Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning vs Gas Heating

reverse cycle air conditioning

Reverse cycle heating | Natural gas heating | Is reverse cycle heating cheaper than gas? | Reverse cycle air conditioner running costs | Gas heating running costs | Reverse cycle heating pros and cons | Gas ducted heating vs reverse cycle

Australian winters are not that bad compared to winters in some other countries. Most of the winter days are still sunny, mild, and dry, but there are certain days when it can get a bit too cold for your taste. On those days, all that you want is to keep yourself and your home warm and for that purpose, you need to have good home heating systems.

Two very popular heating options that you will find in most Australian homes are gas heating and reverse cycle air heating. If you are still wondering which option to choose for your home, you have come to the right place!

This guide will help you learn more about the differences between reverse cycle air conditioning vs gas heating, their strong sides and weak sides, as well as which one will fit your home and living arrangements best.

Reverse Cycle Heating

Reverse cycle heating – you can also find it as reverse cycle air conditioning – is one of the best heating and cooling options that you can use in your home. The reason why a lot of people choose this option is that you only need to install one device and you can use that device to both heat up and cool down your home. That means that you can save on space as well as money if you choose the reverse cycle air conditioning!

The most important part of the reverse cycle air conditioning is the heat pump – it is the part that absorbs cool or hot hair and transfers it to your home. There is a substance called ‘refrigerant’, that helps transfer the heat either from the outside in or from the inside out.

Natural Gas Heating

Gas heating is yet another great option that you can use to make your home warm and cosy during those cold winter days. People choose this type of heating is because it is quite economical, whilst also efficient at the same time.

When choosing a gas heater for your home, you need to take the size of the property and the local climate into consideration. There is a variety of heaters to choose from but most of them use gas combustion to heat a room.

If you look at the reverse cycle air cycle vs gas heating, there are certain differences, so you should do proper research before committing to only one.

Is Reverse Cycle Heating Cheaper than Gas?

Reverse cycle air conditioning and heating are considered one of the top budget-friendly options for both cooling and heating. This is not based only on the fact that you can save on your power bills, it is also based on the fact that you do not need to go through the trouble of buying two separate devices.

But then again, gas heating costs less to run in certain places so that can make a big difference. You have to consider a number of factors before making up your mind!

Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner Running Costs

As we mentioned previously, reverse cycle cooling and heating systems can be very affordable.

Simply put, it costs anywhere from $0.25 to $0.95 to run the cycle air conditioner for one hour, depending on the size of the room or property you are trying to cool down. On the other hand, it costs anywhere from $0.13 to $0.36 to run the cycle heating for one hour.

When you think of it, running your microwave or cooker has more influence on your power bill than the reverse cycle air conditioning and heating!

Gas Heating Running Costs

For years, people have been trying to figure out what is the most affordable heating option. When it comes to gas heating, one experiment showed that the running costs can be anywhere from $0.42 to $0.82 per hour to run a gas heater.

Your gas heating bill will depend on the size of the area that you are heating, as well as the average temperature. In Australia, winters are generally not that cold so you can expect to have decent electricity bills no matter what kind of heating you have in your home.

Reverse Cycle Heating Pros and Cons

Reverse cycle air conditioning and heating have a lot of benefits over the other cooling and heating options. One of the main pros of the reserve air cycle is the fact that it uses air, and not electricity or gas, like some of the other options. But that is not all, there are other advantages as well and here are some of them:

  • One unit does the heating and cooling
  • Constantly cool to touch
  • Does not have exposed elements and flames
  • Long-lasting and cost-efficient
  • Can be used for dehumidifying and filtering air

As expected, there are certain setbacks to this type of heating and cooling – the biggest being that the unit can be a bit expensive. At the same time, you do need to keep windows and doors closed at all time to get the most from the unit.

Gas Heating Pros and Cons

Gas heating also has its positive and negative sides. First off, you should know that this type of heating is more cost-efficient than the reverse cycle air conditioning and heating in some areas, but that depends on where you live. Some of the other pros of this type of heating include its power and its versatileness.

As for the negative sides, you should know that gas furnaces are not that long-lasting. If reverse cycle air conditioners and heaters last up to 30 years, the gas furnace will last only 15 or 20 tops. Another negative side of this type of heating is the gas line requirements – it can cost a fortune to have a gas line installed in your home because without it you certainly cannot have gas heating!

Gas Ducted Heating vs Reverse Cycle

The biggest difference between the gas ducted heating and the reverse air cycle is the cooling option – the former does not have it, while the latter does. If you do not want to invest in a second unit, the choice will be easier for you. But then again, gas heating also has its benefits that you have to consider.

Both heating options are great for one reason or another. If you are still on the market for a nice heater to keep you cosy during those winter days, consider your preference, as well as your budget and usage patterns and then make your final decision. You deserve to have the best heating system in your home and with this guide, you should be able to find the one that fits your needs best.

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