Air Conditioning & Heating

[Julie-Ann]

Is it possible to have both evaporative air conditioning with gas ducted heating and reverse cycle air conditioning? Actually after extensive research I found out it is possible - just damn expensive:(. You may wonder why would you want to. I would love to have evaporative in our bedrooms and even in the living areas for most of the summer. But when it gets over 38 or it is especially humid the evaporative just doesn't cut it. I also know many people like the refrigerated side of reverse cycle but not the heating side and would prefer gas ducting.
The secret is to have zones for all the systems. You can't run the evaporative air conditioning in a room if you are trying to run the reverse cycle. They will actually work against each other and you won't have very cool air but you will have a huge power bill:(. You need to be able to turn the evaporative off in your living area, shut the doors and run the reverse cycle. I only asked about the cooling side of this but I imagine with the gas ducted heating it is as simple as not turning on the reverse cycle and using the gas heating instead.

Which type of heating and cooling do you use?
Which would you prefer?
Or do you agree with the WA Premier who claimed WA people do not need air conditioning:eek:.

[tryingtodecorate]

Or do you agree with the WA Premier who claimed WA people do not need air conditioning:eek:.

:eek: Let the Premier come and live with me for a week of 34+ degrees days and see how long it takes for an A/C to be installed :D

We have Ducted Evap Cooling and Ducted Gas Heating, we live in Melbourne. I love the evap, we have it both upstairs and downstairs, I only need to have four windows slightly open and it keeps the house lovely. When we get a cool change through (like last night) I switch from Evap to Fresh Air and it is lovely! I think window furnishings make an impact on keeping the house cool, we have total block out blinds/drapes and I know that this makes a difference, especially for my bedroom which faces West.

We don't have the Evap zoned but we do have the heating zoned. If we still lived in Brisbane we'd have Ducted Refrig. Cooling and no heating :D

[thisisme]

We are getting a 15.0kW Daikin ducted system (refrigerated) with 8 zones. I will probably have to get a second job to afford the running costs :)

[Julie-Ann]

Lol I think you might Thisisme:D. But at least you have some fans so you won't have to turn it on all the time.

[giggle_smile]

We have reverse cycle air conditiong that we use for both cooling and heating. We used to have a gas heater but the kids when they were babies kept freaking me out and going too close to it so we sold it and use the reverse cycle only.

We have plans for ducted airconditiong in the new house, but i might have to sell a kidney to afford it :) Hubby is in the trade and it will still cost a bomb!

[thisisme]

I hear you giggle :(
Ours is going to cost us just under $14,000. Ouch :(

[giggle_smile]

I hear you giggle :(
Ours is going to cost us just under $14,000. Ouch :(

Its crazy isnt it! My hubby is an air con mechanic so i no why its sooo expensive because they are buggers to put in, but i think the cost will be worth it when your in your nice cool house on a 40 degree day :)

[thisisme]

It better be. It better be worth it.
:)

[rachel]

Julie-Ann we have both: ducted evaporative, reverse cycle split systems and gas points. This is a lot cheaper than having the lot ducted.

Our house is two storey so we have the evaporative upstairs (open plan living areas) which we use most. We also have r/c split systems over the top of the stairs (this is a big unit which cools the upstairs area, plus a lot of the downstairs too) and in our bedroom. We're getting one put in the nursery too. We use the refrigerative air con on those humid days when the evap can't cope.

It depends on where you live as to what combo would work. I wouldn't bother with evap in Sydney or Brisbane, it would be just too humid too often. But it works well here in Perth most of the time and the running costs are a lot lower.

If I lived by the beach in a big open house with verandahs and massively high ceilings I wouldn't need air con either. He also isn't home during the day - he is in his air conditioned office! Many of my school friends lived in those types of houses and fans were all that was required.

[rosierose]

We are thinking evap cooling and hydronic heating.............

If we can get an evap unit...hubby can install.............he could also install gas ducted heating but we have heard hydronic is heaps better...............but it is triple price......of course as usual.........ca-ching!!!!!!!

[bubbles]

In our currenet home we have gas ducted heating and split systems in the 3 bedrooms and a large unit above kitchen window that does meals and lounge (small and very old house). On a hot day the laundry and bathroom become a sauna :eek:.
In our new home we will be having refrigerated cooling with ducts from ceiling and hydro heating.

[Lanne]

We have ducted air .. and did in the last house too.. (but then I can not stand heat or humidity and live in qld)..

Ducted will be goinginto our house when we build. It is heavenly

however. get the zones wrong and prepare to PAY...

Our last house was zoned by a monkey who was more interested in his banana and occasionally banged on the table which they took as a sign to create that zone... ok. maybe not .. but this is what I imagined everytime I got a $1600 -1900 electricity bill for a qtr! My previous bills were 450 - 600.. it was all about the zones

Open plan living .. zone 1.. HAD to be on.. that meant the lounge, dining, family, kitchen, media , foyer and two hallways.. then one room had to be on.. choice of office of last tiny bedroom (umm yeah.. no one was was in those at night.. ).. so now pick a room you are sleeping in.. and cool that down too.. Brilliant!!! NOT

This house is zoned MUCH better.. one smaller area is on.. kitchen, dining, walk way and small media room... and then you can pick by groups of other areas.. (effectively either.. master and second (with ensuites).. then study, lounge and the remaning 3 bedrooms. makes MUCH more sense..

My friends with ducted in qld also tell me this turning it on and off is the expensive part (i might have it on over night but turn it off in the morning..freshen the house and turn it back on at 11... i did turn it off when i did school run and put it back on at 3 because i didnt want it on when I wasnt home.

I am told it is cheaper to turn it on.. and leave it on.. so it keeps the air cool.. not constantly pulling down the temp..

We are reading our own meter and trialling one week of on and off and one week of on.

[beautimbers]

We have 2 split systems and fans in all bedrooms as well as living areas. This all works very well for us as the systems are in separate living areas so if we are not using one area we can isolate it.