00
Tell us the house and the question
Call or message with the basics - house type, rooms, what you are weighing up. Two minutes of context makes the advice worth having.
The honest answer from a crew that installs both. Short version: splits for rooms, ducted for whole homes.
Ducted or Split System: Which Is Right for Your Home?
Ducted vs Split
The Straight Answer
Splits cool rooms. Ducted cools houses. The right pick depends on how much of your home you actually want cold.
Which is better, ducted or split? If you want to cool one to three rooms, splits win - cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, no roof work. A 2.5kW split installed is $1,800 to $2,100. If you want the whole house comfortable, ducted wins - one system, every room, nothing on the walls. A 12.5kW ducted system for a typical 4-bedder runs $8,000 to $11,000. We install both, so this isn't a sales pitch either way.
The mistake people make is buying on price alone. Three or four splits to cover a whole house costs similar money to ducted, looks worse, and gives you four things to service instead of one. The other mistake is paying for ducted when you really only live in two rooms. Match the system to how you actually use the house.
0+
Years of Industry Experience
Licensed, Certified & Insured Technicians
Environmentally Responsible & ARCtick Certified
100% Service Satisfaction Guarantee
Flexible & Affordable Financing Options
Wide Range of Systems & Leading Brands
Quick Numbers
The Numbers That Matter
Real installed prices, not brochure prices.
Split systems: $1,800 to $3,500 installed
A 2.5kW bedroom split runs $1,800 to $2,100 installed. A 5kW living room unit is $2,500 to $3,000, and a big 7.1kW is $3,000 to $3,500. One room, one unit, half a day to fit.
Multi-head: $6,500 to $8,500
One outdoor unit running two to three indoor heads. The middle ground for apartments and homes where ducting will not fit. Around $6,500 to $8,500 for three rooms.
Ducted: $7,000 to $12,500 installed
A 10kW system starts around $7,000 to $10,000. A typical 4-bedroom home wants 12.5kW at $8,000 to $11,000, and big or two-storey homes run 14 to 16kW up to $12,500.
Running costs favour the right size, not the type
A zoned ducted system cooling two rooms costs about the same to run as two splits. An unzoned one cooling the whole house when you are in one room is the expensive mistake.
When a Split System Is the Right Call
You rent, you are in an apartment, or you mainly live in one or two rooms - get splits. They are cheap to install, cheap to run, and a good 2.5kW unit will hold a bedroom at 22 degrees through any Sydney heatwave. Strata rarely blinks at a split where ducted is a non-starter. Older homes with no roof space - the federation cottages and terraces we see in the inner suburbs - are split territory too, because there is simply nowhere for ducts to go without butchering original ceilings.
The practical ceiling is about three rooms. Past that, the maths and the wall clutter start arguing for ducted or a multi-head.
Common Factors
What's Actually Gone Wrong
The four questions that decide it, with straight answers.
How big is your home and how much of it do you use?
One or two rooms used daily: splits. Whole family spread across a 4-bedder every evening: ducted. Be honest about how you live, not how the floor plan looks.
Do you have roof space?
Ducted needs room in the roof for the unit and the runs. Most brick homes from the 70s on have it. Flat roofs, terraces and old cottages often do not – that is multi-head territory.
Do you own or rent, house or strata?
Renters and most strata buildings end at splits. Owners of freestanding homes have the full menu. Always check strata before booking anything.
Resale and looks
Ducted adds more at sale time and keeps walls clean – just vents in the ceiling. Four split heads around the house does the job but buyers notice the difference.
When Ducted Is the Right Call
You own the home, the family uses most of it, and there is space in the roof - ducted is the better long-term spend. One system, one service a year, every room comfortable, and zoning so you only pay to cool the rooms you are in. On a typical 4-bedder the jump from three splits to a zoned 12.5kW ducted system is smaller than people expect, and the house feels like one temperature instead of pockets of cold near each head.
Get the zoning done properly at install - bedrooms separate from living areas at minimum. It is the difference between a power bill you notice and one you do not. Run your home through our sizing calculator and check the pricing guide for real numbers.
Diagnosis Process
How We Help You Decide
We quote both options where both make sense, with real installed prices, and tell you which one we would put in our own place. We install Panasonic, Daikin and Actron, splits and ducted, so there is no commission pushing the answer one way. Since 1991, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews.
00
We measure, not guess
Sizes come from volume and glass, verdicts come from testing. No brochure numbers, no sight-unseen quotes.
00
You get the numbers and the options
Real installed prices, repair-versus-replace maths, and the trade-offs in plain English. You decide with the facts in front of you.
00
Fixed quote before any work
The price agreed is the price paid, and installs and repair parts carry lifetime workmanship warranty.
00
Fixed quote before we fix
Once we know the fault, we quote the repair before we start. You decide. Most jobs get done same visit.
Real Jobs
Already Have a Quote?
If someone has quoted you ducted for a two-room lifestyle or four splits for a family home, get a second opinion before you sign. Quotes are free, ours are fixed, and the right answer sometimes costs less than the wrong one you were about to buy. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500.
One Crew for Either Path
Whichever way you go, the install is everything. An undersized ducted system or a badly placed split head will disappoint you every summer for 15 years. Mick has run our installs since 2009, the quote is fixed before we start, and the work carries a lifetime workmanship warranty. Licence 273312C, ARCtick AU13058.
Related reading: what ducted actually costs in Sydney, what each type costs to run, and the full price guide.
FAQ's
Ducted vs Split - Common Questions
If you use most of your home daily and you own it, yes. Whole-home comfort, cleaner look, better resale. If you live in two rooms, no – put splits in those rooms and save thousands.
A 12.5kW ducted system at $8,000 to $11,000 versus roughly $7,000 to $8,500 for three good splits installed. Closer than most people think once you need three or more rooms covered.
Size for size, neither has magic efficiency. A zoned ducted system cooling two rooms costs about what two splits cost to run. An unzoned ducted system cooling empty rooms is the expensive option.
Depends on the roof space. Plenty of older brick homes take ducted fine. Original 1800s cottages and terraces usually should not – splits or a multi-head cool them without cutting original ceilings.
One outdoor unit running two or more indoor heads. It suits apartments and homes without roof space – three rooms for $6,500 to $8,500 with only one outdoor unit on the wall or balcony.
Someone who installs both, so the answer fits your house rather than their sales target. Jay’s Air installs splits and ducted – family run since 1991, fixed pricing, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. (02) 9820 4500.