What Kind of Heating System is Best?

Our Top Tips on Finding the Heating System That’s Best for You

Selecting an appropriate heating system is crucial for maintaining comfort in Victoria's climate - which, as Victorians know best, is widely known for featuring all four seasons in one day.

With chilly winters and varying temperature ranges throughout the year, homeowners are making increasing calls for heating solutions that are more effective and energy-efficient than ever before.?

In this article, we’ll explore the heating options best-suited to Victoria's climate. We’ll check out the heating systems available on the Victorian market, including gas and electric heaters, reverse-cycle air conditioners, and hydronic heating, plus the factors that contribute to making the “best” decision for you and your household.

Ready? Let’s get going.

What kind of heating system is best-suited to the Victorian climate?

Victorians know it better than anyone: Victoria's climate varies across the state, but in general, winters can be chilly, particularly in regions such as Melbourne and the Southern Highlands.?

Therefore, choosing a residential heating system that provides effective warmth and efficient operation is a factor that’s both essential and critical to the energy-efficiency of all Victorian households.

To combat Victoria’s surprisingly cold temperatures, it’s generally advisable to consider heating systems that offer consistent and controllable heating while maintaining energy efficiency throughout their operation.?

For example, systems that can quickly and easily warm living spaces, while also providing the option for zoned heating, are generally highly desirable to many homeowners.

Of course, it remains important to ensure your home is best-prepared for effective heating. This includes ensuring gaps in windows and throughout your home are plugged and maintained, as well as reducing draughts, increasing the quality of glazing, and taking other actions to ensure your home can be as energy-efficient as possible.

What kinds of heating systems are available in Victoria?

The main types of heating systems available across the Victorian market include gas/electric heaters, reverse-cycle air conditioners, and hydronic heating systems.?

Gas and electric heaters:

Gas heaters, such as ducted gas heating systems, offer reliable and powerful heating throughout the home. These systems use natural gas or LPG and provide warmth via ducts or vents. Electric heaters, including panel heaters and electric radiant heaters, offer direct heat through electrical resistance.

While we’ve grouped these kinds of heating options together due to the type of energy/fuel that’s used to facilitate them, it’s important to ensure you know the difference between, say, an electric panel heater and ducted heating options.

While ducted heating is known to be a vastly more energy-efficient option for heating Victorian homes than panel heaters due to the lower propensity for losing or leaking heat through its ducts, panel heaters are generally only suitable for a small space - or, at the very least, one that’s free of nasty, cold draughts.

Regardless, care should be taken with choosing an electric or gas heating option due to the overall lack of energy-efficiency, and the broad range of energy-efficient and cost-effective alternatives now available on the market.?

Reverse-cycle air conditioners:

Reverse-cycle air conditioners are popular amongst many homeowners and business-owners as they can easily serve as both cooling and heating systems.?

A great deal more energy-efficient than lower-quality panel and fan heaters, reverse-cycle systems utilise a refrigeration cycle to extract heat from the outside air and distribute it to the interior of your home. These systems are efficient, controllable, and versatile, providing year-round comfort.

What’s more, a reverse-cycle system can be installed either as a single interior and outdoor unit, or in a “multi-split”system - this is a system in which multiple indoor units are serviced by a single outdoor unit.

Hydronic heating:

Hydronic heating uses a boiler to heat water (either gas, electric, or heat pump-facilitated), which is then circulated through a network of pipes and radiators or underfloor heating.?

This method of heating your home offers consistent, radiant and vastly comfortable heat and is ideal for either large homes or those seeking a more luxurious and comfortable heating experience.

What are the pros and cons of different heating systems?

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits and challenges of the different heating systems outlined above:

Gas and electric heaters

Pros:?

• Gas heaters provide powerful and effective heating, are reliable, and can be zoned for targeted heating
• Electric heaters offer ease of installation, are portable, and can be used in specific areas for supplemental heating
• Both types of heating systems generally offer the lowest upfront cost option on the market

Cons:?

• Gas heaters require gas connection and regular maintenance, while electric heaters may have higher running costs in the long term
• Both these types of heaters utilise a non-renewable energy source as its main fuel, contributing to decreased sustainability and likely increased costs over the long term

Reverse-cycle air conditioners:

Pros:?

• Reverse-cycle air conditioners provide both cooling and heating capabilities, offer energy-efficient operation, and allow for precise temperature control
• They are versatile and suitable for various room sizes
• Can be installed in a “multi-split” formation meaning multiple indoor units can be serviced by a singular outdoor unit - great for servicing multiple apartments on a single floor, and for larger homes where zoned heating/cooling is desirable

Cons:?

• The upfront cost of installing a reverse-cycle air conditioner can be higher compared to other heating systems - however, long-term energy savings can offset this initial expense
• The systems require regular maintenance in order to ensure long-term quality of air circulation
• Due to their requirement for installing an outdoor unit, some homes (such as heritage-listed apartment buildings) may not be eligible to install such systems

Hydronic heating:

Pros:?

• Hydronic heating provides comfortable and consistent warmth, operates silently, and offers zoning capabilities for personalised comfort
• It is suitable for larger homes and can be integrated with other heating systems, such as solar panels
• Hydronic heating is one of the most energy-efficient heating options on the market
• When combined with an energy-efficient heat pump, hydronic heating can also be used in reverse mode to cool your home in the warmer months

Cons:?

• Hydronic heating systems typically have a higher upfront cost due to the installation of boilers, pipes, and radiators
• These kinds of heating systems may also require regular maintenance and take longer to heat up compared to other systems

So which heating system is right for me?

Determining the best heating system for your home in Victoria relies on various factors, including:

• Your specific needs, circumstances, and budget
• Your relationship to energy-efficiency
• The layout of your home
• Your views on long-term costs vs. short-term savings

As such, it’s crucial to consult with trained, experienced professionals, such as our award-winning HVAC team at G Store, who can help you survey the wide range of factors influencing your decision, and help you make the right call as a result.

Wrapping up

To learn more about the HVAC, heating and cooling available to you, visit our Learning Centre or give our award-winning G Store HVAC team a call today on 1300 766 940.

We can’t wait to speak with you.