Panasonic ducted reverse cycle air conditioning for Melbourne homes that care about the air

Panasonic Australia lists three ducted series, all on R32, and each answers a different house. The NX Series Splittable Ducted PE4 runs from 6.0 to 22.4 kW cooling. Its indoor unit is built to be split for installation, which is what makes a tight manhole or an awkward roof workable, and Panasonic gives it increased external static pressure for extended duct layouts. That is the unit for a big single-storey home, a two-storey layout on one system, or a roof with awkward access.

The NX Series Adaptive Ducted PF3 covers 3.4 to 13.4 kW cooling and is the one with the nanoe X Generator Mark2 built in. It can be installed vertically as well as horizontally, which solves the roof that has height in one spot and none in the next. For the typical three or four bedroom brick veneer, this is the range we look at first.

The Ultra Slim Ducted UD3 is 2.6 to 5.6 kW cooling and only 200 mm high, built for compact ceiling spaces and quiet operation. Think of an apartment, a flat-roofed rear extension on a period home, or a single zone such as a main bedroom wing.

Panasonic backs its air conditioners with a 5-year warranty covering residential and commercial use. Size is settled from the floor plan, not the bedroom count; our ducted sizing guide shows how.

Panasonic’s explanation is simple enough to repeat. nanoe X generates hydroxyl radicals, and Panasonic says these help inhibit pollutants, keeping the indoor environment cleaner. In a ducted unit the generator sits inside the indoor unit and releases them into the supply air, so every room on the system gets the same treatment whenever the fan runs. It is the reason households with hay fever, asthma or a dusty older home look at Panasonic first.

Here is what it does not do. It is not a filter, so the return air filter still catches the dust and still needs cleaning. It does not clean ducts: if the system is going onto old ductwork, the ductwork has to be clean or replaced, or you are blowing purified air through a dirty pipe. And it will not fix a damp house or a leaking roof. We say this because we clean ducted systems for a living and we see the difference between a system with a good feature and a system that is looked after.

So the honest package is nanoe X on the Adaptive Ducted PF3, clean or new ducts, a return air filter you can reach, and a yearly service. If you already have ducts that have never been cleaned, our ducted cleaning page covers that side, and we can do it on the same visit as the install.

External static pressure is the number most quotes leave out. It is how hard the indoor fan can push against the resistance of the ducts. Short runs and few bends need little; a 30 metre run to a back bedroom, a dozen outlets, or a second storey needs a lot. Starve a system of static and the rooms at the end of the run get warm air in summer and a whisper in winter. Panasonic’s Splittable Ducted PE4 is built with increased external static pressure for exactly these layouts, which is why we reach for it on long homes.

Two storeys raise a second decision: one system with upstairs and downstairs zones, or two smaller systems. One system is simpler and cheaper to run when it is sized and zoned well, with a return air on each floor and the upstairs zone able to run alone on a hot night. Two systems make sense when the floors are used at different times or the roof cannot carry one large unit. We draw both on your plan and tell you which we would choose. Our zoning guide and how ducted reverse cycle works cover the basics.

Panasonic pairs the NX Series with a new IoT remote controller for easier day-to-day control, and zone control is added at the ducts, with the number of zones agreed before ordering.

The Panasonic ducted job we are asked to quote most often is replacing a gas ducted heater that has done its time. The order of work matters. The old heater comes out of the roof or from under the floor. The gas line is capped by a licensed gasfitter. The ducts are inspected and photographed: heater ducts are often smaller and leakier than a refrigerated system needs, so we tell you plainly whether they should be replaced rather than promising a cheap reuse. Then the Panasonic indoor unit is hung on isolation mounts, the outdoor unit goes on a pad or brackets, a licensed electrician runs the dedicated circuit, ARC-licensed technicians connect the refrigerant and commission the system in heating and cooling, and the roof is photographed before it is closed.

That changeover is the one that can attract the Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. The heater must still be connected and be the home’s main heating, the new unit must be an eligible model, and the old one is decommissioned as the program requires. We arrange the discount through our accredited installation partners so it comes off your quote up front. Our gas ducted to reverse cycle guide and the replace gas ducted heating page set out the conditions.

After the install, the same crews service it. Our Panasonic service guide explains what a yearly visit covers.