Search
Close this search box.

The cost of ducted heating: all you need to know.

Author Rod Marchant-Smith | Peninsula Air Conditioning

In Australia, as we fast approach the cooler winter months, we begin to consider ways to keep comfortably cosy. This includes our homes. Unlike many homes in European countries which are built to contain the heat and where you can spend nights beside a warm fireplace, most of the homes here in Australia and surrounding Sydney areas such as Vaucluse, Bondi, Point Piper and Bellevue Hill do not have beautiful fireplaces and are instead built to suit the warmer climate.

This having said, there are plenty of alternative options available to help keep us as snug as a bug in a rug. One such option is ducted gas heating. Below we provide an insight into ducted heating systems and how much you can expect to pay for installation.

 

What is ducted gas heating and how does it work?

A common heating system, ducted gas heating provides warmth to the entire house, so you don’t have to walk out of a warm room into a cold one. These systems are highly efficient in heating your home, no matter how cold it may be outside.

Also known as ducted central heating, it works to draw the air from your room which passes through a grille and then over a heat exchanger, which is then warmed by gas combustion. Once the air is heated it travels through the ducts into your home and recirculates through the vents back to the heater. Also, ducted gas heating only requires one heating unit to heat the entire house.

Ducted gas heating is a great alternative to reverse cycle air conditioning especially if you are unlikely to require cooling in the summer.

 

What are the benefits of ducted gas heating?

Amongst others, here are the top benefits of ducted gas heating.

  1. Comfort for the entire home.
    It allows you to have the flexibility to heat a specific room or the entire house. You can also set the temperature to your liking, in turn providing you with the level of warmth and comfort to suit you.
  2. High efficiency equals lower costs.
    Ducted Gas heating uses natural gas rather than electricity to warm your home, in turn reducing your energy costs and carbon footprint.
  3. Even air distribution.
    As mentioned earlier, once the air is heated it is pushed through ducts and into the home via vents in the ceiling or floor. This allows for the air to evenly distribute throughout the entire home.
  4. Flexibility and control.
    Ducted gas heating provides the flexibility and control to choose which rooms you heat and which ones you don’t, allowing you to be even more energy-efficient. Not only this, but you can control the temperature of your entire home and each individual area from one central control panel. Enabling you to increase or decrease the temperature to your comfort level at the touch of a button.
  5. Aesthetically pleasing.
    With no wall mounted units and only the ceiling or floor vents being visible, the ducted gas heating system does not interfere with the aesthetics of your home.
  6. Peace and tranquillity
    This is one of the quietest heating options available. Allowing you to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of your home without unwanted background noise.

 

Is a ducted gas heating system right for me?

When the cold hits in you’ll be wanting a system that provides you with the cosy warmth you dream of while keeping any energy bill costs low. While there are few other options to heating your home, the one suited to you will depend on a few factors. Let’s look at the options available alongside the ducted gas system.

Electric heaters
If you live in an apartment or require to only heat a small room, this is a good option as they are portable and much cheaper to buy. A much more suitable option when it’s just the one or two you. However, it is good to note that these are not exactly environmentally friendly.

Reverse-cycle air conditioners
More economically friendly than electric heaters, the reverse-cycle systems are effective in heating both individual rooms, larger homes, and large spaces such as open plan living areas. The downside compared to a portable electric heater is that it is a lot more expensive to buy and carry installation costs. Nevertheless, these systems are known for being highly efficient in every way!

Gas heater
If you are looking for an environmentally friendly and cheaper to run heating solution for small to medium-sized areas, then this is a good option for you. There are two types of gas heaters you can use inside your home, these are:

  • Flued heaters: which direct the fumes outside through a pipe. However, can be more expensive to buy and install.
  • Portable/unflued heaters: In this case, the fumes and water vapours release into the room being heated and therefore, the room will always need be kept ventilated. Due to this form of heating, it is one of the least favoured and recommended heating systems.

 

If you are looking to keep your home heated all day, then a gas heater is certainly the way to go as it is much more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run. Though not as cheap as opting for either a reverse-cycle air conditioning system or ducted gas heating.

 

What size ducted heating system do I need?

Each system is built to operate at a different capacity, some larger than others, to accommodate for the area the system is heating. A few factors for you to take into consideration are as follows.

  1. The size of your home.
    The larger the area, the greater the capacity of the system will need to be. After all, you don’t want just one small corner of the home to be cosy whilst the rest is unbearably cold.
  2. The number of floors your home has.
    By floors, we mean is your home single or double-storey? If it is a double-storey house, it will require vertical ducting which will add to the installation costs.
  3. The ceiling height.
    If the rooms in your home have high ceilings, the system will need to work to generate enough heat to fill the room, therefore, you will need a larger capacity system.

 

A look at installation costs

As we’ve covered above, several factors will affect the overall price you pay for a ducted gas heating system. And whilst there are a few factors to take into consideration, we can only provide a truly accurate quote for how much a ducted heating system will cost after a thorough onsite inspection. Therefore, we recommend you give our highly experienced team a call on 1300 889 309 to book a free onsite inspection.

In the meantime, to provide a rough guide on the cost of installing ducted gas heating, you can expect to pay between $3,000 to $4000 for a basic system. This price will vary depending on:

  • the size of the system,
  • the brand,
  • the ease/difficulty of installation, and
  • the number of areas you wish to heat within your home.

The bigger the system, the more credible the brand and the more areas you wish to keep warm, the higher the price point.

Tradie costs
You may need a few different tradies, along with the ducted air conditioning installers, to undertake different elements of the installation process. This can include:

  • Electrician: to install the master control panels and work with any wiring.
  • Plumbers: to install/repair any piping and ducting for heating/cooling and ventilation.
  • Gas fitters: apart from working on gas appliances, they can also be called in to carry out the repair and testing of ducted heating systems.

 

Gas system installation costs: If you already have a gas supply in your home, you won’t need to worry about connection charges. If you don’t, worry not, it may still be possible to have the ducted gas heating installed. Contact our team and we will look into this for you.

Here’s a little tip, at certain times of the year, gas supply providers and appliance companies have promotions running which means you can either get connection for free or at a heavily discounted rate.

Here at PenAir we’re always looking at ways to provide you with the best deals along with service that is second to none. So, it’s well worth giving our team a call to ensure you get the best price.

 

Other factors for consideration

When selecting the right heating system for you, there are also a few other factors to consider. These include the following.

Installation location

Some Ducted gas systems can be split into two parts for ease of access and installed into various locations within your home such as underfloor, in the roof space or even externally.

The most common choice is underfloor ducted gas heating with floor grilles supplying the air throughout your home.

If the system is in the roof space, then a platform would be installed into the roof for the system to stand on, as well as a light and power point. These items are a requirement of your ducted gas heating system as without them service engineers will refuse to perform maintenance.

 

Gas mains connection

A qualified plumber would need to carry out the connection of the central heating system to the mains gas supply. And a qualified electrician would complete any of the electrical requirements.

It is important to get a Certificate of Compliance from the plumber, as this is needed to qualify for any of the promotions that may run at the time of installation.

The ducted gas heating system can be installed within multiple zones around the home. It is also possible to have individual temperature control within each zone, thus having greater control over your comfort. For this, a flexible duct is connected to the system supplying air to the outlets in your home. We use R1.0 insulated duct.

 

Selecting supply and return air grilles.

You can choose from many types of floor grilles for your supply air outlets. These vary from ultra-modern industrial-looking grilles to traditional distressed bronze grilles, and everything in between. You can view the options on our grilles page. Please note that items marked Price Group A are included in all our quotes whilst those marked Price Groups B and C are options at additional expense.

You can also decide to have aluminium grilles powder coated to any colour you like within the Dulux Power Coat Range. A word of caution though–floor grilles do tend to be trodden on and have furniture moved across them and over time this can chip the paintwork.

Ceiling grilles are the round or MDO type and are the most installed. Although, you may choose to go with the multi-directional aluminium ceiling grilles. As with floor grilles, you can have aluminium ceiling bar grilles powder coated to your choice of colour.

Something to be aware of–round ceiling grilles are popular amongst installers because they are easy to cut and, unlike MDO’s or bar grilles, you don’t have to line them up carefully with the contours of each individual room. However, as a word of advice, they are not highly effective at distributing warm air as they push the air out sideways and not downwards. And as we all know, hot air rises! Which can leave you with a nice warm head but freezing feet.

The central heating system will also have a return air grille. This can be positioned in unobtrusive locations such as the sidewall of the stairwell, the floor of a cupboard with a door relief grille, or even below a TV cabinet/unit. In exposed floor areas these are made of natural anodised aluminium.

 

Add on refrigerated cooling.

Various models of ducted gas heating systems can also have a refrigerated air conditioning module fitted for the best of both worlds. The add on air conditioning system can even be fitted at a later date thus enabling a spread of capital investment.

The air conditioning module comes in 2 parts–the fan coil which is connected to your central heating system and would need to be positioned in the same location, whilst the condenser would be positioned outside and connected by refrigerant piping. If this is something that you may consider let us know at the time of quoting as larger duct and grilles would be required to cope with the greater airflow for cool air, in turn affecting the overall quote.

To sum up the above:

  • Some heaters can be split into two sections allowing installation into tight spaces.
  • Large selection of grilles allowing total flexibility to fit in with your interior décor.
  • Multiple zones, optionally each with individual temperature settings.
  • Special allergy filters are available.
  • Add on cooling capable–split your capital cost between seasons.
  • R1.0 insulated duct for the best efficiency.

 

Plan with the future in mind

Before making such an enormous investment, it is important to not only factor in elements that will affect the price of your ducted gas system but also take into consideration both your current and future needs. For example, do you plan on extending your home in the near future? If so, you will need a system that will have the capacity to heat the extra space.

 

Key things to remember before you purchase and pay.

Before you finalise a quote and make payments, here is some advice to consider:

  • Ensure you have two to three quotes for comparison so that you can get a sense of what the current market rates are.
  • Always choose a correctly licensed, reputable installer.
  • Ensure you get the quote in writing. If they cannot provide this, then don’t bother.
  • Most importantly, the air conditioning industry is guided by regulations placed by the Department of Fair Trading. This allows contractors to charge a maximum deposit of 10%. If a contractor asks for higher deposits, refer them to the department’s rules.At Peninsula Air Conditioning we strongly abide by these guidelines and you will only receive a final bill once we complete the installation; this is usually a day or two after.

In 2024, amidst rising inflation and living expenses, Australian homeowners are increasingly seeking cost-effective and energy-efficient heating solutions to ensure their comfort during the cooler months without straining their budgets. Hydronic heating is emerging as a particularly attractive option, not only for its environmental benefits but also for its potential to offer long-term savings. This system, which heats homes by circulating warm water through pipes in floors or radiators, provides a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional heating methods. It caters to the dual priorities of modern homeowners: managing household expenses in an era of financial uncertainty and reducing their carbon footprint. By investing in hydronic heating, Australians are finding a way to navigate the challenges of 2024, ensuring their homes remain a haven of warmth and comfort while also being mindful of broader economic and environmental concerns.

Why choose us?

With so many air conditioning and ducted heating solutions providers to choose from you may ask why should I choose Peninsula Air Conditioning?

Peninsula Air Conditioning is a family-owned business therefore, we understand how important it is to keep the family comfortably happy. With that in mind, we provide tailored services and solutions to suit the needs of both you and your family so that you may all live in comfort.

With Peninsula Air Conditioning you can also benefit from:

  • We’re locally owned and operated.
  • We provide reliable and high-quality products.
  • We work with and provide top-quality materials.
  • We are a Daikin specialist dealer.
  • You will always receive prompt service from our friendly team.
  • We are fully licensed and insured.
  • For us, no job is too big or too small.
  • We are a government-approved supplier.
  • You can rest assured that all electrical connections will be performed by qualified licenced personnel.

To discover what more you can benefit from by choosing Peninsula Air Conditioning, visit our page on why choose us.

 

Request a free onsite assessment.

Call us on 1300 889 309 to book a free onsite inspection and receive an obligation-free quote, if you are thinking of having a new ducted gas heating system installed or replacing an existing one.

 

Call: 1300 889 309

Email: hello@penair.com.au

Free, No Obligation Consultation.

Get a Quote

Schedule a time with us to organise a quote for your home or business.

One of our technicians will perform an inspection and provide you with an obligation free quote.