Air Conditioning in Belmont
Post war housing on flat land south of the river. Belmont is retrofit country, and the biggest variable is usually the switchboard rather than the roof.
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dealer
- Retrofits and replacements
- Accredited Master Electrician
- Free site visits
The suburb Geelong built in the 1950s and 60s
Belmont sits immediately south of the Barwon River on flat ground, and most of it went up in the two decades after the war. Timber framed and brick veneer homes on regular blocks, built to standards that predate any meaningful insulation requirement.
It has been steadily renovated ever since, which means what we find behind the wall varies enormously. Two houses on the same street can have completely different insulation, wiring and roof cavities depending on who owned them in the 1990s.
Nineteen fifties and sixties stock
Timber framed and early brick veneer. Small rooms, low ceilings in places, and roof cavities that are usually workable but not generous.
Renovations and rear extensions
Very common here. The added living area is nearly always the room the original heating never reached.
Older switchboards
The single most common complication in Belmont. Ceramic fuses, no RCD protection and no spare ways are all normal in unrenovated homes.
Flat, sheltered and inland
No coastal salt to worry about and no significant slope. Straightforward outdoor unit positions and no exposure premium.
What Belmont households ring us about
Belmont’s calls are the classic Geelong retrofit mix.
Old wall furnaces and gas heaters
Still in a lot of Belmont homes. Replacing one with reverse cycle gets you cooling as well and is normally the moment the whole system gets rethought.
Extensions that were never heated properly
The 1990s rear living area that runs off nothing, or off an outlet the original system cannot supply. A split in that room is usually the answer.
Switchboards that cannot take another circuit
We find this constantly. It is not a reason not to proceed, but it is a reason to know about it before install day.
Systems installed cheaply a decade ago
Undersized units chosen on price, now failing. The replacement conversation is usually about getting the sizing right this time.
Ceiling insulation that has settled
Very common in post war stock. It raises the capacity you need and the running cost, and it is worth dealing with before you buy a system.
How we work out what a Belmont house needs
The variation between houses here is the reason we do not quote Belmont jobs over the phone without a look.
1. Check the switchboard first
In Belmont this is the assessment that most often changes the price. We look at capacity, protection and the consumer mains before anything else.
2. Find out what has been renovated
Ceiling insulation, wall insulation and window replacements all change the sizing, and none of them are visible from the street.
3. Look at the roof cavity
Workable in most Belmont homes, but the older stock and anything with a low pitch needs checking before ducted is offered.
4. Map the extension
If there is a rear addition, we work out whether extending the main system into it or putting a split in it gives the better result for the money.
Matching the problem to the work
What we would recommend for the situations we see most often here.
Whole house, workable roof space
Zoned ducted reverse cycle. Belmont homes are generally the right size for it and the flat blocks keep the install simple.
Whole house, difficult roof
A multi head system covering the main rooms. Cheaper than forcing ducting into a cavity that will not take it.
Old gas wall furnace
Replace with reverse cycle. You gain cooling, remove a gas appliance and it may attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount depending on the unit.
Just the extension
A single split sized for that room. Extending an already stretched ducted system into a new room usually makes the whole house worse.
Still running an old gas wall furnace?
Replacing it gets you cooling in the same job. Ring us and we will tell you where you stand on the rebate.
Comparing quotes in Belmont
In Belmont the difference between quotes is almost always in the electrical scope.
Is switchboard work included or excluded?
Ask directly. A quote that excludes it will find it on install day, and by then you have no leverage. Ours states the position either way.
What sizing was the capacity based on?
Insulation varies enormously here. A quote based on floor area alone is not accounting for whether the ceiling was ever topped up.
Does it cover the extension?
If you have a rear addition, check whether the quote actually conditions it or just gets close to it.
Who issues the compliance certificate?
Electrical work needs a certificate. If the installer subcontracts the electrical, ask who is responsible for it.
Replacing a gas wall furnace or inefficient electric heating with high efficiency reverse cycle may attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Eligibility depends on the equipment, the property and the current program rules.
Belmont questions
Most relevant services here: split system installation. ducted air conditioning. home electrification.
Will my old switchboard need upgrading?
In an unrenovated Belmont home, quite possibly. Ceramic fuses, no RCD protection and no spare ways are all common in housing of this era, and a new air conditioning circuit needs somewhere to land. We assess it at the quote so it appears in the price rather than as a surprise. We hold Accredited Master Electrician status and do the work ourselves.
Can I get ducted in a 1960s Belmont house?
Usually yes. The roof cavities in most Belmont homes are workable, though not generous, and the flat blocks make the outdoor unit position straightforward. The exceptions are low pitch roofs and some of the older timber framed stock, which is why we get up and look before quoting.
Is it worth replacing a gas wall furnace with reverse cycle?
For most Belmont households, yes. You get cooling as well as heating from one appliance, the running cost is lower, and it removes a gas appliance from the house. Depending on what is being replaced it may also attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, which we check for your property.
My extension is always the coldest room. What is the fix?
Usually a split system in that room rather than extending the existing ducted system. Adding a long duct run to a system that was sized for the original house tends to reduce performance everywhere else. A split gives you independent control of the room that actually needs it.
Do you charge for a site visit in Belmont?
No. Site visits across Belmont and the rest of our Geelong service area are free and there is no obligation. We would rather look at the switchboard and the roof than give you a number we have to revise.
Is it worth insulating the ceiling before installing a system?
In a lot of Belmont homes, yes. Post war houses were built with little or no ceiling insulation, and where it was added later it has often settled. Topping it up reduces the capacity you need to buy and the running cost forever afterwards. We are not insulation installers, but we will tell you when it would change our sizing recommendation.
Get a quote in Belmont
Tell us roughly when the house was built and whether it has been renovated. In Belmont that pair of answers changes the sizing a lot.
A photo of the switchboard is genuinely useful here. It is the thing most likely to affect the price.
Site visits in Belmont are free and usually take under an hour.
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