Ducted heat pumps for Christchurch homes

Ducted heating in Christchurch houses

Where your house is in Christchurch, and when it was built, changes how a ducted system goes in.

• Bedrooms down a long hall. In the mid-century bungalows of Bryndwr and the brick and tile homes of Avonhead and Casebrook, a lounge unit rarely warms the far bedrooms. A ducted system puts a ceiling vent in the hall and in each bedroom. Ceiling insulation in these houses is often thin, so we look in the roof before we size anything.
• Big homes out on the plains. Lifestyle block houses in Yaldhurst, McLeans Island and Templeton are large and spread out, and they take hard frosts and the nor’west. We size for the coldest mornings, and some of the biggest homes get two ducted systems. The outdoor unit goes on a raised base on the sheltered side.
• High ceilings in character homes. In Fendalton, a big room with a high ceiling needs heat for its whole volume, not just its floor area. We often put one or two indoor units in the roof space, or duct the bedrooms and fit a floor console in the lounge.
• Hill homes on more than one level. In Cashmere and Westmorland, warm air climbs the stairs, so each level gets its own zone. The outdoor unit usually goes on a wall bracket, a deck or a lower terrace, and we check the model’s pipe length and height limits first.
• Renovations and rebuilds. With the linings off in an Avondale renovation, the ducts go into the ceiling before it’s closed up. Rebuilt homes in Bexley often have ceiling space planned for services, which makes ducting simpler.
• New subdivisions. A two storey home in Wigram suits ducted when you want every room at the same temperature. Single storey houses with a standard pitched roof, like many in Halswell, are the easiest to fit. Still building? Talk to us before the plasterboard goes up.
• Selwyn homes. Rolleston, Lincoln and Tai Tapu come under the Selwyn District Plan, so we place the outdoor unit with its noise rules in mind. Bigger lifestyle block houses there often go whole-house ducted when the roof space is clear.

What your house needs for a ducted heat pump

You need somewhere to put the indoor unit and the ducts. In Christchurch that’s usually a ceiling space with enough height to work in. Or a raised timber floor with room underneath. We check that space first, along with the duct routes, the return air and the outdoor spot.

New builds are the easiest. Building, or doing a big renovation? Talk to us before the ceiling linings go on. Then the duct runs and vents can be planned with the builder.

Zoning a ducted system

Zoning adds motorised dampers. You can turn zones on and off. Some systems let you set a different temperature in each. A plain ducted system heats every room at once off one thermostat. Do the bedrooms only need heat at night, and the living areas by day? Then zoning is worth a look.

Replacing an old ducted system

Old ducted systems often have tired ducts and vents in the wrong places. Some run on an old refrigerant. When we replace one, we check the old ducts. We’ll tell you which can stay and which should go. Damaged or poorly insulated ducts lose heat into the roof. So check them properly before you reuse them.