensive and effective in the drier months in Melbourne.

How do you know which company to go for these services?

Six useful tips you should know before you sign up:

1. Licensing. Check that they have a licence to carry out electrical and (if relevant) gas fitting activities. Don’t hesitate to request the licence number.
2. Local experience. A firm that has been in business throughout Melbourne’s suburbs will understand how houses are constructed around town and which systems are effective in Melbourne.
3. Reviews and reputation. Ignore the star rating and read the reviews for response time, tidiness, and whether the work was completed correctly the first time.
4. Range of services. A system that performs both heating and cooling, installation and repair, eliminates the need to deal with multiple contractors.
5. Warranty and after-care. Ask what will happen if it all goes wrong in six months. A good company has a good track record.
6. Transparent quoting. Be sure to have documentation, and don’t accept any point-by-point breakdown from anyone before you get started.

If a company can check these boxes, you should be safe; the same should be true if a company cannot (or will not) answer these questions directly.

What factors impact the cost of heating and cooling services?

There is no flat rate here; each quote will vary depending on a few factors:

System type

There is, of course, a lot more equipment and labour in a fully ducted system or hydronic heating system, and that’s why a single wall split is a lot cheaper.

Size of your home 

As the number of rooms and floor space increases, more ducting is required, greater capacity is needed, and a larger unit is required to handle it all.

Existing infrastructure 

Installing the ducting and wiring is more expensive than replacing a like-for-like system.

Brand and capacity 

More powerful or high-quality units will cost more at the initial purchase, but can save on running costs over the long term.

Access and complexity

Labour time may be increased due to tricky roof space, multiple storeys and extra electrical work.

The most reliable way to determine an accurate number is with a professional, in-home estimate, not an estimate from a price list. Just make sure you have a written breakdown of the cost so you can compare apples to apples.

How to Save Energy in Your Home 

Some minor maintenance practices that will help keep your system running efficiently and your bills low:

• Service it annually. Small problems are spotted before they become costly by cleaning and checking the unit annually.
• Set the temperature appropriately. The additional degrees of heating or cooling will make a significant difference in running costs; try to maintain a temperature of 18-20°C in winter and 24-26°C in summer.
• If you have a ducted heating or cooling system, use zoning; if no one is in the room, no point.
• Seal up drafts. Air leaks around doors and windows circulate back through your system.
• Replace and clean filters regularly. When the filter is clogged, any system is less efficient and has a shorter life.

A Melbourne option that was worth knowing.

Based in Melbourne, RDS Electric provides services in every aspect of heating and cooling services listed above, from electric heat pump installation and ducted heating installation to air conditioning installation and air conditioning maintenance. If you are looking at local providers, then you should add them to your shortlist, just as you would any other provider you are interested in.