Air conditioning
Who does what when a new air conditioner goes in
A new split system or ducted system often brings two trades to the house on install day: the air conditioning technician and an electrician. Which of them does each part comes down to the refrigerant and the switchboard.
5 min read
The short answer
Who does which part
A typical home install, split system or ducted, broken into its jobs.
| The job | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Looking at the rooms, the wall or roof space, where the outdoor unit goes and the switchboard | Air conditioning technician, at the site visit before the quote |
| Mounting the indoor and outdoor units | Air conditioning technician |
| Running the refrigerant pipework between the units and testing it for leaks | Air conditioning technician. Handling refrigerant takes a refrigerant handling licence |
| A new circuit, breaker or safety switch at the switchboard | Licensed electrician |
| Bringing an old board up to date, such as replacing ceramic fuses | Licensed electrician |
| The cable between the switchboard and the system | Depends on the job and on what each trade’s licence covers |
| Starting the system, checking it runs properly and showing you the controls | Air conditioning technician, once the power is on |
In NSW an air conditioning licence also covers some electrical work tied to the system itself. The switchboard stays with the electrician.
Does your air conditioner install need an electrician?
Usually, if the system is going into a room that has never had one. Most fixed air conditioners run on a dedicated circuit with their own breaker at the switchboard, so a first install generally needs that circuit added. A replacement that goes onto the old system’s circuit may need no switchboard work at all, provided the circuit suits the new unit.
The age of the board matters too. An older board with ceramic fuses or no safety switches is worth bringing up to date while the electrician is there. A safety switch protects people from electric shock, while a circuit breaker protects the wiring.
Big ducted systems are the other case to watch, because a large one can need more supply than an older house has. Find that out before you settle on a system. Our guide to choosing a ducted or split system covers the rest of that decision.
We look at the switchboard and the run out to the outdoor unit at the site visit, so you know before the quote whether the job needs an electrician. If it does and you do not already have one, ask us. The local electrician we work alongside is Nick Wade Electrical, a licensed Illawarra sparky who takes care of the switchboard side of a new air conditioner: the circuit, the breaker and the safety switch.
Why the electrician and the installer come on the same day
Nobody can start or test a new air conditioner until its power is on. On a job that needs switchboard work, getting that power to it is the electrician’s part.
Commissioning comes at the end of install day. The technician runs the system, checks it heats and cools as it should and walks you through the controls. If the electrician comes a few days later, the new system sits there unable to run and someone has to come back to finish the job. With both trades there on the same day, the house only gets disrupted once and the system works from the day it goes in.
On our own home installs that need an electrician, we talk to them before the day and set the times so both trades are there on the same day. Our page on air conditioning installation in Wollongong sets out the rest of an install, from the site visit to the two maintenance visits included in the first year.
On a renovation or new build, bring both trades in early
On a renovation or a new build, any pipework or cable that runs inside the walls and ceilings has to go in before the plasterboard does. A ducted system needs planning around the roof space for the same reason. Get both trades in while the frame is still open.
Builders bring us in at that stage and we fit the piping and commissioning around their program. There is more on how that works on our air conditioning for builders page.
Common questions
- Do you need an electrician to install a split system?
- Usually, when it is the first system in that room. Most split systems run on a dedicated circuit with their own breaker and adding a circuit at the switchboard is an electrician’s work. A replacement going onto a suitable existing circuit may not need one. We check the switchboard at the site visit.
- Can an aircon installer do the electrical work?
- Some of it. In NSW an air conditioning licence covers electrical work tied to the system itself, such as disconnecting, reconnecting and testing its electrical parts. Work at the switchboard, including a new circuit, breaker or safety switch, is for a licensed electrician.
- Does an air conditioner need its own circuit?
- Most fixed air conditioners do. A split or ducted system normally runs on a dedicated circuit with its own breaker at the switchboard and the installation manual for each model sets out what that circuit needs. A portable unit that plugs into a power point is the exception.
- Who should I call first, the electrician or the air conditioning installer?
- The air conditioning installer. The system you choose sets what the switchboard has to supply, so the installer’s site visit tells you whether you need an electrician and for what. Then both trades can come on the same day.