Eleven ducted brands, side by side from their own documents: the sizes they make, slim and high static units, the warranty (five years from most, seven from Carrier, Rinnai and Toshiba) and the running cost at 12.5 kW, $820 to $1,090 a year. One brand alone can span $273.
What actually changes from one ducted brand to the next
Most people start a ducted job by asking which brand is best. It is a fair question, but the brand is only part of what decides how a system works in your house.
We install 23 ducted ranges from 11 brands. Side by side, they differ in four ways you can check on paper: the sizes they come in, whether there is a slim unit for a tight roof or a stronger one for long duct runs, the warranty, and what they cost to run.
Everything below comes from the makers' own documents and the official energy figures. No brand is named the winner, because the right one depends on your house.
The sizes each brand makes
The sizes as a table
| Brand | Ranges | Sizes we list | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daikin | 3 | 5 to 25 kW | 31 |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 3 | 5 to 24.5 kW | 13 |
| Toshiba | 2 | 5 to 24 kW | 12 |
| Rinnai | 1 | 7 to 24 kW | 7 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 3 | 5 to 23.5 kW | 11 |
| ActronAir | 1 | 19 to 21 kW | 2 |
| Samsung | 3 | 5.2 to 20 kW | 9 |
| LG | 1 | 6.8 to 20 kW | 9 |
| Carrier | 2 | 5.3 to 17 kW | 13 |
| Fujitsu | 3 | 5 to 16 kW | 16 |
| Panasonic | 1 | 3.6 to 14 kW | 7 |
Size comes first. If your house needs 20 kW, a brand that stops at 14 kW is out before anything else gets compared.
| Brand | Ranges we install | Sizes we list |
|---|---|---|
| ActronAir | ActronAir Ducted | 19 and 21 kW |
| Carrier | QSM Slim Line, QSH High Static | 5.3 to 17 kW |
| Daikin | Slimline, Inverter, Premium Inverter | 5 to 25 kW |
| Fujitsu | Mid Static Slimline, High Static, High Static High Performance | 5 to 16 kW |
| LG | LG Ducted | 6.8 to 20 kW |
| Mitsubishi Electric | PEAD, PEA High Static, Large Capacity | 5 to 24.5 kW |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | FDUM Medium Static, FDU Slimline, FDUA High Static | 5 to 23.5 kW |
| Panasonic | Adaptive | 3.6 to 14 kW |
| Rinnai | D Series | 7 to 24 kW |
| Samsung | Compact Slimline, S2, Premium | 5.2 to 20 kW |
| Toshiba | Digital Inverter, Super Digital Inverter | 5 to 24 kW |
Panasonic is the only one that starts below 5 kW. From 21 kW up, six brands are left: ActronAir, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, MHI, Rinnai and Toshiba.
Big systems often need three phase power, and each brand switches over at a different size. The single or three phase guide sets that out range by range.
A tight roof or long duct runs
The indoor unit lives in your roof, and roofs are not all the same. Two numbers in the makers' documents tell you how a range copes.
The first is the height of the indoor unit. A low roof space needs a slim one. The second is the static pressure, in pascals (Pa): how hard the fan can push air through the ducts. Long runs with lots of outlets need more of it.
Here are both for the ranges we install, slimmest first. Where a range shows two figures, its smaller and larger models differ.
| Range | Height of the indoor unit | Static pressure, highest setting |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier QSM Slim Line | 210 to 300 mm | 100 to 160 Pa |
| Fujitsu Mid Static Slimline | 240 mm | 150 Pa |
| Daikin Slimline | 245 mm | 150 Pa |
| Rinnai D Series | 248 to 515 mm | 160 to 250 Pa |
| Mitsubishi Electric PEAD | 250 mm | 125 Pa in the brochure, 150 Pa in the installation manual |
| Samsung Compact Slimline | 250 mm | 147 Pa |
| Panasonic Adaptive | 250 to 360 mm | 150 Pa |
| Toshiba Digital Inverter | 275 to 448 mm | 180 to 270 Pa |
| Toshiba Super Digital Inverter | 298 mm | 150 to 270 Pa |
| Daikin Inverter | 300 to 500 mm | Not given in the brochure |
| Daikin Premium Inverter | 300 to 470 mm | Not given in the brochure |
| Fujitsu High Static High Performance | 360 to 425 mm | 210 to 260 Pa |
| Carrier QSH High Static | 380 to 440 mm | 200 Pa |
| Mitsubishi Electric PEA High Static | 380 mm | 150 Pa |
| Fujitsu High Static | 400 to 425 mm | 210 to 260 Pa |
| LG Ducted, B models | 400 to 458 mm | Not given in the catalogue |
| Samsung Premium | 450 mm | 196 Pa |
| Mitsubishi Electric Large Capacity | 470 mm | 250 Pa |
Most units of 250 mm or less top out at about 150 Pa. Most of 380 mm and up reach about 200 Pa or more, though Mitsubishi Electric's PEA High Static stops at 150.
So a low roof with long duct runs narrows the choice quickly. The roof photo is what tells us which way your house leans, and the ducted cost guide explains how the roof changes the price.
We could not find these figures for the model numbers we list from ActronAir, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Samsung S2 range, so they are not in the table.
Warranty: five years from most, seven from three
Here is what each maker's own document says for a system in a home.
| Brand | Warranty for a home | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| ActronAir | 5 years parts, 5 years labour | ActronAir warranty terms, residential ducted 2 to 23 kW |
| Carrier | 7 years, bought from 1 August 2023 | Warranty certificate from Carrier's Australian distributor |
| Daikin | 5 years parts and labour | Daikin warranty card and FAQ |
| Fujitsu | 5 years parts and labour | Fujitsu domestic warranty card |
| LG | 5 years parts and labour | LG ducted catalogue |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 5 years parts and labour | Mitsubishi Electric ducted brochure 2025 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 5 years parts, labour and compressor | MHI warranty terms, January 2025 |
| Panasonic | 5 years parts and labour | Panasonic residential catalogue |
| Rinnai | 7 years parts and labour | Rinnai warranty booklet, April 2025 |
| Samsung | 5 years parts and labour | Samsung Australia warranty page and card |
| Toshiba | 7 years parts and labour, bought from 1 May 2020 | Toshiba Air Conditioning warranty policy and certificate |
Three brands give seven years for a home: Carrier, Toshiba and Rinnai. Carrier and Toshiba come from the same Australian distributor, and its certificate gives five years instead when the unit goes into a business. Rinnai's booklet covers units made since it was published in April 2025. The rest give five.
What each brand costs to run at 12.5 kW
All 18 rated models between 12 and 13 kW, lowest to highest
| Model | Stars (cool / heat) | kWh a year | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier QSH High Static 12.4kW | 3.5 / 2.5 | 2,581 | $820 |
| Carrier QSM Slim Line 12.3kW | 3.5 / 2.5 | 2,596 | $825 |
| Panasonic Adaptive 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 2,716 | $863 |
| Daikin Slimline Ducted 12.5kW | 3 / 2.5 | 2,957 | $940 |
| Fujitsu High Static High Performance 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,005 | $955 |
| Fujitsu High Static 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,005 | $955 |
| Rinnai D Series Ducted 12kW | 3 / 2.5 | 3,036 | $965 |
| Mitsubishi Electric PEA High Static Ducted 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,065 | $974 |
| Mitsubishi Electric PEAD Ducted 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,148 | $1,001 |
| Daikin Premium Inverter Ducted 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,178 | $1,010 |
| Fujitsu Mid Static Slimline Ducted 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,197 | $1,016 |
| Samsung S2 Ducted 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,292 | $1,047 |
| Toshiba Super Digital Inverter 12.5kW | 2 / 2 | 3,396 | $1,080 |
| LG 12.5kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,410 | $1,084 |
| MHI FDUA High Static 12.1kW | 2 / 1.5 | 3,430 | $1,090 |
| Toshiba Digital Inverter 12.5kW | 2 / 2 | 3,513 | $1,117 |
| Fujitsu Mid Static Slimline Ducted 13kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,527 | $1,121 |
| Daikin Inverter Ducted 12.5kW | 2 / 1.5 | 3,816 | $1,213 |
Running cost is where brands really pull apart, and it is easy to compare. Every model sold here goes through the same official energy test, GEMS, so the figures line up.
We picked 12.5 kW because it is the ducted size people search for most when they find our site. Each row is the brand's cheapest model to run between 12 and 13 kW in our list, cooling and heating together, at the Sydney median rate of 31.79 cents a kWh.
| Brand | Model | Stars (cool / heat) | kWh a year | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier | QSH High Static 12.4 kW | 3.5 / 2.5 | 2,581 | $820 |
| Panasonic | Adaptive 12.5 kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 2,716 | $863 |
| Daikin | Slimline 12.5 kW | 3 / 2.5 | 2,957 | $940 |
| Fujitsu | High Static 12.5 kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,005 | $955 |
| Rinnai | D Series 12 kW | 3 / 2.5 | 3,036 | $965 |
| Mitsubishi Electric | PEA High Static 12.5 kW | 2.5 / 2.5 | 3,065 | $974 |
| Samsung | S2 12.5 kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,292 | $1,047 |
| Toshiba | Super Digital Inverter 12.5 kW | 2 / 2 | 3,396 | $1,080 |
| LG | LG Ducted 12.5 kW | 2.5 / 2 | 3,410 | $1,084 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | FDUA High Static 12.1 kW | 2 / 1.5 | 3,430 | $1,090 |
ActronAir is not in the table because its smallest unit in our list is 19 kW.
From the first row to the last is $270 a year. Now look inside one brand. Daikin's three ranges at 12.5 kW run from $940 for the Slimline to $1,213 for the Inverter, $273 apart.
So the range you pick inside a brand moves your bill as much as the brand does. The same comparison at 10, 14 and 20 kW, across every model, is in the ducted cost guide.
How to use this when you choose
- 1The size your house needsrules ranges out
- 2Your power supplyrules ranges out
- 3Your roof spacerules ranges out
- 4The warrantypicks between the rest
- 5The running costpicks between the rest
Start with the house, not the logo. The size it needs, your power supply and your roof space decide which ranges fit. Then the warranty and the running cost help you pick between the ones that are left.
Comparing split systems instead? Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric and Fujitsu at 7.1 kW are side by side in another guide.
For a short list that fits your own house, send us photos of the roof space, the switchboard and a rough floor plan. Every range above is on our ducted page, with each model's size and running cost.
Sources
- GEMS registered air conditioners dataset (E3 program), data.gov.au: the star ratings and the annual cooling and heating kWh for Sydney's climate zone, synced 1 September 2026
- Energy Made Easy, the AER's plan data: the Sydney median usage rate of 31.79 cents a kWh across 170 Ausgrid plans, September 2026, with GST added
- Carrier ducted systems brochure, Daikin Ducted Systems brochure, Mitsubishi Electric ducted brochure 2025, its PEA and Large Capacity flyers and PEAD installation manual, and the Panasonic residential catalogue 2023, on our manuals and brochures page: unit heights, static pressure and the warranty statements
- Fujitsu General technical references and spec articles for the High Static and High Performance units: unit heights and static pressure ranges
- Toshiba Light Commercial Systems brochure, August 2024: ducted unit heights and static pressure
- Samsung Duct S2 specification sheet: Compact Slimline and Premium unit heights and static pressure
- Rinnai's product pages for its 17 kW and 20 kW ducted units: heights and maximum static pressure across the D Series
- Panasonic Europe's pages for the same indoor units, such as the S-1014PF3E: the 250 mm height and 150 Pa maximum
- ActronAir warranty terms, Doc 892A: Table 1, residential ducted 2 to 23 kW
- Daikin Manufacturer's Warranty card and Daikin's warranty FAQ: five years parts and labour for a home
- Fujitsu General warranty cards: the domestic card
- LG ducted air conditioning catalogue: five years parts and labour on ducted systems, and the B model heights
- MHI warranty terms and conditions, V13, January 2025: FD series, residential
- Rinnai, Air Conditioning Warranty Booklet, April 2025: refrigerated air conditioning in homes, 7 years parts and 7 years labour
- Samsung Australia warranty information and its air conditioning warranty card: air conditioners, 60 months, parts and labour
- Toshiba Air Conditioning, warranty policy and the distributor's express warranty certificate, August 2023: seven years parts and labour for Toshiba in homes from 1 May 2020, seven years for Carrier ducted in homes from 1 August 2023, five years for either in commercial use
- Our own Search Console data, 90 days to 4 October 2026: 12.5 kW is the ducted size searched most by people who find this site
