8 Tips for Using Your Ducted Gas Heating Efficiently

Keeping your home or business warm shouldn’t mean putting up with high energy bills or inconsistent comfort.
Ducted gas heating offers a reliable way to maintain even temperatures throughout your space, but its performance depends on how you use it. By making small changes to how your system is set up and maintained, you can reduce gas usage, cut costs, and improve heating effectiveness. This blog outlines practical tips to help you get more from your ducted gas heating, without compromising warmth.
1. Set the Right Temperature: What Temperature Should Ducted Heating Be On?
Setting your thermostat to a smart target temperature is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce gas use without sacrificing warmth.
- Aim for around 18–20 °C during occupied periods. This range keeps rooms cosy while preventing overuse of gas.
- Lowering the temperature by just 1 °C can significantly reduce your energy usage while hardly noticing the difference.
- Use your thermostat’s timer to prevent it from running overnight or when the space is vacant, maintaining comfort only when needed.
By matching your thermostat to typical usage patterns—such as pre‑warming before the workday or reducing heat when everyone’s asleep—you’ll strike a better balance between comfort and cost.
2. Use Zoning Features to Avoid Heating Unused Rooms
Zoning is a powerful feature in modern ducted systems, allowing you to heat only the areas that matter, when they matter.
- Close vents or shut off zones in unused rooms like spare bedrooms or storage areas.
- Designate separate heating zones for different parts of a building, such as the front office, staff areas, or individual residential rooms.
- Fine-tune each zone’s temperature independently to match local needs and occupancy.
This targeted approach reduces wasted heating and boosts overall system efficiency, especially in buildings with diverse usage patterns, such as shift-based businesses or multi‑room homes.
3. Schedule Regular Maintenance to Improve Gas Heater Efficiency
Just like a vehicle, a gas heating system performs best when inspected and serviced regularly.
- Book an annual service to clean burners, inspect gas pressure, check heat exchangers and verify combustion settings.
- A technician can spot early signs of wear, debris blockage or minor leaks before they become costly breakdowns.
- Replacing worn seals or fixing duct leaks during maintenance keeps warm air flowing where it’s needed, avoiding unnecessary strain.
Professional upkeep keeps your system running—it keeps it running well, saving energy over time.
4. Check & Replace Air Filters Frequently
Air filters play a critical role in maintaining the performance and efficiency of ducted gas heating systems, yet they’re often forgotten in day-to-day upkeep. When filters become clogged with dust and debris, airflow is restricted, forcing the system to work harder to distribute warm air. This not only increases energy use but can also put strain on internal components, leading to potential faults over time.
- Inspect filters monthly during peak-use months and clean or replace them if they look clogged.
- Follow manufacturer instructions: some filters are washable, and others need replacing.
- A clean filter improves airflow, reduces stress on the blower, and ensures warm air reaches all vents evenly.
Consistent filter care is simple but hugely effective in preventing increased usage and early breakdowns.
5. Install a Smart Thermostat for Better Heating Control
Smart thermostats offer precision control and insights that ordinary models can’t match.
- Programmed schedules: set heating to coincide with occupancy and idle times without daily intervention.
- Remote adjustments: change settings when plans shift—ideal for business owners or families that aren’t always present.
- Usage reports: see which days or zones consume the most energy, helping you spot habits or times to tweak.
Together, these features help you avoid heating an empty building or unused room and fine-tune system performance with real data.
6. Seal Drafts & Insulate for Maximum Heat Retention
Even the most efficient heating system works harder if your building lets warm air escape.
- Inspect and seal gaps around external doors, windows, skirting, and service ducts.
- Install or refresh draught seals on doors to prevent heat loss when they’re closed.
- Check that roof/ceiling insulation meets current standards—loose or degraded insulation dramatically impacts heating effectiveness.
Improving your building’s envelope helps keep warmth inside, reducing the workload on your heating system and your energy bills as well.
7. Optimise Heating Schedule Based on Occupancy Patterns
Adjusting your heating schedule to match occupancy habits can significantly improve comfort and reduce energy use. Rather than running your system at full capacity around the clock, tailor heating periods to when spaces are actually in use.
- Early mornings: Set a warmer temperature to preheat spaces before they’re occupied.
- Daytime: Scale back or turn off heating when areas are typically empty.
- Evenings: Raise the temperature again when people return for evening activities.
- Overnight: Lower settings help conserve energy while maintaining a comfortable base level.
Schedules can be fine-tuned for weekdays, weekends, or irregular routines, and many systems offer timers or smart controls to automate these settings with ease.
8. Choose the Right System Size for Your Property Needs
An efficient system must be correctly sized to the space it serves—too small and strains; too big and cycles inefficiently.
- Measure the total floor area requiring heating, along with ceiling heights and insulation quality.
- Consider how many people typically occupy the space, and any equipment or processes that generate heat.
- Seek a professional heat-load assessment to calculate the ideal capacity for your ducted gas unit.
A properly sized system delivers dependable warmth without wasting energy on unnecessary stops and starts.
Upgrade Your Comfort with Expert Ducted Heating in Dubbo
At
Jordan Wheatland Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, we provide expert
ducted gas heating services in Dubbo, covering everything from tailored installations to routine maintenance and smart zoning upgrades. Whether you're looking to optimise your existing system for energy efficiency or install a high-performance unit suited to your home or business, our qualified team delivers reliable solutions that align with your comfort and cost-saving goals.
Get in touch with us today to book a service or request a consultation.