Port Melbourne has more styles of architecture crammed into a small area than most of Melbourne’s suburbs have managed to collect across the whole century. You can walk from old Victorian terrace houses, to converted waterfront warehouses, to sleek modern apartment blocks, to new families moving into their townhouses all within a stone’s throw of each other. That’s what makes Port Melbourne so interesting to live in, and also what makes installing ducted heating and cooling into one of these homes a real minefield compared to just plonking it in a standard suburban home. Any installation approach that works in one place will simply not cut it in another.
The Coastal Factor That Changes Hardware Choices
Being right on the coast has a really big impact on Port Melbourne’s summer temperatures. You only have to look at the Bureau of Meteorology records to see that coastal sea breezes knock a couple of degrees off the peak summer heat compared to the suburbs inland of Melbourne. That’s a big comfort on a scorching hot day, but Port Melbourne still sees its fair share of hot days, an average of eight to ten days per year where it hits 35 degrees or above. Which is why Port Melbourne ducted heating and cooling is still essential.
But the coast has another trick up its sleeve. The sea air is full of salt, and that wears away standard aluminium condenser coils at a rate that’s way faster than anywhere else. You can expect to see visible signs of corrosion within a couple of years to five years if you don’t take precautions. So it’s worth spec’ing out units with marine-grade coil coatings, or applying corrosion-resistant treatment when you install the system. It’s a lot easier to get it right in the first place than to have to repair or replace the system down the track.
Terrace Houses and the Ceiling Space Snag
If you’re living in one of the older Victorian or Edwardian terraces in Port Melbourne’s more historic streets, the roof structure might not be all that roomy inside. Standard ducted systems need about 350 to 400 millimetres of clear ceiling space throughout. But some of these old places have less than that, especially if someone’s come along and added extra structural bits or extra insulation that’s pinched the space to a fraction of what it used to be.
So when there’s not enough room in the ceiling for standard round ducting, you’ve got a few options. You could use slimmer duct profiles that don’t take up as much space, or you could go under-floor and route the ducts through the sub-floor space if that’s something you can access. Or you could mix and match and use a hybrid system that covers the bedrooms with ducted heating and cooling, but uses a high-wall split system to look after the main living areas. And if you live on one of the streets with heritage overlays, you’ll need to get permission from the City of Port Phillip before you can do any external work on the roofline, or you might end up having to do a whole lot of costly repairs.
Warehouse Conversions: When You Get the Volume Just Right (But Go Wrong)
Old warehouse spaces in Port Melbourne often have ceilings that just go on up and up, between four and six metres is not uncommon. And when it comes to heating and cooling, this high ceiling creates a real problem. Warm air just stratifies up there, so if you try to use standard ceiling-mounted supply grilles, you’re directing the air straight up into the stratosphere where your occupants aren’t. Low-velocity grilles are pretty much useless under these conditions, so you need to go with high-velocity outlets that will drive the air down into the space, and maybe even throw in a de-stratification fan to mix the air up and stop it just lying there in a warm, stagnant layer.
Apartments and the Strata Approval Conundrum
In most Port Melbourne apartments, any heating or cooling work involving building structure or common areas will necessitate owners corporation approval prior to commencement. Penetrations in the wall for refrigerant line runs, placing the outdoor unit on shared rooftops or façades, and any work involving shared walls or ceiling spaces normally entails making a formal application instead of just hiring the tradesperson. Installing the system without prior approval leaves one in a place where partial demolition may become necessary.
The split system installation in an apartment avoids the strata issues which the ducted installation will bring up. When choosing between systems, it makes sense for the owner of the apartment to know the rules of the owners corporation before deciding.
What Needs to Be Known Before Port Melbourne Site Assessment?
A thorough site assessment before installing a heating and cooling system in Port Melbourne should include:
- The depth of ceiling voids throughout the property.
- Access to roof space and any obstacles in it.
- Condenser placement options in relation to heritage laws and neighbouring houses.
- The capacity of the switchboard.
The property within a kilometre of the bay demands separate discussion regarding anti-corrosion treatment of external elements. When the contractor provides an estimate without seeing the property, he is guessing the variables.
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