Multi Head Air Conditioning in Geelong
Two to five rooms from one outdoor unit. The answer when ducting will not fit and three separate condensers will not fit either.
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dealer
- One outdoor unit, up to five rooms
- Ideal for narrow blocks
- ARC accredited installers
One condenser, several rooms
A multi head system runs several indoor heads off a single outdoor unit, each with its own remote and its own set temperature. It sits between a single split and a ducted system, both in price and in what it asks of the house.
We put them in most often where ducted is not physically possible and the block will not take multiple outdoor units. That is a very common situation in Geelong: townhouses with a two metre side setback, double storey homes with a low pitch roof, and period houses in Newtown and Geelong West where cutting outlets into decorative ceilings is out of the question.
Townhouses and narrow blocks
One outdoor unit on a small side path instead of three. Often the only configuration that satisfies the neighbours and the setback at the same time.
Double storey homes
Ducting an upper floor is expensive and sometimes impossible. Heads in the upstairs bedrooms off the same outdoor unit as downstairs solves it.
Period homes
Ornate ceilings, plaster cornices and no roof access. Multi head gets every room covered without touching the ceiling.
Staged upgrades
Start with the living room and the master, add heads later as budget allows, provided the outdoor unit is sized for it from the outset.
Where multi head jobs go wrong
The equipment is not the hard part. The pipe routing, the condensate and the outdoor unit position are, and they are decided before a single hole is drilled.
Sizing for real use, not the brochure
Indoor capacities can total more than the outdoor rating. We work out which rooms you actually run together and size so the ones that matter still perform on the worst day.
Pipe routing planned first
Each head needs its own pair of lines back to the outdoor unit. We map the routes through cavities, under floors or in external ducting before we start, so nothing ends up boxed in across a hallway ceiling.
Condensate from every head
Five heads means five drains, and upstairs heads are the ones that cause damage when the fall is wrong. Every drain gets a proper fall and a route to somewhere sensible.
One circuit, correctly sized
The whole system runs off the outdoor unit’s supply. We size and install that circuit, protect it properly and issue the certificate.
How we run a multi head job
1. Walk the house
Which rooms, where the heads can sit, where the outdoor unit can go, and what the pipe routes will be. This is the visit that decides the price.
2. Quote with a layout
Head locations and capacities, outdoor unit position, pipe routes, and the electrical work, marked up so you can picture it.
3. Install
One to two days depending on head count and how difficult the pipe routes are. External runs are ducted neatly and painted to match if you want.
4. Commission each head
Every indoor unit is tested in both modes, drains checked with water, and you get a run through of the controllers.
Got rooms that ducting cannot reach?
Tell us the layout on the phone. We will tell you honestly whether multi head or separate splits is the better buy.
What multi head costs
Supplied and installed, standard pipe runs, including the electrical work and compliance certificate.
Two heads
$5,500 to $8,500
Three heads
$7,000 to $13,000
Four heads
$9,500 to $16,000
Five heads
$12,000 to $20,000
Add for long or external pipe runs
$400 to $2,000
Add for second storey access
$500 to $1,500
Indicative only and current at the time of writing. Some installations qualify for a discount under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program depending on the existing equipment being replaced. We check eligibility against your property before you commit.
Why multi head quotes vary so much
Head count and capacities
Obvious, but the mix matters too. Four small bedroom heads cost less than two bedroom heads plus a large living head, even though the count is higher.
Pipe run difficulty
Cavity runs in a brick veneer are easy. Double brick, concrete slabs between floors and rendered facades that have to be made good are not.
Outdoor unit position
If the only viable spot is at the far end of the house from the heads, the pipe cost climbs and so does the capacity you lose to run length.
Making good
External ducting, patching render, matching paint and reinstating cladding are real costs. Cheaper quotes often leave the duct unpainted and the patch obvious.
Where we work
Multi head jobs are most common for us in the older inner suburbs and in the newer townhouse developments, where outdoor space is limited on both counts.
We work across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast, and the site visit is free.
Where we do this work most
- Newtown and Geelong West
- Highton and Belmont
- Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads
- Torquay and Armstrong Creek
Multi head questions
Multi head has real trade offs. We would rather you understand them now than after the install.
Related: split system installation and ducted air conditioning.
How many indoor units can run off one outdoor unit?
Residential multi head outdoor units commonly carry two to five indoor heads, and larger models go further. The limit is not just the count, it is the combined capacity. Most systems allow the indoor units to add up to more than the outdoor rating, on the assumption you will not run all of them at full tilt at once, but there is a ceiling and we size to it.
Can I run one head on heating and another on cooling?
Not on a standard multi head. All indoor units on one outdoor unit share a mode, so if one is heating they all heat. That matters in a house where the north facing living room wants cooling in the afternoon while a south facing bedroom wants heat. Systems that do both at once exist but they are commercial grade and priced accordingly. We will flag it if your layout makes it an issue.
Is a multi head cheaper than separate splits?
Not usually on the equipment, but often on the installation and almost always on the look of the house. You get one outdoor unit instead of three, which matters on a narrow block or where the only wall space faces the street. Three separate splits are typically more efficient and easier to repair, so if you have room for three outdoor units we will tell you that.
What happens if the outdoor unit fails?
Every indoor head stops. That is the trade off for one outdoor unit, and it is worth knowing before you buy. In practice failures are rare on quality inverter equipment, and we carry the common parts. If you cannot afford to lose heating in the whole house at once, separate systems are the safer structure.
Will it work on a double storey?
Yes, and it is one of the better answers for double storey homes where ducting the upstairs is difficult. The outdoor unit sits at ground level and the pipe runs go up inside a wall cavity or in a neat external duct. Pipe run length limits apply, so the outdoor location gets decided early.
Get a multi head quote
List the rooms you want covered and tell us whether the house is single or double storey. A photo of the side of the house helps us judge the outdoor unit position.
We will quote multi head against separate splits where both are viable, so you can see the difference rather than take our word for it.
Phone is quickest, and you will get someone who has installed these rather than a script.
Phone (03) 5214 8711
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Weekends by appointment.
Air Conditioning Geelong
Unit 2, 112 Balliang Street
South Geelong VIC 3220