Braemar product
Braemar Dominator: a gas ducted heater replacement that heats and cools
If your gas ducted heater sits outside the house or under the floor, the Dominator is an all-electric reverse cycle unit built by Braemar to go in its place. Here is who it suits, what is involved, how it compares with a full ducted conversion, and where our own standard on ductwork applies.
Prefer to talk? 1300 369 400
The direct-replacement path off gas ducted heating
Going from gas ducted heating to electric usually means a full ducted reverse cycle conversion: a heat-load design, new ductwork sized for the airflow, new outlets and return air, zoning, a plasterer and a painter, and the better part of a week with the house pulled apart. That is the right job for a lot of homes, and it is the one we do most.
The Braemar Dominator was built to avoid it where the house allows. It is a reverse cycle system packaged to sit in the position the old gas heater came out of and to connect into the existing ductwork and ceiling outlets. For houses with the heater outside or under the floor, and ductwork in sound condition, it can be a straight swap.
To be upfront about what is involved: the return air is upsized, a new return air duct and a new supply duct are run, and the first fitting is replaced. That work is part of the quote. Everything else stays as it is, which is why the job is usually done in a day rather than a week.
Two things decide whether it suits your home
Where does your heater sit?
The Dominator is for heaters mounted outside the house or under the floor. That is where it makes the most sense and where the savings are real. If your heater is up in the roof space, we would fit a conventional ducted reverse cycle system instead, and we will tell you so.
How much clearance is under the floor?
For an underfloor installation you need roughly 500 mm of clearance beneath the floor. If your heater already sits outside, clearance is not an issue. Not sure? Send us a photo of the heater through the form below and we will tell you on the spot.
Our position on the ductwork
Braemar designed the Dominator to connect into existing gas heating ductwork, and that is what makes the product different. Our own standard is that a reverse cycle system gets ductwork designed and insulated for reverse cycle airflow, because gas heating ducts in older Ranges homes are frequently undersized, poorly insulated or laid out for a different job, and reusing them is the most common reason a new system disappoints. So when we assess a home for the Dominator, the condition, size and insulation of every duct and outlet is part of the assessment, and if the ductwork is not right for it we say so and price the ductwork that is. That is the third check we do at the site visit that the manufacturer's brochure does not.
Why it works in the Ranges
The usual objection to going electric is that heat pumps go soft when it gets properly cold. Out here that is a fair question. Braemar rates the Dominator to keep producing heat at ambient temperatures as low as minus fifteen degrees, with 17.0 kW rated heating capacity from a micro-channel heat exchanger designed for heating output. Frosts in Woodend, Trentham and Mount Macedon are within its operating range.
It was also designed to work alongside an existing evaporative cooler: evaporative cooling through most of summer, refrigerated cooling on the handful of humid days evaporative struggles with, and real warmth in winter. Optional zone control covers four to eight zones with individual temperature and time schedules, and Braemar's coated outdoor coil is intended for corrosion resistance on exposed rural blocks. Braemar is an Australian brand and Seeley International manufactures the unit in Australia with a five year comprehensive manufacturer warranty, and our own 9 year labour and workmanship warranty covers the installation.
What you have now, and what you end up with
What you have now
- Heating only, idle for most of the year
- Burning gas, with a supply charge on every bill
- An ageing unit that will eventually fail mid-winter
- Parts getting harder to find each year
What you end up with
- Whole-home heating and cooling through the same outlets
- All electric, and it runs off solar if you have it
- A new system with a five year manufacturer warranty and our 9 year workmanship warranty
- Optional zone control so you only condition the rooms you use
Every home is different, so we quote each job on its merits rather than a one-size headline price. Where the system and the home qualify, the Victorian Energy Upgrades discount is applied to your written quote up front. We come out, look at the setup, and give you a fixed price in writing before any work starts.
It replaces any brand of ducted gas heater
Braemar positions the Dominator as a direct replacement for the major ducted gas heater brands found in Macedon Ranges homes, including Brivis, Rinnai, Braemar and Bonaire units. Still limping along on an old heater? Look up what it is telling you in our heater error code guides first, then give us a call.
Manufacturer specifications
Technical specifications
The full figures, so you can compare it properly against anything else you are being quoted. These are Braemar's published specifications for the Dominator Series as carried on our previous page; we confirm the current figures against Braemar's literature at quote time.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Rated heating capacity | 17.0 kW (range 5.4 to 21.0 kW) |
| Rated cooling capacity | 13.2 kW (range 2.3 to 16.8 kW) |
| Heating operating range | -15 °C to 24 °C ambient |
| Cooling operating range | -15 °C to 52 °C ambient |
| ACOP / AEER | 3.49 / 3.37 |
| Power supply | 220 to 240 V, single phase, 32 A rated current |
| Rated airflow | 700 L/s (range 400 to 900 L/s) |
| External static pressure | 0 to 300 Pa |
| Refrigerant | R32, 4.5 kg base charge |
| Indoor unit | 1148 × 530 × 802 mm, 62 kg (KGHV200A1S) |
| Outdoor unit | 940 × 320 × 1430 mm, 117 kg (KCHV160D1B) |
| Maximum pipe run / height | 75 m / 30 m |
| Condensate pump | Built in, 1 m lift |
| Manufacturer warranty | 5 year comprehensive (Braemar) |
Headline figures checked against the Seeley International Dominator Series product page on 15 September 2026; the full specification is in the Braemar brochure and can change without notice. Braemar's warranty is the manufacturer's, separate from our own 9 Year Labour & Workmanship Warranty on the installation.
A note on sizing, because it matters. At 17 kW this suits most homes, but using the Victorian Government's guide of 1.1 to 1.4 kW per 10 square metres it comfortably covers roughly 120 to 155 square metres of ducted area. If your home is larger we will tell you and look at other options rather than undersize you.
The alternatives, assessed by an installer that does all of them
- A like-for-like gas ducted heater where gas remains the right answer for the house.
- A full ducted reverse cycle conversion, designed from the ground up with new ductwork, for whole-home heating and cooling.
- A multi-head split system where there is no roof space or only some rooms matter.
The Dominator is a product-specific pathway with suitability conditions set by the manufacturer. It does not describe how every gas to electric conversion works, and most conversions we do are full ducted designs. Read about both on the Victorian Energy Upgrades page, and see the other Braemar systems we service.
Braemar Dominator questions
Does the Dominator use my existing ducts?
That is the idea behind the product, and it is what makes it different from a full ducted reverse cycle conversion. Whether your particular ductwork and outlets are suitable is something we confirm at the site visit, because the manufacturer sets conditions on airflow, return air and duct condition. Where the ducts are undersized or in poor condition we tell you, and the answer may be a conventional ducted system instead.
Where does my heater need to be for this to suit?
The Dominator is designed for gas ducted heaters mounted outside the house or under the floor. For an underfloor unit there needs to be roughly 500 mm of clearance beneath the floor. If your heater sits in the roof space we would normally fit a conventional ducted reverse cycle system and we will say so.
Can I keep my evaporative cooler?
Yes. Braemar designed the Dominator to work alongside an existing evaporative cooler: evaporative through most of summer, refrigerated cooling on the humid days evaporative struggles with, and heating through winter.
Is it eligible under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program?
It can be, as an approved product for a gas to electric heating upgrade. Eligibility depends on your home, your existing heater and the current program rules, and we confirm it in writing at quote time rather than promising a figure up front.
What size home does 17 kW cover?
Using the Victorian Government guide of 1.1 to 1.4 kW per 10 square metres, a 17 kW unit comfortably covers roughly 120 to 155 square metres of ducted area. If your home is larger than that we will tell you honestly and look at other options rather than undersize you.
Get in touch
Find out if your home suits it
Tell us where your existing heater sits and your suburb, or send a photo of the heater. We will tell you straight away whether the Dominator is the right call for your place, or whether something else suits you better.
Prefer to talk? Call 1300 369 400, monday to friday 8:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday 9:00am to 1:00pm.