So you need help with your heat pump in Christchurch. Maybe its broken or you want a new one installed or maybe it just needs a clean. Whatever you need we can help.
Ive been working on heat pumps around Christchurch for years now and I gotta say they're pretty important for keeping homes comfortable here. The winters get cold specially out in places like Rolleston and Lincoln. And the summers can get hot too even tho people dont always think about that.
What Heat Pump Services Do We Do
We do everything related to heat pumps. Installation repairs maintenance cleaning the whole lot. And we work on all the big brands - Mitsubishi Daikin Fujitsu Panasonic Hitachi you name it.
Last month I installed three new Mitsubishi units in Halswell. The people there were using old night store heaters and their power bills were crazy high. Once we got the heat pumps in their bills dropped heaps. One lady told me she saved like $150 a month which is pretty good.
Heat Pump Installation
If you need a new heat pump we can help you pick the right one for your place. Lots of people just go to Harvey Norman or Noel Leeming and buy whatever's on sale but thats not always the best idea.
You gotta think about the size of your room. A small unit wont heat a big lounge properly. And a unit thats too big will just waste power and not work as good as you think. We measure your space and work out the right size unit you need.
The installation usually takes about 3 to 5 hours depending on where we're putting it and how the electrics look. We run the pipes through the wall mount the indoor unit mount the outdoor unit hook up all the electrics and test everything.
In older houses around Strowan and Bryndwr sometimes the wiring needs upgrading. The old wiring cant handle the load from a modern heat pump so we gotta run new cables from the switchboard. Its a bit more work but its gotta be done properly or you'll have problems later.
Heat Pump Repairs
When heat pumps break its usually one of a few things. The compressor dies the fan stops working theres a refrigerant leak or the circuit board fails. Sometimes its just dirty filters but people call it broken when really it just needs a clean.
I remember this one job in Northwood where the lady said her heat pump was making a terrible noise and not heating. When I got there the outdoor unit was covered in leaves and dirt. Cleaned it out and it worked fine. She was about to buy a whole new unit.
But sometimes repairs are more serious. Compressors are expensive to replace - usually $1000 to $1500 depending on the model. If your units old like 12 or 15 years you might be better off just getting a new one instead of fixing it.
We're pretty honest about that. If we think your units not worth fixing we'll tell you straight up. No point spending $1200 on repairs when you could put that towards a new unit that'll last another 10 years.
Heat Pump Maintenance and Cleaning
This is the thing most people dont do and then wonder why their heat pump stops working after a few years. Heat pumps need regular cleaning and maintenance just like your car needs oil changes.
The filters get dirty real quick specially if you got pets or live near the Port Hills where its dusty. Dirty filters make your heat pump work harder use more power and not heat or cool as well. You should clean them every month or two yourself - its easy just pull them out rinse them under the tap and let them dry.
But once a year you should get a proper service done. We take the whole thing apart clean the coils check the refrigerant levels test all the electrical components and make sure everythings working right. Its like a health check for your heat pump.
People in Sumner and New Brighton get extra salt and moisture in the air from being near the beach. That stuff can corrode the outdoor unit over time so regular cleaning is even more important there.
How Much Do Heat Pump Services Cost
Installation for a standard single room unit usually runs between $600 and $1200 on top of the cost of the unit itself. Thats for a straightforward install. If we gotta run new wiring or the install is tricky it might be more.
Repairs depend on whats wrong. Simple stuff like replacing a capacitor or cleaning might be $150 to $300. Bigger repairs like fixing a refrigerant leak or replacing a compressor can be $500 to $1500.
A full service and clean is usually around $180 to $250. Thats way cheaper than replacing your heat pump early because you didnt look after it.
We always give you a quote before we do the work so you know whats what. And if we find other problems while we're working we'll let you know before we do anything extra.
Which Heat Pump Brand Should You Get
People ask me this all the time. Honestly the top brands are all pretty good. Mitsubishi Electric is probably the most popular round here and they last well. Daikin makes good units too and they're often a bit cheaper than Mitsubishi.
Fujitsu and Panasonic are solid mid-range options. They work good and parts are easy to get. I wouldnt recommend the real cheap brands from The Warehouse or Bunnings cause when they break parts are hard to find and they dont last as long.
For Christchurchs climate you want something that can handle cold temps. Some of the cheaper units dont work well when it gets below zero. The better brands will keep heating even when its minus 5 or minus 10 outside.
Multi Room Systems vs Single Units
If you want to heat your whole house you got two options. You can get multiple single units one for each room. Or you can get a multi-head system where one outdoor unit runs multiple indoor units.
Multi systems are tidier cause you only got one outdoor unit. But theyre more expensive upfront and if the outdoor unit dies none of your heat pumps work. With single units if one breaks the others still work.
For most houses in Christchurch I reckon single units are better. You can add them over time as you can afford them. And you got more flexibility - you can run just the lounge unit during the day and just the bedroom ones at night.
Common Heat Pump Problems in Christchurch
The cold winters here cause some specific problems. Ice buildup on the outdoor unit is common. A bit of frost is normal but if the whole things frozen solid somethings wrong with the defrost cycle.
The nor-west winds we get can blow dust and dirt into the outdoor units. I see this a lot in Rangiora and Kaiapoi where its more exposed. That dirt clogs up the coils and makes the system work harder.
In older villas and bungalows around the central city the houses are cold and drafty. People expect the heat pump to heat the whole house but if you got gaps around your doors and windows the heat just escapes. Sometimes fixing your insulation is just as important as getting a bigger heat pump.
Emergency Heat Pump Service
We do emergency callouts for when your heat pump dies in the middle of winter. Its not fun being cold specially if you got young kids or elderly people at home.
Had a family in Redwood call us late one winter night cause their heat pump quit. It was freezing that night - proper cold. Turned out the circuit breaker had tripped cause of a power surge. Simple fix but they needed someone to come check it cause they didnt know what was wrong.
Emergency calls cost more cause were coming after hours but sometimes you just need heat right away. We try to get to people same day or next day even for non-emergencies during winter.
Do Heat Pumps Save You Money
Yeah they do compared to most other heating. Way cheaper to run than electric heaters or night store heaters. Gas heating can be cheaper per hour but you gotta pay the daily line charge even when you dont use it.
A good heat pump should save you $50 to $200 a month on power depending on how much you use it and what you were using before. They're most efficient when the temp outside isnt too extreme - so spring and autumn they work really well.
In the middle of winter when its below zero they work harder and use more power. But theyre still better than plug-in heaters.
Heat Pump Running Costs
A standard 3.5kW heat pump running for 8 hours a day will cost you about $1 to $2 per day in winter. In summer for cooling its a bit less cause its not working as hard.
Compare that to a 2kW fan heater which costs about $5 to run for 8 hours and you can see why heat pumps are better. Plus heat pumps actually heat the whole room better than a fan heater.
Heat Pump Warranties and Lifespan
Most heat pumps come with a 5 year warranty on parts and labor. Some brands like Mitsubishi offer longer warranties on the compressor - sometimes 7 or 10 years.
If you look after your heat pump it should last 10 to 15 years easy. I still see Mitsubishi units from the early 2010s working fine. But you gotta clean them regularly and get them serviced.
Heat pumps that dont get maintained usually die after 7 or 8 years. The compressor works too hard cause the coils are dirty and it burns out early. Thats why regular cleaning is so important.
Why Choose WeDo Electrical for Heat Pump Services
We've been doing heat pumps around Christchurch for years. We know the local conditions - the cold southerlies the nor-west wind the salty air near the coast. We know which units work best for different areas.
Were licensed electricians so we can handle all the electrical work properly. Some heat pump installers arent electricians and they do dodgy wiring which can be dangerous. We do it right the first time.
We service all of Christchurch and the surrounding areas - Rangiora Kaiapoi Rolleston Lincoln Prebbleton all of it. And we show up when we say we will. No mucking around waiting all day.
Our prices are fair and we explain everything in plain English. No technical jargon or trying to sell you stuff you dont need. If your heat pumps fine we'll tell you. If it needs replacing we'll tell you that too.