Several rooms, one outdoor unit.
A multi split runs two to five indoor heads from a single outdoor unit. Each room has its own head and its own controller, so you cool the bedrooms at night and the living area in the afternoon without running the lot.
One outdoor unit
Instead of three or four condensers lined up along the side of the house, there is one. Less clutter, fewer wall penetrations, tidier result.
Room by room control
Each head has its own temperature and fan setting, and switches off when the room is empty. You are not paying to cool an empty bedroom.
Good where space is tight
Units, townhouses, older Cairns homes with no ceiling space, and blocks where there is nowhere sensible to put extra outdoor units.
Head types to suit the room
Wall mounted heads in most rooms, with ceiling cassettes or floor consoles where a wall unit will not work.
Sized for this climate
The heads and the outdoor unit are matched to your room sizes, ceiling heights and window orientation, with anti-corrosion options near the coast.
All the major brands
We install multi split systems from Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Fujitsu and Panasonic, and recommend based on the job rather than the brand.
When a multi split is the better option.
Choose a multi split when
You want three or more rooms done, there is nowhere tidy for extra outdoor units, and there is no ceiling space for ducted. Common in units, older homes and extensions.
Choose separate splits when
You only need one or two rooms, or the rooms are a long way apart. Two standard split systems are usually cheaper to install and simpler to service.
Choose ducted when
You want the whole home done with no wall units visible, you have the ceiling space, and you want zoning. Budget is typically $20,000 to $30,000 for a whole home.
Not sure yet?
That is what the free site inspection is for. We measure up, look at the switchboard and ceiling space, and quote the options side by side so you can compare.
For reference, a single split system installed in Cairns starts from around $1,480 for a small back-to-back changeover. A multi split is quoted on the number of heads, the pipe runs and the outdoor unit capacity, so we price it after the site inspection rather than guessing over the phone. See our Cairns cost guide for the full picture.
Common questions about multi split systems.
What is a multi split air conditioner?
A multi split air conditioner runs several indoor units, called heads, from a single outdoor unit. Each head cools or heats its own room and is controlled separately, so you only run the rooms you are using. It suits homes where you want two or more rooms done without a bank of outdoor units along the wall.
Is a multi split cheaper than separate split systems?
Not always. A multi split uses one outdoor unit instead of several, which saves space and usually looks tidier, but the indoor heads, the longer pipe runs and the extra labour add cost. For two rooms, two standard split systems are often the cheaper option. From three rooms up, a multi split starts to make more sense, particularly where there is nowhere sensible to put extra outdoor units. We price both ways at the quote so you can compare.
How many rooms can one outdoor unit run?
Most residential multi split systems run two to five indoor heads from one outdoor unit, depending on the model and its capacity. The total capacity of the heads has to sit within what the outdoor unit can deliver, which is why the sizing needs doing properly rather than guessing.
Can I heat one room and cool another at the same time?
On most residential multi split systems, no. The heads share one refrigeration circuit, so they run in the same mode at the same time. You can set different temperatures and fan speeds per room, and turn individual heads off. If you genuinely need heating and cooling at once, that is a different class of system and we will tell you so at the quote.
Multi split or ducted?
Ducted gives you the cleanest look and even comfort through the whole house, and with zoning you run only the areas you need. A multi split costs less to install than a whole-home ducted system and does not need ceiling space, which makes it the practical choice in older Cairns homes, units and extensions. Our ducted versus split guide walks through the trade-offs.
Also worth reading: split system air conditioning, ducted air conditioning and the sizing guide.
Get a multi split quote.
Tell us how many rooms you want done and we will come out, measure up and quote it properly. Free site inspection, itemised quote.
A price on its own tells you very little.
Two quotes for the same room can differ by a wide margin and both be honest, because they are quoting different work. Most of the difference sits in things that stop being visible the moment the job is finished.
Read the full guidePipe insulation
Wall thickness, and whether it is protected from direct sun. Unprotected insulation splits in the tropics and the cold line starts to sweat.
The condensate drain
The fall on the line, where it terminates, and whether it is insulated through the roof space.
Preparation before charging
Whether the pipework is pressure tested and properly evacuated. Moisture left inside shortens compressor life years later.
Sizing
Whether the load was calculated or estimated from the room size. It is the decision that most affects how happy you are with the system.
What our multi split customers say.
On time very polite and worked through to completion. Both techs were excellent, cleaned up the boxes and old AC units. Highly recommended.
Very professional service and reasonable price Will be using them for all our AC requirements in the future
Thanks very much Nathan and the Airtek team. We can breathe easy now that our hardworking aircons have had a super clean. So happy with the service and highly recommend Airtek for amazing organised scheduled cleans. Highly recommended.
Let us size it properly.
Multi splits go wrong when they are sized by guesswork. We measure up first, then quote. Call 0448 392 019.