It’s one of the most common questions we get from Melbourne homeowners — and it makes sense. Evaporative cooling has been the standard for decades, but it only works in dry heat, it needs windows open to function, and it does nothing when winter arrives.

Switching to refrigerated reverse cycle ducted air conditioning solves all of that. You get proper cooling on Melbourne’s humid summer days, heating through winter, and you can close the house up and actually control the temperature — all from one system.

Here’s what the changeover involves, what it costs, and what you need to know before you commit.y to discuss your evaporative changeover cost and find out if you qualify for the VEU rebate.

What’s Actually Involved in Switching From Evaporative to Refrigerated?

This is a bigger job than most people expect — and it’s worth understanding why before you get a quote.

Evaporative coolers sit on top of the roof and use a completely different duct system to refrigerated air conditioning. The ducts are larger, uninsulated, and not suitable for a refrigerated system. So the changeover involves:

• Removing the evaporative unit from the roof and patching where it sat
• Removing the existing evaporative ductwork
• Installing new insulated ductwork designed for refrigerated systems
• Installing the new reverse cycle outdoor and indoor units
• Electrical work to support the new system

It’s a full day’s work, occasionally two for larger homes. The result is a completely new system — not a patch job on the old one.

Most Melbourne Homes With Evaporative Cooling Aldo Have Gas Heating

The majority of Melbourne homes were built with gas ducted heating for winter and evaporative cooling for summer — two separate systems doing two separate jobs.

If that’s your situation, the good news is you can replace both with a single reverse cycle ducted system in one installation. And because you’re removing a gas heating appliance, you qualify for the Victorian government’s VEU rebate, which is applied directly to your install cost, no paperwork required.

The pricing below reflects that scenario — replacing both gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling with a new reverse cycle system, with the VEU rebate already deducted.

System Size	Up to	All-in price (incl. VEU rebate & ducting)
12.5KW	6 outlets	From $6,300
16–17KW	10 outlets	From $7,300

Prices are fully inclusive — GST, VEU rebate, removal of existing systems, roof patching, and full new ductwork and grilles. Premium systems from leading brands are available at higher price points — we’ll walk you through the options when we assess your home.

What If I Only Have Evaporative — No Gas Heating?

If your home runs evaporative cooling only and you want to stick with evaporative, we can replace your existing unit with a new evaporative system from $4,400.
No VEU rebate applies here, evaporative is already an electric system, so there’s no gas appliance being removed.

If you’d rather use the opportunity to upgrade to refrigerated reverse cycle, which heats and cools year round and works on humid days — we can do that too.
Contact us and we’ll talk through both options for your home.

The VEU Rebate — How It Works

The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program pays a rebate when you replace a gas heating appliance with a qualifying premium reverse cycle electric system either ducted or split systems.
It’s applied upfront — the prices in the table above already have it deducted. You don’t claim anything separately or wait for a payment. We handle the paperwork.

To qualify, the new system must be premium-rated for efficiency.
Every system Beyond installs meets that requirement.

More detail on the VEU rebate information page.

Why Evaporative Cooling No Longer Makes Sense for Most Melbourne Homes

Evaporative cooling was designed for dry heat. Melbourne’s summers are increasingly humid, and on those days, when you need cooling most — evaporative systems struggle. They also require windows and doors to be left open, which means dust, pollen, and outside air coming in.

Refrigerated reverse cycle air conditioning works regardless of humidity. The house stays closed, the temperature is controlled, and the same system heats in winter. For most Melbourne homeowners making this change, the reaction within the first summer is the same — they wish they’d done it sooner.

And if you have solar panels, you can run the cooling on solar power through summer and in winter you can keep your house warm during the day , which is exactly when your panels are generating the most.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t the existing evaporative ducts be reused?

Evaporative ducts are larger and uninsulated — they’re designed to move high volumes of air at low pressure. Refrigerated systems work differently and require smaller, insulated ductwork to maintain temperature as air travels through the roof. Using old evaporative ducts would result in poor performance and significant energy loss. New ducting is always part of the job.

What happens to the hole in the roof where the evaporative unit was?

We patch it as part of the installation. The old evaporative unit is removed, the roof opening is closed and made weatherproof, and the new refrigerated system’s outdoor unit is installed at ground level or on a wall bracket — not on the roof.

Does the new system heat as well as cool?

Yes — that’s one of the main reasons Melbourne homeowners make this switch. A reverse cycle ducted system heats and cools from the same vents. If you currently run gas heating in winter and evaporative in summer, the new system replaces both. One system, all year round.

Do I qualify for the VEU rebate if I only have evaporative cooling and no gas heating?

No — the VEU rebate applies specifically to the removal of gas heating appliances. If your home only has evaporative cooling and no gas ducted heating, the rebate doesn’t apply. We can still give you a competitive price for the changeover — just contact us for a quote.

How long does the installation take?

Most changeovers take one day. Larger homes or more complex roof configurations occasionally run to a second day. We’ll confirm the timeline when we assess your home.

Will the new system work on humid days when evaporative struggled?

Yes. Refrigerated air conditioning works by removing heat from the air inside your home — humidity makes no difference. It’s actually more effective on humid days than dry ones, which is the opposite of evaporative cooling.

I have solar — will that help with running costs?

Significantly. Summer is when solar panels generate the most power, which is also when you’re running the cooling hardest. Running your air conditioning on solar during the day dramatically reduces the cost. Mention your solar setup when you get a quote and we can talk through zoning to maximise the benefit.