Split System Air Conditioning: What Your Electrician Needs to Do

Split system air conditioners have become standard equipment in Sydney homes, providing both cooling in summer and heating through the cooler months. While the refrigeration and mechanical side of installation is done by a refrigeration mechanic, the electrical connection must be carried out by a licensed electrician. Here’s what that involves.

Why a Dedicated Circuit Is Required

Split systems draw significant current when the compressor starts — often 15A or more for a mid-sized unit. Australian Standard AS 3000 requires that air conditioners larger than 1.5kW are connected to a dedicated circuit — one that serves only that appliance. Connecting a split system to an existing general circuit is non-compliant and can cause nuisance tripping or, worse, sustained overloading of the circuit.

What the Electrical Installation Involves

Your electrician will run a new circuit from your switchboard to the indoor unit location, select the correct cable size for the unit’s current draw and circuit length, install the correct circuit breaker in the switchboard, and connect the supply wiring to the indoor unit (the refrigeration mechanic handles the inter-unit cabling between indoor and outdoor units). A Certificate of Compliance is issued on completion.

Switchboard Capacity

Adding a split system to your home adds load to your switchboard. If your board is older or already near capacity, a switchboard upgrade may be required to accommodate the new circuit. This should be assessed before you purchase the unit so costs can be budgeted properly.

Multi-Head Systems

Multi-head split systems (one outdoor unit connected to multiple indoor units) require a single, appropriately rated circuit to the outdoor unit. Your electrician should be involved in the planning of multi-head systems from the outset, as the circuit requirements are more complex and the switchboard impact is greater.

Three-Phase Power

Very large ducted or multi-zone systems may require three-phase power supply. If your home only has single-phase power, installing three-phase is possible but involves an upgrade to the main service — a more substantial project requiring coordination with Ausgrid.

Leenderts Electrical handles the electrical connection for split system installations across Sydney’s North Shore. Call 0407 743 963 to arrange your connection.