We have put together answers to some questions we have received from customers about heat pumps and air conditioners. Have a read through to find some tips on how to keep your unit in good order and get the best value from your investment.
Installing a heat pump will keep your home at a warm, healthy temperature. And in terms of health and well-being, a dry home is equally important as a warm home. Damp homes are a major contributor to health problems for the whole family, as they are more difficult to heat. Heat pumps are not only energy-efficient ways to keep your home warm, but in a survey, over half of the respondents believed they had other health benefits.
Influenza is a significant health problem in New Zealand and every year, with 10-20% of New Zealanders infected, has a big impact on our community.
Keeping your house at a steady warm temperature is integral to keeping your family healthy.
We would advise running your heat pump between 20 and 22 degress in the winter. If you want to keep it on all night you can drop the temp back to 16 to 18 degrees. During the summer, you can run your heat pump at 20 degrees and if you wanted to run it all night you could increase the temp to 22 degrees.
Cleaning your heat pump regularly ensures optimum operation efficiency and reduces unnecessary power consumption. We recommend cleaning your heat pump as often as every two weeks in order to utilise its full performance. We make this quick and easy for you with Mitsubishi Electric’s quick clean kit.
While a heat pump’s primary purpose is to heat or cool your room, our heat pumps do offer limited dehumidification using “DRY” mode.
It is important to note that when the heat pump is operating in Dry Mode, the unit is not heating so it is recommended to only use the Dry mode for shorter periods of time and when heating is not being required.
While good airflow does help to prevent moisture build up, specialist moisture control products such as the Mitsubishi Electric Lossnay Home Ventilation System or a Mitsubishi Electric Oasis dehumidifier may be required in homes to specifically address excess moisture concerns or issues.
Turning your heat pump up to say 28°C will not make the room warm up any faster. In fact, it will use more energy as the heat pump attempts to absorb energy to achieve this unrealistic temperature. If you set the temperature to what you want, say 18-22°C in heating mode (which is a comfortable temperature during winter), the heat pump will respond in the most efficient way to reach this temperature quickly and maintain it. You can use a timer to activate the temperature half an hour before you arrive home, so your home is warm and cosy when you get there.
Common sense tells us that no heating appliance should be used 24 hours a day. Using your heat pump correctly is using it as required. If you are not home during the day, there is no need to run your heat pump during the day, adding to your power bills unnecessarily. If your home has good insulation, a couple of hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening should suffice.
Because heat pumps are essentially moving air around from one place to another, to either warm or cool, they use less energy than other forms of heating, and right from the start, you will see your monthly energy bills decrease.
Due to the cost effectiveness of heat pumps, they have been endorsed by authorities such as the Government and consumer advocacy groups alike, and are known to be one of the most efficient and cost-effective forms of heating available.
A heat pump only uses electricity for power rather than for the generation of heat, so it offers a remarkably high efficiency rate. The more energy efficient a heating system is, the cheaper it is to run and the long term savings on a heat pump are far greater than any other form of heating. With other heating solutions such as wood burners ad heaters, the further away you are from the heat source the less heat warmth and comfort you will feel. A heat pump will maintain your desired temperature whereas some appliances can continue to heat, which results in an uncomfortably hot room.
Some of the benefits of installing a heat pump:
cost effective heating
controlled temperature
improved air quality
health benefits
reduced moisture and condensation
cooling in summer
humidity control
environmental sustainability
Heat pumps do not create heat; they simply move available heat from one place to another. When the temperature outside drops, your heat pump needs to work harder to transfer the same amount of heat. Mitsubishi-Electric are New Zealand’s best performing heat pumps in the cold and guarantee superior heating down to -15ºC. Our heat pumps are the most efficient form of heating available.
We are based in 2/146 Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland and we provide sales and installation for both residential and commercial heat pumps and air conditioning units for the greater Auckland area. We provide solutions for all your heating and cooling needs.