A ducted heating system is undoubtedly the best option for families, especially during winter. For any homeowner, part of maintaining a home needs to include installing a powerful and energy-efficient cooling and heating system.
What I see happening today, however, is that most homeowners in Australia focus a lot on their cooling needs, given the relatively high temperatures we experience, and less on their heating requirements.
In discussing heating solutions, there are two main options available: split heating and gas ducted heating – split heaters are good at heating a single room or a small area of your home, making them inadequate for a large family home.
On the other hand, gas ducted heating is cost-effective and can heat multiple zones in your home efficiently and effectively. Ducted gas heating installation is becoming more and more popular in Australian homes.
However, there is usually a challenge in choosing the system that assures you of adequate and comfortable heat for your family.
There are many ducted heating brands for customers to select from. The most popular options in Australia are Braemar and Brivis ducted heating systems. As such, there is a need to have an in-depth look at these systems before narrowing them down to one.
These two top brands look quite similar at first glance, especially to new buyers who have not had an in-depth look into the two brands. However, these top brands have distinct differences that could lead a buyer to choose one.
As a homeowner, your priorities when it comes to a heating system are probably efficiency, performance, and affordability. Choosing a trusted brand that is an established market leader can be useful too.
Compared to investing in a flimsy or cheap unit, investing in a brand like Brivis or Braemar helps you enjoy all the benefits of ducted gas heating. The price you pay at the start pays for itself over and over for years to come.
Gas ducted heating installation for your home should be done by experts who understand your family’s needs. Generally, each heater will save money over time and provide comfortable heating for your family, but you should look deeply into their features before choosing one, depending on your needs.
The cold months can be tough, but a good heating system can get you through the chilliest times of the year in comfort. Another benefit of ducted gas heating systems like these is that they produce heat without making the air dry, making your home cosy and comfortable during the winter. Ducted gas heating can improve indoor air quality for a safe and healthy home.
There are a few things you need to look for when picking a new heating system for your home; it should be efficient, affordable, and reliable. Braemar and Brivis heating solutions fit all of these characteristics.
Gas heating systems made by cheaper brands can’t offer the same quality as those made by Braemar or Brivis. If you’re looking for a heating system that will last for decades, these gas heating brands are what you need for your home.
Designed and manufactured in Australia by Seeley International, Braemar ducted gas heating systems have been the go-to option for many homeowners for years. Today, the brand has a wide collection of heating solutions that meet various requirements.
Brivis ducted gas heating is the other top heating choice that Aussies are making. The technology harnessed in the Brivis StarPro series is a testament to Brivis’ 50 years of Australian heating experience. The features of the StarPro series by Brivis guarantee that your home is effectively heated while saving you money and energy. All aspects of the StarPro series are designed to make it more efficient, discreet, reliable, and powerful.
Even though the two systems have these similarities, each of the two has its own unique features that make them different from the other.
Both Brivis and Braemar ducted gas heating systems have a high rating in terms of energy efficiency, and their quality units are excellent. Thankfully, when you have a Braemar or Brivis gas heating system installed, you can save plenty on your electricity bill!
No one likes high utility bills, but they’re an inevitable part of when you have a climate control system running in your home. Everyone wants to do whatever they can to keep these as low as possible.
Let’s take a look at how Brivis and Braemar perform when it comes to energy efficiency and running costs.
Braemar ducted heating systems are significantly more energy-efficient than other heating solutions – possessing the first-ever six-star and seven-star energy ratings. These systems aren’t affected by temperature changes outside, a challenge homeowners have to contend with using reverse cycle heating solutions.
Since it entered the market in 2012, the 6-star Braemar ducted system came as a brand of its own and has since undergone revision to its current brand known as the super 6, which is specially designed to save from 10 to 20 percent of your monthly energy bill.
Braemar makes Australia’s first and only ducted gas heaters that feature an inverter motor. Thanks to this, Braemar’s 7-star equivalent ducted gas heating systems boast the lowest operating costs by far.
Even better, many Braemar products feature low-power options that can help you lower your heating costs even further! Braemar’s InShot burner promises maximum efficiency with thorough gas and air mixing for efficient combustion. Having no pilot light saves standing gas, and the electronic ignition system ensures the gas heater works every time.
Brivis’ ducted gas heating systems have many features that support superior temperature control and greater efficiency. Brivis heating solutions also come with zoning, cleaning, and modulating technology that allows you to maintain the indoor temperature at an optimum level.
You may save up to 35% in operating costs to generate heat for your household per year by using a highly efficient, ducted gas heating by Brivis. A home that uses electrical appliances for heat generates three times more greenhouse gas emissions than a household using ducted gas heating appliances by Brivis.
Brivis also have their own 6-star ducted heater known as the Starpro 6, in addition to their wide range of ducted heaters available on the market. The savings for their 6-star heaters are similar to those of Braemar’s 6-star.
Brivis models have a feature where the heater modulates the gas for greater resource efficiency as your home gets warmer. There’s also a setting in which the heater switches off once your home reaches the desired temperature.
The Brivis controller monitors the temperature of the steady supply of air continuously and ensures a consistent temperature throughout your home. This way, the Brivis SP range is manufactured to use less gas to heat your home in winter.
The ducted gas heating system by Brivis pulls in the air from your home via a return grille. The collected air is processed by the heater and then warmed. A fan pushes it out onto the rooms of the house using the passages of ducts and outlets and comes off as a stream of steady, gentle and pleasantly warm air.
When the standing temperature of your home hits the pre-set temperature limit, the heating unit’s burners are automatically shut off. The fans slowly stop revolving and makes sure that all remaining heat is dispersed. Air temperature is monitored by the Brivis controller, which also controls the ducted gas heating system by Brivis to maintain a constant warm air circulating throughout your home.
Both offer similar heating performance but use different systems that achieve the same effect. Whether you go for the Brivis or the Braemar, their systems will ensure that the startup is quiet and prevent any unwanted and sudden cold breeze while heating the interior.
The StarPro heaters series by Brivis come with a spark ignition system to start the burners. A flame sensor located at the burner’s end transmits a signal confirming an ignition is made on the entire burner. The gas increases to maximum levels quickly to warm the heat exchanger. The fan circulates slowly, then speeds up to optimal revolutions to heat up the house.
Doing this ensures the startup is as quiet as possible and generates and delivers the heat in the shortest time possible while eliminating the instance you might feel a cold draught while the fan is starting.
Braemar has a soft air fan system inside the heater to ensure no cold drafts sweep through your room once the heater is turned on. Braemar’s exclusive Softair ™ fan system ensures that the gas heater will continuously deliver hot air into your home. Variable speed combustion fans expel combustion gases outside, allowing the unit to work quietly.
Both Brivis and Braemar heaters have a useful 4 zone system for heating. This gives you a room as a user to manually control and adjust heat output for up to 4 distinct rooms within your house. You can also turn off the heating for some rooms if necessary to save on your bill if you so wish.
Utilising a zone system will allow you to significantly reduce energy consumption and costs by producing heat when and where you need them most. Given that you can control the temperature in each zone, you don’t have to set your system too high or too low to be comfortable. You can set the right temperature in each room without racking up hefty heating costs.
The Brivis StarPro range is manufactured to be compatible with ZonePlus™ – the zoning solution that allows you to have up to four individual zones with individual time and temperature settings. This gives you greater control over each area of your home, eliminating the need for a master controller and making custom temperature zones convenient.
Braemar heating solutions from Seeley International allow up to four localised heating zones, making them more effective at delivering heat to where you need it the most. Braemar’s zoning system can be operated through their Zone Controller.
Head to the Zone Setting from the main menu, then Zone Control. Up to eight zones can be set, with each page on the menu displaying four zones. This will allow you to manually set the temperature of each zone, including one ‘main zone’, usually reserved for the largest room. Even if you adjust each of the eight zones, you can turn off zone control at any time through the controller without deleting the previous temperature setting. This gives you control over when to activate specific temperatures for the zones.
Both Brivis and Braemar ducted heating systems offer cooling add-ons to compatible products for new and existing units. Advanced technologies integrated into their cooling add-ons ensure state-of-the-art efficiency and temperature control.
If you want to save money, one option you can explore is installing the Brivis DualComfort range, which provides a combination of ducted gas heating and refrigerative cooling. The DualComfort range allows you to integrate a cooling system to your ducted gas heater from the StarPro series. You can use the same ductwork and outlets for heating and cooling, providing a complete climate control solution for your home, saving money, energy and time.
When you choose a Braemar system, you can complement it with an add-on cooling unit, which utilises the ducts and vents installed for heating. This compatibility means you don’t need to invest in a separate cooling solution.
Braemar’s add-on cooling solution for their ducted gas heating systems can be installed onto new or existing Braemar heating systems. The Invertair add-on cooling system utilises DC inverter technology, offering unified control over the compressor and outdoor fan, maximising its efficiency, including but not limited to lower running costs and eliminating temperature fluctuations.
When comparing Brivis and Braemar gas heating prices, Braemar’s top-of-the-line heaters are slightly more expensive than Brivis. However, entry-level models from Braemar also start at a lower price point. With only a few hundred dollars difference, you’re free to select your preferred brand for the features it offers.
Brivis StarPro 6-star ducted heating systems cost anywhere from $2,700 to $3,400, while 6-star rated Braemar ducted heating systems cost anywhere from $2,300 to $4,000.
The cost of ducted gas heating is one of the biggest factors in making a decision, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you consider. That’s why it’s essential to ensure your heating unit is appropriately sized for maximum energy efficiency and that your heating system has the features you need to make the most of it.
Brivis and Braemar ducted heating systems are both Australian-made.
Powered by Seeley International, a market leader with 50 years of excellence under their belt, Braemar gas heaters are safe, reliable, and energy-efficient. Seeley International is a family-owned business headquartered in Lonsdale, South Australia, with manufacturing operations at Lonsdale and Albury in South Australia and New South Wales, respectively, Denver, Colorado and West Sacramento, California, in the United States respectively. The Australian-borne business also has an extensive network of retailers and distributors across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States.
Braemar has already extended its reach abroad, but its manufacturing is based right here in Australia! This means that their heating systems are designed according to the conditions in the country. Australia has some unique weather conditions, so you can be confident that Braemar’s gas heating system will keep up with the country’s unpredictable weather.
Another important benefit of Braemar manufacturing their products here in Australia is that you will be supporting local jobs and driving the country’s economic growth when you purchase a gas heating system from Braemar.
Brivis has been the market leader in designing and manufacturing climate systems for homes in Australia for more than 50 years. Each manufactured system is made according to the ISO 9002 standard and is designed to withstand extreme weather changes in Australia.
Brivis used to be a subsidiary of the GWA Group Ltd, one of Australia’s leading suppliers of fittings and fixtures for both commercial establishments and households. In 2015, Brivis was sold to Rinnai Australia Pty Ltd. — the Australian subsidiary of Rinnai, a Japanese heating business. So although Brivis is owned by an Australian subsidiary, the parent company is Japanese.
Both Braemar and Brivis offer their own extended warranties, subject to different limitations. Their warranties have similar coverage across their ducted heating system products, so there won’t be much difference in duration and coverage.
You’ll rely on your heating system throughout the cold seasons for many years. But no heating system is perfect, of course, so there’s always a chance that your system may face some problems.
Years of use will naturally cause wear and tear, and the system may reach a point where it may experience mechanical failure. In the event this happens, you’ll need the right kind of support to get your system fixed.
The good news is Braemar offers a comprehensive warranty that ensures that you’ll get the support you need in the unlikely event something goes wrong with your system. Braemar offers different warranties for their products. For their ducted gas heating range, in particular, they offer a 7-year comprehensive warranty and a 10-year heat exchanger and burner warranty. However, remember that the comprehensive warranty only applies to units purchased directly from Seeley International and participating dealers, so be sure you’re working with a Braemar dealer.
Brivis guarantees up to ten years of efficiency and provides a performance warranty when it comes to their heating systems. Brivis’ after-sale services and customer care are also offered to ensure peace of mind if you need support with their systems or troubleshoot gas heating problems.
If you’re planning to replace a Brivis or Braemar heating unit, you may have the option to switch brands from one to the other. You’ll need to consider compatibility since a new Brivis or Braemar unit that is comparable in size and can utilise the ducts and vents of your old system.
If you already own a ducted heating system and want to switch brands with a replacement or upgrade, you need to talk to your heating service. If your ductwork is in poor condition, you may need to replace your heating ducts as well as the unit, meaning you’re free to design a brand new up-to-date heating system.
Should you replace a Brivis heating unit with Braemar or vice versa? Here are some things to consider when answering this question:
How long have you been using your gas heating system? If your unit is older than ten years, we recommend replacing it with a newer model. Replacing is generally more cost-effective compared to repairing your old system in the long run, as an older unit may develop further issues down the line and won’t be at peak performance.
Do you want to benefit from greater energy efficiency? Newer models tend to be more energy-efficient and leverage cutting-edge technology, saving you plenty of money on your utility bills.
Is it still possible to repair your current heating unit? That said, if your unit is relatively new, you can save thousands of dollars by having your system repaired by technicians who are well-versed with Braemar or Brivis systems. Regular gas heating maintenance can go a long way in keeping your unit in tip-top condition too, preventing you from having to replace it prematurely.
Does the new heating brand better meet your home’s needs? One of the top things you need to consider before replacing the gas ducted heating system in your home is choosing a system that meets your needs. If you choose the wrong unit, you will definitely be paying more in electricity bills across the entire life cycle of your heating solution.
What kind of compatibility does your current system need? Not all heating systems are created equal. Especially if you want to utilise your existing ductwork and zoning, you may be more limited in options. However, with great energy-efficient heating units available from both brands, you’re sure to get the performance you’re looking for with any gas heater upgrade.
If you’re uncertain, consider speaking to a gas heating replacement expert for a consultation.
Alliance Climate Control works hand in hand with our partners, Brivis and Braemar, to bring you the best heating solutions for your home. When you reach out to us to install a ducted gas heating system, we give you access to a range of Brivis and Braemar systems to suit your home.
Keen to learn more? Explore our Brivis gas heating installation and Braemar gas heating installation services. You’ll find details on the ducted heating models we supply and install.
If you want to experience what Brivis and Braemar’s gas heating systems can do for you, call us on 02 8061 5023 to schedule your obligation-free quote. Our expert team would love to discuss the specifics of installing a complete heating solution in your home.
Related Articles
© 2014 – 2024 All Rights Reserved. Alliance Service Group Pty Ltd t/a Alliance Climate Control Lic No. 271472C.
