All of you have likely heard of ducted air conditioning. However, some may have asked yourselves this question: what is ducted air conditioning?
Ducted air conditioning offers quiet cooling or heating of your home in Brisbane. Moreover, it can give you uniform temperatures throughout your space, or you can set ducted air conditioning to cool or heat zonally. Zoned ducted air conditioning allows you to choose varying temperatures for zones in the house or office space.
Jump to:
How Does Ducted Air Conditioning Work?
Ducted Air Conditioning Zoning
Benefits of Ducted Air Conditioning
Disadvantages of Ducted Air Conditioning
FAQs
Conclusion
How Does Ducted Air Conditioning Work?
Ducted air conditioning is also known as central air conditioning. A central unit in your home or office treats the air, cooling or heating it, depending on the setting.
Then, a system of air conditioning ducts circulates the air throughout your space. These ducts can circulate air uniformly throughout the entire building. Also, they can distribute the treated air to set zones at varying temperatures, giving you different climates in your home.
Many ducted air conditioners also have timers, allowing you to run them at certain times of the day. You can adjust the temperature, zoning, and timer at the touch of a button from the central controller. And you can operate many modern ducted air conditioning systems through smart devices for even more convenience.
Cooling
Like split system air conditioning, ducted air conditioning uses refrigerant to cool and heat air as desired. Refrigerant is the lifeblood of the air conditioning system, allowing you to cool or heat your space. It changes between liquid and gas, affecting the temperature of the air around it.
In cooling mode, the evaporator in the indoor unit continually draws in hot air. The refrigerant stored in the evaporator coils absorbs heat from the air, cooling it before the air conditioning ducts circulate the cool air throughout your home.
Refrigerant transforms from a liquid into a gas as it absorbs heat. In gas form, the refrigerant flows to the compressor and the condenser. That transforms it back into a cool liquid before sending it back to the evaporator.
Heating
Ducted air conditioning can also heat your home or office in winter. You can essentially reverse the cooling process at the touch of a button. In heating mode, the system turns cold air into warm air and distributes it throughout your space via the ducts.
Air Conditioner Components
Air conditioners have various components that work together to cool or heat your home.
- Evaporator – a coil in the indoor unit that stores refrigerant to cool the air.
- Compressor – located in the outdoor unit, it compresses low-pressure refrigerant gas to high-pressure gas to help disperse the heat outside.
- Condenser – a coil in the outdoor unit that takes the compressed refrigerant gas and expels the heat outside before condensing the gas into a liquid again.
- Expansion valve – regulates the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator.
- Filter – filters the air, trapping particles, decomposing odours, and absorbing bacteria.
Ducted Air Conditioning Zoning
We’ve already mentioned ducted air conditioning zoning. However, it’s worth covering in a little more detail because it’s a major bonus of ducted air conditioning.
Installing the system of ducts allows you to establish different zones throughout your home. For instance, you could make the bedrooms part of one zone and the living and dining rooms part of another. Of course, the zonal layout depends on the design of your home.
Once zones are established, you can easily control which areas to heat or cool. It allows you to be more efficient with your energy usage.
For instance, you can cool the zone containing the living room if the whole family are there watching a movie together. That means you won’t waste energy or money cooling areas no one is using.
Benefits of Ducted Air Conditioning
Ducted air conditioning has several benefits. These systems are one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to cool or heat residential and commercial spaces.
- Low noise – the indoor unit usually sits in the attic or basement, reducing noise. Also, the air vents create minimal noise when the ducts disperse the air.
- Aesthetically discrete – there’s no unit mounted on the wall, while the vents in the roof are barely noticeable.
- Zoning – gives you more control over how to cool or heat the space. It makes the system more efficient and cost-effective.
- Covers the entire house – you can air condition the whole house if you want. A split system only covers one area unless you install multiple systems throughout your home.
Disadvantages of Ducted Air Conditioning
Ducted air conditioning has only a few disadvantages. It’s one of the best air conditioning solutions you can choose.
- High initial cost – initially, it costs more to install ducted air conditioning compared to a split system. However, ducted can save more money over time.
- Complex installation – ducting can be hard to install in small roof spaces and multi-level homes. That can add to the initial cost.
FAQs
Covering some FAQs will offer a more comprehensive understanding of ducted air conditioning.
How Much is Ducted Air Conditioning Brisbane?
The average cost of ducted air conditioning in Brisbane is between $12,000 and $16,000. Ducted air conditioning installation costs can vary depending on the system size, brand, building size, and location.
Check out the table below for a general guide to ducted air conditioning costs in Brisbane.
| Home Size | Cost in AU Dollars (AU$) |
| Small | Approx 12,000 |
| Medium | Approx 14,000 |
| Large | Approx 16,000 |
Our Guide to Ducted Air Conditioning Cost in Brisbane tells you everything you need to know.
How Often Should Ducted Air Conditioning be Serviced?
Ducted air conditioning should be serviced every 12 months. A qualified and experienced technician should perform the service to make sure everything works as it should.
That way, they can immediately see if your system needs any repairs. It’s always better to catch any problems early before they worsen.
A yearly service ensures your ducted air conditioning runs at its optimal level.
Does Ducted Air Conditioning Heat?
Yes, most ducted air conditioning heats your home or office. It’s an excellent option because it keeps you comfortable in winter and summer.
You can set ducted air conditioning to heat your entire home. Also, you can use zonal controls to heat specific areas.
Does Ducted Air Conditioning Add Value to Your Home?
Yes, ducted air conditioning can add value to your home. House valuers take into account the age of the system and its condition. It can add value to your home if it’s a modern system and is expected to last for years to come.
Is Ducted Air Conditioning Expensive to Run?
Ducted air conditioning is more expensive to run than split system air conditioning. However, ducted air conditioning has the advantage of zoning technology. That can considerably reduce the running costs because you’re not cooling or heating rooms not in use.
Conclusion
Now, you should be able to answer the question: what is ducted air conditioning? These systems cool or heat your home by circulating air through a series of ducts.
Ducted air conditioning has a central indoor unit, usually installed in the attic space. Additionally, it has an outdoor unit, with both working together to perform a cycle. This cycle either cools or heats your home, depending on the setting.
Ducted air conditioning has several benefits, including zonal technology. That allows you to heat or cool specific areas of your home while not using air conditioning in others. Therefore, you can save money on energy costs when not using certain rooms.
