Brivis Ducted Gas Heaters Review

Date: Jul 10, 2018 - 7:56 am

Ducted gas heating is arguably the best method for keeping your home comfortably warm, especially if you’re living in regions with harsh winter season. It can provide central heating for the whole house whilst allowing you to heat individual zones only when needed.

There are lots of ducted heating brands to choose from, but one that quickly comes to mind is Brivis.

Now a Rinnai company, Brivis has been a household name among Kiwis for over 50 years. They have captured the market with world-class home heating systems tailored for New Zealand’s climate conditions.

The question is which Brivis heater suits your home? To help you make an informed decision, we will discuss here what you can expect from Brivis’ ducted gas heating solutions.

Brivis Ducted Gas Heaters

brivis_gas_ducted_heatingThe ducted gas heating system comprises a heating unit connected to a number of outlets via a system of ducts, which are strategically placed throughout your home and neatly tucked away in the floor or ceiling.

Some ranges such as the StarPro lets you add heating zones, which allows you to regulate the temperature one room at a time or to switch off heating in rooms that are not in use.

The StarPro 6’s Quatrra technology, combined with a 4-pass heat exchanger with a modulating gas valve, enables the unit to maintain a supply of warm air to the entire home using less gas. As the home heats up, the heating unit modulates the gas so only a minimal amount of energy is used to maintain the temperature level. Once the desired temperature level is reached, the heater switches off and the fan slowly comes to a halt to ensure all remaining heat inside the unit is utilised. This clever engineering is what makes it highly efficient and economical.

Among its other notable features are the:

  • Zero ChillTM soft fan that eliminates cold drafts on start-up
  • CustomairTM which adjusts air volume to better match airflow to your home – up to 16 fan speed settings
  • Cool TouchTM double sided and fully insulated cabinets that keeps heat where it is needed.

The other Brivis ranges also have superior benefits of their own.

StarPro 4 is the ideal option if you’re planning to upgrade your old ducted gas heater. It’s a universal internal/external unit with efficiency of up to 4.8 stars, making it a flexible and economic solution. The only drawback, perhaps, is it’s only compatible with natural gas unlike the StarPro 6 which compatible with universal LPG.

If you want a low-cost replacement, the two-piece Wombat range is one to consider. It’s designed to suit virtually all types of homes with external weatherproof units that deliver superior airflow at an economical rate.

Star Rating

The standard rating for efficiency is 3 Stars – any less is not worth looking into. The more stars, the higher the energy efficiency and the more economical the ducted gas heater is to run. On average, a 4-Star unit saves you 13% on energy bills; a 5-Star unit saves you 22%; and a 6-Star unit saves up to 30%.

Brivis offers some of the highest rating units in their respective classes:

  • Wombat series: 3.8 Stars
  • Buffalo series: 3 & 5 Stars
  • Compact Classic series: up to 3.5 Stars
  • Starpro Series: 4.8 & 6 Stars

StarPro 6 is one of the only two highest rated ducted gas heaters in the world.

brivis_gas_ducted_heating_systemsEnergy savings

Space heating eats up a big chunk of your household bills. If you’re looking for a way to maximise energy usage whilst maintaining comfort, zoning is the answer.

In particular, the StarPro 6 lets you conveniently heat up to four distinct zones. This enables you to manually adjust and control heat output for each of the different rooms.

Central heating systems are often designed to effectively heat up the entire home. However, in actual, you only ever use several rooms at a time, not all areas in your home. Having control over the temperature in individual rooms helps you cut your energy bills significantly.

Controls

Brivis offers a range of options for optimal temperature control. The Brivis Touch is simple and easy to use, giving you access to all features and functionality on one sleek interface. There’s a manual controller with the simplest thermostat controls as well as a programmable controller with both auto and manual modes.

Ducted heaters under 4 Star will function perfectly on manual type thermostats, while higher rated systems need an electronic controller.

With the Brivis NetworkerTM installed in each zone, you no longer have to rely on one central controller to manage the heat for your entire home. It’s convenient and simple.

The StarPro 6 ducted gas heaters have an upgrade option using the ICE system of cooling for extra temperature control in the room. This cooling system is placed onto the ducted heater and can be controlled using the same controls provided with the ducted heater.

Costs

Brivis units alone cost anywhere from $3,100 to $5,600 – a fair price if you think about the unit’s performance as well as the potential savings you will get. Expect this figure to go up to three times when you factor in the installation fees or if you want to add extra functionality or combine the heater with a central AC.

The total cost will also depend on the size of your home, the features you want, insulation and your home’s heating demand.

Installation

Many units are compact, splittable and weatherproof, allowing for easy all-round installation especially indoors and in small homes.

To achieve an optimised heating solution for your home, our specialists at Central Heating can custom design the duct layout and specify the appropriate zones for your Brivis ducted gas heater. We have experience in designing practical heating solutions for small dwellings through to large and complex installations. We also repair and service existing Brivis heaters to maintain optimal performance for years.

Once you try a ducted heating system, chances are you won’t ever want to go back. Talk to our Brivis specialists today to know more about it.

Download the Brivis Gas Heating Brochure

pdf_download Brivis Gas Ducted Heating Brochure