How do heat pumps keep your home warm on a cold night in Christchurch? Ok... so it's not really a secret. Very simply, heat pumps move heat from one place to another. If you go to your kitchen and put your hand near the back of your fridge, you’ll feel heat rising off it. Believe it or not, that heat is coming out of the inside of your fridge. When you set your heat pump to air conditioning mode, it’s pretty much the same technology at work. When you want a warmer home, heat pumps simply reverse the process of the vapour compression cycle. Here’s how heat pumps work. Your indoor heat pump unit is connected to an outdoor unit, and inside each unit is a large coil of metal. When winter hits Christchurch and you want to heat your home, the compressor in your outdoor unit absorbs warmth from the air drawing it through the evaporator coil. The fan inside the outdoor unit transfers that heat energy inside your home, through the condenser coil in your indoor heat pump unit.
Winter is coming, and with it winter sports! Soon parents and children will be heading to sports fields around Christchurch for the start of the rugby, soccer, and netball seasons. It’s one of our favourite times of the year watching future Crusaders, Tactix, and Bulls getting a taste of sporting glory.
Together with all of Christchurch and the rest of New Zealand, Heat Pumps NOW followed the Black Caps’ progress through the Cricket World Cup. We couldn’t be more proud. Singing the national anthem at the opening ceremony in Christchurch was a definite highlight. It marked a milestone in the rebuild of our city, and serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come.
Throughout the tournament the boys in black gave it their all, and did their absolute best. They played with honour and integrity, and were humble in victory, as the now famous photo of Grant Elliot helping up South Africa’s Dale Steyn after their semi-final victory proves*.
While installing a heat pump this week on a new-home build in Christchurch, the builders on-site told us a story that would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. These guys are building another new home that their clients wanted to look like an old Canterbury villa, with a fireplace and mantelpiece being the main feature of the lounge. The Christchurch City Council wouldn’t approve the resource consent, saying the homeowners needed approval from the Canterbury Regional Council before they could install a fireplace in their new home. With the Christchurch Rebuild ramping up, there are heaps of companies trying to get in on the action. What separates the honest tradies from the cowboys? Should you always go for the best price? How can you know who to trust? Heat Pumps NOW has a few tips to steer you in the right direction if you're looking for a good tradesperson or heat pump installer. |
What's Hot!We love Christchurch, energy efficiency, staying warm in winter, and getting the most out of our heat pump. Here are some tips so you can too. Categories
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