Ducted Heating Systems 2022:
What Are They? How Do They Work? And When To Replace.
Gas ducted heating systems are an important fixture to our homes and are often overlooked. They provide a huge amount of daily comfort to us, which generally goes ignored and unnoticed, that is, until something goes wrong. That’s when we usually find out how dependant we are on them, for heating our homes and keeping us comfortable when outside conditions are looking like a scene from Frozen.
What is a Gas Ducted Heating System?
A gas ducted heating system uses air that has been heated by a heat exchanger in a ducted heater, that is pushed through a series of ducts (tubes) to transfer heat throughout your home. This type of system has been used for decades because it provides consistent comfortable even temperature throughout the house, especially during colder weather.
When Should You Replace Your System?
Though we are impressed when we come across the units that are twenty or even thirty years old and have been able to be continually used, if you’ve had your ducted heating system for at least eight to twelve years, it’s probably getting to the point in time to replace it.
That’s because older systems tend to wear down over time and can become incredibly inefficient to run, even compared to the current offerings in lower star rated units. Also, around that time, they start needing repairs if they haven’t been looked after, as they need regular maintenance to ensure they are operating safely, correctly and within manufacturers specifications. Parts can also often be harder to come by as a lot of the older manufacturers have ceased production of new units and have stopped producing spare parts for their older units. The parts that normally need replacing around that time is the gas valve which regulates the incoming pressure to the burners, or the PCB (if it is a more modern unit), which is the computer inside which tells the heater, after the start up safety checks, that the heater is safe to use and which components to run such as the room fan, combustion fan, gas valve and igniter.
Another critical component is the heat exchanger, which over time, naturally cracks due to the repeated expansion and contraction of sheetmetal of the repeated heating up and cooling down during the heating cycle of the unit in normal operation. This causes the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, which you would have heard some very unfortunate preventable stories. This is why the heater must be serviced and checked yearly in rental properties to spot any signs of the heat exchanger becoming cracked and replaced if found.
Depending on what part or parts need to be replaced, it is sometimes better to think about replacing with a new unit, as some of the parts that need to be replaced can be quite up there in price and the money being put towards a brand new unit backed with full (generally at least 5 years, depending on brand) warranty may be the smarter option.
Choosing a Contractor
You might not think much about your ducted heating system until it stops working. But if you do notice any issues with your ducted heating system, it’s worth calling in a professional to check it out. A licenced gasfitter will be able to tell you whether there’s anything wrong with your ducted heating unit and how to fix it. They may also provide tips on how to increase efficiency of the unit and in turn, increase the life of your heater, whilst reducing the running costs.
Increasing the performance of your ducted heater
If you’ve had a new ducted heating system installed at home, you’ll need to prepare your house to help increase the life of your heater. This includes removing furniture, appliances, and other items that could interfere with the duct outlets.
At least 80% of the ducts must be open for the heater to operate correctly. This means if you have a 12-outlet home, that 10 outlets must be fully opened at all times. If you have a 10-outlet home, at least 8 must remain open. And if you have an 8-outlet home, at least 7 must remain open.
There are two parts to an outlet, the vent shutter, and the damper. The vent shutter is the top part, viewable when you look at the vent. It sometimes is not adjustable, though most of the time it has a manual switch to be able open or shut to adjust the flow coming out the duct. There is usually another inside. If you take off the top, inside there is normally a blade damper, usually made from plastic or sheet-metal.
These dampers were needed when the whole system was brand new and was balanced, meaning that the air flow from vents closer to the unit where reduced and the ones further from the unit were increased to make it feel as though the air flow was equal (or balanced) no matter which area you were in.
Make sure that these are fully open, if you imagine looking at a circle in birds eye view, then the damper would need to just look like a straight line, reducing any drag on airflow going through the vent.
We make sure that at least the minimum allowable vents are open for a couple of reasons. One, it reduces the risks of ducts blowing apart, due to the old age, sometimes the duct tape on the joints becomes brittle. Two, it helps the heaters efficiency and reduces the risk of overheating. Another thing we can do is make sure that the return air filter (if fitted) is regularly cleaned. This can be as simple as vacuuming the filter. Though there is a recommendation, that if there are no pets, dust, or anyone that suffers from allergies in the household, that filter is removed to increase airflow back to the unit.
Which system to choose?
There are plenty of brands to choose from. We regularly replace older units such as; Brivis, Braemar, Bonaire, Omega, Lennox, Vulcan and replace generally with a Brivis or Braemar system. This is because with our experience, they produce efficient, reliable units and are easy for the customer to use. They have plenty of spare parts, are still manufactured in Australia and back their products with a knowledgeable service and warranty tech team. There is a reason they are both so commonly known and installed.
There are other things to think about when it comes time to choose a new system.
First is the size of the unit. They generally come in a few different sizes such as 15kW, 20kW, 25kW, 30kW. The unit is sized by the number of outlets your house has. Correct sizing of the new unit is critical because if you replace your unit with a unit too small, it will use a lot of gas trying to heat up a house that is too large for it and will strain the unit, decreasing the life of it. If the unit is too large, it will be constantly cutting in and out, increasing wear on the unit and be annoying to live with.
There are also different star ratings. Uncommonly there are 2* units, but they are getting rarer to see around.
The base star rating is generally 3*. This is usually installed by homeowners or landlords for their investment properties due to the low cost of the replacement. The units are fairly basic, but because of that, they are incredibly reliable. They are like the Toyotas of the ducted heating world. Nothing fancy or special, just does the job.
The next start rating is 4*. These have some slightly different components inside, but they are still incredibly reliable and have a slightly increased efficiency.
The 5* is usually the highest star rating that we normally install. This is because they have some moderately different components and provides a lot higher efficiency, but as expected, a moderate increase in price, so it can take longer to recoup the costs, but if you are planning on staying in your home for a while, this can be a good way to go.
There are now also 6* and 7* units available. These units are fairly technologically advanced, and some models haven’t been around long enough to prove themselves yet. Because of the addition of higher tech parts (such as condensate drains etc.), we have seen them needing repairs earlier than the lower star units. This is why D.R.DAY usually recommends units between 3* - 5*.
How much will replacement cost?
As a general rule, the lower star rating replacement will always be cheapest.
Unfortunately, due to the current climate, suppliers prices increases and decreases over the month, so we are unable to post set prices online, however, we can definitely provide you with a quote (valid for up to 5 working days).
As always, feel free to call or message us today, so we can discuss further and assist you in choosing the right unit for your home, and provide a free quote to replace or upgrade your unit. We hope you enjoyed this article and have learnt something from it.
In the meantime, check out some of our previous installs or reviews.