So its time to change over that old Vulcan ducted heater from 1980’s… and the new equipment options can be a bit confusing since you now have so many options to consider…

Well let’s see if we can help…

Brands

Braemar, Brivis and Lennox are the brands we recommend,  but they all have pros and cons, and we would be happy to discuss with you in person.

Star Ratings

3 Star Efficiency is now entry level going all the way up to 6 Star Efficiency. ( Your old 1980’s would have not made it past the 1 Star efficiency ratings requirements.)

Things to consider.

Manufactures Warranty – Most  usually offer 5 years subject to ongoing servicing.

Heater Cost – More stars = More money.
For example:
3 Star Heater = $2700
5 Star Heater = $3500
A difference of $800 in cost

Wall Controls / Thermostats – 4 Star and higher need an electronic controller. ( From our experience many elderly people may have difficulty using the electronic thermostats so this can also be key in deterring which heater is better. A 3 Star heater will function perfectly on a manual type thermostat )

Out of warranty repair costs –The higher star rated heaters gain their efficiently mostly from more electronics which fine tune the speed of fan motors and gas consumption.
Electronics are very sensitive to moisture, heat and voltage fluctuations.
If they do fail they are more costly to repair than the less efficient heaters.

So lets weigh up the “Costs V Benefits”

Lets use the  example above ..

Cost to buy
5 Star over 3 Star = $800 more

Running  Cost
5 Star is 20% more efficient than the 3 Star
( On average an increase of one star means an average usage saving of approximately 10 percent. )

Therefore:

Average gas bill per quarter is $500 and its calculated that your ducted gas heater is costing you $300  you would save $60 per bill.

Cost of heater payback is almost 14 gas bills .. lets say we use the heater for 6 months of the year at this rate it will cost you 7 years minimum before you receive any payback on the investment in a higher efficiency heater..

The only 2 ways to achieve 7 years of trouble free heating  without additional repair costs is to service your ducted heater regularly or be extremely lucky.

All heaters have a service schedule just like your car or any other mechanical device.
All heaters are required to be serviced by an authorised person every 2 years as a minimum as to maintain the manufactures warranty and safe operation.

* Australian Standard AS 4556-2011 setsout how to calculate the efficiency rating for Energy Labelling of Ducted Gas Heaters.