Top 5 Heat Pump Efficiency Tips

​Remember the lifestyle ads on TV that ended with the host saying “Better living everyone”? As well as advertising a product, the aim was to share household tips and tricks to help you find more value in what they were promoting.

Whether you are using you heat pump to warm you up in winter, or you’re looking for some air conditioning heat relief in summer, here are a few better living tips to help you get the most from your heat pump.

1. Good Timing

​All heat pumps have a timer. Some of the newer models have a 7 day timer, so your heat pump will turn on and off at a different time every day of the week to suit your lifestyle.

In winter, you might set your heat pump to turn on 45 minutes before you get up in the morning, so your lounge and kitchen is toasty and warm when you go through to make breakfast.

During the summer, you might set your heat pump to come on as you leave work in the Christchurch commute. As you get out of your hot car and open the front door, you’re welcomed by a cool breeze.

Either way, using a timer is a far more economical way of using your heat pump than just leaving it on all day, especially if nobody is home.

Using a timer can also help you avoid making this next mistake.

​2. Set And Forget Your Heat Pump

​Heat pumps and ducted systems are not like your old boiler heating units. Way back in the day with oil fin heaters, people would crank the thermostat as high as it would go so the unit would heat up faster. When their Christchurch home started getting warm, they would scale the temperature back to something more reasonable.

Heat pumps are smarter than that. Telling your heat pump to heat your house to 32 degrees Celcius when you get home, then turning it down again when you get too warm won’t actually heat your home any quicker. 

For economy and power saving, it’s best to choose a comfortable temperature, somewhere between 18 and 22 degrees, and let the heat pump do its thing. Constantly fiddling with the thermostat is one way of reducing your heat pump’s efficiency and adding to your power bill.

​3. Keep Your Heat Pump Clean

​Regularly vacuuming your heat pump’s filters will help them stay efficient economic. In winter when heat pumps see a lot of use, you might want to do it every time you vacuum your home. If you want to know more, here’s an easy guide on how to clean your hi-wall heat pump.

It’s also a good idea every year or so to get Heat Pumps NOW to professionally clean and service your heat pump. We do a lot more than simply vacuum the air filters. We take your unit apart, giving your heat pump a thorough clean that really improves efficiency.

​4. Choose Energy Efficiency

​Look for the blue stars. Like all appliances, heat pumps are rated on their energy efficiency and not all heat pumps are equal. 

We are happy to supply and install any make and model of heat pump, but we are proudly Mitsubishi and Fujitsu accredited heat pump installers. We recommend Mitsubishi and Fujitsu because they represent New Zealand’s top quality and energy efficient heat pumps. 

If you're not sure which heat pump to choose, or how energy efficient the model is, the Heat Pumps NOW team can help.

​5. Choosing The Right Heat Pump

Heat pumps today come with many amazing features, whether you’re looking for Wi-Fi control, a sensor that can adjust the heat based on whether or not you’re in the room, or the ability to keep you warm in temperatures below zero.

You may have a preference for some of these features over others, but the most important step for energy efficiency is choosing the right heat pump for your space. If it's too small, your heat pump will struggle, strain and burn itself out trying to get your Christchurch home to your preferred temperature. Too large, and you may have overpaid for a bigger machine than you need.

That's why our friendly Heat Pumps NOW team will always come to you, and have a look at the room you want to heat so we can recommend the right size heat pump for you. 

Want to know more? From a proper clean and service, to a free discussion and quote about which heat pump is right for you, contact the team at Heat Pumps NOW on 03 377 7393.

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