Hi all,
We are in the middle of renovating a 70's built house and need to get heating and cooling installed as it has none.
I know that I do not want to install evaporative cooling as it just doesn't work that well so want to install a split system. Would I be better to just get a few units and use them for both heating and cooling or should I get ducted heating installed as well?
Thanks in advance for any advice / opinions :)
Which state do you live in? Heating requirements in QLD will be very different to TAS.
Apologies, in VIC.
What sort of insulation will your house have? Walls? Roof? Underfloor? Double glazing?
Roof only. No double glazing.
How much are you renovating? Get as much insulation installed as possible.
Use splits for both. They are much more efficient than ducted gas!
Why don't you get a ducted reverse cycle unit? I have one in my house, and its cheap to run, heats and cools the house quickly, and is integrated into my home automation.
Not cheap to run, unless you have solar panels
He's in Vic, so likely gas powered.
There is no such thing as gas powered ducted reverse cycle, it is electrical.
That's great that you think that, but inverter technology has moved on since the 1980s. My Daikin system is extremely cheap to run when cooling and heating the house.
Why do you think evaporative doesn't work well? You could get a reverse cycle AND evaporative and only run the RC to cool when it is very humid. Keeping electricity costs way down.
My personal opinion…I personally don't like evaporative cooling.
Over winter the vents need covering to prevent heat from escaping from the central heating. To put these winter covers on requires climbing on the roof or hiring someone who can do this for you negating any saving in electricity costs.
The filters need to be thoroughly cleaned and replaced regularly. This should be done before every cooling season. You could do it yourself or hire someone to do it.
An evaporative cooler adds humidity which can cause mould and condensation issues. Ensuring the house is properly ventilated should minimize this.
Evaporative coolers can catch burning embers in a bushfire and could cause a fire when the house would not have otherwise been affected.
A split system can be timed to come on before you come home so you come home to a cool house. An evaporative cooler requires the windows to be open so cannot be timed to come on before you get home.
I think in the 70's they relied on Hot Water Bottles.