Big floor plans, two levels and rooms that sit empty most of the day. We replace ducted gas with zoned reverse cycle, add cooling to hydronic homes, and choose the duct approach on site. ARC-licensed technicians, 12 minutes away in Somerville.
Mount Eliza houses are larger than most, and their heating was designed for a time when gas was cheap enough to run through all of them at once. Mains gas is widely available here, so the 1960s and 70s originals mostly have a ducted gas heater that has been replaced once or twice, and a good number of the bigger renovated homes have hydronic panels instead. Both keep the house warm. Neither cools it, and both now cost a lot to run across four or five bedrooms and two living areas.
For a ducted gas home the standard job is a full swap: the heater and old ducts out, a ducted reverse cycle unit in, and new R1.5 insulated ducts sized to that unit. Mount Eliza also has many two-storey homes, and in some of those the ducts feeding the ground floor run between the levels where nobody can get to them. Where ducts cannot be replaced, a Braemar Dominator takes the position of the gas heater, keeps the existing ducts and controls the airflow through them. We work out which case your house is by getting into the roof.
Hydronic homes are a different question, because there are no ducts at all. The usual request there is cooling, and a ducted system in the roof for the upper level or a multi-head for the main rooms gives it without touching the panels. In every case the house is zoned so empty rooms are not conditioned. More about our other work in Mount Eliza is on the suburb page.
Braemar, Mitsubishi Electric and Hisense units with AirTouch 5 control. Refrigeration, ductwork and electrical are all done by Powerband employees.
The gas heater and its ducts are removed and a reverse cycle unit goes in on new R1.5 insulated ducts. In a large home we split the system into more zones than the old heater ever had, each with its own sensor, so the bedroom wing and the guest rooms stay off until someone is in them.
Upstairs ducts are usually reachable from the roof and get replaced. Ducts running between floors often are not. Where they cannot be replaced we fit a Braemar Dominator to the existing ducts. Where the two levels suit separate systems, we quote that as well so you can compare.
If the panels are staying, cooling is the gap. A Mitsubishi Electric or Hisense multi-head runs several indoor units from one outdoor unit, and a compact ducted system in the roof can cover the upper level. Both also heat, which is useful in the shoulder months.
Large blocks give us room to put the outdoor unit away from bedrooms and the neighbours. West of the Nepean Highway, towards Canadian Bay and Daveys Bay, we specify corrosion-protected outdoor coils, such as the Golden Fin coating on Hisense ducted units.
The full range is on our products page.
Ducted reverse cycle, including the Dominator for homes where the existing ducts have to stay.
Ducted units for tight roof spaces, plus split and multi-head systems.
Ducted and split systems, with anti-corrosive Golden Fin coils on the ducted range.
Zoning control for ducted systems, with a sensor in each zone and control from your phone.
None of these is in Mount Eliza. Each is the kind of job a large Mount Eliza home calls for.
In Berwick the gas ducted system was decommissioned and a 16kW Braemar Dominator connected to the ducts and vents already in the house, with AirTouch 5 zones and temperature sensors. The job carried a $6,000 rebate.
A 23.5kW ducted reverse cycle system for a family home in Narre Warren South, on R1.5 insulated ductwork, with the lounge, study and bedrooms each on their own AirTouch 5 zone.
Also in Berwick, a 16kW Braemar Dominator on AirTouch 5 with two zones went in alongside 30.6kWh of Hiconics battery storage and a 6kW hybrid inverter, so the house is heated after dark from the day's sun.
Ducted reverse cycle on new R1.5 ducts is typically one to two days. A split system is a few hours.
We find out which ducts can be reached and replaced and which cannot, and look at the return air, the switchboard and outdoor unit positions.
Which rooms are used when, who works from home, which bedrooms are spare. The zone layout comes from that conversation.
Glazing, ceiling height and orientation matter in architect-designed homes. We size from the rooms, never from the old heater's label.
Unit, ducts, zones, controller and the price after the VEU discount, with any switchboard work listed.
Old heater and ducts removed where they are being replaced, new system fitted and wired, airflow balanced zone by zone, and the app set up on your phone.
In a large house the heating is most of the gas bill, so this is the step that moves the numbers.
Reverse cycle heating costs around a third of the running cost of gas heating. Zoning then cuts the area being heated, which matters more the bigger the house is.
Mount Eliza is inside the VEU area. Efficient reverse cycle systems attract a discount, and it is largest when the system replaces gas heating. Eligibility is confirmed before you sign.
A zoned reverse cycle system is the best use of midday solar in winter and summer alike. We size both together if you are also looking at solar and a battery in Mount Eliza.
We are 8 km away in Somerville, and large two-storey homes are a regular job for the crew.
Whether ducts can be replaced is found out in the roof, not guessed on the phone. You are told which approach your house needs and why.
Wherever they can be reached, old gas ducts are replaced with R1.5 insulated ducts sized for cooling as well as heating.
ARC authorisation AU 065299 for refrigeration, BPC 132072 and REC 32300. The technicians and A-Grade electricians are our own staff.
Zones in a big house sometimes need rebalancing after the first cold snap. The crew that fitted it is 12 minutes up the road.
Live Google reviews. Look for the ducted reverse cycle and AirTouch jobs.
Anything else, call 0466 355 441. A technician will answer your question.
Yes. Ducts we can reach are replaced with new R1.5 insulated ducts. Where ducts between the floors cannot be replaced, a Braemar Dominator connects to the existing ducts and controls the airflow through them.
No. Many owners keep the panels and add reverse cycle for cooling, then find they use it for heating in autumn and spring as well. We design around the panels and leave them alone.
Enough that you are never conditioning rooms nobody is in. In practice that is often living areas, the main bedroom and the other bedrooms in one or two groups, each with a sensor. A Narre Warren South job on this page has six.
It depends on the floor plan. Two levels that are used at different times of day often suit two systems, and a single well-zoned unit suits others. We price both where it is a close call.
Modern inverter units are quiet, and position does the rest. On a Mount Eliza block there is usually space to keep the unit clear of bedroom windows and the boundary.
Ducted reverse cycle on new R1.5 ducts is typically one to two days on site. A split system takes a few hours. We schedule so the old heater comes out and the new system goes in on the same visit.
A site visit to inspect the roof space and duct runs, then a written quote with the unit, zones, duct approach and after-VEU price. No obligation.
