Air conditioning and hot water units – how close to the boundary?

PCG have noticed a number of non-compliances where air conditioning and hot water units are being installed too close to a boundary and the dwelling.

NCC 2022 Volume 2 Part 9.2.9 states these services must be located at least 450mm from a boundary, where they are also within 900mm of the dwelling. That is, where the services are located between the dwelling and the boundary.

A common example is where a large electric storage hot water with a diameter of over 600mm is used, it means the dwelling wall needs to be set back at least 1050mm from the boundary to allow for the minimum 450mm clearance. This doesn’t allow for any tolerance or gaps and it is recommended to achieve an additional clearance.

A possible solution is to relocate the service to the rear of the dwelling, so that it is not located between the external wall and the boundary.

The Australian Building Codes Board previously wrote the following article on the matter – https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/news/2020/allowable-encroachments-how-close-too-close