Australia’s cooler climates have long enjoyed the warmth and benefits of gas ducted heating. Gas ducted heating draws in air through a centrally located return air grille to a gas ducted heater (such as: Brivis, Braemar, Lennox, Vulcan, Stadt, Omgea). The gas ducted heater warms the air up and distributes it through ducts located on the perimeter of the home in each room. There are many things to consider before purchasing a ducted heating system.

The energy rating label shown to the left basically shows the number of stars to show the efficiency of an appliance – in this case a gas ducted heater. The more stars shown on the label the more energy efficient the heater. The more energy efficient the heater, the lower the running costs will be along with less greenhouse gas emissions. Generally a high star rating model will cost more to purchase initially however the savings on your gas bill can make up the difference in just a few years.

Gas Ducted Heating – Zoning – Most ducted heating systems today have the option of being zoned. This means that the living areas can be heated during the day whilst the sleeping areas are off. Then later in the evening you can open up the sleeping zone and have the whole home heated. Then perhaps during the night just the sleeping areas can remain heated should you wish. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by having a gas ducted heating system that is zoned.

Ducted Heating is a post from: DIY Cooling - airconditioning and water cooling

The first step in maintaining your ducted heating system is to check the ducted heater itself. It is recommended that you check the heater before winter begins and once finished. Most ducted heaters will appreciate being shut down during summer.

To check your ducted heating system, firstly inspect the heater itself. Remove any cobwebs and debris from the unit – especially any leaves caught near the flue. Next you need to check the return air filter and ensure its clean and in good condition.

There is generally no need to check the duct work with a ducted heating system unless some outlets are not delivering the air as they once did. The ducted heating unit draws air in from the return air – so that is the first place to start. If the return air grille is drawing in air it should be getting to the heater and the delivered through the outlets or vents. If just one outlet is not working it has possible fallen off the system and you’ll need to repair it – most capable DIY people can handle that job.

The best way to clean your return air filter is just with a vacuum on a low suction setting. You can also wash the filter out with water but make sure it is fully dry before reinstalling it. If there is a lot of build-up of dust on the filter vacuum it first before washing.

Never cover your ducted heater completely. This will allow moisture to build up inside and parts will begin to rust prematurely. Should the ducted heater break down your first call should be to the manufacturer of the ducted heating unit – Brivis, Braemar, Vulcan, Lennox, Stadt and Omgea and the largest ducted heating manufacturers today.

Ducted Heating Maintenance is a post from: DIY Cooling - airconditioning and water cooling

Sure an airconditioner is the coolest way to go – but it really isn’t practical for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the cost – a ducted air conditioning system is going to cost tens of thousands of dollars to cool your workplace, not to mention the running costs will be huge. Ducted airconditioning is also impractical for most work places as many have large roller doors that need to be open – it would be like driving in your car, air con on and the windows down – it’s no point!

So forget about ducted air conditioning. Consider an evaporative cooling system otherwise known as water cooling and evap cooling. First benefit of an evaporative cooling system is the running costs – they use at least 75% less energy than a ducted air con system. Evaporative cooling is also friendly on the environment as no harmful gases are used or released.

So evaporative cooling is cheaper to run and more cost efficient to purchase – but that’s not all. Evaporative cooling systems have many more benefits over a ducted air conditioning system. Evaporative cooling actually lowers the temperature by introducing fresh, cool air at a rate of some 2000 litres per second on average. This means that the roller doors and windows must be left open for it to work properly! Evaporative cooling systems are generally installed within a day without any alterations to the buildings structure. Unlike a water cooling tower, evaporative cooling systems do not require any chemicals as the water is constantly evaporated and replaced with fresh clean water automatically.

There are so many benefits to having an evaporative cooling system installed in your workplace. Surely the boss would appreciate less ‘sick days’ (read ‘beach days’) and increased productivity because everyone is working in a comfortable environment.

Cost effective evaporative cooling is a post from: DIY Cooling - airconditioning and water cooling