Ducted reverse cycle air conditioning in Warragul

Ducted reverse cycle air conditioning heats and cools the whole house from one indoor fan coil, usually in the roof space, connected to an outdoor unit and to outlets in each room through insulated ducts. For a three or four bedroom house in Warragul or Drouin, the design depends on the roof space, the number of zones, where the outdoor unit can sit and whether the switchboard can carry the extra load. The system is designed, quoted and installed by an independent local provider after a site inspection; this website only passes your enquiry on.

Why do Warragul households choose ducted reverse cycle?

The main reasons people give when they ask about it:

• An old gas ducted heater has failed or is close to the end of its life, and the household wants heating and cooling from one system.
• The house has a split in the lounge but the bedrooms are cold in winter and hot in summer.
• A new home or extension is being built and the owners want outlets in every room from the start.
• They want to stop paying a gas supply charge once the cooktop and hot water are electric too.
• Outdoor wall space is limited and they would rather have one outdoor unit than several.

If only one or two rooms need help, a single split or a multi-split may do the job for less. If you are still weighing gas against electric for the whole house, the reverse cycle vs gas ducted comparison sets out that decision on its own.

How does zoning work, and how many zones do you need?

A zoned system has motorised dampers in the ductwork that open or close groups of outlets. A typical layout puts the living areas in one zone and the bedrooms in another, so the system can heat the lounge and kitchen in the evening and the bedrooms overnight without running the whole house. Each zone can have its own temperature sensor so the system reads the room it is serving.

Feature	Single zone ducted	Zoned ducted
How it runs	Every outlet open whenever the system is on	Groups of outlets switched on or off from the controller
Running the bedrooms only	Not possible without closing outlets by hand	Select the bedroom zone
Controller	One wall controller	Main controller, often with sensors or controllers per zone
Outdoor unit size	Sized for the whole house at once	Can be sized around the zones usually used together
Install cost	Lower	Higher, because of dampers, wiring and controls
Good fit	Small open-plan homes	Family homes with separate living and sleeping wings

Controller placement matters more than it looks. A controller on a hallway wall near the return air grille reads hallway temperature, not the lounge. Ask the installer where they will put the controller and any zone sensors, and why.

What does the installer check in the roof space?

A ducted system needs room for the indoor unit, the supply ducts and a large return air path. Before quoting, a careful installer will get into the roof and look at:

1. Height and pitch: a low-pitched roof can leave too little space for the fan coil and duct runs.
2. Ceiling joists and trusses, and whether the unit can be supported and reached for servicing.
3. Existing insulation and any old ducting, cabling or downlights in the way.
4. A position for the return air grille, usually in a central hallway, with a clear path back to the unit.
5. A route for the refrigerant pipe and condensate drain from the roof to the outdoor unit.

Houses with very little roof space may need underfloor ducting, bulkheads or a multi-split instead. The installer should tell you which applies after the inspection rather than before it.

Can the existing gas ducting be reused?

Sometimes, and only the installer can tell you after looking at it. Gas ducted heaters move air at different rates to a reverse cycle fan coil, and older flexible duct can be torn, crushed, poorly insulated or chewed by rodents. Some installers will reuse sound ducting and outlets; others will recommend replacing part or all of it. Do not accept a quote that assumes either answer without someone having been in the roof. The ductwork replacement page covers what a duct inspection looks for, and the gas ducted heating page covers keeping and servicing a gas system if you decide not to switch.

Will the switchboard need an upgrade?

It may. A ducted reverse cycle system is a large electrical load on its own circuit, and older switchboards often have no spare space or still use fuses. Both price guides used on this page say that switchboard upgrades are extra and not in their figures, and the Victorian guide notes that some larger systems need three-phase supply. A licensed electrician should look at the board before the system is chosen. A photo of the open switchboard and the meter box with your enquiry helps the provider plan that early.

The electrician must give you a Certificate of Electrical Safety for the circuit and connection work. Refrigerant work on the outdoor unit and pipework needs a technician licensed by the Australian Refrigeration Council. If the job also removes a gas heater, a licensed gasfitter disconnects and caps the gas line.

What does ducted reverse cycle cost in Warragul?

For Gippsland, a Victorian price guide’s regional table shows $10,500 to $17,500 to duct a typical three bedroom home with reverse cycle, assuming a standard install and no electrical upgrade (The Quote Yard’s regional table). A Melbourne guide lists a premium or zoned ducted system at $12,600 to $23,100, GST included. These are published guide ranges, not quotes, and neither includes a switchboard upgrade.

Things that push a quote up include a four or five bedroom house, two storeys, extra zones, a tight roof, removal of an old gas heater, new ductwork throughout and a difficult outdoor unit position. If you want a written price, ask for a ducted system quote and include the number of bedrooms and living areas.

What about Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts?

Replacing a ducted gas heater with an efficient ducted reverse cycle system falls in the larger discount rows of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. The Victorian Government’s heating and cooling discount page says the work must be done by an accredited provider or an installer working with one, the product must carry at least a five-year warranty for a home, and when an existing system is being replaced, the property must be more than two years old. Talk to an accredited provider before you buy anything, since the program generally cannot apply a discount after the fact. Your provider confirms the figure on the quote, based on the old heater and the new system’s size. The site’s VEU guide explains the program in more detail.

Ducted systems in Drouin and newer estates

Drouin has grown quickly along the highway and rail corridor, and a recent house with open-plan living and a separate bedroom wing usually suits a two or three zone layout. A newer build may also have a switchboard with spare capacity and trussed roof framing that is easier to work in, but the installer still has to check both. From 1 January 2027, new Victorian homes must be built all electric, so owners building now often plan reverse cycle ducting into the build. The Drouin area page covers enquiries from that town.

What should be on the quote?

Ask for these items in writing so you can compare providers:

• Brand, model and rated heating and cooling capacity of the system.
• Outdoor noise level and where the outdoor unit will sit.
• Number of zones, outlets and controllers, and their positions.
• Whether ducting is new or reused, and its insulation rating.
• Electrical work included, and whether a switchboard upgrade is needed.
• Removal and disposal of any old gas heater, including the gasfitter’s part.
• Warranty on the unit and on the installation, listed separately.

Next step

List the number of bedrooms and living areas, whether the house is single or double storey, and what heats it now, including the make and age of any gas ducted heater. Add photos of the roof space taken from the manhole, the open switchboard and the spot where an outdoor unit could go, and say how you would like the house zoned. Then request a ducted reverse cycle quote with your suburb, and an independent installer can arrange a roof inspection.

Send a job enquiry