ActronAir ESP Ultima

Actron The Worse Comfort Solution – The compressor in my 2016 23kw ducted outdoor unit is very loud. The compressor makes this deep groaning noise. Mist and condensation in winter also has caused the outdoor unit to rust. Utter and complete garbage. I won't be getting an Actron every again. Warranty is just out also.

Actron- A white elephant...Beware!!! – Servicing is very poor. Prospective customers, Beware! Please keep this product as last option if you can! After you purchase the product, if your product breaks down, be ready to sit for weeks altogether in cold weather. Actron & Air control should improve their servicing turn around time, parts ordering process, and above all, show some… Read more

professionalism. If your customer calls you, don't hang on them by saying you will call back in 1 minute, 30 minute, etc. Believe me, the call never comes back and you have to dial them again next day morning asking for what is the status. My family fell sick, i repeatedly pleaded with both parties to organize things faster, this is the fourth week we are sitting with no heating during peak winter in Melbourne. But, some of the replies were- our managers are in Darwin for meeting, approving manager is on leave, we cant say the exact time, seriously????. Story in short- Customers, please check with friends and family who have bought this product, how the service was, before you zero in on this brand!

ACTRONAIR ESP, BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE – I've had an ActronAir ESP model installed (about one year now) at my place with 6 zones, (9 outlets) Best decision I have made. This model can reduce power at light loads, so It's like having a small air cond. as opposed to my last one, it was either on or off, when it was on, it would be going through about 7 k.w. of power, now with the ESP… Read more

model installed, if I have only one room on, it is only about 2 k.w. when initially switched on and keeps dropping in power consumption as the desired temp. is achieved. WELL WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY. You will make up the difference in the extra purchase price very, very quickly in energy saving. Apart from the initial Wi-Fi hick ups, (no fault of the company), my modem/router was too advanced for the ActronConnect Wi-Fi box. I then installed an older modem that I had lying around, and it connected instantly. Furthermore, I bought a new modem/router that was compatible to the ActronConnect Wi-Fi box and has been perfect ever since. Some people say the Wi-Fi is a bit of a waste of money, trust me, it's not. When my wife puts on the air cond. at 16 degrees and we freeze our nuts off, (menopause) I could change it to 'fan' only from my phone (anywhere around the world if need be) without her even realising. I would highly recommend the ESP model to anyone. By the way, you don't even realise that the air cond. is running, that's how quite it is. p.s. I've heard that ActronAir was working on a new ActronConnect Wi-Fi box that you could also connect Ethernet wire to, should be ready by the time you read this, it will make it a lot easier to have the actronconnect box in your computer room or cupboard and connect to an Ethernet wire, so no more issues for compatibility with Wi-Fi and routers etc.

Do not buy an ACTRON!!! Unacceptable Noise Levels – This unit utilizes a Copeland Digital Scroll compressor which loads and unloads the continuously run compressor in order to save electricity and run more efficiently. The technology is great! What is not great is that as the the compressor goes through its loading cycle, it makes a groan/growl sound/noise which I can only compare to a small CC… Read more

motorcycle accelerating. When your set room temperature is within 4 degrees of the actual room temperature, this loading and unloading cycle starts and occurs every 5-10 seconds. Long story short, unless you and your Neighbour's love the sound of reving motorcycles, this unit Is unbearable and simply cannot be run, especially in the still of night. When the compressor is continuously loaded, the sound level is fine and as advertised at around 67db, when the compressor loads and unloads, the sound level jumps over 80db (measured). I have had several air cond techs look at the unit, and spoken to Actron. Each of them have informed me that this is normal for the unit and it is working as designed. I am sure Actron know there is an issue with this compressor, however want to keep it quiet as there are far too many already in operation. Simple answer. Do not buy one of these units. There are better and much quieter units available.

Great Control – I own and operate a medium size air conditioning company and while predominately commercial, we do the occasional domestic application. Over the years I have installed many Actron systems (in the 100's per year) and other than a few times (maybe two per year), we get a warranty call. As a general rule , we simply push a button, commission the unit… Read more

and walk away with the only feedback I get from my customers is thank you so much, this is the best system we have had. We recently installed one into a large double story home and the system happened to be identical to the owners parents home. His comments where that "our system is so much quieter than theirs and it does everything we ask of it".

Having access to most brands, I chose the Actron Ultima for my home in 2011. This system has not missed a beat, I have never had a warranty call on the system and I have complete temperature control in all areas of my house. With three children it comes in very handy when one of them says their room is hot can I cool it down, it really is a no brainer to say sure as you know the system is not going to be chewing through the power trying to condition 60% of the home while he is cooling his room down.

Being in the industry for over 30 years myself I know air conditioning pretty well and in all instances we hear stories of the system being this or that. The simple truth is that 95% of all issues relating to air conditioning systems are design and or installation issues, this is regardless of the make of the unit. I love the fact that Actron is an proud Australian manufacturer and in all instances I have had their support and I will continue to support the brand and their design innovations.

Cooled me through several summers! – This is a solid unit which has helped me and my family get through several summers comfortably. It has coped with the 40C days Sydney has thrown at us during the past few years. We get our unit serviced by ActronAir themselves to make sure it runs well every summer. The controls are easy to use and having different temperatures in each individual room has been a life saver the kids can't handle the coolness I want my room at. Show details ·  1

Aussie Made, Unbeatable Quality and Worth Every Cent – The Actron ESP Ultima is best air con ever. Having multiple zones on different thermostats means the kid’s rooms can be set 23 degrees so they can sleep easily whilst the TV area is a frosty ice cave. It cools so fast that you literally turn it on via the app and feel the effects in minutes. Even on the 40+ degree days, this bad boy has no… Read more ·  1

issues keeping the entire house cool with minimal effort. Other brands struggle in that heat so it’s a no brainer to pay the extra money for an Aussie made air conditioner. The ability for the system to ramp down to save energy is the cherry on top. Highly recommend getting an Actron.

The worst air con ever – Do not I repeat do not get conned into this brand! We built a brand new house and thanks to actron its very uncomfortable in extreme temperatures..we have a baby and are constantly moving her room and crib to the most effective areas.. Sigh..what a waste of money and service is non existent.. Pls pls save your money Show details

Noise level out of this world – The unit cuts in and out every 10 seconds, told by installer this is normal and infact for this unit it is, it should not be sold in residential areas as the noise can be heard from the street.Was told this unit was quiet as we previously had a noisy air conditioner, Dont get this ESP model it will drive you mad.  Show details

Do not buy Actron Chinese models work better – I live in Gisborne ( Macedon rangers) Melbourne, generally a bit colder than Melbourne cbd , I my self thought I put a lot time into finding the best system that would meet our needs particularly when your spending money on the equivalent of a small new car (20k), so on average Gisborne generally 1-3 deg mornings and during the day by 3pm at… Read more

around 8 deg's . It just simply blows out less than warm air , virtually cold , I complained to Actron there answer was you need to have an outside temperature of 7 deg,s for it to work properly and the warmer the outside temp the better it works , i said to Actron if gets any warmer outside why would I need to turn in a heater in the first place , , they didn't like my response , any how I said your rep should have advised me of this 7 deg outside temp thing . What's even more hilarious the Actron rep live locally ..........

stay away you have been warned.

Great system – The unit preformed very good over the last few very hot and humid days we had in Melbourne. We also purchased the ACM-2 Wifi control with the unit which is also very good as we can remotely turn in the unit on before getting home. The outside unit is quieter than the old evaporation unit we had on the roof. Show details ·  1

Great unit that lives up to expectation – We have been running it constantly throughout summer without a hitch. Cools the house down quickly even when running in economy modes. We have a 3 storey house, with a zone per room so have lots of control over the system (8 zones). We are consuming far less power than our original Actron unit so it is already paying for itself. I have also… Read more ·  1

integrated ActronConnect into our home automation system to enable voice control of zones, plus additional occupancy based control.

Cool Summers – Replaced our old unit with the ESP Ultima, found it handled the hot conditions Sydney recently had with ease, and with added bonus of the smartphone app very user friendly THANKS ACTRON. Show details ·  1

Brilliant Unit, top Australian product – I had the 151E installed in a new house I had built in late 2014. I have the Wi-Fi unit connected and I can thoroughly recommend this combination. I have had no problems with my system and I'm delighted to say that with my 6kW's of solar panels on the roof, the A/C doesn't cost me a penny to run during the day. My wi-fi connection works great,… Read more ·  1

I connect to the A/C and turn it on via my iPhone when I have finished shopping so when I arrive home, the house has cooled down to my desired 22 Deg C temperature. Again, I can only speak in glowing terms when I talk about the ActronAir and wholeheartedly recommend the product.

Does a great job – We are happy with our unit - no complaints here. Cools the house down really well in summer and just keeps on keeping on. Haven't had any dramas with it since I've had it. Relatively cheap to get serviced by a local company too. Happy to be using an Aussie brand too.  Show details ·  1

Actron Air Conditioner – To get the best out of the Actron Air, you need to use an Actron trained/ approved installer. We learnt the hard way. Once Actron Air became aware of the installation issue, they pulled out all stops to help us. Great air conditioner, especially having a controller in each room.  Show details

Not Happy – This is our 4th yr with the unit. We have been happy up until when we received our June/July electricity acc. Compared to same time last year it had increased $285. As we have had the coldest winter we just accepted it and paid the bill although we have not used the unit any differently to previous years. There are only two of us living in the… Read more

house and rarely have multiple rooms on at the same time. It just didn't add up until we noticed that the outside unit was not cutting in and out as it always has. This noise cannot be missed as it is usually very noisy and after an initial installation query were told this is normal and we have learnt to live with the noise. I visited Gas and Air in Willetton who installed the unit and described the problem. They were all polite and tried to help and suggested to have a technician check it. I was advised if nothing was found faulty we would be charged. I understood that and was confident something was at fault. I went home to monitor the unit at different times of the day over a 24hr period before I requested a technician. In March they put a new compressor in at the end of Summer so this is the first heating use since then. The technician tested everything and found no fault, he put it down to 17 deg and said it was cutting in and out.(we always have it 22 deg for heating). My husband also heard a faint click but nothing at all like the obvious cut in and out we were used to. We were given a bill for $214. I once again approached Gas and Air and spoke to the technician as I wasn't home when he called to check. All on deaf ears. Today I decided to go directly to Actron Air in Balcatta hoping to get more sense out of someone there who would understand the fault. After explaining that Gas and Air had been out the gentleman I spoke to backed him up. I got the impression that I was a paronoid woman focusing too much on the unit noise clicking in and out. The bottom line is this - high electric bill. My last non heating bill was $300 so basically it has cost me $585 more so far this winter for two months to keep warm with another semi winter bill arriving shortly. As I previously mentioned the comparable winter account last year was $600 and this year $885 but everyone tells me nothing is wrong with the unit. A blind man could see that something is not working correctly. Strange how a new compressor was installed in March and seems the problem has been since then. It is not making the same usual cut in and out noise that most people complain about. The unit is under warranty - are they waiting for me to get something fixed next year when out of warranty. On deaf ears from Gas and Air and Actron. Having paid $20K for "the most efficient unit and Australian made" yes maybe when everything is working correctly. Why would anyone want to buy Actron if it is normal to cost so much to keep warm as opposed to other units. Disgusted with the whole attitude of the companies involved. Believe me I am not crazy and I know how my unit usually sounds without it costing me so much more in just 2 months.

Tripled my electricity cost of a normal ducted air con. I'm in shock!! – Bill jumped from $500 to $1500!!!! Yes it's winter but I never had such a bill when I had a regular ducted air from actron which was 18kw during winter!!! The rep sold it to us based on it being an inverter and the most energy efficient. Has was the installer too and one controller is so far away from its zone that the room temp is always wrong.… Read more

We have to call him back to move it but now I've got to patch a newly laid wall. I don't understand why it was put so far away!!!

Actron Comressor Failure – We had an Actron installed in our newly built home nearly five years ago. We had the feeling that it wasn't cooling enough but let it go. As soon as the warranty period ended the compressor failed. We called out Actron's local dealer in Adelaide. They failed to figure out the problem. Spend nearly $900 for a part replacement and the very next day… Read more

the whole unit burned. We called the Actron Head Office in Sydney and after hours of telephone calls back and forth finally they agreed that the compress had a performance issue and replaced the compressor. But it cost us nearly $1000 and nearly 15 days without aircon at the height of Adelaide heatwave.

So anyone considering an Actron, better think twice. They say it is Ausie made but but performance wise I rate this product poor.

PV

Blocked Outlet Pipe – Have just had my top floor ceiling flooded because according to the installer, 'a spider had spun its web inside the outlet and blocked it'. Condensation back-flushed and the system over-flowed. The thing is, the air con wasn't on for very long or over a long period of time but the damage (replastering and repainting) is huge. Actron blamed the… Read more

installer and the installer advised that we should pest control every 6 months (like that is going to stop bugs or even vermin from crawling up a pipe). I suggested that a more permanent (and cheaper) fix would be to attach mesh to the opening to stop things from crawling back up. Perhaps Actron could take the initiative and design a fitting as part of their offer for an effective system rather than wiping their hands once they offload to installers (whom they have qualified to represent their brand!).

Compressor problems – I recently installed this Actron Platinum ESP in my home and it was going great guns, I received a phone call from Actro who told me the compressor in our unit had a known fault and they would be replacing it as soon as possible, East Coast Air who installed the unit in the first place then contacted me and we set a date for replacement, this went… Read more

very smoothly and without interruption except for the couple of hours it took, all in all I cannot fault Actron as they had a qualified fault and did not wait for the problem to escalate into a drama, they just accepted it and replaced it, I will recommend Actron any time to anyone, and if they live in the Maitland or surrounding areas (we are 1 hour away) then get East Coast Air in they are the most professional team of Tradesmen I have dealt with. update** East Coast Air from Maitland have now informed us we are too far away to service the air conditioner, so just make sure before you use them that you are not too far away.

Worst Investment Ive Ever Made – Built our dream home and spent $25,000 on an actron ducted system and 4 years later have had nothing but trouble. Out side unit is like a helicopter outside and we have had the soft starter replaced 3 times, twice in the last 3 months. would not recomend them at all

Terrible noise from outdoor unit – Ive just installed the actron esp plus 19.3kw. The outdoor unit compressor cuts in and out every 2 seconds which is very loud. Do not install near bedroom windows or in a location that will be heard by neighbours as it is a very noticeable sound especially at night. Other then the noise unit works well.

Very happy – Installed 17 kW Platinum Ultima 8 months ago, I can now comment on cooling (44 degree days) and heating (10 degree days 0 nights). This unit has not missed a beat and is super efficient, big drop in power bill from previous year. The Platinum Ultima has individual temp controllers in each zone that can be adjusted +- 2 degrees from main controller… Read more

temp. Everyone is happy. My unit is installed with 7 zones and 3 separate return air areas, allowing for doors to different areas to be closed including master bedroom that can be run by itself with door closed. Much quieter than previous Panasonic 3 phase. Outside unit is installed other side of wall to where I sleep and don't hear it at night, can hear it on a hot day with multi zones on. I did check out a friends ESP Plus with a sound metre, it was similar to old Panasonic. The Platinum Ultima is quieter.

My view of getting a good outcome is to be specific about what your needs are and find an installer who listens (not easy) and comes up with the system to achieve it, it won't necessarily be the cheapest option but I've had those before! After talking to the usual places I ended up with Jaymel (Adelaide). So many places only want to compete on price at the expense of outcome. Good installer + good unit = good outcome, couldn't be happier.

What a waste of money – Ultima 19kw unit installed in brand new house, with it being the best of the best. Yea right!. First the installers didn't know how to install it properly, didn't put enough zone controllers in so zones don't work. Thats fixed up. A few weeks later on a cold morning the out door unit freezes over and stops working, this time the tech advices… Read more

that the previous tech didn't setup ESP mode that this would be why it iced over. Week later it ices over again, this time the advice is that there is any issue with the programming, have to wait for some weeks for a new board to be installed.

So now in the middle of winter we have the joy of freezing every morning as our brand new system blows lukewarm air, compare this to a 15 year old mistubishi unit at work that hasn't missed beat.

Sadly disappointed as well – Unfortunately, I too an extremely disappointed with this system. We recently purchased it (at the cost of a small car) through Rite Price Heating and Cooling in Adelaide and spent a lot of time researching and asking many many questions on which system to purchase, especially for noise, location of vents and motor. On advise from the sales… Read more

person we settled on the Actron. We immediately had problems with our control panel, not switching on or off, the noise was horrendous (especially whining fan noise that cuts in and out every 30sec), rooms not switched on were surging on and off and the room heat was great if you were standing up, my legs and feet freeze when sitting down.

Follow up with Rite Price was difficult, techs not turning up, no follow up calls, I felt as though I had to do all the chasing. We had 7 different techs from Rite Price attend, which was incredibility frustrating as none of them knew what the last one did or suggested with no communication between them and with all differing opinions on what the problems were. On one visit we had a Rite Price "Supervisor" turn up unannounced who was nothing but rude and arrogant, not a good company representative! Anyway to cut a really long (months worth) story short, we now work directly with an Actron specialist who has been great, fantastic customer service, turns up when he says or rings if he is late, but we are still really disappointed with the system, we don't use our system at night due to the noise. Yes it was sold to us as Aussie Made, best system around all the Maccas and Hungry Jacks use them, which is great for commercial use, but I don't think Actron have achieved the same for residential!!

Mr Actron, please go back to the drawing board and review your residential units so that us Aussies want to buy your Aussie made product and keep your in business in this great country. Also, ensure you trust who sells your products and they are appropriately trained and informed, especially in the area of where to locate the motors on installation and more so the after sales service....in my experience Rite Price majorly contributed to the disappointing purchase of this system.

Effective mechanicals, Outdated controls but exceedingly poor local service (WA) – This unit achieves what it is intended to do where it has been plumbed correctly. Unfortunately my local distributor (Needham Air) lack sufficient knowledge and competence to design, install or configure these products. Despite having a pre-purchase site inspection the fabricated sheet metal delivered was incorrect, two rooms were unable to be… Read more

connected, the controller is mispositioned, initially insufficient digital sensors were provided (Needham didn't understand how the Ultima operated or the difference between digital and analogue sensors), a sensor is inappropriately positioned and a 'clean regularly' filter cannot be physically removed. The outdoor unit was dented on delivery. The controls are clunky and below standard for a 2013 model of this cost but with a little product knowledge could have been positioned to alleviate some of the inadequacies.

Certainly ruins the good reputation "Aussie made" – I have had the Actron ESP installed as it was recommended as Aussie made and the most reliable ( and probably expensive) unit on the market. From day one I had problems as zones would turn themselves on and off. I was told that this is a common interference problem but I had to pay for the upgrade. After a few small issues and arguments with the… Read more

installer I went to Actron themselves.The repairman from Actron was quite knowledgeable and said that the unit has problems and since then they were out a few times to do upgrades after breakdowns. Unfortunately Christmas 2013 I woke up to my living room ceiling collapsed as the unit leaked water and had a plumber run new lines as actron was shut over the new year period. Just as summer started in 2014 the unit was not producing any cold air. It was fixed under warranty and again I was informed this is a common problem but we were again without a working aircon and this time over the whole christmas and new years eve period. In fact this fault was just fixed about 2 weeks ago and now it is friday before Australia Day long weekend and now it is blown AGAIN. Wont be fixed till next week.

Considering that we dont run the unit very often it doesnt seem to function for long between repairs. I spoke to many of my friends who have ducted aircons and none have problems and all of them are past their warranty. Needles to say that none have Actrons.

The unit has to many issues for me to recommend it to anyone. Once the warranty period is over and the next repair comes I will be forced to replace a $13.000 unit which will then be 5 years old with a reliable unit like Mitsubishi for much less.

Extremely disappointed. Performance like this I wouldn't even expect of a no name unit.

If anybody considers class action to extend warranty till their updates are over please inform me.

Thorsten

Unhappy!!! – Have had our actron ducted aircon for 10years also and have no end of trouble -just spent $6000 on repairs and this hasn't been the 1st time money, waisted time and much frustration from this dud system! I definitely wouldn't recommend-despite being recommended to us as advertises as 'in extreme conditions' must be a .We live in coldest climate… Read more

area and can't rely on it at all. We have spent some of the coldest days with a little blow heater to try and keep 4 kids including baby warm while waiting for days for repairer who can't figure out the problem -no matter who we use for the repair, it is never easy to work out problem! Now summer heat and again 'error' display and not working!!! What can we do ? It is criminal really!

Worst ever air conditioner ducted I've bought Actron esp – Lol bought a single phase inverter Actron ducted ,and from day 1 had problems first time was warranty job but because cockroach got onto circuit board it tripped it out and blew the circuit so Actron say no warranty ,,well simple you say you make the best and Bragg its aussie made , why wouldn't it be a sealed unit with mesh so insects don't get… Read more

in to these electrical boards or areas or the circuit board is covered so it don't blow boards you no you have a problem with this because the service guy from Actron went straight to the area n showed me where cockroach was burnt out ,,they wanted like $700 to change circuit board ,,,told them where to go and charged $200 for call out fee cause they said they won't warrinty insects ,,now the fan turns on but the compresser is not turning on and keeps tripping the switch in the outdoor unit ,,,$200 to come tell me what's wrong with it then I'd say another $200 for next call out pus parts I HATE ACTRON AND RECOMEND YOU NOT BUY ONE ,2003 I bought a MITSUBISHI 6.5 kW ducted 3 phase one ,sold house in 2007 and what a fantastic machine I bought Mitsubishi is 100% better machine the ACTRON ,,so when you look at Actron ones speak to warranty side of things and see if they are nice to deal with ,,,never will I RECOMEND ACTRON AIR CONDIOTIONERS to my family n friends

Another summer, another repair needed – Have had our actron ducted air conditioner for about 10 years and have had nothing but trouble with it since the dodgy installation until now. Have had numerous services, control panel replaced, hours spent waiting for service people, hundreds of dollars spent and here we go again in the hottest part of the year and no cooling. Would definitely never buy actron again.

multi, that is 4 soft starter board failures inunder 5 years – first failure on fifth day after instal aprox 3 weeks for repair completed .the board appeared to be of Russian quality,within 1 year 2nd board failed, and again about a year later another failure .the replacement board was a complete re design ,I thought all was ok but this season yet another softstart board failure ,this one yet to be… Read more

fitted and job completed. Soon to be out of warranty, how much will this this cost me the next time it goes poof ? . a friend of mine has the same 15 kw kit and has 2 of the same failures in the same time frame. Should I get rid of it and get a re liable Japanese unit?

This unit is the noisey aircon I have ever heard – The service department is awful, we have had a technician come out 2 times and said that the awful noise is normal. When is something that is suppose to be sufficient and does not go off and on when it is suppose to. The last time the tech was out in August he said that he was going to order a blanket for around the compressor and under the unit… Read more

to help with the noise and vibration and it is now OCTOBER and I have called 3 times to the office and NO response. We are very disappointed that the sales people are not honest enough to let you know about the noise. My concern is also when we do start using it in summer what are our neighbours go to think and how are they going to sleep. If we had a choice we would definitely change this unit to another one. NOT HAPPY

Efficient with the ultimate zone control – After weeks of research looking at daikin vs actron, and getting various installers to quote, I decided to purchase an Actron Air Esp Ultima due to wanting 7 individual zones that could be switched on/off as required. Daikin can not do this and their alternative to handle such a large home 300 Sqm internal was to have 2 daikin outdoor units with… Read more ·  4

2 zones for each. Daikin could not have more zones due to the air pressure given it could only ramp down to 50%. The Actron Esp ultima can ramp down to 10% and just cool one room.

I have had the ac for 4 months now and both the heating and cooling has been excellent, with the zone control with individual room temp control being efficient, quiet and exceeding my expectations.

With regards to the outdoor unit, it's as loud as alternatives and would be quieter than daikin which would require 2 outdoor units, having said that given the distinct noise of ramping up and release when in esp mode it is important that it's placed away from bedrooms/living areas. Mine is placed on my garage wall as recommended by the platinum installer. Excellent zone control, energy efficiency, no air noise even with one room on Would be good if it had iPhone/iPad control so I can see what zones are on without having to go the master panel