Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner vs Gas Heating: Understanding the Pros and Cons

Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner vs Gas Heating: Understanding the Pros and Cons

which one should you choose? fresh air vs refrigerated air?

Are you looking for the best way to heat your home without burning a hole in your pocket? Let’s talk about gas heating vs reverse cycle air conditioning and how to choose the best option for your home. Which is the better choice in terms of cost and convenience?

Gas Heater vs Reverse Cycle: What’s Cheaper

The vast majority of people believe that using a gas heater is more expensive than using an air conditioner. But given that gas costs are rising, it is logical to assume that they will do so in the future. Both reverse cycle air conditioners and gas heaters have advantages and disadvantages. Knowing this information now could result in significant financial savings down the road.

A reverse cycle air conditioner is made to provide your home with both cooling and heating. The heat from the outside is removed by this kind of air conditioner.

In contrast, gas heaters heat the air by the burning of gas fuel and a process of radiant heat transfer. In other words, a reverse cycle air conditioner heats your room by drawing air in from the outside, whereas a gas heater heats your air by generating heat energy. While the latter method disperses warm air over the entire space, the first method generates heat, particularly close to the heater. You can tell that a reverse cycle air conditioner is more energy-efficient just from this description.

Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning versus Gas Heating Installation

So, is air conditioning cheaper than central heating? A reverse cycle air conditioner has a higher upfront cost than the gas heating system. A typical reverse cycle system takes at least $10,000 to install depending on the size of one’s house. A gas heater mainly an unflued one costs less than a thousand dollars while flued gas heaters cost around $1200 to $2500. Buying a reverse cycle air conditioning unit and installing it in your home might set you back a few thousand dollars but you are hitting two birds with one stone here. Not only is a reverse cycle air conditioner more energy efficient than a gas heater, but it can also cool your house during summer. So that double functionality offsets the initial installation cost.

Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner vs Gas Heating: Running Cost Comparison

People who are used to gas heating say that it’s a more comfortable type of heat as compared to an electric heater or air conditioner. Gas heaters are cheaper to run than electric heaters. But the reverse cycle air conditioner is the best value for money when compared with electric and gas heaters. Is air conditioning cheaper than central heating? To compare the running cost, a typical flued gas heater costs around 20 – 25 cents per hour to run at 2.4KW heating. Factor in the Daily Supply Charge that you have to pay just to have a natural gas line running on your home and you can see how it all adds up. Compare that to a reverse cycle air conditioner that runs at around 14-18 cents an hour at the same capacity as the gas heater and you will see the cost difference. Reverse-cycle air conditioning is 300–600% efficient, which means that it can take one unit of electrical energy and turn it into 3 to 6 times as much heating or cooling energy. – Energy.gov.au

Pros and Cons of Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner vs Gas Heater

If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, you’ll want your home to stay at a consistent temperature, especially before sunrise, when the outside temperature can drop dramatically. Even if it’s freezing outside, ducted heating makes it much easier to control and stabilize the ambient temperature inside the house precisely.

Allergy sufferers may have severe symptoms if the air they breathe is polluted, so your HVAC system must provide clean, high-quality air. In addition to the ducted gas heating, all air passes via an internal combustion system and an easily accessible and cleanable filter. This means your air will never be dry, smelly, or contain fumes that could harm your family.

looking to get a quote?

Whether you’ve made up your mind or need to have a more personalised chat with an expert, you can get in touch with us at BM Heating and Cooling. As experts in climate control we can help work out and implement the best cooling option for your situation.

Picture of Benjamin McCluskey

Benjamin McCluskey

Ben is the owner of BM Heating & Cooling. Based in Melbourne with a passion for all things HVAC he hopes to educate and pass on his knowledge for all things heating and cooling.

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