Think ‘Smart’ Before Installing Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning

Think ‘Smart’ Before Installing Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning

Installing a new reverse cycle air conditioning system is a significant investment and one of the biggest ticket items for newly built homes – but with a bit of ‘smart’ thinking, you can save yourself loads of cash in the long run.

At iZone we come across customers every day who have had to lay out unnecessary costs to upgrade their air conditioning system because they weren’t across all of their options at the time of install.

While iZone prides itself on being able to retrofit existing ducted air con systems with smart technology, we don’t like seeing our customers paying more than they should.

Here is what you need to know before installing your new ducted reverse cycle air conditioning.

Buyers Beware

It’s commonplace with new homes for the builder to include an option for ducted reverse cycle air conditioning. It may be included as part of your package or as what appears to be a reasonably priced add on.

Unfortunately, it is also just as common for the air-con system to be a basic model resulting in the following issues:

• Undersized – the air conditioning unit is not sized for optimal performance and efficiency of your property and not designed to accommodate the unique needs and lifestyles of individual families.
• Not fully zoned – in order to keep the price as low as possible, you are offered two or three zones when the system for most homes should be eight to 10 zones.
• It has poor outdated controllers – they lack basic new technology like WiFi/4G and air-flow control. You may even have two controllers on the wall instead of one all-inclusive controller.
• Higher running costs – they often will only operate with single averaging thermostats, which results in increased running costs
• The systems are not automation-ready – homeowners and modern families these days have an expectation of having smart technology in their homes. These standard systems normally need to be discarded entirely and then replaced with a smart home ready controller.

The last point is the biggest problem we encounter. Without the right system in place, you won’t be able to control your air-con system using WiFi, mobile devices, or voice commands.

A Small Spend Offers Big Future Savings

Did you know that you can install a modern smart controller like iZone at the time of building your new home, for just a few hundred dollars more than a basic air-con system?

Not only will you get all of the performance and efficiency features of a state-of-the-art air conditioning system, but you will also save more than if you decided to upgrade your system later.

iZone smart controllers enable you to control up to 14 different zones, setting each area to the exact temperature and air distribution you want. Our automation features mean you only heat or cool the areas you need when you need them, ultimately reducing running costs.

Via our iZone Apple or Android app, or voice connected devices like Google Home, you can monitor and control your air conditioner remotely.

The Cost of Upgrading Later

While it is possible to upgrade or retrofit compatible ducted air conditioning systems with smart control technology, there are higher costs than if you had installed iZone from the outset.

Typically, you will need to pay upwards of $1000-$1500 to upgrade your system as it usually involves the following labour and material costs:

• Discarding the old controller and patching the wall
• Adding WiFi to a system that may not have WiFi enabled parts
• Installing extra zones to a system with very few zones in the first place
• Changing duct layouts to add in additional zones.

Find out more about our smart air conditioning solutions for new home builds and air-con installation.