Page 2 of 3
i'm not so sure it is as simple as adding builder's margin onto the price as there are structural and electrical components to consider. Our HVAC consultant also said that it is not common for houses to achieve 100% heating / cooling output and most places generally go for 90-100% heating and at most 80% cooling. This is because most people don't heat or cool their entire house at any one time as not every part of the house is always in use.
The issue we had was that the max system size is 16 kw so we jumped effectively from 16 to 32 (i.e 2 units). I am unsure what other sizes are available (if at all).
As with all HVAC systems, the more zones / outlets the more expensive. We have 3 zones but have allowed for the ability to add 1 more for the kids to control their temperature when they are older. We have also spec'd nest thermostats to hopefully leverage on their smarts to be more efficient (the nests were not part of the 67k).
In terms of experience, our build is yet to finish. The price I gave was our contract price which was quoted about 18 months ago. I have used it a few times during the progress of the build and it is far superior to standard ducted systems. I can't compare to hydronic as I haven't lived in a house with hydronic. Most of the sub contractors that have been through the house also comment on it as well and the site supervisor (who has never had a system installed before on one of his builds) is impressed as well.
As a comparison, when we did our tender we also quoted a daikin system. That price was approx 30-35k from memory, however did not achieve the same output.
Thanks so much for sharing
Hi annakoh, while you are still looking for options, check for AirSmart small duct system too. This is far better than current offerings, But the price tag would be around 30 - 40K mark.
Thanks - will check it out.
i'm not so sure it is as simple as adding builder's margin onto the price as there are structural and electrical components to consider. Our HVAC consultant also said that it is not common for houses to achieve 100% heating / cooling output and most places generally go for 90-100% heating and at most 80% cooling. This is because most people don't heat or cool their entire house at any one time as not every part of the house is always in use.
The issue we had was that the max system size is 16 kw so we jumped effectively from 16 to 32 (i.e 2 units). I am unsure what other sizes are available (if at all).
As with all HVAC systems, the more zones / outlets the more expensive. We have 3 zones but have allowed for the ability to add 1 more for the kids to control their temperature when they are older. We have also spec'd nest thermostats to hopefully leverage on their smarts to be more efficient (the nests were not part of the 67k).
In terms of experience, our build is yet to finish. The price I gave was our contract price which was quoted about 18 months ago. I have used it a few times during the progress of the build and it is far superior to standard ducted systems. I can't compare to hydronic as I haven't lived in a house with hydronic. Most of the sub contractors that have been through the house also comment on it as well and the site supervisor (who has never had a system installed before on one of his builds) is impressed as well.
As a comparison, when we did our tender we also quoted a daikin system. That price was approx 30-35k from memory, however did not achieve the same output.
Thanks or the insight
. I see the point now. I sort of guesses it would be a bit of a work specially with the joist space to run a higher number of ducts than normal and the structural mods required to allow that for the floor plan.
I'll decide in next week and start my blog with the options selected.
Great thread! We are about to start the journey with TA too.
Was the Que control much more expensive than the Neo?
Airsmart seems like a great system (my parents have this), and i'm ok to invest in a good system, but is it WORTH the extra $$? What are people's thoughts?
TIA
alexandrachel : I guess the Que control is less expensive than Neo . Que zone sensors / controls are battery powered and are wireless so very flexible.
sifntdaz : Thanks again for your above explaination. I rushed and finalised my heating / cooling selection as my builder is starting the frame soon. ( I had an open PCV to finalise this without delaying the build ).
Due to the cost factor I went with Hydronic for heating (100% coverage) and Actron que 14kw ( 4 Zone ) for cooling ( 50% coverage ) . We don't need the whole house cooled at the same time so didnt want to go higher. I was bouncing in between AirSmart or the above but it would have been very expensive then. The selected combination cost me approx 36 K extra on top of the standard ducted heater.
Thanks
Nice.
We are looking at hydronic downstairs, 90% of our time will be downstairs (young couple, cat, no kids) as main bedroom, office and living will be downstairs. And then Actron/airsmart everywhere. This is before seeing the cost though, might be a very different story once costed! 🤣
We were originally also considering hydronic heating and refrigerated cooling. With that combination you are doubling up on the heating as the refridge can do both.
The thing that ultimately changed our mind was because we decided to become an all electric house and therefore getting gas just for the hydronic system wasn't worth the cost (both initial and ongoing).
As we have gone all electric we have also maxed the PV panels on the roof, to hopefully offset the electricity usage as much as possible.
Good shout. Can you run hydronic with electric? That would have been our intent, mostly driven by the want for burnished concrete in loving area.
If gas is the only option, we'll stick to ducted heat and cool.
i believe you can use electric to power a boiler, but i think it is a bespoke option and quite expensive
i believe you can use electric to power a boiler, but i think it is a bespoke option and quite expensive
,
sifntdaz - Hydronic can definetely run on electric heat pump ( talk to DPP hydronics - I guess they are the one TA uses as their provider. There's a brand called Stiebel & Eltron for heat pumps ). So yes, to Sifntdaz's point you can cover some of the elec usage by PV panels. as I remember the heatpump would be around that 25K mark but check with DPP.
sifntdaz : there was reason for me to select the gas hydronic / actron que combination over fully electric HVAC for both heat / cool. We didn't like the 'feel' of the heat produced by the reverse cycle heaters as it's not so comfortable, I wouldn't mind for cooling.
That's why I was tossing in between airsmart vs above combination as the AirSmart is a totally different story. It caters for home designs with large voids and has a very uniform heat distribution as I have heard from the installer ( and your above explanation). And as you mentioned ( I have only heard from similar customers and only went by the technical papers) , the feel of the heat is excellent and it's worth to invest if the budget can be affordable. I wanted to finish heating/cooling at or below 40K so I went with the hydronic / actron combination. I could have gone all electric for around 30K actron que but I know I won't be happy with the comform factor. ( this is to do with the personal preference + some design aspects in my home like a stair void in the middle of the house and 2.7-2.9m ceilings etc)
Do you know how many steps you need to meet the 400mm step down in the slab?
Will let you know once draft master drawings are ready.
Our PSQ included the number of steps in the split slab that had been allowed for.
I wanted to go with the AirSmart system for the filtration system alone. I didn't think I could make the budget work and I didn't realise TAH would accomodate this system.
We're going with a Daikin unit (Daikin FDYQN180LCV1-RZQ180MY1 18.0kw Cooling & 20.0kw Heating (3 phase) inverter reverse cycle)...
....which I'm retrofitting post handover with three in duct air purification add ons that have MERV16 / HEPA / carbon filters (approx $5k installed)
I wish I had done more work on the HVAC at tender.
Thanks! I get pretty bad hayfever, and going through sensitivity immunisation shots, but in case they don't work, I really want the filter!
I love airsmart, but now knowing that if it breaks or needs replacing, I can just replace it with a normal air con (i.e.. the vents are too small to work with standard aircon units) O don't want to look down the barrell of a 45k replacement in the future!
Will look at Actron and Daiken.. plus inline filters!
I wonder if others have looked at an HRV system? I like the idea of splitting the ventilation and conditioning. Once again, I didn't think that this house was the right one for it and thought that we might do it for the next one. But I'm not sure I want there to be a "next one" haha.
I have the HRV fur the Hue 47sqs but don’t start building until Jan. I hope it will be ok. Have anyone had this system ?
well build
I wonder if others have looked at an HRV system? I like the idea of splitting the ventilation and conditioning. Once again, I didn't think that this house was the right one for it and thought that we might do it for the next one. But I'm not sure I want there to be a "next one" haha.
- Joinery list received and our selections provided (Aug '21)
We are at a similar stage to you!
What joinery list did you receive from them?
With the 1.5m fall, how many steps have they allowed for across your slab?
Also keen to know who you are going with for your pool and landscaping.
The joinery list covers cabinetry e.g. kitchen, island, bathroom vanity, study, mudroom fitout, and living room fitout. It also has pricing for S grade of laminates.
Only one set of steps. 400mm if I recall correctly in discussions. I could potentially put another set of steps but the issue is that it raises the ceiling height of living spaces at back of house even further. With a 2700mm at front, the ceiling at back is 3100mm, which is already big dollars so going up to 3500mm with another set of stairs would be insanely expensive. Worth noting that we have an overshadowing of private space issue which only gets worse with higher ceilings.
I'm still looking at various options for pools but leaning towards a pre-cast fully tiled concrete pool. Pre-cast is relatively new but many builders such as Metricon and L37 are offering it as a standard option. Finding an experienced pool installer/builder who is familiar with pre-cast installation is the challenge. Landscape design is through Outdoor Creations.
Congrats and wish you have a smooth journey with TA. Just wondering who gave you the joinery list and selections (sales or BC)? Have you finished your style appointment? I am still waiting for master drawing but no any other info provided from them. Thanks.
Sorry for late response. BC should provide joinery list. We received draft master drawings this week Tuesday which is roughly 1 month behind schedule. Hoping to finalise master drawings shortly as we haven't made many changes to the draft. None of our changes are complex.
Sorry for late response. BC should provide joinery list. We received draft master drawings this week Tuesday which is roughly 1 month behind schedule. Hoping to finalise master drawings shortly as we haven't made many changes to the draft. None of our changes are complex.
Thanks for your info. We are almost same as i just receive Master drawing V1 today but facade was totally messed up, I have to ask them to redo the drawing.
Just wondering should Master drawing has detailed sketch dimensions for sections? Mine drawing just indicates basic dimensions. How can i check if they leave enough space?
Sorry for late response. BC should provide joinery list. We received draft master drawings this week Tuesday which is roughly 1 month behind schedule. Hoping to finalise master drawings shortly as we haven't made many changes to the draft. None of our changes are complex.
Thanks for your info. We are almost same as i just receive Master drawing V1 today but facade was totally messed up, I have to ask them to redo the drawing.
Just wondering should Master drawing has detailed sketch dimensions for sections? Mine drawing just indicates basic dimensions. How can i check if they leave enough space?
What was wrong with your facade?
Ours was the same regarding dimensions, only basic dimensions. However it should be to scale so you may be able to estimate the sections. If in doubt, you can always specify and ask the question before finalising your masters.
Did they provide a timeline on when they can finalise your masters?
Sorry for late response. BC should provide joinery list. We received draft master drawings this week Tuesday which is roughly 1 month behind schedule. Hoping to finalise master drawings shortly as we haven't made many changes to the draft. None of our changes are complex.
Thanks for your info. We are almost same as i just receive Master drawing V1 today but facade was totally messed up, I have to ask them to redo the drawing.
Just wondering should Master drawing has detailed sketch dimensions for sections? Mine drawing just indicates basic dimensions. How can i check if they leave enough space?
What was wrong with your facade?
Ours was the same regarding dimensions, only basic dimensions. However it should be to scale so you may be able to estimate the sections. If in doubt, you can always specify and ask the question before finalising your masters.
Did they provide a timeline on when they can finalise your masters?
the facade on Master was not reflected what i picked on PSQ stage, it was so annoying as they simply changed my bedroom floorplan to suit their facade. I reckon drawee was too busy so they just paste another client drawing to me. I have asked BC to redo this but not yet replied.