Evaporative Cooling in Geelong
Whole house cooling that costs very little to run, installed and serviced across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast.
- Installation, service and repair
- All brands serviced
- Cheap to run on dry heat
- Based in South Geelong
Cooling with water and outside air
An evaporative cooler sits on the roof, draws outside air through wet filter pads and pushes the cooled air down into ceiling outlets throughout the house. There is no refrigerant and no compressor, just a fan and a pump, which is why the running cost is a fraction of refrigerated cooling.
It suits a particular kind of household: people who like the house open, who want a lot of fresh air moving through, and whose main complaint is dry summer heat rather than muggy nights.
Big open houses
Evaporative moves a large volume of air, so it handles open plan living and high ceilings without the zoning arguments that come with ducted refrigerated.
Households that like fresh air
Every cubic metre is drawn from outside. There is no recirculation, which some people much prefer, particularly with pets in the house.
Homes with an existing heat source
If you already have gas ducted heating or reverse cycle splits, evaporative adds summer cooling cheaply without touching the heating.
Running cost sensitive homes
A fan and a pump. On a long hot week the difference in electricity against refrigerated ducted is significant.
What a good evaporative install looks like
Most of the evaporative systems we get called to repair have the same three faults, and all three were built in on day one.
A weatherproof roof penetration
The unit sits on the roof and the flashing has to be right. Leaks around evaporative units are the single most common defect we find on older installs.
Enough outlets, in the right rooms
Airflow is the whole product. Too few outlets, or outlets only in the hallway, gives you a windy corridor and warm bedrooms.
A relief path out of the house
The design assumes air can leave. We check the room by room path so you are not relying on one window at the far end of the house.
Water supply and drainage done properly
A dedicated water line, an accessible isolation valve and a drain that actually drains. It makes the annual service straightforward instead of a two hour job.
Installation and service
1. Assess the roof and the layout
Pitch, access, where the unit can sit and how many outlets the house needs. We also check what heating you have so you are not left short in winter.
2. Quote
Unit model and capacity, outlet count and positions, water and electrical work, and the price. Replacements on an existing outlet layout are quoted separately.
3. Install
Typically one day for a replacement on existing ductwork, one to two days for a new system with new outlets.
4. Commission and service plan
Airflow checked at each outlet, water and float set, and a reminder for the pre summer service so it keeps performing.
Evaporative unit not keeping up?
Most of them are fixable. Call and describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a service or a replacement.
What evaporative costs
Supplied and installed, including roof work, water connection and electrical.
Replacement unit, existing ducting
$3,200 to $5,500
New system, small home
$4,000 to $6,000
New system, average family home
$5,000 to $8,000
Large home, high outlet count
$7,500 to $11,000
Annual service and pad check
$180 to $320
Pad replacement set
$250 to $600
Indicative only and current at the time of writing. Evaporative cooling is not generally covered by the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which is aimed at high efficiency heating and hot water. We will tell you plainly if a rebate applies rather than implying one does.
And where evaporative is the wrong choice
Roof type and access
Tin roofs are quick. Tile roofs, steep pitches and two storey work take longer and sometimes need a lift or scaffold.
Outlet count
New outlets mean ceiling penetrations, duct runs and patching. Replacements on an existing outlet layout are far cheaper.
Humid days
This is a limitation, not a price. On the muggy days before a change, evaporative underperforms. If those days are the ones you care about, you want refrigerated cooling instead.
Water use
Cheap on power, not free on water. Over a hot Geelong summer the water cost is real, and worth factoring in when comparing against a reverse cycle system.
Where we work
Evaporative remains common through the northern and western suburbs of Geelong and out into the drier towns, where the summer heat arrives dry off the inland.
Closer to the coast we more often recommend refrigerated cooling, because the humidity that comes off Bass Strait is exactly what evaporative struggles with.
Areas we install and service
- Lara and Corio
- Grovedale and Belmont
- Waurn Ponds and Highton
- Geelong West and Leopold
Evaporative cooling questions
Evaporative is a good system in the right house and a frustrating one in the wrong house. Ask us which yours is.
Related: ducted refrigerated cooling and servicing and maintenance.
Does evaporative cooling work in Geelong?
For most of our summer, yes. Evaporative cooling works by evaporating water into the incoming air, so it performs best when the air is dry. Geelong’s hottest days usually arrive on a dry northerly off the inland, which is exactly the condition it likes. The days it disappoints are the humid ones ahead of a change off Bass Strait, and there are a handful of those each summer.
Do I have to leave windows open?
Yes, and that is not optional. Evaporative cooling pushes a continuous stream of outside air through the house, so it needs somewhere to go. Normally you open windows or doors in the rooms you are cooling. If you shut the house up, pressure builds, airflow drops and the system stops cooling properly.
How much does it cost to run?
Very little compared to refrigerated cooling, because the only significant electrical load is a fan and a small water pump. The trade off is water use, which is meaningful over a hot summer, and the fact that it cools rather than dehumidifies. On a per hour basis it is the cheapest cooling in the house.
Can I use it in winter?
No. Evaporative cooling is a cooling only system, so you still need a separate heat source. Plenty of Geelong homes run evaporative for summer and gas ducted or a reverse cycle split for winter. If you would rather have one system doing both, that is a reverse cycle conversation.
What maintenance does it need?
An annual service before summer: pads checked or replaced, the water tray drained and cleaned, the pump and float checked, the bearings and belt looked at, and the roof penetration inspected. Skipping it is how pads block up, water goes stale and the unit ends up pushing warm air. It is a small job and it makes a large difference.
Get an evaporative cooling quote
Tell us the suburb, the roof type and whether you already have ceiling outlets. Replacements on existing ducting are much cheaper than a fresh install.
If the existing unit is playing up, describe what it does and roughly how old it is. Often the fix is a service rather than a new unit.
Pre summer service bookings fill up from October, so earlier is better.
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