Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation 1 Jul 21, 2014 10:46 pm Hey everyone, We are building a double storey house (43sqm) and kind of confused what type of heating we should have. First we were thinking of underfloor heating (electric) but worried about high bills? We were thinking to install underfloor heating (electric) through the builder and they are charging about $17500 just for downstairs (kitchen,meals,family,rumpus, hallway and 3 bathrooms that are not so big). I think that's very high however if we want underfloor heating in bathrooms we have to go with the builder as they will do tiling in wet areas and they charge just for bathrooms about $5500 but other areas we can get someone else to do it. If we were to get tiling done after handover would there be any problems with getting underfloor heating done after handover like with electrical connections and all that? Would Ducted Gas heating be a better option? and how is the costing for that? It will be great if I can please get some advice. Thanks Re: Type of Heating 2Jul 22, 2014 5:44 am Haven't got any recent prices but we have found ducted gas to be one of the cheapest systems to install and has reasonable running costs. There are some more comments o my blog at this link. http://www.anewhouse.com.au/2013/09/ducted-heating/ The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Type of Heating 3Jul 22, 2014 1:19 pm Out of the two you mentioned, gas ducted would be the better choice. However, you never mentioned what part of Australia your house is in, so we can't really offer you other realistic options. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. ![]() Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Type of Heating 4Jul 22, 2014 4:13 pm I haven't had any experience with electric underfloor heating but if it cost that much to install you might as well go hydronic. Our whole system cost close to 14k three years ago and it has a mix of both panels in the old part of the house (0n stumps) and infloor (slab) in the new extension. Much cheaper to run than electric and if you want to can turn off the rooms you dont want to heat (guest room etc). Re: Type of Heating 5Jul 24, 2014 2:55 am As bpratt mentioned, you haven't told us your location. This will effect your heating requirements, as will your houses design (orientation & insulation levels). Your location will also effect the cost of different energy sources, particularly gas. If your heating requirements are quite low underfloor heating may be overkill. It's expensive to install, & has slow reaction times. For colder climates though, it would be lovely, toasty toes! And as there's no forced air it can be more comfortable, particularly for allergy sufferers. I wouldn't recommend electric underfloor heating. Due to the high cost of electricity it can be very expensive to run. Electric radiant heating (such as electric underfloor) will only produce a maximum of 1kW heat energy, for each 1kW of electricity used. Conversly, electric heat pumps (such as RC air con) are much more efficient, & can produce 2, 3, or even 4kW (for warmer outdoor temperatures) of heat per kW of electricity. If you do decide to go down the underfloor route, I'd recommend hydronic (hot water), heated by either a condensing gas boiler, or a heat pump. Hydronic heating can be used in radiator panels, not just for underfloor. Note, these are all costly installs, particularly in Australia, where they're not so common. As mentioned, gas ducted can be quite cheap to install, with reasonable running costs, although these are expected to increase. Also note that any ducted system will face efficiency losses, of up to 30%. Will you also require cooling? Heat pumps (reverse cycle air conditioning) can be very efficient to heat with. Note, if you're in a cold climate be careful which heat pump you choose. Some units will freeze up in cold weather, & run an inefficient resistance element to defrost it. Other units will run efficiently well below freezing. If you decide to go the heat pump route, & are happy with a couple of heat point sources instead of ducting, you could choose ductless mini-splits. These are extremely efficient to run. They have one outdoor unit, connected to multiple indoor units. Instead of ducting warm air (with efficiency losses), these use refrigerant between the outdoor & indoor units. Depending on the design, & the number of indoor units you choose, these can be quite costly to install. Re: Type of Heating 6Sep 12, 2014 1:38 pm We fit a standard gas ducted heating to all our homes and it is very effective and cost friendly. Split systems are another alternative but very heavy on the pocket. Floor heating in the slab is an alternative however still uses electricity and costly to run and install. Wood fires are not so good and the wood is getting very expensive ideal for a rural home on a property with plenty of wood. I'm looking to install a new heating and cooling system in my home, which has 3 bedrooms, 1 master bedroom, 1 theater room, and 1 living room. Iām considering a Midea… 0 3185 Natural stone tiles like slate, travertine, and limestone add a timeless, elegant look to… 0 38633 ![]() 2 13762 |