Ducted Air Conditioning Smithfield

Local knowledge

Ducted in Smithfield homes

Ducted in Smithfield depends on what is above the ceiling. The 1950s fibro cottages have low-pitched roofs and shallow cavities, and we say plainly when a full-size fan coil will not fit rather than jamming one in; a slimline unit or a multi-head split is the honest alternative. The 1960s brick homes are a different story, with enough roof space for a compact ducted system from ~$11,000 that zones the bedrooms away from the living area, and they benefit from the ceiling batts we recommend at the same time. On the deep Smithfield blocks the condenser goes down the side of the house, away from the Cumberland Highway or the Yennora rail yard side where the dust arrives, and the pipe run to a rear-facing living area is included in the fixed price.

The granny flat changes the ducted design more than anything else here. A single ducted system stretched to cover both buildings is a poor result, so the main house takes the ducted or multi-head and the flat gets its own split, each on its own circuit, so the household or the tenant can run and pay for their own space. Smithfield's climate makes both systems earn their keep: runs of 35–40°C days with dry westerlies and no breeze, evenings kept warm by the estate and rail-yard hardstand all around, then winter nights near zero when the same reverse-cycle system heats the cottage. Ducted running cost is roughly $1–$2 per hour whole-home, and with the bedroom zone shut during the day a 1960s Smithfield home runs on much less.