Congratulations Christchurch on Cleaner Air!

It’s official! Canterbury’s air is cleaning up!
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Remember back in the day when the smoke on a wintery morning in Christchurch was so thick you could cut it with a knife? Good luck spotting Cathedral Square or the CBD from the top of the Port Hills! The amount of smoke and pollution being released into Canterbury’s environment was unacceptable and people were getting very sick as a result. We had to find a way to keep warm in winter without our power bills spiralling out of control.

Canterbury Regional Council Clampdown

When the Canterbury Regional Council started clamping down on smoky, inefficient fires, many people resisted the move. How else were they going to keep warm on those cold Christchurch nights?

Two changes have happened as a result. Many upgraded their fireplaces and got them certified. That’s fantastic! Most newer fireplaces are more efficient at heating the room they’re in, and some wetback fires can also be used to heat your hot water cylinder, further lowering your energy bill.
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Importantly, these new fireplaces release fewer emissions, burning wood more cleanly and emitting less smoke. That was the main reason behind the push, and people upgrading their log burners and pellet fires have helped reduce air pollution in Canterbury.

If you don’t have ready access to free or cheap firewood you might have thought twice about upgrading your log burner. Many who got their ‘smoky chimney’ letters from ECan decided enough was enough and installed a heat pump. 

No Hard Work With Heat Pumps

Fires are especially smoky when they’re first lit. It can take a while, some hard blowing on embers, and good luck to get a fire going in the first place. From there, it takes a little while longer to really start burning and warm up the room. Even the cleanest burning fire will still emit some smoke and CO2. There’s no other way around it. With heat pumps, one push of a button and your heat pump is away! No huffing and puffing, little waiting around, and definitely no smoke. Heat pumps provide maximum warmth with minimal effort and are very eco-friendly.

Heat Pumps Are Low Maintenance

​Fires also have to be looked after constantly. Every now and again you have to chuck another piece of wood on and move the embers around to keep it alive. If you go out in the evening, the best you can do is load the fireplace with as much wood as possible, turn the air intake to its lowest setting and hope there are still glowing embers when you get back. This tactic isn’t ideal for clean air or reducing smoke and doesn’t help keep your home warm. Granted, pellet fires are slightly less maintenance but they still need to be stocked up too.

Not so with heat pumps. Set the timer to come on just before you wake up! You’ll be toasty from the moment your feet slide out of bed and hit the ground. Heading out in the evening? Lower the temperature on the thermostat just a little. It will keep the chill out of your house without burning through your power bill. Turn the temperature up again when you arrive, and your heat pump doesn’t have to work as hard to make everything nice and warm again.

For the keen techies, Wi-Fi integration with your heat pump means you can turn it on and adjust the temperature through an app on your smartphone! You’ll always arrive to a warm home.

Eco-Friendly and Efficient Heat Pumps

As efficient as fires can be, and the newer models are definitely better than the ones phased out by ECan, some heat is still lost out the chimney and into the air. You will never get 100% of the heat you burn with a fire. As you shut your home up in the evening, drawing curtains and closing windows to keep the warm air in, the warm air created by your fire will just hang around, which isn’t ideal if others in your home are suffering from coughs, colds or other illnesses.
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Heat pumps circulate the air, shifting warm air inside and moving colder air out. Filters inside the heat pump also kill germs and bacteria, ensuring the air you breathe is clean, warm and fresh even when the house is closed up for the night. 

Fires Have Some Advantages Over Heat Pumps

Since 2011 Christchurch has been no stranger to power cut. Whether the results of aftershocks, construction and roadworks, or regular reasons like trees falling on powerlines, fires will continue to keep you warm even when there is no electricity. That’s a big tick in their favour over heat pumps.

Fires will also burn whatever the temperature is doing outside. Some older model heat pumps really struggle to blow warm air inside when it’s freezing outside. The Mitsubishi Electric Hypercore was designed with frosty Christchurch in mind, and will still deliver a maximum output of heat right down to -15 degrees. The same can’t be said for all heat pumps though.

Whether you’ve upgraded your log burner, or made the switch to environmentally friendly, energy efficient heat pumps, thanks for thinking of Canterbury and helping to clean up the air around Christchurch! If you would like to make the switch or find out more about keeping your house warmer while lowering your power bill, contact the team at Heat Pumps NOW for a free consultation and quote.