Ducted heating

Ducted heating is a long term investment so before you even begin looking at the different types of heating available, there are a few things you should consider. Will you be at the property for a short or long period of time? Will any future lifestyle changes affect your heating needs? Do I require the entire house to be heated? We encourage you to think ahead, and purchase a ducted heating system that fulfills your current needs as well as your future ones. And keep in mind that a good ducted heating system increases the value of your home. The money you spend now is sure to pay off later.

Ducted heating is without a doubt the most efficient way to heat your entire house. If you're using a space heater or a reverse cycle air conditioner, the cost to heat only one room is approximately $98 per quarter. But with gas ducted heating, you can heat your entire home for less than $200 a quarter (if you use zoning and high efficiency heating).

With ducted heating you never have to walk out of a warm room into a cold one. You can be watching TV while the kids are in bed, and everyone stays warm. Ducted central heating
offers heating flexibility through zoning. Zoning enables you to divide your home into sections so living areas can be heated during the day and sleeping areas at night, or whatever suits you. Zoning is not only practical but economical. It can reduce your gas bill by up to $400 pa. in a typical home. So don't forget to ask about zoning when you speak to us.

Ducted heating comprises a central heating unit, which is connected to a series of outlets. Positioned strategically throughout your home, these outlets, or ducts, are installed either in the floor or ceiling. Installation of the heating unit depends on your house. If your house is built on a concrete slab, the unit is installed in the roof. If it has space underneath or a very low roof line, the unit is installed outside or under the floor. The ductwork, which connects the outlets to the heating unit, is neatly tucked away out of sight.

Special Features & Benefits of Ducted Heating

• Warm air flows through small outlets into every room of the house

• Electricity produces five times the amount of carbon dioxide emissions than natural gas

• The most effective and inexpensive way to power any heater is with natural gas

• Ducted central heating heats your whole home

• If correctly designed your ducted heating system can have add-on air conditioning to give you year round comfort.

DIY Ducted Heating Kits Available!

Ducted Heating DIY Video - Part 5

Ducted Heating DIY Video - Part 4

Ducted Heating Video Part 3

Ducted Heating Video Part 2

Ducted Heating Video Part 1

Central heating choices

Central heating-only systems:

Ducted gas air heating
Air is heated in a central gas heater (look for an efficient model with a high gas star rating) and distributed through insulated ducts to ceiling, wall or floor panels throughout the house (similar to ducted air conditioning). Different areas can be zoned, each with its own individual thermostat.

This type of heating can circulate a lot of dust (requiring a filter system that adds to the running costs and maintenance requirements), and tends to dry the air.

Hydronic heating
With this system, water is heated in a central boiler, then circulated around the house to panels that radiate and convect the heat to the air. The boiler can be fuelled by natural gas, LPG, wood or off-peak electricity.

The panels are usually individually controlled, so you can adjust the temperature of each room according to your needs. Look for quick-response panels made from mild steel and with a relatively small volume.

This type of heating is very quiet and circulates only a little dust.

In-slab heating
With this type of heating, the concrete floor slab is heated by internal electric cables or hot water pipes. It’s not recommended for suspended concrete floors where the space underneath isn't occupied, or for slab-on-ground in areas with a high watertable. And you’d probably only choose it if you’re building a new home or an extension.

Electric systems run on off-peak electricity, hot water systems can be fuelled by natural gas, LPG or wood.

This type of heating takes a long time to respond to changes in the thermostat setting, so it’s often left running 24 hours a day on an appropriate setting — making zoning (separate thermostatic controls for different parts of your house) very important.

Running costs and greenhouse gases

With all central heating systems, running costs depend very much on what fuel type you’re using and how much you pay for it. Compared to ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning, all types of natural gas heating are likely to have lower running costs, while using LPG and electric hydronic heating are likely to be more expensive to run.

Using natural gas or LPG produces much less carbon dioxide than reverse-cycle air conditioning, while electric heating produces considerably more.

For more detailed info, check the Sustainability Victoria factsheets.