inverter ducted system: how much?

[tdh78au]

ok ... here's the scenario: MIL wants to install central gas heating + 3 aircons (split type: 1 in each bedroom) in her house.

Working out the approx costs, I've recommended she might as well go for an inverter ducted system ... and also managed to get a pretty good quote (or so I think): Fujistu inverter ducted system, 14kw, 10 outlets = $8k + electricals.

anyone on SS forum done better than this price / 8k for similar sized unit? looking for a decent (or known) brand here

 

[craigb]

depends on the size of the property, 108 m2 about 9k in canberra, heating and cooling!
brivas gas heater is 3,500 but thats heat only? other states may be cheaper?

 

[Witzl]

have you looked at the cost of a mitusbishi "multi-split" system. They dont run ducts, they just have multiple indoor units that operate independantly..... so just have the pipes and power giong to them.

 

[tdh78au]

thanks craigb ... that's comparable.

Witzl, yup looked at few options which included the multi-splits ... but a bit on the pricey side given it's for the whole house (3 bedrooms, 2 living areas, bathroom, kitchen + powder room)

another option was to go with central gas (such as Brivis) with add-on cooling (e.g. Brivis ICE). However I believe the energy bills will be lower with electrical inverter ducted vs gas heating

 

[jrc]

Just bear in mind withe the ducted the shared zone is always on when the airconditioing is being used so for us when we were sleeping in summer the living area was being cooled.

Having gone ducted in one house I would never do ducted reverse cycle again

 

[HiEquity]

That's a good price for that system - wish we could get it that cheap over here!

BTW I agree with jrc - most houses don't need ducting. For an average 3brm house a decent sized single split system installed in the main open area should do the job quite adequately for all the bedrooms as well if it is used in combination with decent insulation throughout the house. Temperatures in all the rooms won't be exactly even but do they really need to be? A few degrees here and there should be all the difference - otherwise it's your lack of insulation that's the problem and that can be fixed pretty cheaply now!

This can be very effective if you leave the system on at a reasonable temperature setpoint rather than letting the house cool down / warm up all the time. It's a much cheaper option anyway and would use significantly less power while delivering adequate comfort for most people...

 

[tdh78au]

that's a good point re: the shared zone .... but I believe it applies to all the ducted systems ... e.g. central gas .... and not just reverse cycle.

we were playing around with the idea of the master bedroom being the shared zone. Would this work? or is it always shared zone + 1 other zone that need to be on?

 

[Big Tone]

Just bear in mind withe the ducted the shared zone is always on when the airconditioing is being used so for us when we were sleeping in summer the living area was being cooled.

Having gone ducted in one house I would never do ducted reverse cycle again

Are you worried by the running costs?

Big Tone

 

[Big Tone]

that's a good point re: the shared zone .... but I believe it applies to all the ducted systems ... e.g. central gas .... and not just reverse cycle.

we were playing around with the idea of the master bedroom being the shared zone. Would this work? or is it always shared zone + 1 other zone that need to be on?

Depends on a number of things, size (capacity of air conditioner), number of outlets, number of zones, and the fact that ducted a/c if sized, designed and installed correctly should be "whisper" quiet. Oh, and how much you wanna pay.
The old saying..........."you get what you pay for" is something you need to remember!

Big Tone