Air Conditioning in Leopold
The gateway to the Bellarine, and one of the fastest growing parts of it. Mostly modern housing on slabs, which makes ducted straightforward and sizing predictable.
- Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dealer
- Ducted retrofits a speciality
- New build coordination
- Free site visits
A township that became an estate suburb
Leopold sits 11 kilometres east of Geelong and the same distance west of Drysdale, on the road onto the Bellarine. It was a small township for most of its history and has grown very quickly in the last two decades, with four large estates going in more or less at once: Kensington, Estuary, Debonair Heights and Gateway.
That growth means the housing here is younger than in most of Geelong. Slab on ground, brick veneer, truss roofs with usable cavities, and reasonably consistent construction. It is one of the easier suburbs we work in, because you can predict what you will find before you open the manhole.
Estate housing, 2005 onward
The bulk of the suburb. Well suited to zoned ducted, often with sufficient roof space and a switchboard that has capacity.
Original township housing
Older weatherboard and brick around the Melbourne Road strip. Smaller, older, and the stock most likely to need electrical work with a new system.
Homes near Lake Connewarre
The southern edge of the suburb sits near a Ramsar listed estuary. Damper air and more insects, which affects filter and coil maintenance intervals.
Some coastal influence
Leopold is not on the open coast, but it is close enough to Corio Bay and the estuary that salt is a mild factor on the eastern and southern edges.
What Leopold households ring us about
Because so much of the housing went up in a narrow window, the problems arrive in waves.
Builder grade systems reaching end of life
A lot of the estate homes went in with the cheapest compliant system. Fifteen years on, those are all failing at roughly the same time.
Ducting run but never used
Some homes were built with ducting for a gas heater that was never upgraded. Reusing serviceable duct can take thousands off a reverse cycle changeover.
New rooms and extensions
Estate homes that have grown a deck enclosure, a studio or a converted garage that the original system was never sized for.
Zoning that never worked properly
Zones set up at build without much thought, so the bedroom zone cannot run on its own without choking the unit. Often fixable without new equipment.
How we work out what a Leopold house needs
The consistency of the housing here means we can be efficient, but we still measure rather than assume.
1. Check what is already in the roof
Existing ducting, its condition and its sizing. On a fifteen year old estate home this is the single largest cost variable.
2. Measure the living area glazing
Estate homes vary a lot in how much north and west facing glass they have, even within the same street and the same builder.
3. Review the zone plan
If zoning already exists we check whether it was set up sensibly. Rezoning an existing system is sometimes all that is needed.
4. Assess the switchboard
Estate boards are usually modern and have capacity, but not always. We check rather than find out on install day.
Matching the problem to the work
The situations we see most often in Leopold, and what we would recommend.
Estate home, whole house comfort
Zoned ducted reverse cycle. The roof spaces and layouts here are about as well suited to it as anywhere in Geelong.
Estate home with existing gas ducting
Assess the duct. If it is sound, a reverse cycle changeover reusing it is significantly cheaper and gets you cooling as well.
Older township house
Splits or a multi head. The roof cavities in the older stock are less generous and the electrical work is more likely to be needed.
Converted garage or studio
A single split. It is nearly always cheaper and more effective than extending ducting into a space that was not part of the original design.
Builder grade system finally given up?
A lot of Leopold homes hit that point at once. Ring us and we will tell you whether the ducting is worth keeping.
Comparing quotes in Leopold
On a ducted changeover the biggest difference between quotes is usually what happens to the existing ductwork.
Is the existing ducting being reused or replaced?
This is the question. Reusing sound duct saves real money. Reusing crushed or poorly insulated duct saves money today and costs it every month afterwards.
How many zones, and can each run alone?
Zone sizing has to allow any single zone to operate without starving the unit. Ask whether that has been checked.
Is the return air being upgraded?
Older estate installs often have an undersized return. A new unit on an old return will be noisy and will underperform.
What is the electrical scope?
Confirm whether a dedicated circuit or switchboard work is included. On the newer estates it usually is not needed, which should be reflected in the price.
Replacing gas ducted heating with high efficiency reverse cycle may attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Eligibility depends on the existing unit, the property and the current program rules, so we check before quoting.
Leopold questions
Most relevant services here: ducted air conditioning. split system installation. home electrification.
Nearby: Drysdale, Ocean Grove, Belmont.
Can my existing gas ducting be used for reverse cycle?
Sometimes, and it is worth checking properly because it can take thousands off the job. The duct has to be the right size, intact, and with its insulation in reasonable condition. A lot of what we find in fifteen year old estate homes has been crushed by someone crawling through the roof. We inspect it and give you both prices.
Is Leopold easier to install ducted in than older suburbs?
Generally yes. The estate housing has truss roofs with usable cavities, slab on ground floors and modern switchboards, which removes most of the complications we deal with in Newtown or Geelong West. It is one of the more predictable suburbs we quote in.
How long is the wait for an installation?
Outside summer, usually one to three weeks for a ducted job. From December to February it stretches a long way, because Leopold rings at the same time as everywhere else. Autumn is the cheapest and quickest time to book.
Do you work with builders on new Leopold estates?
Yes. We work to the builder’s program on new homes, with rough in around frame stage and fit off later. Getting the duct layout designed rather than taking the builder default usually improves the result for very little extra.
Does the estuary affect equipment life?
Mildly. Homes on the southern edge near Lake Connewarre see damper air and more insect activity, which mainly affects how often filters and outdoor coils need cleaning. It is a maintenance interval question rather than an equipment specification one.
Get a quote in Leopold
Tell us the estate and roughly when the house was built. In Leopold that narrows the likely roof space and switchboard immediately.
If there is existing ducting, say so. Whether it can be reused is the biggest single variable in the price.
Site visits in Leopold are free and we will get in the roof before we quote anything ducted.
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