Heat pumps
Heat pump installation in Ponsonby
A heat pump can turn a cold villa lounge or a stuffy upstairs office into a room you want to be in all year. Heat pump installation in Ponsonby has its own puzzles, though: rooms with a century of history, sections barely wider than the house, and neighbours close on both sides. We size the unit, find it a sensible home and wire it properly.
Sized for the room
Heat pumps have become a common way to heat New Zealand homes because they are efficient and convenient, and most of them are the familiar split system: one unit on the wall inside, one outside, used mainly for heating. EECA's good practice guide to heat pump installation puts the essentials plainly: size it correctly for the conditions, choose the right unit for its environment, and install it correctly.
Sizing is where many installations go wrong. A unit that is too small runs flat out and still leaves the room cold on a July night; one that is far too big costs more to buy and cycles on and off. The right size depends on the room's floor area and ceiling height, how much glass it has and which way that glass faces, whether the ceiling and floor are insulated, and whether the room opens into a hallway or the rest of the house. In an old Ponsonby house those answers vary from room to room, so we look at the room itself before recommending a unit, rather than going by floor area alone.
Where the outdoor unit goes on a Ponsonby section
Ponsonby's oldest streets were divided into sections 10 to 12 metres wide, and the houses on them fill much of that width. That can leave only a narrow strip down each side of the house, sometimes with a neighbour's bedroom window just across the fence. That is where most outdoor units end up, so placement takes more thought here than on a wide suburban section.
The outdoor unit needs clear air around it to work properly, room for a technician to reach it later, and a position where its fan and compressor will not bother the people next door or your own bedrooms. You may also want to keep it out of sight of the street, since the fronts of these houses, with their verandahs and bay windows, are a big part of why people love them. On a two-storey villa or an apartment, a wall bracket or a balcony may be the answer. We talk through the options with you before any holes are drilled, and plan the pipe and cable run so it is as short and tidy as the house allows.
What an installation involves
A look at the room and the house
We measure the room, note the windows, insulation and layout, and look at the switchboard and wiring that will supply the unit.
The unit and its positions
We recommend a size and agree with you where the indoor and outdoor units will go and how the pipework and cable will run between them.
Supply from the switchboard
A heat pump needs a properly protected supply with a means of isolating it for servicing. If the switchboard has no room or the wiring is not up to it, a switchboard upgrade or some rewiring may need to come first.
Installation and commissioning
Both units are mounted, connected and run, and we show you how to use the controller, including the settings that save power.
Testing and certification
The new electrical work is tested, and you receive the Certificate of Compliance for it.
Heat pump questions
Will a heat pump cool the house as well as heat it?
Yes. The common split-system heat pump is a reverse-cycle unit, so it can cool in summer as well as heat in winter, although most New Zealand homes use theirs mainly for heating.
Can one heat pump heat the whole villa?
Usually not well. A wall unit heats the room it is in and some of the space open to it. Older houses often have separate rooms opening off a hallway, so it usually makes sense to heat the living area first and add units for other rooms later if they need to.
Can the indoor unit go on an internal wall?
Often, yes, if the pipework can be run through the ceiling or under the floor to the outdoor unit. It depends on the house, and we will check before recommending it.
Our old fuse board is full. Can we still have a heat pump?
Yes, but the board may need upgrading first, because the heat pump needs its own protected supply. That is often a good time to deal with any other circuits that are struggling.
Do you install heat pumps in offices and shops?
Yes. We install them in commercial premises as well as homes, including the offices and studios above Ponsonby Road's shops.
Power out, or a job to plan?
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour, or send us the details and an electrician will get back to you.
Other electrical services in Ponsonby
Emergency electrician and fault finding
Call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to find and fix the fault that has cut your power.Villa and house rewiring
Rewiring for cottages, villas and bungalows whose wiring was never meant for the appliances in them today.Switchboard upgrades
Old fuse boards replaced with modern switchboards and circuit breakers, inspected where the law requires it.Lighting
LED, interior, garden and outdoor lighting for homes, shops and venues.Commercial and hospitality electrical
Electrical work for the shops, bars, restaurants and offices along Ponsonby Road.Data and fibre cabling
Wired data points, fibre and network cabling for homes and offices.Enquiries
Contact us
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour, or tell us below what needs doing and where, and an electrician will get back to you.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week