Ask for the technician’s refrigerant handling licence number before anything else, then check it yourself. The rest of the questions below help you sort the good installers from the rest.
A split system looks simple: a box on the wall, a box outside, pipes between them. The quality lives in what you never see, like how the pipework was joined, whether the system was pulled into a vacuum before the gas went through, and how the power was run. You can’t inspect that afterwards, so the questions come before you book.
1. Who will actually handle the refrigerant, and what licence do they hold?
In Australia, anyone who handles refrigerant has to hold a refrigerant handling licence issued by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC), under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995. The business that buys and holds the gas needs a separate refrigerant trading authorisation.
The licence type matters too. According to the ARC, the restricted split system licence covers installing and decommissioning a single-head split system under 18kW. Anything beyond that, such as a multi-head system or a ducted unit, needs the full refrigeration and air conditioning licence. So if you’re getting ducted put in, ask which licence the person on site holds, not just whether “the company is licensed”.
You don’t need to take their word for it. The ARC’s consumer site, Look for the Tick, has a licence check for technicians and a search for authorised businesses. It takes a couple of minutes.
2. Who does the electrical work?
A hard-wired air conditioner needs a licensed electrician for the fixed wiring. Some aircon businesses have electricians on staff, some subcontract it, and some leave it to you. Ask which, and ask whether you will get the electrical compliance certificate your state requires once the job is done.
An older switchboard can turn a simple job into a bigger one. Our guide to the electrical side of an aircon install explains the dedicated circuit and isolator before the quote arrives.
3. How did you work out the size?
A good installer asks about the room before they name a kW figure: the floor area, ceiling height, which way the windows face, how much insulation is in the roof, and whether the room opens into another space. If someone quotes a size over the phone without asking any of that, they are guessing.
An undersized unit runs flat out and never quite gets there. An oversized one cycles on and off and leaves the room feeling clammy. Our guide to sizing a home air conditioner covers what goes into that number, so you can tell whether the installer has done the sums.
4. Where exactly will each unit go, and how long is the pipe run?
Ask them to point to the spot on the wall for the indoor head and the spot outside for the condenser. Then ask how the pipes, drain and cable will get from one to the other. The answer tells you whether they have actually looked at your house.
Placement affects airflow, noise for you and the neighbours, and how easily the unit can be serviced. If the quote says “standard back-to-back install” and your units can’t physically go back to back, the price will move on the day.
5. What’s included in the quote, and what isn’t?
Two quotes can look comparable and still describe different jobs. Check each one for:
- Pipe length: how many metres are included, and what extra metres cost.
- Electrical work: whether a new circuit and isolator are in the price or listed as “by others”.
- Mounting: wall brackets, a ground slab, or roof mounting, and who supplies them.
- Drainage: where the condensate goes, and whether a pump is needed.
- Old unit: whether removal includes recovering the refrigerant properly.
- Make and model: the exact model number, not just a brand and a kW rating.
6. What warranty comes with the installation itself?
The manufacturer’s warranty covers the unit. The installer’s workmanship warranty covers their work. They are separate. The ARC’s own consumer guidance names a void product warranty as one of the risks of using someone unlicensed.
Ask how long the workmanship warranty runs, what it covers, and who you call if something goes wrong. Our article on what quietly voids an aircon warranty has the details.
7. What happens on the day?
A proper installer will tell you roughly how long they need, what access they need inside and out, and what they do before they leave. That last part should include pressure testing the pipework, evacuating the system, running it and showing you how to use it.
Red flags in a cheap quote
A low price isn’t automatically a bad one. But watch for these:
- Cash only, no licence number: there’s no paper trail to chase if the job fails.
- A price with no site visit or photos: they haven’t seen the job, so the price will change.
- “Supply and install” with no model number: you don’t know what you’re getting.
- Electrical work left vague: someone still has to wire it legally, and that cost lands somewhere.
- Pressure to decide today: a real quote stays valid long enough for you to check the licence.
The ARC notes that refrigerant leaking from a poor install is bad for the environment and for how the system performs.
If you’re in Melbourne and want a comparison point, Beyond Heating and Cooling handles air conditioning installation around Melbourne. Put these seven questions to them and to anyone else you’re considering, and book the installer who answers them clearly.
