Air Conditioning in Highton
Up on the hill, established, and full of larger homes on sloping blocks. Highton is ducted territory, with all the access complications that hillside houses bring.
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dealer
- Ducted and multi head specialists
- Split level and two storey work
- Free site visits
On the hill above the Barwon
Highton sits on rising ground south west of the river, running up toward Wandana Heights. It is one of Geelong’s established, well regarded suburbs, and the housing reflects that: substantial homes, generous blocks, and a lot of building from the 1960s through to the present.
The topography is the thing that shapes our work here. Sloping blocks mean split level homes, retaining walls, upper storeys and outdoor unit positions that are rarely as simple as a flat pad by the back door.
Nineteen sixties to eighties brick veneer
The core of the suburb. Large by the standards of their era, often with big living room windows facing the view rather than facing north.
Split level and two storey homes
Very common on the slope. They stratify badly, with a hot upper level and a cool lower one, and that is a design problem rather than a capacity problem.
Wandana Heights and newer building
Larger modern homes, generally well insulated but with substantial glazing and high ceilings that need real capacity.
Views, and the glass that comes with them
Highton homes are frequently oriented for the outlook. That often means west facing living room glass, which is the hardest load to cool.
What Highton households ring us about
The hill produces its own set of problems, and they are consistent enough that we recognise them from the phone call.
Upstairs that will not cool and downstairs that will not warm
Classic split level stratification. Adding capacity rarely fixes it. Zoning, return air placement or a separate system for the upper level usually does.
Ducted systems at end of life
A lot of Highton went ducted early. Twenty year old units with reusable ducting are one of our most common jobs in this suburb.
West facing living rooms
Rooms designed around a view that happens to face the afternoon sun. Sizing has to account for it and external shading helps more than people expect.
Outdoor unit placement on a slope
Retaining walls, narrow side paths and level changes. Where the unit can go is genuinely a design decision here, not an afterthought.
How we work out what a Highton house needs
On a sloping block the site visit does more work than usual, because photos do not tell you what a level change means for a pipe run.
1. Walk the levels
Which rooms are on which level, how they connect, and where the warm air ends up. This is what decides the zoning plan on a split level home.
2. Measure the view glazing
West and north facing glass in a Highton living room is usually the dominant load. It gets measured, not estimated.
3. Find a workable outdoor unit position
Level, clearance, access for service, and noise to the neighbour. On a narrow sloping block this can take longer than the rest of the assessment.
4. Check the existing ducting if there is any
Older Highton homes often have ducting worth keeping. Whether it can be reused decides several thousand dollars.
Matching the problem to the work
What we would normally recommend for the situations we see here.
Large single level home
Zoned ducted reverse cycle. Highton’s roof spaces are generally good and the homes are big enough to justify it.
Split level or two storey
Either a zoned ducted system designed around the levels, or a ducted system downstairs with a multi head serving the upper level. We will price both.
Twenty year old ducted unit
Unit replacement, with the ducting assessed rather than assumed. It is usually the best value job available in this suburb.
One hot room with a view
A single split, sized for the glazing rather than the floor area. Cheaper than upsizing the whole system to fix one room.
Upstairs unbearable and downstairs freezing?
That is a design problem, not a capacity problem. Ring us and we will explain what actually fixes it.
Comparing quotes in Highton
On a sloping block, the things left out of a quote are usually the things the slope caused.
Where exactly is the outdoor unit going?
On a sloping block this is not a detail. Ask for the position in writing, and ask what happens if that position turns out not to work.
How are the levels being handled?
A quote for a split level home that does not mention zoning or the upper level has not addressed the actual problem.
Is the ducting being reused?
If it is a replacement, ask whether the existing duct was inspected and what its condition was. Not whether it is being reused, but what state it is in.
Are access costs included?
Retaining walls, level changes and two storey work all add labour. A quote that has not accounted for them will find them on the day.
Replacing older gas or inefficient electric heating with high efficiency reverse cycle may attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Eligibility depends on the equipment, the property and current program rules, which we check for you.
Highton questions
Most relevant services here: ducted air conditioning. multi head systems. hydronic heating.
Nearby: Newtown, Waurn Ponds, Belmont.
Why is my upstairs so much hotter than downstairs?
Warm air rises and split level homes let it. Adding capacity to a single system usually makes the lower level uncomfortable before it fixes the upper one. The real fixes are zoning the levels separately, moving or adding return air at high level, or running a separate system for upstairs. We will tell you which of those applies to your layout.
Can ducted be installed in a split level house?
Usually yes, but it needs designing rather than fitting. The fan coil position, the duct routing between levels and the zone plan all have to account for the level changes. It is more work at design stage and it is the difference between a system that works and one that does not.
Is Highton’s ducting usually worth reusing?
Often, because much of it was installed to a decent standard originally. What kills it is people crawling through the roof and crushing it, or insulation that has degraded. We get up and look at every run rather than judging it from the manhole.
Do you handle the electrical work on older Highton homes?
Yes. We are an Accredited Master Electrician and registered with Energy Safe Victoria, so switchboard upgrades, new circuits and consumer mains work are done by our own people under the same job. On 1960s and 1970s homes this is regularly needed.
How do you decide where the outdoor unit goes on a sloping block?
We look for a position that is level or can be made level, has clearance for airflow, is accessible for future servicing, and is not pointed at a neighbour’s bedroom window. On a narrow Highton block those four requirements sometimes conflict, and it is better to work that out at quote stage.
Get a quote in Highton
Tell us whether the house is single level, split level or two storey. In Highton that is the first thing that shapes the answer.
A photo of the side of the house and any retaining walls saves us guessing about the outdoor unit position.
If there is an existing ducted system, tell us roughly how old it is. Whether the ducting survives is worth several thousand dollars either way.
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