What’s Going On?
ACT New Zealand have released a statement say that, “The Government needs to scrap its Healthy Homes rules and go back to the drawing board, including properly consulting experts and landlords”, says ACT Housing Spokesperson and Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden.
“Public Housing Minister Poto Williams has admitted that the Government’s Healthy Homes rules aren’t right but that landlords still have to comply with them.
“I have spoken with a heating and ventilation expert who has said that the Government has got this completely wrong. That expert has estimated that the cost for the oversized heat pumps will be several hundred million dollars across more than 500,000 rental properties.
“Officials and the sector have told Poto Williams there are ‘significant issues’ with the heating tool used to calculate how large heaters need to be. The heating tool is suggesting heaters that are larger than the homes actually need.
“An oversized heat pump will mean higher and unnecessary costs for landlords and tenants, which could push rents up or mean that renters are less likely to actually use them.
What a Drama!
Without taking sides on this issue and stating who we think is right or wrong, there is a valid point being made.
Getting a larger heat pump than you need is not cost-efficient, or necessarily more effective either!
You want to get a heat pump that is right for the size of the area you want to heat or cool
How do you do that?
Just Ask Us
Our friends on the North Shore, Jenco Electrical, have just made this point as well.
They offer 3 tips to getting a heat pump that will save you money.
Tip #1: Decide which rooms need heating
You might want to heat the living room only, or the entire home.
Tip #2: Choose the type of heat pump
By this we mean a high-wall heat pump near the ceiling, or a floor console. Which one you get depends on your home.
Tip #3: Choose the right sized heat pump
When choosing a new heat pump, it’s very important to select the right sized unit for the room or house.
We aren’t talking about the physical measurements of the unit, but how much heating or cooling it can produce (kW).
Sounds simple right? Measure the room and choose the relevant heat pump. Sorry… its not that easy.
- Room size is a very important factor, as the larger a room is, the larger the heat pump needed. Bear in mind that room size takes into account ceiling height too.
- It is also important to consider how well insulated the room or house is. A poorly insulated house will lose heat quickly and require more heating from the heat pump. Good insulation requires less.
- Where do you live? It is highly likely that Wanaka will need more heating than Whangarei.
Hitachi recommend different models for different regional temperature zones.
- Are you buying the unit primarily for heating or cooling… or both?
- Is the room facing north or south? How does that effect the temperatures you are dealing with?
- How big are the windows? Are they single, double or triple glazed?
- You could even factor in the building materials of the home, to se if there is any heat likely to be stored in concrete or bricks
So ask us and we will come and give you our best recommendation.
We guarantee our work so you can be sure that we will give you the right recommendation for your situation.
About Goldstar Heat Pumps
We provide heat pump and air conditioning advice and installation in South Auckland, Hamilton, the Waikato and Tauranga. Our expert installers will come to you and provide personalised advice for your home or business. We also offer regular maintenance and servicing of heat pumps.
