ActronAir ESP Platinum

Brand New Unit Constantly Breaking Down – Had a brand new 'Advance' Actron Air system installed by an 'Actron Air Platinum Dealer' in August 21 (CRV210T Outdoor unit) & EVV210S (indoor unit). It stopped working on 3 separate occasions within the first couple of months, requiring technicians onsite to diagnose and resolve over multiple visits for each failure. Now, in the middle of… Read more

winter, it has stopped working again. My 'Platinum Dealer' advised that a major component had failed and that Actron Air needs to undertake the replacement directly.

First contact from Actron Air is an SMS advising that I need to wait for "approx 8 working days" before they will attend. I understand that for general service calls there's a queue. But where a new unit has an identified major component failure, this delay is unacceptable.

Buyer beware.

Fantastic premium ducted reverse-cycle system, excellent engineering, no brainer for Australian conditions! – Hi all, I spent a good month doing Due Diligence on this one, and couldn't be happier. Not only is it much more efficient (will give you an idea below), it has an excellent user interface to have precise zonal temperature control in each room for heating/cooling. We selected the 20kW (heat) version (19AS) to fully cover the entire house with full… Read more ·  1

zoning over the 4BR, living, and study.

We installed this system to replace: very old gas-ducted Vulcan system (21kW), Breezair evaporative cooler, AND a Daikin Cora 10kW Split system. Yes, this system replaced all of them - and removed the ugly gas vents (floor), evap vents (roof) and internal head unit on the split in the living area. This system draws electrically a maximum of 5.1kW (about 21A) so uses a standard 32A breaker and conductor from the installer (class A electrician).

We are coming into Winter here in Melbourne and we are using it predominantly for heating our 4BR house, and we have installed 6 zones so we can only heat the BRs at night. The zonal controllers work really well, and you can schedule them to only use certain rooms at different times (BRs over night for example, living in the morning) with precise temperature control on each room.

For the customer UI, you have the standard Actron controller on the wall (which looks fantastic and allows full control via it's colour touch display) as well as the Actron Que app on your phone/tablet which is fantastic and comes standard (no wifi card addons like other OEMS). The Que app connects to their cloud server over API (you have to wifi connect the controller, however that's easy for the installers to do), and allows for control of the system in the house or via internet when you're away from home (like when you forget to turn off heating, or want to pre-heat/cool your home before you get home). Fantastic UI, which they have spent alot of time developing to be minimalist yet functional. This is by far the best app I've seen on any HVAC system on the market. Hands down. This is a real credit to the engineers and app devs.

There have been some reviews here stating that there's a design flaw with the external unit, as the fan points up, however this is completely incorrect. The majority of large commercial HVAC systems use the same principle for vertical axis - in fact alot of power systems (including the new Tesla Megapack!) do the same thing, as it's much more efficient thermodynamically to blow the air up rather than to the side of the house where it often has blockages (walls) that increase back pressure and reduce efficiency.

I've always thought Daikin were the greatest, particularly all the hype over the US7, however the Actron system is better for ducted systems because: *It can provide heating/cooling at reduced power levels (around 30% of rated) whereas the Daikin system needs around 60% as low as it can go. This is important as it allows a more efficient (and quiet) low power operation rather than starting and stopping at higher power (annoying at night). This is a credit to their inverter design team, as the inverter can operate at lower frequencies and power levels to power the compressor (very impressive!(. *The Actron system is the only one on the market with zone control (turning on and off rooms and precise temperature control), no other ducted system I found could do this without a 3rd party system (Myair) which I was cautious of being stuck in the middle of an OEM and an integrator arguing why their system didn't work. *The Actron system was the ony one I coud see that operated to 50C ambient for cooling, all the others drop off above 40C (when you need it), this means the compressor has been sized conservatively (larger) and can operate in that higher temperature level. *The Daikin US7 spilt system in each room would be more efficient, however then you have the problem of multiple head units in each room (which don't look the best), and multiple external units (would have been five), with 5 new breakers in your main board (would require a board upgrade for us), and was ultimately more expensive!

So how efficient is it? The quoted COP (for heating) is 3.7 (meaning it generates 3.7kWh of heat for every kWh of input electricity) and it's EER (for cooling) is 3.3. What we've found is we are using around 20kWh over night (offpeak pricing at 16c/kWh=$3.20 per day) with outside temperatures around 8-10C. As we move into the colder winter (below the quoted COP value at 7C ambient outside), I would expect the energy use to increase to 30kWh or so ($4.80). These values are coming from the monitoring we have in place for our 5kW solar and Tesla Powerwall - so they are fairly accurate as we don't have anythig else running over night (other than 200W of auxillary loads on fridge/lights).

So what were we spending on Gas? Our old Vulcan unit was burning 900MJ per day (at 2.2c/MJ that's $20/day!) as well as another 3kWh per day running the blower on that unit. So, you're saving at least $15/day with the Actron system. This was a no-brainer on the business case, doing the math between putting a new 6-star gas heater in (yes it's cheaper!) vs putting this system in, it works out about a 4y payback. Even less if you have solar + storage (which we do).

Are there any cons? The outdoor unit is larger and heavier (almost 170kG!) however that's due to the vertical axis fans and larger inverter/compressor. Still fits easily down the side of our house (standard 900mm inner city width passageway). The compressor is loudish (and it's more of a tonal noise like any compressor so you notice it rather than the white noise from the fans), however this is only on startup once the gas pressure is up you only hear the fans and the air coming out of the vents. I also did notice a weird peculiarity of if you operate the system in "noise control" it only reduces the fan speed however the compressor works harder so it's actually louder (for me). I find it quieter without "noise contro" on, and definitely more efficient! During noise control mode, efficiency drops a good 20-40% and you can see it in your energy increase.

Installation was done by Rosanna heating and cooling (thoroughly recommend, with Brendon and the crew doing a great job installing the system). They also removed the 3 legacy systems and put the new ducting in. Very happy with their work, and highly responsive.

Without a doubt, gas is dead, the future is electric and Actronair have done an amazing job creating a fantastic product with a great user experience for full home cooling/heating - and it's an Australian product!! Yeah I know my review is glowing, however I am no way affiliated with Actronair and paid full price for my system, if you're looking for a premium ducted system - it is thoroughly recommended!

We are so happy with our 9 year old Actron ESP Platinum, that our son installed this system now in his house – We rarely turn on all rooms at once, so the rooms which are on, get cooled or heated very very quickly even when it is very hot outside. The zone control is very important for us as we don't have to cool/heat the whole house and we can have the bedroom rooms constantly three degrees cooler than the living areas. We have it serviced once a year and… Read more ·  1

apart from one zone motor that broke (cost us $ 350 to repair), it has not had any repairs. When our son and his wife moved in their own house they only wanted such an aircon with zone control. They have their aircon now for one year and are also very happy.

Best investment we have made! – We upgraded from a 3-phase air conditioner to a single phase in September 18. 6 zones controlling 280sqm single level home controlled by my phone and coped with Sydney's summer. Show details ·  1

Absolutely fabulous – This review is for the Platinum Plus with the Que controller Read this in conjunction with my report on PR for ActronQue. We installed the Que zoned to four areas. The cooling efficiency far exceeds our expectations. Inside unit is exceptionally quiet. It is very quick to cool large areas. We really like the accuracy of maintaining temperature. We… Read more

also love the remote access via wifi when away from home. Outside unit is not noisy (compared to experience or reports by others ). It may depend on your installer. Ours was amazingly good. Bayside Comfort Solutions in Mornington. We could not fault their attention to detail in both the sales process and more importantly their installers (employees, not contractors).

Excellent Unit – We purchased this unit during our home renovation, we are so happy with our unit, works great - Gives me great piece of mind on hot day with a toddler! We also have the Wifi and its awesome, can turn on/off from outside the house This is our second Actron Unit and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another when the time comes.  Show details

Crap machine & terrible customer care – After reading a lot of good reviews (must be fake by actron staff members) we installed top of the range Actron Platinum ducted system in our home. It’s really frustrating that whenever the temperature goes 40 degrees the whole system shuts down. Initially we thought we have problem with our electricity system and called electrician few times but… Read more

they couldn’t find any problem with our electricity. Then I called the person who installed the system and been told that this is how it is....just put water on the outdoor unit and then restart....this is really frustrating....I have to go outside on a 40 degree celsius temperature, put water on the air conditioning system to cool it down so that it works!!! This is ridiculous!!!

NB: Sent this exactly same message to Actron Facebook page more than a week ago and they just ignored & decided not to respond!!!

Absolutely fantastic – I installed an actron air ESP Platinum Ultima in 2014. This is the fourth system that I have installed. For the love of this system I installed this 19 kw unit in my house. I unit works like it should. I have never been disappointed with it. I have 8 zones with temp sensors. Yes I installed actron. Why? Because I like it. I read all these… Read more

comments on product reviews and a lot of the problems I’m reading are people who have installed these units without the knowledge and how to properly install these great systems.

Everyone I install these for say how great they are.

Yes the outdoor unit can be a little noisy, but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a little rubber to absorb the noise.

The truth

Very happy with our choice – After looking into a few of the big brands we selected the Actron based on reputation and being locally made and supported. It works well in an air-conditioners nightmare house; a mix of large living are with a lot of west facing glass and small bedrooms with minimal glass. It does a great job. The ActronConnect remote control is great. I can… Read more

check the house as I'm leaving work and have it comfortable by the time I get home. Much smarter than fixed timers when my daily schedule is so variable.

Initial Teething and Poor Service, Now Been OK – Initially when installed unit ran very well in Summer but started playing up and just cutting off in Winter. It took months for Actron to properly attend and properly find and resolve the issue which they did do eventually after an extreme amount of complaining on our part and in the end demaning them to refund us and pull out the unit. … Read more

ActronAirs customer service/support process needs a real shake up and sorting out clearly. There are state based service teams, no single support number, emails go unanswered, calls unreturned, blame passed to the other locations or staff and no ownership of issues.

The only plus has been our installer who has been on our side throughout and helped follow up with Actron.

Since the initial issues were resolved we are into our second winter without any issues this time around luckily.

ActronAir did give us an additional 1 year warranty extension as compensation for the issues.

The unit is very quiet, easy to program and use. We have the ActronConnect module but as has been found online there are some major security concerns around this and also how long the ActronConnect devices will continue to be supported.

Actron really need to pull there finger out on the software side and provide an open API that will allow the use of home automation devices or bridges.

Perfect system - unbelievable installing team - Nowra – The system is just what we wanted. The installing team were on time, efficient, and effective. Each member knew their job and got on with it. The team is a credit to their company and need to be congratulated for their efforts. The system itself is quiet, effective and versatile. Highly recommended.  Show details

Love our comfy Actron Air – We've just built a new house so we weren't going to waste time and money putting in a cheap unit. We've been more than happy with our interactions with the engineers, customer care and the installation team. If you take the time to learn how best to use this product, it will work well for you. If you expect to treat it like a split wall unit, you… Read more

are cheating yourself. Let the installers do their job (which is flawless) and ask them how to use it properly. The ESP works an absolute charm. With a young baby in the house, we needed to ensure our home would be comfortable all year round. We don't see it as 'aircon', we see it as extra comfort. There's no noise, no cold/hot spots and it's efficient at cooling/ heating a space quickly. Everyone comments about how comfortable our house feels. Do yourself a favour and own the best. It's well worth every penny

Replaced Live-Ezi – We had so many problems with a Live Ezi system that it was credited in full & we chose to pay the extra for Actron.; it was money well spent. The Actron has been running for 2 years without any attention except for cleaning filters & is better in every way than the Live Ezi. The duct system is basically the same & controls are in exactly the same… Read more

position.We do not have separate metering on the power, but costs seem to be lower than for the Live Ezi system. Cannot speak more highly of Actron or of the installers, Air Rite of Nambour.

My working background was at a senior engineering level in air conditioning, now long retired, so that I had the technical ability to compile a file on the Live Ezi system faults, which were many & not due to the installer.

The Actron has run in days of 40C & early mornings down to minus 2C & controls to within 0.5C whenever checked.

Many complaints of airconditioning systems are due to faulty duct design & wrong positioning of thermostats, so the choice of installers is most important.

Update after 4 years of running:

A sensor on the outdoor unit failed at 3 years, & was replaced under warranty. Actron updated the software at the same time, & in the remaining summer months of early 2018, two zones reset themselves from 24C to 22C while running, one zone doing it twice; no action on this yet, so waiting to see how this summer goes.

Has an engineer I rate this as the best choice air con system – I did a life cycle cost and engineering analysis of the systems available for a ducted air conditioning system The new system was to replace an ageing Hitachi system that was noisy and unresponsive to controls. Also spare parts were becoming a difficulty. R22 refrigerant was also expensive if recharging was necessary. I chose the Actron… Read more

Platinum plus to give 4 zone control. The quality of the hardware is only as good as the installer. Crew Air Condioning in Sydney gave quotes until we agreed on the scope and price. I didn't screw them on price because I wanted them to have enough money in the job to not cut corners. What a fantastic crew in Paul and Gary. They were efficient and thorough in doing the install and commissioning.

Service, warranty and spare parts are important for the long term. Actron is Australian manufactured. The on line reviews about these matters gave them top marks compared to overseas manufacturers. Read the terms and conditions. The fine print may contain reduced warranty for labor or leaks. Also some companies insist on a costly service every year to maintain warranty. I had Actron in a previous house for 15 years and they were great.

Crew re used the existing ductwork, modifying it for an extension and adding automatic dampers. They also tidied up the original install to make access to the roof space easier. Importantly they balanced the system to reduce noise. Not every installer does this important commissioning.

It's the best system for a residential home I have come across. Very easy to control with lots of programmable functions to suit our requirements.

They gave me a warning about maintenance technicians. Make sure the maintenance technicians get into the roof to inspect the drain from the drip tray. Water attracts rodents and insects. Baits work by creating thirst in these creatures. Also there is a need to check ductwork. Dust and insects on circuit boards can cause them to short circuit. Most technicians don't get into the roof space! They flap around and then do their hardest task of the day? Writing you and invoice for doing nothing. Before you call a technician check out your system as to recommended maintenance and stand over the guy!

Great ducted a/c system - Actron ESP Plus Platinum 17kw Single Phase – This ducted a/c system is fantastic, it was installed by a local Newcastle company and they were very accommodating and professional (all for a price of course) but our local Daikin man couldn’t be bothered answering my quick questions on the phone. A lot of an a/c experience comes from the installer rather than the equipment, as such I’ll discuss… Read more

both here as it will help anyone researching a/c.

We have 4 zones but it was around $300 a zone so not a huge portion of the overall cost and worth adding whatever works in your house. I would have had more zones if it worked in our house, no pint doing half a job, will affect comfort, useability and house resale.

• Living zone, which is an open area containing kitchen, dining, family room, lounge room, open hallway

• Study zone

• Master bedroom zone

• Kids bedrooms zone (3 of)

• We didn’t get a/c running into another room we have the rumpus/pool room, it’s the lowest point of the house, on a slab insulated by the story above and the cold air flows here naturally anyway. We could put a dropper in in the future and run a duct down through a kids built-in, but it seemed overkill and so far we’re happy with that call.

Product Pros

• Cools our two story family home really well – we have been setting it to 26 in summer so as not to get a huge bill

• Cost effective to run – this system

• Standard vents look great, controllers look great

• Super quiet outdoor unit, we have version 3 of the ESP plus platinum which I’m told had is better for this.

• Loads of options on control panel, scheduling, zones, etc. easy to use

• We added better insulated ducting ($200 more) to go 1.5. All installers in my area use 1 rated duct as standard. For the price I figured why not, the green forums recommend it and roof cavities get very hot, it might stop heat transfer.

• We have two control panels installed, this is where you can adjust everything for the system, turn on zones, off zones, fan mode etc. This is handy as the bedrooms are upstairs and both controllers have temp sensors in them so we have one upstairs and one downstairs – it averages if zones from both regions are on, else it uses the one sensor if only related zones are on.

• The controls are hard wired, whereas the top of the line Daikin system we compared to came with a tablet style wall mounted controller that only worked on wifi. I work in network engineering and I don’t want my a/c on wifi, I would like to be able to connect to wifi as an extra but don’t want the extra load on the network, the extra wifi signals around kids and would like to avoid future connection errors/frequency issues and trouble makers with wifi hacking etc.

• It’s much better than splits, and we have had a new Daikin 5 multi head split a/c ($12k worth) in the last place 3 years ago. We chose to spend our money on ducted instead this time (hindsight’s wonderful) and are very happy we did. It’s a smoother, nicer, quieter, more energy efficient solution (much lower bills for us on similar sized areas).

Product Cons

• Air noise through the return air vent. The return air vent they fitted in my house was a bit small. They just went ahead without much warning as this fitted around my existing roof studs, if I had my time again I would replace it with a larger one and reinforce around it as recommended with the system.

• On a recent 40 degree day it could only get the house to 27 - I emailed the installer to ask if I had it on the right setting (high-cont) but no reply..

• The electrician duct taped the electrical cable for the system through my roof, and not out of the way, right where you need to move through halfway between floor and ceiling in the roof. This doesn’t seem professional and I have been running some Ethernet cables since (the proper way with clips out and of the way) and the a/c cable was in the way. I guess most people don’t go in their roof space often, but when I pay a professional I expect a professional job – not sure if building code accepts duct tape as support for live cables powering large ducted a/c units?

• Mobile app not supported out of the box – this is a $500 extra, whereas Daikin included this.

• Price – this is a premium ducted system, as such it is priced that way ($14k). I felt like they put a bit of extra fat/contingency in there for a brownfield install. I’m happy with the value for money/price but many would prefer to save a couple of thousand and have a lesser brand/less options/zones/controllers. I got the guys I trusted to install the system and didn’t have any issues – that’s worth financial value to me.

• I had to knock out a bunch of bricks in an internal wall and put in a lintel to allow ducting from level 1 to level 2 – I did this up the top of a 6m stairwell and then boxed it in with plasterboard – it’s still over 3m above head level and looks great. Without doing this the installers were going to go through cupboard space (on my wife’s side of the built in – it wasn’t worth the repercussions to consider that!)

• The electrician originally had wired the temp sensors wrong, for a couple of days after the install it was only reading one value. This caused the bedrooms to keep getting colder and colder as the system tried to get the sensor on the other side of the house to cool down! The electrician came back, apologised and was professional and friendly and fixed it quickly.