[VIC] Anyone Heard of Smart User Aircon Rebate

Hey, wondering why I can't find any reference for this in OzBargain or any other forum.

Got an offer from Smart User to install 3 multi split system (7, 5 and 3kw) for 2999 installed. They claim the product itself is free (from rebate) and the 3 grand is basically the installation cost (seems cheap for 3 aircon). While I got a few quotes to install 7kw split system can get up to 850-1k for standard back to back (just installations)

The aircon is branded as their own Smart User aircon but manufactured by TCL & has 5 year product & installation warranty.

The requirement is just single story house + have existing gas ducted heating.

Company wise I saw a lot of boot of Smart User around shopping centre, but google review seems to be mixed review.

Anyone have any experience dealing with them?

Comments

  • +1

    the 3 grand is basically the installation cost (seems cheap for 3 aircon)

    Probably is about right. I got a quote to move one existing unit into a new room and put another unit into the other (bigger unit) and it was quote for $1800. For $1,000 each unit I guess sounds about right. Keep in mind that electrical work is required…..

    The requirement is just single story house + have existing gas ducted heating.

    and there is probably a house hold income requirement? Like most rebates, there appears to be this.

    • nope, I clearly asked about household income and they said there is no income requirement for this.

  • +1

    Also, their website says the rebate and air con has ended? https://smartuser.com.au/air-conditioners-new/

    • Hi mate,its showing ended on 31 may 2023 .thanks

      • Exactly my point. Where is the OP getting this deal from? When their website says it has ended?

          • @cubestreamer: I saw this via some facebook ad few weeks ago, and the sales rep just contacted me by phone yesterday

          • @cubestreamer: I clicked this link,and it seems to be working fine. I then tried to contact their company, and the sales attitude was also friendly. We scheduled a time for them to come to my house for an inspection. Thanks bro. thank you for sharing

      • It seems to be working well, I just used the link somebody shared. bro try this one https://smartuser.com.au/air-conditioning/

      • Hey @Sam69,

        The current available rebate that was mentioned above is different to the rebate that you guys are mentioning which is connected to our Single Split Systems, but there is now an ongoing rebate program regarding our Multi Split Air Conditioner System.

        Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or visit www.Smartuser.com.au for more information.

  • Whom to contact about this rebate ? Can you please give More info about this .Is we can choose our own brand of Aircorn or its just only specific brand they providing ,our gas bill sky-rocketed, so thinking to replace with electricity and use our solar energy. TIA🙏

    • we can choose our own brand of Aircorn or its just only specific brand they providing

      In most cases, you have to use their brand. However, depending on the grant you could get, an authorised dealer could allow you to choose your own brand (that they are happy to install). Just would possibly mean a higher cost.

      https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/victorian-energ… has a bit more info.

      our gas bill sky-rocketed, so thinking to replace with electricity and use our solar energy.

      I am similar, however, don't want it to cost a bomb because the ROI would take a little longer. I also don't qualify for some grants because of our house hold income.

      • Thankyou so much 👍

        • Its only their branded aircon

          If you dm me I can give you the sales rep no, but if you call them directly you should be able to get the same deal.

          I was told this is new deal, unlike the last year rebate deal

          • @cubestreamer:

            I was told this is new deal, unlike the last year rebate deal

            Would love to see the deal in writing and what the T&Cs are.

          • +1

            @cubestreamer: Pls dm me the sales rep no and name. Your dm is turned off

  • Update on this, I ended up installing aircons from them

    Got 3 aircon (multi split, so only 1 outdoor unit)
    1. 8kw
    2. 5kw
    3. 3kw

    Total Cost:
    100$ -> first inspection
    2999 -> aircon installations
    350 -> because I install one of the unit in internal wall, it needs to have some condensation pump
    -100 (the inspection cost is refunded if we are going ahead with installation)
    Total: 3349$

    Timeframe:
    1. Get a call
    2. Said ok next day -> pay 100$ for the inspection
    3. Inspection arranged next week (this is just to confirm the location of the aircon)
    4. Waiting about 2 weeks to get the contract
    5. Waiting another 2 weeks for the installation

    Confirmed:
    1. Eligibility only single story house + have existing ducted heating
    2. No income requirement

    • Review:
      1. The waiting + ping pong between initial sales person + his manager + inspectors + installers can definitely be improved, too many point of contact of the company
      2. Aircon itself does its jobs but I guess the longevity of it can only be proven by time, however it has 5 years warranty + if the company goes down we can always refer to VCE (in the contract)

      Apart from that can't complain since this is cheap compared to buying the aircon + paying installation.

    • Did they decommission your existing heating? I have central gas heating and they are saying they will decommission it.

    • How is it all going?

      Are they noisy headunits?

      How's the pump? Do you hear it at all?

  • Hey Everyone,

    I'm certain many of you have inquiries about the rebates associated with the latest Multi Split Air Conditioner Systems.

    I will do my best to answer all of your questions here.

    Cheers

  • Hi SmartUser,

    Any option for double story house?

  • My gas heater broke and I just got it replaced with new one. Interested in this but cant give away my new gas heater worth $3500. Is there a way I can keep my gas heater? (or sell it to someone).

  • Could anyone please give any reviews / feedbacks on the functionality & quality of these aircons ?

  • Hi all, any further thoughts from anyone that went ahead with the installation? What do they do with the existing gas ducted system? Do the new units work well? How was the quality of install/workmanship? Thank you!

  • Hi All,

    I have recently got the units installed as part of the rebate.
    I can confirm that they decommissioned by existing Gas Heating but there is a to reconnect it. You just have to contact another plumber to do the works. ( I haven't reconnected mine yet)
    Also, the units are OK (since it's TCL) but it does the job.

    The major issue I am currently having is that my 8KW unit is making a squeaky noise when it's running and it's very annoying. It started making the sound when the installation completed and the installer acknowledged it.
    However, I am still waiting for the technician to come and test the unit in order to identify whether it's Unit faulty or some sort of an issue with the installation.

    Also, the condensation pump makes a weird noise (like tik tik tik) even when the AirCon is off. Is that normal?

    • What did your total cost end up being given you had a condensate pump installed?

      • out of pocket cost was around $3600 including installation and 2 condensation pump.

    • How's the situation going ? Pump and noisy headunits ?

      • so far it's all good.

        No noise from the units and pumps once the technician fixed it

        • Awesome

          Some people had said the operational sound of the units are loud so you find this ?

          And cooling and heating working well ?

          • @JohnTrent: yes they are working well.

            The operational sound I found to be normal. They must be comparing with the latest units which are noise-less

  • https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/for-households/victorian-energ…

    https://www.veu-registry.vic.gov.au/Public/ProductRegistrySe…

    I don't know how people are not aware of this.

    I'm currently putting in 2 12kw Mitsubishi multi heads and 7 indoor units

    • What was your out of pocket expense for this and what product did you decommission?

    • Hi, what provider/installer did you go with? I have tried called several on the VEC website, only a few responsed, and none dealt with Mitsubishi. Only Smart User has come back with a proper response but they install TCLs.

      • same here… all the installers are either higher in price or not giving any rebates

        I came across only 2 with reasonable rates
        Smart User
        Metro Heating and Cooling

        Both providing TCLs though

    • how much did you end up paying out of pocket?

      how are you dividing your indoor units? 2x12kw means you have a capacity of 24kw divide by 7 means 3.5kw per each unit roughly.

  • +1

    So SmartUser use/offer a TCL brand system and Metro offer the TCL but alos a Gree system which is Wifi enabled…

    Quotes I've got so far:
    SmartUser - TCL brand - 8,5,3,3 KW heads + 20kw outdoor unit - $3,600
    Metro Heating & Cooling - TCL Brand - 12,5,3,3 heads - $3,700
    Metro Heating & COoling - Gree brand (Wi-fi enabled) - 8,5,3,3 + 19KW outdoor unit - $5,000

    Has anyone gotten better pricing on Wi-fi enabled units? I do like the option of integrating with Google Home and managing schedules etc from there.

    • Which brand/company did you end up going with? I got quote for TCL from metro heating & cooling (8,5,3,3) - $3750. I can bargain but I'm still trying to make decision whether to go with TCL or not.

      • +1

        I haven't yet. Am still looking for a cheaper quote on a wifi enabled….supposedly new units are being approved for the program soon….

  • Had Mitsubishi installed in my previous property which I regret not taking it with me to the new property. They were legendary and only 18 months old

    So, this new property I moved to, I got the installed from SmartUser (TCL ones)

    They are alright, no issues, not as quiet as the mitsubishi ones but still quiet and good enough. They cool and heat alright.
    The installer made bigger holes in the wall than necessary I feel to pass the pipes / wiring, but did an alright job.

    I checked for leakages and noise after installation before paying and all working fine I can confirm. I just sealed along the perimeter of the indoor units with transparent tape myself because my OCD would kick in otherwise :D

    I didn't go for the condensation pumps (for the internal wall), rather went with installing one of the units (5 kW) close the the corner. They will then use a conduit pipe instead and easier for them to install as well. Not really fussed about it as I have read opinions that the condensation pumps can be a little noisy and could be bothersome, not to mention they require regular maintenance too, something I couldn't be bothered with.

    Took about 3-3.5 weeks from start of the process to finish.

    Total cost of $2999

  • -1

    Just got quote for smartuser tcl. 4 units 8,5,3,3 3599 plus 350 for one pump.

    Two questions I had for those who have had the units installed. How noisy are the head units ? I am looking to have one in each of the kids rooms don't want them to be too noisy.

    Are you finding them energy efficient?

    And question and concerns I have for the condenser pump which I require for the internal wall. Is the pump loud? Someone said theirs making a tik tik around all the time?

    Thanks everyone

    • My condensation pump was a bit noisy but I called Smartuser and they sent a technician to look into it.
      Turns out, the installer failed to connect one of the wires which was causing the sound (weird)
      After the fix, it is working fine now with no sound whatsoever.

      The heads are not that noisy and it won't wake up your kids :) I have 2 of mine and one of them is Autistic but the noise is not bothering him at all.

      However, I do regret of not going for the 4 multi-split system (I wasn't aware there is an offer for 4 split system as SU only told me about the 3 split system deal)

      The problem I am having now is getting my gas heater re-connected which is going to be a pain as not many plumbers within VIC are Type B licensed.
      Fingers crossed though!!!!!

      • When they decommissioned your gas ducted. Dis they just cap the gas pipe? Or did they actually remove the thermostat controller inside of it ?

        • they did both.. that's why it's hard to find a plumber who can reconnect it

          • @jawwad13: I'm in the process of installing too. Just curious, what is the reason to re-install the gas heating while you have electric ?

            • @xenialz: my wife wants it back since the property was built 2 years ago and everything in it is pretty brand new… Although I am still against it but you know the saying "Boss is always right" .. in this case my Wife is the Boss!!!

              • @jawwad13: Thanks , do you still recommend TCL or not ?

      • Bro what do you mean not noisy? For start you cannot mute the sound so the loud beep sound will wake them up alone. The units create a very loud gassy sound at various stages of operating that alone can wake up your kids… And the worst part is the high pitch frequency sound coming from the circuit board at all times. Loudest when not in operation but still also noticeable when ac running.

        • bro it's not waking up my kids so I just shared my experience.
          Regarding the high pitch sound, report it to SmartUser and they will send a Technician to fix it. It might not be coming from the Circuit board but the fan itself as it happened with me too and once reported they came over to fix it.

          My unit doesn't have any Gassy sound so am not sure what issue you are having but it's definitely not waking up my kids.

          For sure if you want a soundless system it won't cost you that cheap.

          • @jawwad13: they say its the circuit board nothing can be done about it.

            really no gassy sound wtf? they telling me its normal with these systems… wtf is going on

            • @JohnTrent: so do you guys recommend TCL at all ?

            • @JohnTrent: nope no Gassy sound for me and it's working well..
              I am not the TCL fan but can't complain since it's working atm

              • @jawwad13: well if you are trying to avail the rebate there are not many options available and TCL is your best bet..
                unless they can give you a Mitsubishi or Panasonic at the same price which I highly doubt.

  • I heard they offer free coffeemachine if someone successfully installed AC through SmartUser upon the reference of that person, but there's a catch - you have to pay for its delivery fees. Their technicians don't bring it when they come to install. Shows how cunning they are. I don't if anyone has been actually able to get free coffee machine.

    • i cant see this anywhere….what type of coffee machine are we talking about? @DevD?

  • Looks like smartuser now have to take away your old ducted gas heater which kind of sucks. no longer just need to cap it and that away controller. has anyone had this happend? or also been allowed to keep it?

    • How do you know this ?

      • They called me to advise they are now required to remove it.

    • I requested to keep it and they left it in the roof.. they just capped it and took out the controller and left it next to the heater in the roof.

      • Yeah you got yours done before new changes. Hey mate also how are the remotes? I have install booked in for next Tuesday. I know these are not wifi smart units. But if you didn't know you can get smart ir reader devices that will enable you to controll you a/c from any location in the world they also come with built in thermostat so you can make them turn on or off automatically if a certain temperature occurs in the room which is awesome. They cost around $12 each

        • where did you get it from? can you share the link?

          • @jawwad13: Aliexpress. You can get from Amazon for about $20. UanTii Smart Wifi IR Remote Controller Tuya Infrared Universal Remote Controller for Smart Home Control for AC TV Amazon Alexa and Google Home Siri Voice Control https://amzn.asia/d/95ds79C

            • @JohnTrent: thanks

              • +1

                @jawwad13: very good call… a little tricky to allocate a PowerPoint nearby for the unit but worthwhile

  • I am speaking to Metro Heating and Cooling on this They offer Gree which they said is 5 star rated for both heating and cooling.where as the Smartuser TCL is 3.5 and 4 star rated

    • whats their offer ?

      • I got a quote with them 4k for an install of 4 internal units ( 12kw, 5kw, 3kw, 3kw) with a 23kw external TCL.
        Thoughts on this?

        • +1

          Smart User offer is 8,5,3,3kw units with 19kw condenser (TCL) and 5 year warranty.
          I have a slight feeling that they are little dodgy.
          e.g. offering coffee machine free for successful referee but not mentioning that they charge for its delivery fee. After inspection, they will come up reasons to charge for extra labour etc.

          • @DevD: Whats the cost of this install?

  • we got an install done and wow they were so shit at installing the aircon. totally a dodgy job. - everything was done with such little care.
    The outdoor unit was installed and leveled using a plastic tube…. but originally they were going to use pallet wood…..
    careful how they installed the AC units inside as they had no idea of the best placements to make them operate efficiently. the manual says 25cm from the ceiling and more than 15cm from walls on both sides to allow for correct airflow and also maintenance of the units. they went to install mine like 10cm from the ceiling and 6 cm from the wall.
    their default answer to all our concerns don't worry its covered under warranty

    • Which company?

      • +1

        Smartuser

        • Probably wasnt Smart Users fault to be fair they just contract the work out, I forget the name of the AC company that installed mine, but the owner / boss name was Paul, Hopefully the dont still use them as they were pathetic

  • Got a quote for 8,5,3,3 from smart user $3599 (after inspection) . Will cost extra $750 if i decide to install the 8kw on a central wall (pump and copper wire).
    Would love to hear any feedback from those may have installed recently and appreciate it.

    • I have signed up for the same, awaiting inspection for the past 13 days. I am not sure now if I would want to continue as the rep is not answering calls.

      • I was on same boat. Had to remind my sales rep and she organised the inspection within 2 days.

        • +1

          Finally had my inspection today. No extra price. Just 3599 for 4 units.

    • Costed.me 350 for the middle wall just for the pump. It is tiny

  • Our units all give off a high pitch frequency noise when on and off. It's (profanity) annoying hope it goes away

    • Which company did you go with?

      • smartuser - they are (profanity) noisy dont get fooled by the top 10 quietest

        • they are def cheap and nasty, mine make terrible rattling / wind noises from time to time, reminds me of the old box ac units from the 70s! dont really know if its anything they can do to fix it to be fair

    • report it and they will send someone to fix it!

      • -1

        bro they saying nothing they can do about the high pitch sound. i am trying to escalate it. its such bullshit i cant even have them switched on at the powerboard i keep it turned off its so annoying

        • I know what you mean and I had the same issue initially but when I reported it they came up and fixed it..

          I had to keep it off at all times as well.. it was very annoying and my Autistic kid was getting irritated with the high pitch noise

          • @jawwad13: How did they fix it? Did they make a big deal about it example they are telling me that it is just being apart of the unit not affecting it working

            • @JohnTrent: No I told them my kids can't sleep and one of them is Autistic.
              3 4 days later they sent a technician who acknowledged the issue and took 3 4 hours but fixed it without making a big deal out of it.

              • @jawwad13: I can see that the sound is coming from one transformers on the motherboard. For it to be fixed they would need to replace the whole board or replace that transformer which they would need to resolder it. Interesting… As for the loud beep sounds. There is also a black round don't shaped peice on the motherboard where that beep sound comes from. You can cover it with tape or something and it makes the beeping sounds 50% softer which is amazing

  • Got my install done 3 days ago. The system did not start up after being installed, Smart User had to send someone over the next morning to configure.
    So far, no issues whatsoever. Install was okay. The guy installing made bit bigger holes in the wall, but as they are behind the units it is okay.
    Was not happy the way they put up the water outlets (white PVC pipes look a bit ugly). Guy from the office inspected all the units and said it looked okay.

    • Installers needed to pay a painter to repaint my kitchen wall as they also made a mess and cut holes too big then dodged it up by running silicon around the unit, made a bigger mess as the silicon ran down the wall. Installers were the worse, left the out door unit almost in front of a window, unit was also on a terrible angle and they left the access panel off, if it rained and I didnt check after they left the main board would have been fried!

  • Update mine stopped working after a couple of months yesterday, all 3 units just say co j9, waiting for them to now fix it :(

    • Do you know what the code means?

      • +2

        assumed it was this:
        J9. Malfunction of gas pipe thermistor (Refrigerant circuit and others) Defect of connector contact Defect of outdoor unit PCB. Defect of gas pipe thermistor.

        But that is for Daiken units, couldnt find any info on TCL ones, any way had their warranty tech come out today and straight away noticed the breaker had flipped to the off position, flipped it back and its working again, however he noticed straight away the breaker was under sized and now I need to wait for them to come back again and replace the breaker for a bigger one :(

        He also had a new main board in his hand so not sure of whats to come in the future.

        PS. I feel so bad for not checking the breaker, all I did was turn the outdoor unit off and on, didnt even think to check the breaker (rookie) but turned out to be a blessing in disguise if the breaker was going to cause more issues down the line!

  • Hello everyone,

    I have a couple of questions regarding air conditioning units:

    Do any of you have concerns about installing a 5kw unit in a master bedroom? I feel it might be more than necessary, potentially leading to higher energy consumption or frequent starting and stopping for heating or cooling only one bedroom.

    Has anyone successfully connected these units with a WiFi IR controller, considering the units do not inherently support WiFi?

    Can anyone share insights on the VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) technology used in Smart User systems? Is it genuinely more efficient than traditional fixed multihead units? Any experiences with piping issues, apart from those encountered during installation?

    It's claimed that the outdoor units have a noise level of 55dB, which is significantly quieter compared to other compressors of similar size that can be quite noisy at 70dB. Can anyone confirm if this claim holds true?

    The manufacturer claims that their units boast one of the highest efficiency rates among other brands. Is this claim believable, considering their performance against established brands like Mitsubishi or Panasonic?

    Has anyone installed Midea units under a government rebate scheme? Despite being more expensive compared to Smart User units, they offer four units for around $4700 (7kw and 3*2.6kw). However, I believe the unit sizes might be better suited for bedrooms, they support WiFi, and the indoor units are of better quality.

    I appreciate any insights or experiences you can share.

    Thank you.

  • I run a the 5kw in my master and its fine, no idea how efficient the whole system is, but i dont really trust anything they told us, the units are really noisy, I had one of the cheapest no name brands 15 years ago in my old place and I cant tell any difference, they squeak and rattle and you can hear the gas noises from the indoor units, even on the lowest fan speed and the remote is exactly the same, really terrible. I guess for the price its ok if you need 3 units, i find the main one is enough for my 3 bedroom house and id rather sleep with the fan on then leave the one in my room on. as for the outdoor unit lets just say you want it placed where your not going to see it as its massive, blows a tonne of hot air out of it and its defiantly noisy, i have it outside my office window and cant leave the window open as its just too noisy!

    One last annoyance is you can hear noise from other units. Example, if the one in your bedroom is off but another is on, you can hear noise transferred through the pipes to your room as they are all connected.

  • Going ahead with smart user options I understand they will disconnect my ducted central gas heating solution. Will they also disconnect evaporative cooling solution? I have same controller inside house for both heating and cooling. Also do we have someone who has used this smart user TCL system for more than 6 months now, reviews from them will be appreciated.

    • They would just cap the supply of ur gas heater. That's what they did to mine. Evap cooling should work as is.

  • Hi all, friend of mine just installed a new system from Chinese brand, she told me that it was very good but make sure installation done correctly as so many dodgy installers who take advantage of the scheme by doing shortcut installation. You must do some research online about how to install AC correctly ? Google search on the brand you want, they often provide video what you need.

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