So you’ve decided to buy a heat pump – good choice!
Obviously, you’re going for the best in the business, Mitsubishi Electric, so now the question is what size heat pump do you need?
Surprisingly, it’s not as straightforward a question as you might think. There are a few things to look at first and we’re here to take you through it.
Bigger doesn’t mean better
Heat pumps are all about efficiency, so simply getting the biggest one for the most heat isn’t necessarily the right choice.
If a heat pump is too big/powerful for a room, it will constantly be turning off and on, as the temperature increases rapidly and the thermostat shuts the appliance down.
This is known as “short cycling” and puts unnecessary strain on the heat pump which can lead to faults.
So remember, when it comes to choosing what size heat pump you want, bigger isn’t always better.
What to consider when choosing a heat pump
Okay, so now we know you just don’t go for the biggest one, which one do you go for?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is what space are you wanting to heat?
If it’s a small room, then a small, high-wall heat pump should do the trick. If it’s an entire home, then you need to think about a ducted heating system or multi-room heat pumps.
And just to confuse things even more, there are different types of heat pumps too, not just sizes!
Types of heat pumps
Wall-mounted heat pumps
These are by far the most common heat pumps in Kiwi homes today.
They sit up high on your wall, saving floor space, but are still powerful enough to heat a large room.
Smaller models are more suited to children’s rooms or studies, but the result is the same; easy comfort at your fingertips.
Floor consoles
More powerful than wall-mounted heat pumps, floor consoles are more suited to open planned rooms.
They fit neatly into cavities that have been left by the removal of a fireplace or night-store heater or sit independently along with the décor.
Multi-room heat pumps
Greater efficiency and flexibility allows the Multi Series to connect up to eight indoor units to one single outdoor unit, making them ideal for individual areas in your home or office space.
This is what you want if your house is large, with many individual rooms that need heating separately.
Central heating
When you want your whole home to have a constant temperature throughout, the ducted central heat pump is the unbeatable and unobtrusive solution.
Fitted throughout the house, central heating is a cost-effective and convenient way to heat an entire home by using only one pump.
What else to consider
Just working out the size of your living room isn’t going to give you an answer as to which heat pump is right for you.
There are still more things to consider, such as…
Home insulation
Is your home insulated? Because if it’s not, that could mean all your calculations about heating are out the window. Literally!
If you don’t have home insulation, any heat pump you choose will have to work overtime to compensate for the loss of heat.
This of course means that the bigger your home, the more heat you lose, the more your heat pump has to work.
And while your heat pump will deliver the goods, retaining heat in your home is just as important as creating it.
Location, location, location
There is a “goldilocks zone” for a heat pump when it comes to heating and cooling.
They tend to work best for heating above 7oC. Anything lower than that and the system has to work harder to produce the same amount of energy.
If you live in a temperate area, Auckland for example, then you’ll have no problems with your heat pump’s performance. If you live further south, Christchurch for example, where temperatures drop closer to zero during winter, then you might want to invest in something more powerful.
Let the experts handle it
As you can see, choosing what size heat pump is right for your home isn’t as simple as most people think.
It’s a complex decision that considers many factors.
From where you live to the shape of your house, deciding which heat pump is best suited for your needs to be a considered choice!
Luckily, you can always simply call in the experts to do the calculations for you.
We do have a handy heat pump calculator to give you an idea of what you need, but when looking into the specifics of it all, the best thing to do is contact us.
One of our experienced and professional heat pump installation engineers will come out to your home and assess the situation.
From there he should be able to give you a few suggestions about which models to buy, as well as a quote for installation.
