What a good air conditioning installation looks like

Where the outdoor unit goes

The outdoor unit should sit in a shady spot with clear space around it to shed heat. The ACDA e-guide says not to crowd it with shrubs, to trim foliage back at least half a metre, and to keep leaves and dryer vents away from it.

It should stand on a proper support or plinth with somewhere to drain. Supports, drainage and power supply are on the list an accredited member's quote must mark as included or excluded, so check the quote against what you see.

A unit under a bedroom window or against the neighbour's fence is a noise you will live with for years. Council rules may cover placement, setbacks from boundaries, noise and heritage restrictions. Your installer should know your council's rules and follow them, so ask.

Pipework, wiring and drainage

Every exposed run of pipe and cable between the two units should be covered and sealed. Covers for exposed piping and wiring are among the inclusions and exclusions a quote from an accredited member must spell out, so read the quote, then look at the wall: neat capping, a sealed hole where the pipes pass through, nothing loose or taped.

The condensate drain carries away water the indoor unit pulls from the air. It should run to a proper outlet, not drip onto a path or wall. Ask where it goes.

In NSW a trade licence is the legal minimum for this work, administered by NSW Fair Trading, and refrigerant handling licences come from the ARC. Clean-up and rubbish removal are also on the Standards' list, so expect a tidy site.

The indoor unit or the outlets

For a split system, the indoor unit should be where the quote said, level, and clear of curtains or furniture that block the air. The ACDA e-guide suggests louvres towards the ceiling when cooling and towards the floor when heating, so ask to be shown how.

For a ducted system, an accredited member's quote must describe the number and location of outlets, the zones and the controls, so walk through with the quote and count. The indoor unit sits in the ceiling or under the floor with flexible ducting to each vent, so ask how the ducting has been run.

If a room is missing an outlet or a zone will not switch on its own, say so on the day, not after the invoice is paid.

Commissioning before the installer leaves

A good installer does not pack up until the system has been run and checked. Commissioning means switching it on in cooling and in heating and confirming it does what it was designed to do. Stand there for it.

You should feel cool air from every outlet in cooling mode and warm air in heating mode. The outdoor unit should start and run without rattling. For ducted, each zone should switch on and off from the controller. Ask what was checked and whether anything was not as expected.

If the installer wants to leave before it has run in front of you, slow things down. An accredited member's installation is measured against the ACDA Standards.

What you should be shown and what you should keep

Before the installer leaves, ask to be shown three things.

• The controls. How to set the temperature, switch between heating and cooling, set the timer and, for ducted, work the zones.
• The filters. Where they are and how to clean them. The ACDA e-guide recommends cleaning or replacing filters every month or two during the cooling season, and more often with pets or dust.
• The servicing. An accredited member's quote states a recommended servicing frequency. Ask who to call and when.

Then the paperwork: your written quote and final invoice, the manufacturer's literature, the warranty period in writing (it is on an accredited member's quote), and the member's service department contact details. If a problem arises, the quote and invoice are the first things you will be asked for.

If something is wrong after the installation

Tell the installer what is wrong and give them the chance to fix it. If the equipment itself is faulty, that is a manufacturer's warranty matter; your accredited member can help you lodge the claim.

If the problem is the workmanship and the installer is an ACDA member, use the dispute resolution process.

1. Complete the Dispute Resolution Form with your details, the member's details, what was installed and when, and the problem.
2. Attach copies of your quote and invoice, and anything else relevant such as photographs.
3. Send it to the Dispute Resolution Committee, Air Conditioning Dealers Association Inc, PO Box 253, Emu Plains NSW 2750, or [email protected].

Where an installation may fall short of the ACDA Standards, ACDA engages a Chartered Engineer to investigate, report and advise, and arranges for defects to be corrected. The ACDA Guarantee is a written workmanship guarantee on new domestic installations by an accredited member, on contracts up to $25,000 including GST, with independent Chartered Engineer review. It is not an equipment warranty or a price guarantee, it sits alongside your rights under Australian Consumer Law, and it covers accredited members only.

What to check before the installer leaves

• Outdoor unit in shade, on a proper support, with clear space and drainage.
• Exposed pipework and wiring covered and sealed, including through the wall.
• Condensate drain runs to a proper outlet, not onto a path or wall.
• Indoor unit or every outlet where the quote said, and every zone works.
• System run in cooling and in heating while you watch.
• Shown the controls, the filters and how often to clean them.
• Quote, invoice, manual, warranty period and service contact in hand.
• Site tidy and the old unit removed if that was agreed.

Every accredited member's installation is measured against the same ACDA Standards, with the dispute process behind it. Check the business is a current member before you sign.