Air Conditioning in Corio
Post war housing north of the city, where running cost matters as much as comfort. Efficient systems, honest sizing and rebate applications handled properly.
- Rebate applications lodged for you
- All brands serviced
- Accredited Master Electrician
- Free site visits
Built for the factories, and built quickly
Corio sits about nine kilometres north of the Geelong CBD, built out through the 1950s and 60s around the Ford plant and the Shell refinery. Much of the housing went up as Housing Commission estates, to a standard designed for speed and volume rather than thermal performance.
It is also further from the water than the southern suburbs and gets less of the cooling sea breeze. The combination of thin building fabric and higher summer heat is why a system here has to work harder than one in Newtown to reach the same result.
Nineteen fifties and sixties estate housing
Timber framed and concrete panel construction, minimal or settled insulation, and windows that leak air. The fabric is the problem before the equipment is.
A high proportion of rentals
Many properties are tenanted. Rental providers have their own considerations and their own rebate conditions under the Victorian program.
Older switchboards
Ceramic fuses and no RCD protection are common in unrenovated properties. It is normal, and it is priced rather than discovered.
Hotter than the coastal suburbs
North of the city and away from the water. Summer afternoons here run warmer than Ocean Grove for the same forecast.
What Corio households ring us about
Running cost comes up in almost every conversation here, and it should.
Old electric storage hot water
Very common in Corio, and the single most expensive appliance in a lot of these houses. A heat pump replacement is usually the largest available saving.
Heating that costs too much to run
Old resistive heaters and gas wall furnaces. Reverse cycle costs a fraction to run for the same heat, which matters a great deal on a tight budget.
Systems that cannot keep up
Undersized units fitted cheaply, working against a poorly insulated building fabric. We size to the actual house rather than the cheapest number.
Landlord and tenant coordination
Repairs and replacements where the tenant needs the system and the owner authorises the work. We handle both ends.
How we work out what a Corio house needs
We spend more time on running cost here than on capacity, because that is the thing that actually decides whether a system gets used.
1. Work out what it will cost to run
Not just what it costs to install. A cheap system that is expensive to run is not a saving in a house where the bill matters.
2. Check the rebate position early
Corio has a lot of old electric hot water and old heating, which is exactly what the Victorian Energy Upgrades program is aimed at. We check eligibility before quoting.
3. Assess the switchboard
In unrenovated properties this usually needs work. We price it in rather than raising it later.
4. Size for the fabric you actually have
Thin insulation means more capacity for the same room. Pretending otherwise produces a system that never gets there.
Matching the problem to the work
What we would normally recommend for Corio properties.
Old electric storage hot water
A heat pump replacement. It is normally the largest single reduction in an electricity bill available, and it has the strongest rebate position.
Gas wall furnace or resistive heating
Reverse cycle splits in the rooms that matter. Cheaper to run, and you get cooling in the same appliance.
Whole house on a limited budget
Two or three splits sized properly beats one ducted system stretched thin. It also lets you heat only the room you are in.
Rental property
Robust equipment with simple controls and a service schedule. Rental providers have their own conditions under the rebate program, which we check.
Old electric hot water tank out the back?
That is usually the biggest saving available in a Corio house. Ring us and we will check where you stand.
Comparing quotes in Corio
When the running cost matters, the cheapest quote is often not the cheapest system.
What will it cost to run?
Ask. A cheaper unit that draws more power costs you every month for a decade. The difference over a system’s life is usually larger than the difference in the quote.
Is the rebate position stated in writing?
A quote that shows a discounted price without saying what the discount depends on is a quote you cannot rely on.
Is switchboard work included?
In older Corio properties this is frequently needed. A quote that excludes it will find it on install day.
Is the sizing right for this house?
A system sized as though the house were insulated will disappoint. Ask what the capacity was calculated against.
Replacing old electric or gas hot water with a heat pump, or inefficient heating with reverse cycle, may attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Eligibility depends on the equipment, the property, whether it is rented, and the current program rules, all of which we check before quoting.
Corio questions
Most relevant services here: heat pump hot water. split system installation. VEU rebate applications.
Nearby: Lara, Geelong West.
What is the cheapest way to heat a Corio house?
Reverse cycle, by a wide margin. It moves heat rather than making it, so it delivers several units of heat for every unit of electricity. Compared with a resistive heater it is roughly a third to a quarter of the running cost for the same warmth. In a poorly insulated house the saving is even more noticeable because you are running the heater more.
I rent. Can anything be done?
Talk to your rental provider or agent, because the work has to be authorised by the owner. We work with a number of agents around Geelong and can quote directly to them. The Victorian Energy Upgrades program does include conditions covering rental properties, which we can explain to whoever is making the decision.
Will a rebate cover the whole cost?
No, and anyone telling you it will is not being straight with you. It reduces the installed cost of eligible upgrades, sometimes substantially, but it does not make the job free. The amount depends on what is being replaced, what is going in, the property and the current program rules. We confirm your position in writing before you commit.
Is it worth insulating before installing?
In a lot of Corio houses, yes. Ceiling insulation that has settled or was never installed properly means you need more capacity and more running cost forever afterwards. We are not insulation installers, but we will tell you when it would change our recommendation.
Do you come out to Corio and Norlane?
Yes, daily. Corio, Norlane and North Shore are all in our normal service run and site visits are free. There is no travel charge for anywhere in the main Geelong service area.
Get a quote in Corio
Tell us what heating and hot water you have now and roughly how old they are. That decides both the recommendation and the rebate position.
If you are a rental provider or an agent, tell us your approval threshold and we will quote against it.
Site visits in Corio are free and we will give you a running cost comparison, not just a price.
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