Both work. Which is right depends on your house, your budget and how long you plan to stay.
This is the most common question we get between March and June, and the answer genuinely depends on the house rather than on which system is better in the abstract.
Hydronic heating circulates hot water through panels or in-slab pipework. It is quiet, the heat is even, and it does not move dust around, which matters if anyone in the house has asthma. It is also the more expensive system to install, particularly as a retrofit, because pipework has to reach every room.
Ducted gas heats air and blows it through ceiling or floor vents. It is cheaper to install, heats up faster from cold, and can be retrofitted more easily where there is roof space. It is noisier, the heat is less even, and it does move dust.
The retrofit question usually decides it. If your house has good subfloor clearance, hydronic pipework can be run under the floor with minimal disruption — that is what made the Beaumaris project we did last year straightforward. If clearance is poor but you have roof space, ducted becomes the practical answer.
The other thing to check early is your gas meter. Adding a hydronic boiler on top of an existing cooktop, hot water unit and heater often exceeds what the existing meter can supply, and a meter upgrade needs to be arranged with the distributor before installation, not during.
If you plan to stay ten years or more, the comfort difference with hydronic is usually worth the extra cost. If you are likely to move sooner, ducted gas is the more rational choice.
Planning something like this?
We will give you an honest cost range before anyone writes a quote.