What heat pump should you get?
Deciding to get a heat pump can sometimes be a tough decision. It is a significant monetary investment, from which you want to get all the benefits of a warm and comfortable home. However, it can be challenging to choose between the many different types of heat pumps and knowing which one will bring your home the most positives. Lite Energy explores the advantages and differences between ducted and high wall heat pumps, the most popular types in New Zealand.
Ducted Heat Pumps
The ducted heating systems operate from a single central unit in your house that connects to all rooms by insulated ducts and lets the air out through vents. One benefit of this heating option is that you don’t have to install multiple units in each room. Instead, the central unit can be hidden in the ceiling cavity or under the floor, being out of the way without compromising on space or aesthetic. The system enables the whole property to be at the same temperature and eliminates the issues of different comfort levels in your home. As the unit can be placed further away from often used rooms, ducted heat pumps are quieter, less obvious and can prevent dripping windows through the added benefit of ventilation.
Ducted Central heating heat pumps are one of the most energy-efficient whole-home heating options on the market, with better energy efficiency ratios than gas central heating and using less energy than multiple heat pumps. Ducted units can be used for heating, cooling and ventilation, so you don’t have to get various different appliances for the different seasons, it’s all combined into one handy system. Even though it is nice to have the whole home heated, you often want some rooms to be cooler and others slightly warmer, some ducted central heat pump systems have this capability with zone control. Depending on how you wish to set up your ducted system and what areas you wish to target, zoning with motorised dampeners are an option for those wanting more control over their system, but these are more costly than traditional installations.
High Wall Heat Pumps
Heat pumps work by extracting heat from the air outside and transferring it through the appliance into your home. Both heating options operate the same way; however, to heat the homes with high wall heat pumps would require multiple units for all the rooms that you would like to have heated/cooled. Traditional heat pumps are very cost-effective and energy-efficient, being one of the most environmentally friendly products on the market. Apart from working both as a heating option in the winter and a cooling option in the summer, they also act as ventilation in the home and improve air quality while reducing mould. Even though they are not cheap, they return their investment relatively early due to their efficient operation.
The most significant con of high wall heat pumps is that they only warm up a single room and don’t transfer the heat to the whole home. The units can be large, very obvious and take space off from the wall that you could use for other purposes such as for pictures and paintings.
What option should I choose?
Both ducted and high wall heat pumps are a great energy-efficient heating option for your home. When deciding what one you want to get, you should think about the cost difference (ducted systems are much more expensive) and if you require heating in your whole home or only in specific areas. Lite Energy can help calculate what option would be better suited for you and your home and which one is a better return on investment. We offer and install both ducted and high wall heat pumps and can improve your home’s comfort significantly with our energy-efficient options. Contact us today if you would like to learn more about these two options, and our friendly, knowledgeable team will be happy to offer their support!
