Both are popular Australian heating choices — but they work fundamentally differently, with different cost profiles, comfort outcomes, and best-fit applications.
Ducted vs hydronic heating comes down to up-front cost versus long-term comfort and running cost: for a typical 200 m² home, ducted reverse cycle costs about $14,000–$22,000 to install and $1,800–$2,800 a year to run, while hydronic with a heat pump costs $28,000–$45,000 and $900–$1,400 a year, and lasts 30+ years. AHHAC designs and prices both side by side for homes in Sydney and across NSW, VIC, QLD & ACT.
Reviewed by the AHHAC Technical Team — licensed plumbers & hydronic engineers, NSW Lic 262528C.How we write & review
The honest answer: ducted is cheaper to install in most homes, hydronic costs more up-front but delivers better comfort and lower running costs over its 30-year life.
If you're building or doing a major renovation, hydronic is almost always worth the extra cost. If you're retrofitting an existing home with no slab work, ducted may be the more practical choice.
Ducted reverse cycle: $14,000–$22,000 install. Running cost: $1,800–$2,800/year. Useful life: 12–18 years.
Hydronic with heat pump: $28,000–$45,000 install. Running cost: $900–$1,400/year. Useful life: 30+ years (boiler lifespan, network lasts indefinitely).
Ducted blows hot air into rooms — fast warm-up, but uneven, often noisy, recirculates dust and allergens.
Hydronic radiates gentle warmth from floors, panels or skirting — slower warm-up but much more even, completely silent, no air movement.
Many of the ducted vs hydronic conversations we have are not about new builds at all. They start when an old ducted gas heater fails in a Melbourne or Canberra winter and the owner has to decide quickly. Here is how we help people think it through without panic-buying a like-for-like replacement.
Whichever way you go, ask for a room-by-room heat-loss calculation; the same rule that stops hydronic systems being guessed stops ducted systems being oversized. For Victorian homes see hydronic heating in Melbourne, read how to retrofit hydronic heating, compare budgets in our hydronic heating cost guide, or browse air conditioning options for the cooling side.
Written from on-site experience by the AHHAC Technical Team.
AHHAC's in-house design and service team — licensed plumbers and hydronic engineers (Lic 262528C) who have designed and installed 2,400+ hydronic heating, cooling and hot water systems across Australia since 1998.
We design ducted vs hydronic heating from a room-by-room heat-loss calculation, install it with our own licensed plumbers to AS/NZS 3500 (plumbing) and AS/NZS 5601 (gas), commission and document it, and service it for the life of the system. Nothing is subcontracted out.
Ducted is often the better choice for: existing homes with no slab works planned, smaller homes (under 150m²), warm-climate primary cooling needs (Brisbane, Cairns), and budgets where the extra hydronic up-front cost can't be recovered through running savings.
New builds and major renovations, homes over 220m², cooler climates (Melbourne south, Canberra, Snowy region), heritage builds where ducting can't go, multi-zone control needs, and any project where occupant comfort, air quality and 30+ year lifespan matter.
Sometimes — we install hydronic underfloor for primary heating + a small ducted reverse-cycle for fast cooling in extreme summer days. Hybrid systems make sense in homes where one technology can't perfectly cover both seasons.
"AHHAC delivered our 22-zone underfloor system on time, on budget and to spec. The crew were tidy, the documentation was thorough, and the commissioning was textbook."
"We've worked with AHHAC for 17 years. They've installed and serviced our hot water plant across three commercial buildings — and they pick up the phone on weekends."
"Three mobs quoted us; AHHAC's design was the only one based on a proper heat-loss calculation. The system runs beautifully — the others would've been oversized and expensive."