If you’ve had summer in Melbourne, you know it likes to keep you on your toes. One day it’s 40+ degrees Celsius, and the next it’s a cool change coming off the bay. This kind of climate creates challenges for creating comfort in your home, especially if that home happens to be in a suburb such as Brunswick, where the buildings are historic and varied, ranging from narrow Victorian-style terraced houses to converted warehouses.
I’ve lived in many of these buildings throughout the years, and I’ve discovered that getting the right air conditioning setup can make a huge difference. Here are the things that really matter when it comes to living in comfort in Brunswick.
Read more:
1. Air Conditioner Maintenance: Expectation vs Reality
2. 7 Tips For Hiring The Best Air Conditioning Services
Brunswick Homes Have a Few Quirks of Their Own
Brunswick has an unmistakably historical feel to it. Take a walk along one of the streets branching off of Lygon and Albion, and you’ll pass a wide array of buildings – single fronted worker’s cottages, double brick Edwardian era residences and converted warehouse spaces. These kinds of homes certainly have their charm, but there are a few issues associated with them once you start to think about keeping them cool.
Many of these homes were built before the concept of insulation existed, which means that they’re going to take on whatever temperatures happen to be outside of them and transfer it inside. Not only do many of these homes retain the hot temperatures of summer, but they lose the warm temperature of the house in winter as well. Moreover, much of Brunswick is covered by heritage overlays, and you cannot attach an air conditioner to the facade of the building without special permission. The kind of system that works well for a brand-new development home in a greenfield area simply won’t cut it.
Choosing the Right Cooling Solution for Your Home
There’s no universal solution for all homes, and the differences between them are greater than one might expect. Split air conditioning solutions are effective for individual rooms and are cheaper when you only need to cool some of your rooms.
The problem with ducted cooling is that it is expensive to install and operate, but it distributes the cooled air evenly throughout the entire home. Evaporative cooling uses external air and cools it using water; this solution is perfect for the hot, dry climate of Melbourne’s summer and very cheap to operate, except on the days when humidity reaches high levels. Finally, reverse cycle air conditioning has the ability to heat your home in winter months and is very cost-effective as well.
The key to making the right choice for your particular situation lies in hiring a trusted air conditioning technicians in Brunswick. Letting experienced air conditioning technicians walk through your home and give you an estimate of your options leads to much better results than trying to guess based on the information in a catalog.
Why Quality Installation Trumps Cheaper Alternatives
It is hard not to love a bargain and I totally understand the temptation of going for the cheapest quote. However, in case of air conditioning, installation is the key. Choosing an undersized unit means letting it run at maximum capacity when the weather gets really hot and never being satisfied with the result.
Choosing an oversized unit means subjecting your system to constant cycling, which is both uneconomical and shortening the lifespan of your AC. The place of installation is also very important, as a mislocated indoor head will provide uneven cooling no matter how you adjust the remote control.
Quality professionals put in a lot of effort during installation, measuring the rooms correctly, making everything airtight and setting the system up to operate efficiently. It costs more initially, but saves a great deal of money throughout many years of operation. This principle works in many other renovation jobs as well, especially when it comes to home improvement, when skipping something at the beginning ends up costing much more money in the long run.
How to Minimize the Running Cost
High prices for electricity in Melbourne prompt people to be more careful when it comes to energy efficiency. The good news is that choosing and installing a proper system does the trick itself in most cases. In addition to that, a number of measures help to minimize costs significantly.
Setting the thermostat to an appropriate level instead of trying to get too cold or too hot, since every extra degree costs money in summertime. Drawing curtains during the hottest part of the day so that your AC doesn’t need to fight the sun shining through the front windows. Cooling only used rooms and shutting the doors of unused ones.
Sustainability Victoria website offers a lot of practical and easy-to-follow advice on economical operation of heating and cooling system and sometimes, state energy upgrade programs pay part of the costs of purchasing a new, efficient AC. Research the available options before buying because rebates change every year and a small investigation might save you hundreds of dollars.
Signs That Your AC System Needs Replacement
Many houses in Brunswick still work with an old, worn out box that has served through dozens of seasons. Your old system may need replacing if it makes a lot of noise, has leaks, has a moldy smell or does not provide efficient cooling even under full load. Old air conditioners waste energy and there is no point in repairing them, as refrigerants are prohibited now.
Technicians will give you a proper evaluation and tell you whether repairing is the right option for your situation or it would be better to replace the old unit with a new, efficient one that will pay for itself through lower electricity bills. According to the guidelines provided by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, energy efficient household appliances help to reduce operating cost. Replacing the unit allows you to fix any mistakes the previous installer made, whether it was mislocation of the indoor head or inefficient ducts.
Taking Care of Your Existing System
The most efficient system still requires some maintenance. Air filters become clogged by dust in just one season, and an inefficient filter makes the system work hard for nothing. Regular cleaning or replacement will help you save not only money on energy bills but also keep you from breathing dirty air. Service booked before summer gives a chance for a technician to check for a broken component or insufficient refrigerant level in advance, preventing a breakdown when the outside temperature hits 38 degrees.
Also, pay attention to any unusual sounds, changes in air flow, or unexpected increase in your bills. Small issues can be fixed immediately and you won’t have to deal with major problems. If you have plans to do some decoration of your house and want to learn more about home interior and design, Homoper can provide you with useful information.
A House Where Weather Never Interferes
Brunswick is a great place to live with a unique atmosphere, rich history, and charming houses. All these things require extra care and effort during every weather change that takes place in Melbourne. Choose the system that will really match your home, hire local installers, and take proper care of it, and then you’ll curse the forecast much less and enjoy your home much more. Melbourne’s weather will continue being unstable, no matter what. But your house doesn’t have to go along.
