Surviving The Heat Of Summer In Christchurch

We’re getting smarter about the way we build homes in Christchurch. Making the most of modern technology and building methods, more new homes across Canterbury are being built with insulation, double glazing, and some passive design features in mind.

​While these can work together wonderfully in winter to reduce your heating bills, they can have some downsides in Summer.

A House Like A Fishbowl?

It makes sense to have north facing windows in your Christchurch home to make the most of the sunlight. Many homes in the new Christchurch subdivisions are being built like fishbowls. In winter they gather most of the light and heat to create warm living areas. In summer, they can turn your home into a sauna. People will avoid the living areas during the sunnier parts of the day to escape the heat.

What's The Best Air Conditioning Solution?

​Your first priority is not letting the heat go to waste. This may be one of the rare occasions where we say that a heat pump is probably not your best option. A single hi-wall heat pump will work hard to cool your overheated living areas, pumping the hot air outside. The heat pump will probably have it’s work cut out for it, but pumping the warm out straight outside makes your passive design features redundant. Why bother spending money trying to capture all of that heat if you are only going to get rid of it again?

Heat Transfer System

​A slightly better solution is a heat recover unit, or heat transfer system. In the peak of summer when the living areas are sweltering, a heat recovery unit system can transfer the heat from the lounge or your ceiling cavity to the other end of your house, warming areas that might be a little cool. In this respect, heat transfer systems are a bit of a one-trick pony. Yes, the heat recovery unit will transfer your excess hot air in summer, reducing the heat in your lounge and warming up the colder bedrooms, but what about winter? 

​In winter, your passive design features, insulation and double glazing will be working hard to retain as much heat as possible to keep your lounge warm, and your heat transfer system will only take that heat and redistribute it. Instead of a hot lounge and cold bedrooms, you’ll have a lukewarm house all over. Sure, it’s better than nothing, but not as good as option number three.

Mitsubishi Ducted System

With a Mitsubishi ducted system you get the best of both worlds. In the summer you can use your ducted system to simply redistribute air from one area to another, making the most of your home’s self-warming benefits. If your home gets too hot at night, simply switch the settings on your ducted system from ‘Fan’ to ‘Air Conditioning’ and get a peaceful night’s sleep. No hot, sticky sheets or tossing and turning here.

​In the winter, your Mitsubishi ducted system can be used to heat your entire home. Using a combination of air-redistribution and traditional heat pump technology, you can spread a comfortable, even temperature around your house. Best of all, your homes’ energy efficiency measures will compliment your Mitsubishi ducted system by retaining as much of the heat as possible so it doesn’t have to work as hard, saving you money on your power bill.

From a ducted system that heats and cools half your home, to a whole home Mitsubishi ducted system with Wi-Fi control, Heat Pumps NOW can supply and install everything you need to heat your home in winter, and cool you down in summer with a customised solution for you.

​ Want to know more about ducted systems but aren’t ready to act just yet? That’s ok! We recognise that ducted systems are a big investment and you want to be sure this is the right solution for you before going ahead.

Contact Heat Pumps NOW

​For a free in-home consultation and quote, and to find out how a Mitsubishi ducted system can compliment your home’s existing passive design and energy saving measures, contact the team at Heat Pumps NOW on 03 377 7393. 

Contact Us