As you begin your journey to making your home more sustainable you might ask yourself if a ducted air conditioning unit is the best option for you. We’ve broken down some key considerations and factors to help you decide.
What type of home is ducted air conditioners suitable for?
Ducted air conditioners are best for the entirety of large homes, where significant amounts of space must be air-conditioned for most of the day.
How does ducted air conditioning work?
There are three key functions to ducted air cons:
- A central unit uses ducts in your roof to distribute the air through vents in your home
- This central unit filters and changes the air temperature before it gets redistributed
- It is often installed in your roof or on an external wall
The advantages of ducted air conditioning
- Covers every room in your home from one system - You only need to install a single system, but it still covers your whole home as long as each room has a vent.
- Utilise zones in your home - You can zone different areas of your home so that when you’re not in other areas of the house, you’re not using energy in that area.
- Saves you money on energy costs - It may not be the most energy-efficient overall, however, if you have a larger home a ducted air system is better for the planet and your wallet
- You won't have to worry about noise - The whole system is contained in your roof or outside, which means you can’t hear any of the functions; it’s whisper quiet.
- Looks better and adds value to your home - It blends seamlessly into the aesthetic of your home without any bulky systems on walls. And given it’s the cream of the crop of the air con world, a ducted system may increase the value of your home
The disadvantages of ducted air conditioners
There are pros and cons to every system. The downside to ducted air cons are:
- Higher upfront costs to install - Ducted air conditioner is the most expensive of all air conditioning systems.
- There's no one size fits all system - You can't just walk into a store and buy a system then get it installed. It needs to be tailored for your home.
- Not suitable for all home types - If you live in an apartment and don’t already have a ducted air-conditioner, you’re unlikely to be able to add it.
- Maintenance costs are higher - Due to the complexity of ducted air conditioning, any maintenance or repair of the system will likely cost more than other air-conditioner types.
- Costs more to run - There are circumstances when the ducted air con is more cost-effective, but generally, it costs more to run.
- Maintenance: the adhesive tape that holds ducted systems together weakens over time. The resulting leaks start out small, but grow in both size and number. So by the time homeowners figure out the issue, a great deal of energy has been lost through the ducts.
Which type of ducted air conditioner is the best for you?
You would need to contact a licensed installer to discuss which type of ducted air conditioner is best for you as it’s quite specific to your home, check out the Brighte Marketplace to see local installers near you.
What is reverse-cycle ducted air conditioning?
Reverse-cycle ducted air conditioning can heat and cool your home, keeping you comfy all year round.
Features to look for when shopping for ducted air conditioning
- Fan-only option - This will allow you to run the air con without the cooling element in summer, which just means filtered air is recirculated through your house. Or you could run the air con with cooling then switch to a fan only to keep that cool air circulating. Fan-only mode is cheaper to run than the full air conditioner.
- Remote or smart device connectivity - Don’t want to get up every time you want to change the air con settings? Make sure you have some form of remote connectivity. Even better if you can control it from your smart home or smart device.
- Zoning - This is an essential feature of ducted air conditioning. Making sure you can switch your system on and off in different zones will help you manage the running costs more effectively.
- Maintenance requirements - This isn't technically a feature, but it's important for you to ask about the maintenance of the system when shopping for a ducted air conditioner. It’s the most expensive system to install, run and maintain, so you want to know what those long-term costs are upfront.
Now you're ready to go shopping for your new split system air conditioning for your home. Brighte is on a mission to make every home sustainable. We can help fund a range of products and services, including;