How much does ducted heating cost?

Ducted heating prices usually range between $5,000 and $10,000, including ducted heating installation cost. The overall cost depends on a wide variety of factors, such as the quality and brand of the unit you select and the size of your home.

Ducted heating systems are perfect for creating a comfortable environment in your home during the cold winter months. If you’re building a new home or want to update your tired, old split system, ducted heating could be the answer.

Not only is ducted heating efficient at warming, but the reverse cycle cooling element can also keep your home fresh in the summer months. Ducted heating can be operated by reverse cycle air conditioning systems or, more commonly in Australia, by a gas heating system. Gas systems do not come with the cooling element, but leading manufacturers offer dual evaporative heating and cooling systems that can use the same pipe network.

Read on to find out more about the benefits of both ducted heating system types, ducted heating installation cost, and running costs associated with ducted heating.

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What is the cost of electric ducted heating for my home?

Ducted heating and cooling systems prices are typically anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000, including installation. Electric ducted heating prices will be based on:

• The size of your property
• Ceiling height
• Number of windows
• Whether you opt for zoning
• Whether it’s an existing home
• Whether it’s a single level or a multi-storey home (the latter will require vertical ducting).

Windows are one of the main culprits for heat loss in your home. If you have a generous amount of windows and a sizeable home, the heating systems you choose will need a larger capacity to be effective.

Ducted central heating is easiest to install when the property is being built. Allowing for air conditioning specialists to install the ducted system before the walls and gyprock go up can save money and time. However, retrofitting can be done and is a popular choice these days.

The brand of your ducted heating system will also influence the price. There are a wide range of systems on the market in Australia, including Samsung, Braemar, Daikin, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi and more.

Your choice of system will depend on the warranty, features and suitability for your property. It’s always best to ask around for recommendations to find out what your friends and family highly recommend to help make an informed decision on the best brand for your needs.

How much does ducted heating cost to run?

Is ducted heating expensive to run? The cost of ducted heating to run will depend on several factors. If you have a large home or a large ducted reverse cycle air system with high kW, your bills will be slightly higher than the average.

You can expect to pay around $800 to $1,200 to heat your home each year using a ducted heating system. The variance will depend on both the star rating of the system and the set temperature.

If you’re unsure of your usage levels, ask friends and family who are using ducted systems how much they spend on their heating costs or get an estimate from a heating expert.

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How much does gas ducted heating cost?

Ducted gas heaters circulate heated air in your home through floor or ceiling ducts. They offer an energy efficient system for creating instant warmth in your home, without using electricity. You can use natural gas or LPG with most systems.

How much is ducted heating for gas systems? Getting ducted gas heating systems installed will cost between $1,250 and $2,500 depending on the size of your home, the type of unit, the number of ducts, and the experience of the technician. Most tradies will give an hourly rate of $60 to $120 per hour to install your gas heater unit.

How much does ducted gas heating cost to run?

The gas ducted heating system has proven itself to be the affordable choice and has more energy efficiency than a reverse cycle air conditioning unit that relies on electricity. The ongoing running costs of gas are also more cost effective than an electrical system.

Let’s compare gas ducted heating prices with other running costs:

• Retail rate electricity costs: 30c per kWh
• LPG running costs: 17-20c per kWh.
• Natural gas: 11-15c per kWh

Many homeowners prefer to use gas for their home heating solution, instead of reverse cycle ducted systems, because of the significant savings with both the installation and running costs.

What is included in a ducted heating and cooling system?

Unlike a split system, which is very obvious to the eye and isolated to one room, a ducted system can cover the entire house seamlessly, quietly and without a large unit on display. The ducted system itself consists of a number of elements to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, including:

• Control panel and thermostat
• Ceiling grills or vents
• Outdoor unit
• Ducted units

With a lot of the latest systems, you can use your smartphone to control the ducted heating or cooling, so that your home or property is cooled or heated upon arrival. If you’ve chosen the functionality of zoning, you can control which rooms are heated when they are being used and set them to different temperatures to suit your family.

The inclusions of your system will be outlined in your provider’s quote, and you can compare and make a decision based on these inclusions. Many companies offer different warranties, so you should explore those available options.

Maintaining a ducted heating and cooling system

With the average cost of heating your property is between $800 and $1,000 per year, with systems averaging anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 to install, installing a ducted heating system could save money in the long run and add significant value to your home or office. That’s why it’s important to keep your system in top condition with an annual inspection and maintenance call-out.

Always ensure your exterior unit is kept away from overgrowth or plants so there’s a clear space free from debris and leaves that could collect in the unit. While the outdoor unit is designed to withstand the elements, having it on a concrete slab and ensuring it is regularly inspected will help keep your ducted system fully-functional.

Your installer should run you through the warranty and guarantee for the system. Remember to ask them for general maintenance advice, and tips for keeping your specific system in good working order.

Getting a free quote for ducted heating installation cost

When it comes to ducted heating, the more energy rating stars there are, the more energy-efficient the system should be. When comparing systems, always make sure they are the same or very similar size per kW. Find the relevant information on your particular system on the manufacturer’s site, or visit the Australian Government Energy Rating website to find out more.

Speak to a local air conditioning expert to find out what the best ducted heating system would be for your needs and the different ducted heating prices in your area. They should be able to give you more information on the best energy rating for your ducted air conditioning requirements to help you choose a system that has the correct kW for efficiently warming up your home.

For an idea of ducted heating cost and current market rates in your local area, compare multiple quotes for both electric and ducted gas heating and ducted air conditioning to see what will suit your needs and your budget.

*All prices quoted were sourced at the time this cost guide was written and should only be used as an estimate.