FAQ's

If you still still have a few questions then hopefully the FAQ below will answer them, otherwise email us with any queries you may have info@hpac.net.nz. To navigate around please use the menu to the right.

What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a home appliance similar to a fridge or freezer that heats and cools the atmosphere in your home. It heats, cools, dehumidifies and continuously filters the air of dust and other impurities. It can also circulate the air - without heating or cooling to eliminate stuffiness as well. A typical heat pump has two parts to it, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit and for this reason are often called a Split System. Like many of your home appliances a heat pump is operated using a remote control. Back

How Does a Heat Pump Work?

A heat pump comprises three main components. An outdoor coil for absorbing heat from the atmosphere, an indoor coil for dispersing the heat into the home and a compressor that pumps refrigerant gas that carries the heat from one coil to the other. By changing the direction of the refrigerant gas flow, heating or cooling is selected by use of the remote control, a fan then circulates the conditioned air throughout the home. Back

But How Can It Heat The Home In Winter?

A home freezer can take the temperature of its food compartment below zero degrees, in fact as low as -6 C. The same process used in heat pumps can extract enough heat from cold outside air to warm the home. Although bodies feel cold at these low temperatures, there is still a lot of heat energy in the outside air at zero degrees celsius and below. Back

What Size Will I Need For My Home?

Every home is as individual as its owner. The key to selecting the right heat pump for your home is accurate estimation of the heat that will need to be transferred into your home in winter for heating and out of your home in summer for cooling. This needs to be carried out by experienced and qualified specialists such as those on our sales team. Back

What Factors Will Affect The Size Of Heat Pump I Need?

The amount of heating needed will depend on the heat your home loses through walls, windows, and roofs. To minimise this loss, good insulation is recommended. By insulating first, the size of heat pump selected will generally be smaller and therefore cheaper to run. The Northern aspect of the home is also an important factor as North facing rooms are generally warmer and need less heating. Back

Do Heat Pumps Take Up A Lot Of Room?

No. Heat pumps are designed to be unobtrusive in their size, are neutral coloured or can be painted to fit into your decor and run at low noise levels so as not to be noticed. There are also different types of heat pumps from high wall and floor console split systems to ducted systems which are hidden in the ceiling or under the floor. Back

How Much Will It Cost To Buy & Install A Heat Pump?

Because each home is unique, the installed cost of a heat pump is different for each home and will depend on the size and type of heat pump required. For Example An average 3 bedroom 120sqm New Zealand home may use a 6kW (heating) High Wall split system to heat the lounge, dining and kitchen areas. This type of unit and installation would currently cost between $3,000 and $3,600  incl GST. Back

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Heat Pump?

To answer this the amount of heating required will need to be known. Assume 5kW of heating is needed, electric heating is normally 100% efficient so for 5kW of heating you pay for 5kW of electric energy. Gas heater are less than 100%, let assume 80% efficient. This means to gain 5kW of heating you pay for 6.25kW of gas energy. Although gas may be cheaper per kW you need to use more of it to produce the same heating effect. Heat pumps transfer heat from outside air and in this way produce three to four times more heat. Its efficiency is 300% to 400%. This means for 5kW of heating you pay for around 1.5kW of electric energy. Heat pump heating is roughly one quarter the cost of electric heating and about one third the cost of gas heating. Back

Can A Heat Pump Be Cheaper To Run With More Moving Parts?

A heat pump uses electricity to "transfer" heat. Electric heaters "convert" electric energy to heat energy and are thereby limited by the amount of electricity they can use. A heat pump has no such limitations and can transfer three to four times the heat from the outside air than could be converted from the electricity it uses. Back

Are Heat Pumps Noisy?

No. Heat pumps are generally not noisy. The source of noise in a typical heat pump is air impinging on the grill as it is forced out of the unit. Air noise is marginally higher than ambient background noise and is usually not distracting. Back

Are They Reliable?

Yes. Heat pumps are reliable. They use the same process as a home fridge or freezer and have the same level of dependability and life expectancy. Back

How Easy Are They To Repair?

Provided the service person is experienced and qualified, repairing heat pumps is as straight forward as repairing a fridge or freezer. Back

Do They Need Servicing?

Like a car heat pumps should be serviced regularly for optimum performance. This involves cleaning the air filters, drains and coils, checking temperature readings, refrigeratant gas charge and running a fault diagnostic check. It would only be necessary to service your heat pump every two or three years provided you are cleaning your filters regularly. Back

How Are Heat Pumps Better Than Other Forms Of Heating?

Apart from being cheaper to run than any other form of heating, heat pumps offer many more benefits that heating only systems cannot. Heat pumps do not burn oxygen or create stuffiness like open fires. They are designed for year round comfort not just the 4 months of winter. Heat pumps produce low density heat which is safe for children and the elderly, unlike fires or electric heaters. They are unmatched for convenience and ease of use (Remote Controlled). They don't pollute our atmosphere with the products for combustion and they use ozone friendly refrigerants. Back