If one desires to heat some areas of the house or desires a warm comfort throughout the house, then the most effective, efficient and cheapest option is the ducted system. Although they are suitable for all climates, they are more useful for homes where the temperature variations between winter and summer months are extreme.

The installation of ducted heating is fairly expensive. But once it is installed, great versatility is offered in the way a house is heated.

Working:

A central heating unit is used by the ducted heating, which produces air at high temperature. This air is then pumped through ducts, which are insulated heavily. These ducts are present in the ceiling or under the floor and are connected to vents that are situated in different areas of the house.

The central heater component is either a reverse cycle air conditioner or a large gas furnace that runs on natural gas or LPG. If it is a reverse cycle air conditioner, then the same system can be used for duct cooling.

The majority of these systems allow the controlling of heat distribution throughout the house with the help of dampers. Dampers are basically the mechanics that aids in blocking heating ducts, thereby preventing the hot air from flowing to certain areas of the house. These dampers can be controlled either automatically, by using a remote control or can be controlled manually.

Installation requirements:

In the majority of the cases, the location of the central heating unit is near the house’s center, generally on the roof, thereby preventing the entry of too much noise inside the house. Ducts are vented either through a wall, the ceiling or the floor, according to preference. The floor vents prove to be a more sensible option if one is using the system of heating predominantly. It is because by doing this, heat will rise, resulting in the effective heating of the room.

Another thing which is required to be taken into consideration is the location of floor vents when there is a possibility of furniture being moved around in the future. One should discuss the requirements with the installer for deciding the best position.

Energy efficiency:

Another important factor while planning for a central heating system is the energy efficiency. It not only impacts on the emissions of carbon dioxide, it will also dictate the amount being spent for heating the house.

The ducted heating that uses solar power is the most energy efficient. Another option is the ducted heating system that uses natural gas.A three star rated ducted heating system that uses natural gas produces about three tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. It emits this amount of gas for heating up to one hundred and fifty meter square of an area. The equivalent system that used LPG will produce approximately four tonnes of carbon dioxide. The same system that uses a ducted reverse cycle air conditioner will emit nearly six tonnes of carbon dioxide. The reason for this is that electricity proves to be fairly inefficient in terms of carbon dioxide amount needed to produce it.

Cost of Running:

Another factor which should be considered is the cost of operating the different ducted heating system. The cheapest option is a four or five stars rated ducted heating system that runs on natural gas. Its cost of running is slightly higher than a space heater that operates using natural gas. Even the cost of a one or two stars rated natural gas heating system is about two third of what is required to pay to heat with the help of a ducted reverse cycle conditioner. This difference expands as the cost of electricity increases. An additional advantage associated with a reverse cycle conditioner is that it can be switched to ‘cool’ option during the summer months.

It is expensive to operate a ducted LPG system. Its cost of running is twice as compared to heating with the aid of reverse cycle air conditioners.