Frequently asked questions

Ducted reverse cycle air conditioning consists of an outside unit called a compressor and an inside unit placed within the roof. This internal unit is connected to a series of outlets within the house via ductwork. Depending on the climate function chosen warmed or cooled air is pumped to all rooms that have an outlet.

All refrigerated air conditioning systems, including reverse cycle air conditioners, are heat pumps (so are refrigerators). A 'heat pump' transfers heat from one zone to another. Heat pumps consist of an indoor and outdoor coil connected by a pipe through which a refrigerant circulates (note that refrigerants used are now CFC free). As warm air passes over the inside coil, heat from the air is absorbed by the refrigerant. This cools the air that is released back into the room. Meanwhile, the heat absorbed by the refrigerant is transferred to the external coil where it is released to the outside air.

Reverse cycle air conditioners also work in reverse to provide heating. During the heating mode, heat is absorbed from the outside air and transferred via the refrigerant to the air inside your home.

It doesn't have to be warm outside for reverse cycle air conditioners to work - they are capable of providing adequate heat when outside temperatures are below freezing.

(Source: NSW office of Environment & Heritage)

The addition of zone motors to your home allows you to heat and cool selected areas within your house at any one time effectively allowing you to switch off air flow to areas not being used. It makes ducted reverse cycle systems more efficient and is often necessary for bigger homes as the ducted systems may not be powerful enough to heat and cool every room at once. Zoning allows maximum flexibility and will help reduce running costs.

Origin has included a prescribed amount of zone motors with each product choice from Zero to three for larger systems. Often one or two is sufficient, this is because when activated within your ductwork the whole branch of ductwork is shut off, these branches of ductwork normally run to three or four rooms. Our trained installers will consult with you during the site inspection as to the best use of zone motors and if you want more you can purchase directly from them at an additional cost.

Inverter technology refers to the ducted reverse cycle systems compressor, this is the working part of the outside unit. It works by varying its speed in order to maintain a consistent temperature inside. The compressor will operate at maximum speed once the system is turned on until selected temperature is reached, then it will adjust accordingly to keep the temperature constant.