Inner West, NSW
Split System Air Conditioning Inner West
Splits do most of the cooling in the Inner West, from one head in a hot terrace bedroom to a 3-head multi running off a single balcony condenser in an Ashfield walk-up. We sort the pipe route, the outdoor position and any strata paperwork before the price is set.
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Local knowledge
Splits for terraces, semis and walk-up flats
On a terrace or semi, the question is where the pipes can go. Newtown terraces share both side walls, so refrigerant lines and drains run front to back or up through the roof, and the condenser ends up in the courtyard or on a bracket over the rear lane. Leichhardt semis have one free side, but the side passage is often under a metre wide, so we measure the outdoor unit against the gap before quoting. Because the neighbour's bedroom can be a single brick away, we mount on rubber isolation and keep the condenser off the party wall. Raised timber floors in the older cottages let us run pipework and drains underneath instead of across the brickwork.
The walk-ups are a different job. Ashfield has some of the densest apartment stock in Sydney, and in its 1960s and 70s three-storey blocks the floors are concrete and the walls solid brick. Pipe and drain go out through the balcony wall to a condenser on the balcony or a bracket on the outside wall, and both are common property, so the owners corporation signs off first. We supply the drawings and unit specifications the committee asks for. The newer towers near the station and Liverpool Rd often have a nominated condenser spot and drain point, which speeds the install but fixes the unit size. The interwar blocks off Marrickville Rd in Dulwich Hill and near Summer Hill station follow the same approval path.
When only one outdoor position is available, a multi-head split is the usual answer. In a two-storey Balmain or Annandale terrace that means a head in the living room and one in each upstairs bedroom, all fed from a condenser on the rear wall. In an apartment it means the bedrooms and living area run from the one balcony unit the strata allows. West-facing glass is the load to watch: new apartments around Dulwich Hill station and in the Flour Mill precinct beside Hawthorne Canal take full afternoon sun, and a developer-supplied unit sized for the floor area alone often cannot keep up.
Scope of work & pricing
What's included, and what moves the price
A single-head split, installed, is $1,800–$3,200, which covers a terrace bedroom, the front room of a semi or the living area of a walk-up flat. A multi-head system with 3 heads is $5,500–$8,500, the usual choice for a two-storey terrace or a unit where the balcony takes only one condenser. Wall brackets, pipe runs through the house and the drawings your strata needs are included in the fixed quote. A $99 in-home check of a terrace pipe route or balcony position is deducted from the install.
What this service includes
- On-site mounting review (wall, outdoor location, refrigerant line path)
- Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric or Fujitsu inverter indoor head + outdoor unit
- Refrigerant lines run through wall cavity (no exposed conduit unless unavoidable)
- Condensate drain to eave or stormwater point
- Wall bracket or slab for outdoor unit (where required)
- Electrical connection to existing GPO or dedicated circuit
- Vacuum and refrigerant charge per manufacturer spec
- Wireless remote, controller walkthrough, warranty registration
What moves the price up or down
- Indoor head capacity (2.5kW, 3.5kW, 5kW, 7.1kW, 8kW+)
- Single-head vs multi-head (number of indoor units sharing one outdoor)
- Refrigerant line length (longer runs = more pipework + gas)
- Outdoor unit mounting (wall bracket adds labour + materials)
- Wall material (brick / weatherboard / fibro / double-storey reach)
- Existing power supply (new circuit vs existing GPO)
- Strata or heritage compliance requirements
- After-hours or weekend install premium
Not included (quoted separately if needed)
- Plaster repair around indoor head if mounting requires it
- Painting after install
- Strata application paperwork (we can supply specs; lodgement is yours)
- Brick / masonry core-drilling beyond standard wall penetration
- Decorative line covers (white plastic conduit), quoted separately
- Annual servicing (sold separately as a maintenance plan)
Process
How a split job runs in Inner West
- 01
Site visit & system match
We measure the room, check wall and outdoor mounting options, and recommend a Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric or Fujitsu model sized to the space, not oversized.
- 02
Install booking
Most single-head installs are done in a day. Multi-head installs (3–4 heads) usually run 1.5–2 days.
- 03
Installation
Indoor head mounted, outdoor unit on a wall bracket or slab, refrigerant lines through the wall cavity, condensate drain to the eave.
- 04
Commissioning
Vacuum and charge per manufacturer spec, controller walkthrough, warranty registration.
Your suburb
Split System Air Conditioning by suburb in Inner West
Every Inner West suburb has its own page with local pricing notes and questions.
- Split System Air Conditioning Annandale
- Split System Air Conditioning Ashfield
- Split System Air Conditioning Balmain
- Split System Air Conditioning Dulwich Hill
- Split System Air Conditioning Haberfield
- Split System Air Conditioning Leichhardt
- Split System Air Conditioning Marrickville
- Split System Air Conditioning Newtown
- Split System Air Conditioning Rozelle
- Split System Air Conditioning Stanmore
- Split System Air Conditioning Summer Hill
Frequently asked
Common questions about split system air conditioning in Inner West
What does my strata need before a split goes on an Ashfield balcony?
Usually a written request with the proposed condenser position, the pipe route through the balcony wall, the drain point and the unit's dimensions and noise figures. The balcony and the external wall are both common property, so the owners corporation has to approve it. We prepare that paperwork for you, and if the building already has a standard position for outdoor units, we design to it so approval is simpler.
My Leichhardt semi has a very narrow side passage. Will an outdoor unit fit?
Often, but we check with a tape measure rather than guess. A compact condenser on a wall bracket, high enough to walk under, or a spot at the rear corner of the house often solves it. If the passage is too tight, the rear yard is the fallback. We also keep the unit off the shared wall so the neighbours do not hear it at night.
Can one outdoor unit cool a two-storey terrace?
Yes, with a multi-head split. One condenser on the rear wall or in the courtyard feeds up to three heads, typically the living room downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. The pipework runs up the back of the terrace or through the roof, never across the heritage frontage. It is often the practical choice where the slate roof is too low for ducting, and it costs $5,500–$8,500 installed with 3 heads.
My new apartment came with a condenser spot but no air conditioner. What now?
That is common in the newer blocks around Ashfield station, Marrickville Metro and Dulwich Hill. The nominated spot and drain point make the install quicker, but they limit the size and number of outdoor units. We check the building's rules and the space, then choose a unit or multi-head that fits it. For west-facing living rooms we size for the afternoon sun on the glass, not just the floor area.
Will a split be noisy for the neighbour through our shared wall?
Not if it is placed properly. Terrace and semi party walls carry vibration, so the outdoor unit goes on the free side, the rear wall or the courtyard floor, on rubber mounts, and never on the shared wall itself. Indoor heads are quiet inverter units, and we route pipework so it does not rattle against brickwork. Placement is planned at the quote, not decided on the day.
For general costs, options and how the work is carried out, read our split system air conditioning guide.
More in Inner West
Other services across Inner West
- Ducted Air Conditioning Inner West
- Air Conditioning Repairs Inner West
- Air Conditioning Servicing & Maintenance Inner West
- Air conditioning Inner West: all suburbs
For citywide information, see split system air conditioning in Sydney.
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