🌞 Winter Specials! | 🌡️ AC, Heater & Split System Cleaning | 💧 Evap Cooler Service | 🔍 HVAC Inspections | 📞 Call Today for a Free Quote!
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Your gas ducted heater has failed, been shut off as unsafe, or is costing more than it should. There are two ways to replace it: a like-for-like gas heater, or a ducted reverse cycle system that heats and cools from the same outlets. We can advise on both paths and arrange the right trade. Free estimate over the phone, firm price before any work, and you pay after the job.
Tick two or more and it is time to book — every one of these gets worse, never better, on its own.
Plenty of ducted heaters that get quoted for replacement only needed a service or a clean. A blocked return air filter, a duct that has come off the plenum, a controller fault or a flame sensor covered in dust will all make a heater cut out and restart, and none of them means the heater is finished. Our ducted heating not working guide runs through the common faults, and our ducted heating cleaning service fixes a surprising number of them.
Replacement is the honest answer when the heat exchanger is cracked or corroded, when the heater has been tagged and shut off as unsafe, when the model is discontinued and the part you need is not coming, or when the repair history over the last few winters is approaching the cost of a new unit. Age alone is not a reason. A well serviced heater in a dry roof space can outlast a neglected one by many years.
The office asks what the heater is doing, what has already been tried and what the last technician said. If it sounds like a repair, we say so. If it sounds like a replacement, the next question is which path, and that is what the rest of this page is about. Whichever way it goes, the price is confirmed before any work and you pay after the job.
For many Melbourne homes, a failed ducted heater is the moment to change to a ducted reverse cycle system rather than fit another gas heater. The reasons are practical. One system heats in winter and cools in summer from the same ceiling outlets, so the evaporative cooler on the roof or the splits on the walls become optional. Zoning lets you heat the bedrooms at night and the living areas by day instead of the whole house at once. And the Victorian Energy Upgrades program takes an upfront discount off the quote when a connected gas ducted heater that is the main heating is replaced with an approved reverse cycle system.
FreshDuct arranges that discount through our accredited installation partners, and it comes off your quote before you pay. The indicative figures are published by the Victorian Government and the office confirms yours on the quote. A minimum co-payment always applies. The old heater is disconnected and the gas line capped by a licensed gasfitter, the heater is removed and photographed, and licensed electricians and ARC-licensed technicians install and commission the new system.
The full detail, including the eligibility conditions, the ductwork decision and the multi-split alternative, is on our replace gas ducted heating page. One condition is worth repeating here: the old heater has to still be connected to gas to qualify, so do not have it ripped out before you call.
A new gas ducted heater in place of the old one is still a legitimate choice, and we will not pretend otherwise. The new heater goes where the old one sat, in the roof or under the floor, the existing ducts and outlets are reused where they are sound, and the house heats the way it always has. It is heating only, there is no Victorian discount on it, and the work on the gas side is done by a licensed gasfitter.
It makes sense when there is no roof space for a reverse cycle fan coil and no appetite for wall units, when the house is about to be sold, when a tenant needs heating back this week and the budget is fixed, or when the ducts are underfloor and in good condition and you are happy with floor heating. Some people simply prefer the feel of gas heat, and that is a fair reason too.
We can advise on both paths and arrange the right trade. What we will not do is push you towards gas or towards electric without looking at the house, and we will not quote a gas heater as if it carried a discount it does not. Our replace ducted heater guide and our ducted heating brand guide cover the gas heater brands most Melbourne homes have and what to look for in a replacement.
Whichever path you take, the ducts decide how well the new system performs, and they are the part nobody looks at until the roof space is opened. Fifteen years of cleaning and inspecting ducts across Melbourne is why we start there.
On a gas-for-gas replacement the existing ducts are usually reused, so they need to be sound: insulation intact, joints sealed, no runs crushed under stored boxes, no flex chewed through, no outlet starved at the end of a long run. If they are staying, they should be cleaned before the new heater blows through them, otherwise the first thing the new heater does is redistribute a decade of dust. On a reverse cycle changeover the program guidance recommends new ductwork and fittings, and we explain why on the changeover page. In either case we photograph every run and show you.
The return air grille and the roof space matter just as much. A return that is too small starves any heater, and a roof space with no working room, low pitch or a heater wedged beside the manhole changes what can be fitted. The office asks about all three before recommending a path, and the firm price includes what the ducts need, not a line that appears on the day. Zoning is set up and explained on the reverse cycle path, and on the gas path where the controller supports it.
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Both paths, one process. Every line below is part of the job, whichever way you go.
Not starting, cutting out, shut off as unsafe, or just old and thirsty. The office gives you a free estimate over the phone for whichever path suits.
Ducts, roof space, gas line and switchboard checked. You get a plain recommendation and a firm price before any work.
Old heater out. Either a new gas heater fitted by the right licensed trade, or a reverse cycle system installed, wired, commissioned and zoned.
The roof space, the return air and the finished system are photographed and sent to you, and you pay only after the job.
Real reviews from verified FreshDuct customers — find hundreds more on our Google profile.
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Cannot say enough about Gabriel and his team. They were very professional with their job. He taught me what I am supposed to know about vents and how to take care of them. They did an amazing job.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Our ducts had not been cleaned in 9 years. I was really happy with their professionalism and speed. They respected our house rules and the air in my home is really fresh and clean.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Outstanding service! Manny was very professional and polite. This is by far the most thorough cleanup that we have experienced. All vents were cleaned and sanitised.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Adam and his team were professional and very service oriented. They provided detailed before and after pictures to confirm the work and effort. Highly recommend FreshDuct.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Tom and Eddie did an outstanding job cleaning my air ducts. I scheduled my appointment yesterday and the job was completed within 24 hours. Very satisfied with the service.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“We had pet stains and a bad smell in the carpet and air ducts. After FreshDuct visited, the house smells fresh and clean again.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“Our house flooded in the storms with over a metre of water. FreshDuct came recommended by our neighbours and arrived the same day.”
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
“They were clear up front about pricing and exactly what was included. Very thorough from start to finish.”
Branded vans, uniformed technicians, professional equipment — the team your neighbours already know.
It depends on the path. A like-for-like gas heater reusing sound ducts is a different job from a reverse cycle changeover with new ductwork and a Victorian discount taken off. We do not publish prices because the ducts, the roof space and the switchboard change every quote. The office gives you a free estimate over the phone for whichever path suits your house.
There is no fixed number, and we do not quote one. A serviced heater in a dry roof can run for many years; a neglected one in a damp underfloor space can fail early. We judge on the heat exchanger, parts availability, repair history and how much gas it burns for the heat it gives, not the year on the label.
Yes, on the gas-to-reverse-cycle path. The Victorian Energy Upgrades program takes an upfront discount off the quote when a connected gas ducted heater that is the main heating is replaced with an approved reverse cycle system. FreshDuct arranges it through our accredited installation partners. There is no discount on a like-for-like gas replacement.
Yes. A new gas heater in the same spot, reusing sound ducts, is still an option and the right one for some homes. We can advise on both paths and arrange the right trade, including a licensed gasfitter for the gas side. We will tell you plainly that it is heating only and carries no Victorian discount.
On a gas-for-gas replacement, usually yes if they are sound, and they should be cleaned first. On a reverse cycle changeover the program guidance recommends new ductwork because reverse cycle moves more air at a lower temperature. Either way we inspect and photograph every run before the recommendation, and you see the photos.
A ducted reverse cycle system using the ceiling outlets, a multi-split with heads in several rooms, four single splits, or another gas ducted heater. The first three carry the Victorian discount; the last does not. The office recommends one after asking about the roof space, the rooms you use and whether you want cooling as well.
Leave it off and do not have anyone restart it. Call the office, tell us what the notice says, and we will arrange the right licensed trade and give you a free estimate for whichever path suits. If the reverse cycle path suits, the discount needs the heater still connected, so do not have it removed before we have looked.
If the ducts are staying, yes. A new heater blowing through ten years of dust, possum droppings and moisture is a poor start, and the return air filter and grille need the same attention. We clean ducts across Melbourne every day, so it is done in the same visit or the one before, and photographed.
FreshDuct replaces failed, unsafe and worn out gas ducted heaters across metropolitan Melbourne. Two paths, both explained honestly: a like-for-like gas heater fitted by a licensed gasfitter, or a ducted reverse cycle system installed by licensed electricians and ARC-licensed technicians with the Victorian discount taken off the quote. Free estimate over the phone, firm price before any work, pay after the job.
A dead ducted heater is the moment many Melbourne homes change to a reverse cycle system that heats and cools from the same outlets. The gas line is capped by a licensed gasfitter, the heater is removed and photographed, zones are set up, and FreshDuct arranges the Victorian Energy Upgrades discount through our accredited installation partners.
A new gas heater in the old spot, reusing sound ducts, still suits some homes: no roof space for a fan coil, a fixed budget, a sale coming up, or a preference for gas heat. We can advise on both paths and arrange the right trade, and we say plainly that gas-for-gas carries no discount.
The ducts decide how any new heater performs. After fifteen years cleaning and inspecting Melbourne ducts, we photograph every run, check the return air and the roof space, and build what the ducts need into the firm price before the day, not on it.
All of metropolitan Melbourne, 7 days a week — and if your suburb is not listed, we still come to you. The office confirms the details for your address when they call with your free estimate.
The main path in full: eligibility, the gasfitter, the ductwork decision and the alternatives.
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The whole-house system: sizing, zoning, two storeys and the six brands we install.
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The background reading: when a heater is done, and what the options are.
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Ducts, return air and outlets cleaned before a new heater blows through them.
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Tell us what the heater is doing and what the last technician said. The office gives you a free estimate over the phone for whichever path suits, confirms the price before any work, and you pay after the job.
