Hitachi split system installation Melbourne, for homes that want less maintenance, not more

Every split system collects dust and moisture on its indoor coil. Left alone, that is where the mould grows and where the musty smell comes from on the first warm day in October. Our cleaning crews spend a good part of every year dealing with exactly that, so when a manufacturer builds a fix into the unit we pay attention.

Hitachi’s FrostWash is that fix. The unit deliberately frosts its own heat exchanger, freezing the dust and dirt to the coil, then thaws it and washes the lot away through the drain. Hitachi describes it as maintaining the system’s performance for years, and in practice it means the coil stays cleaner between professional services. On the airHome 600 it is paired with a Mould Guard function that dries the coil after a run so odour-causing build-up does not get a start.

That combination is why we put Hitachi in front of landlords, busy households and anyone with dust or mould sensitivities. It does not replace a proper clean — the washable pre-filter still needs a rinse and the outdoor coil still needs attention — but it means the unit is not quietly losing capacity every month between visits.

The airHome range also gives you airCloud Go: Hitachi’s app, with Wi-Fi control, scheduling, location-aware Smart-Fence switching and voice control through Alexa and Google Home. We set it up on your phone during commissioning. And Hitachi publishes a six year warranty on parts and labour across the airHome wall-mounted range, which is longer than most.

The two wall-mounted ranges we install share the important parts: FrostWash, the washable pre-filter, a set temperature you can adjust in half-degree steps, and a Silent Mode built around curved fan blades. Where they differ is how much the 600 adds on top.

airHome 400 is the straightforward choice for a bedroom, a study or a secondary living room. It has the app, the voice control, the self-cleaning and the quiet mode, and it takes Hitachi’s optional ViroSense Z1 purification filter. If the brief is a reliable unit that looks after itself, this is the one.

airHome 600 is the range for the main living space or the master bedroom. It adds Mould Guard, the AQtiv-Ion air purification that Hitachi pairs with the ViroSense filter, a Smart Eco function that notices when the room is empty, a SleepSense mode that eases the temperature overnight, and a longer air throw — Hitachi quotes air distribution up to 24 metres, which matters in a long open-plan room where a standard unit leaves the far end warm.

Both are reverse cycle and both are sized to the room, not the brochure. A north-facing living room in an unrenovated brick veneer and a south-facing bedroom in a modern estate home need very different units even at the same floor area. Tell the office the rooms and they will suggest the range and the size on the call, or run the numbers first with our sizing guide.

The common Melbourne problem is a three-bedroom home with a narrow side path and a small courtyard. Three separate splits means three outdoor units, three sets of pipes and three penetrations through the wall, and there is nowhere sensible to put them. Hitachi’s airHome Multi-Pro answers it with one outdoor unit that serves up to five indoor units, each with its own remote and its own temperature.

The indoor units do not all have to be wall-mounted. Hitachi lists wall units from 1.8 kW to 7.1 kW, plus floor-mounted, cassette and slim ducted units on the same outdoor unit, so a bulkhead-mounted ducted head in a hallway can sit alongside standard wall units in the bedrooms. FrostWash is on every head; airCloud Go is built into the wall and floor units and added with an adapter on the cassette and ducted heads.

A multi-head is not always the right answer. If two rooms are far apart, two singles can be cheaper and simpler. If the whole house needs conditioning, a ducted system may suit better. And every head on a multi-head must be the same manufacturer, so it is a decision to make once. The single versus multi-head guide works through it, and our multi-head installation page covers what the install involves.

If the multi-head is replacing a ducted gas heater, a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount may apply. We arrange it through our accredited installation partners, and the office will tell you on the phone whether your home qualifies.

A single airHome wall unit on a back-to-back run is a half-day job. The technician marks the indoor position for airflow and for the drain, fixes the wall plate, and cores one hole through the wall for the pipes, the drain and the cable. The outdoor unit goes on a bracket or a slab, placed so it is not under a bedroom window and not blowing hot air onto a neighbour’s deck.

The refrigerant lines are pressure tested and vacuumed before the valves open. A licensed electrician runs a dedicated circuit from the switchboard and makes the connection. Then the unit is commissioned in both heating and cooling, FrostWash is left enabled, airCloud Go is connected to your Wi-Fi, and you are shown the remote and the app.

A Multi-Pro takes longer because there are more heads and more pipe runs, often a full day, and the office tells you that when they confirm the price. Either way you get before and after photos and you pay after the job. Any existing unit coming out is degassed and taken away, not left on the nature strip.