Your handy guide to Ducted Air Conditioning

How do Ducted Air Conditioners work?

All Ducted Air Conditioning Systems distribute air via ducts to rooms via vents or outlets, most commonly located in your ceiling.

Some buildings, such as townhouses or double story buildings without an accessible lower level ceiling are unable to have ducts installed, in which case, you should consider Split Systems or Multi-Split Systems., which have multiple indoor wall units which use the same outdoor unit.

DUCTED REVERSE CYCLE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS

Ducted Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning offers the ultimate solution for year-round home heating and cooling.

Using a single system, it maintains your entire house at your preferred temperature. As it utilizes refrigerated technology, you can set it to a precise temperature which it will maintain, regardless of the weather outside.

While considered 1 system, it actually consists of two main components: an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, which is why they are also referred to as a ducted split systems. The outdoor unit houses the compressor, while the indoor unit is installed in your roof cavity and connected to a series of ducts.

A programmable controller allows you to set different temperatures for various times of the day and night, while zoning technology lets you control which rooms are air-conditioned at any given time.

With advancements in technology and the push towards appliances which use electricity, as electricity can be a renewable energy, Electric Ducted systems are becoming more efficient and affordable.

They are more expensive to install than Add On Cooling and Evaporative Cooling, but do also provide heating. There are currently Australian Government rebates for people who replace their Gas Ducted Heaters with a Ducted Reverse Cycle system, so if you are considering this option, now is the time to do it.

In recent years, Ducted Reverse Cycle Air conditioners have become the standard for new home builds. Plus many people are taking advantage of the current Government Rebates available to upgrade their existing heating to electric heating and cooling.

EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS

Evaporative Cooling has many benefits, including low running costs, but does have one drawback…

You can see Evaporative Coolers on rooftops all around Geelong and Melbourne, as they are suited to our Victorian climate, which is typically a dry type of heat.

They provide whole-house cooling utilizing their own series of ducts in your ceiling.

The reason why they are so cheap to run, is basically the only electricity they need is to power a big fan and water pump. They are also cheaper to install than Ducted Reverse Cycle Air Conditioners and Add On Coolers.

How it works is the rooftop unit draws in fresh air, which is sucked through pads which have had water pumped through them. This both cools the air and filters out outside pollutants. The end result is cool, fresh air many people love.

Now this might seem a bit counterintuitive, but it works, trust us!… You need to open a certain amount of windows in the rooms you want cooled. This draws the cooled air into the room and pushes the hot air out of the window. Simple, energy efficient cooling!

Now for the downside…the Evaporative process doesn’t work well in humid weather when water cannot evaporate due to the moisture in the air. For some people, the benefits Evaporative Cooling provide outweigh the occasional humid day. They might turn off the water pump and use it as a giant whole-house fan or have a split system installed in their bedroom or living area they can use.

Please note, due to its nature, you cannot set a precise temperature for the air to be cooled to. If you are looking for that feature, then evaporative cooling is not for you, you need refrigerated cooling so scroll to Add On or Reverse Cycle.

ADD ON COOLING SYSTEMS

In order to install an Add On Cooler, you must first have a compatible Gas Ducted Heater installed. This essentially turns it into a whole-house heating and cooling system.

Add On Coolers utilise refrigerated technology which provides precise control over temperature, so on a hot day you can set it to your desired temperature and it will maintain it.

The Add On Cooler connects onto your Gas Ducted Heater and uses the same controller and ducts to provide cooling. However, keep in mind you may have to upgrade your existing ducts if they are not rated for cooling aswell.

Like a Ducted Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner, Add On Coolers have 2 units – an indoor which connects to your Gas Ducted Heater and an outdoor compressor.

But instead of running on Gas like your heater, Add On Coolers run on electricity.

An exciting new product which has just been released by Brivis for those who have both Gas Ducted Heating and Add On Cooling, allows you to now run your Gas Ducted Heater on either gas or electricity! Find out more about Brivis SmartSens.