Heating Standards for Healthy Home - how to define "main living room"

[Chelsea]

If you have three open living area, 1. Living room (appx. 20 square m), 2. Open plant Kitchen (10 square m), 3 Dining area (10 square m).
Per Healthy Home Standards the Heating Standards only applies to "Main living" room and the definition of "main living" room is the largest living room if has more than 1 living room. But when you apply Online assessment tool via Tenancy.govt.nz, the tool treat all above three area (if can't be closed off by door) as one "main living area", so the total space needs to be heat up is 40 (20+10+10) m2 instead of 20 m2.

A standard heater (can be attached to the wall) from any retailer is around $150-200, it can heat up a room with 20 m2.
A heat pump will cost $2000 - can heat up a room with 40 m2.

Can someone share the wisdom here? Thanks.

[Don't believe the Hype]

There are 2 options:

1- Put in a door to the largest living room and add a heating source that meets the standard

2 - Put in a heating source that can heat the entire area.

I have a feeling there will be a trend in rentals away from open plan.

[SPerfect]

It is confusin, accordin to their cal must know insulation, window type etc. I got a company out to do calc an they werent sure of new stds and workin it out. Just another balls up by rta to me. If theres a simple way thats compliant wld b good to know?

[Learning]

https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/heating-tool/

Takes about half an hour. Makes quite a few assumptions but at least you'll get some idea of what size/rated heater you might need.

[sidinz]

If it's as we understand it, then it's really stupid. If there is an open doorway between two rooms, while some heat escapes, the second room stays a lot cooler than the heated room.
I would question if there are even heaters capable of (as some have posted) heating the living room, down the hall and into the kitchen. And even if such a beast existed, what the hell temperature would the lounge reach, in order for the kitchen at the far end of the hall to get to 18deg?

This is so nonsensical that are we sure we understand it correctly? They can't really mean to classify every open doorway as a single, open-plan space? A lounge/kitchen/dining with no walls between them, that I can understand, but when they are walled off except for an open doorway, archway or similar, well that's a whole different kettle of fish.

[Keys]

Takes about half an hour.

Oh fun.

Multiply that by a few hundred and ask yourself. Shall I get someone in to do the inspection? We are currently trialing a company to do this.

[Chelsea]

I'm actually thinking about putting a sliding door in between.

[Chelsea]

Good questions, the tenancy website states very clear,

https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/heating-tool/guide/#id_1781764-whats-included-in-the-living-room

In the tool, ‘living room’ means the whole space a living-room heater must be able to heat. You will need to include any other connected space that is always open to the living room, such as an open-plan kitchen, hallway or stairwell. Spaces are always open to each other if there is no solid barrier between them. If you can close a door or window, you don't need to include the space beyond it.

So my conclusion is: for my example, the space needs to be heated up is 40 square meters, not 20.
The online assessment report states it needs 5.6kW of heating, a standard heater is 2.4km, so probably need to install 3 heaters? well, at least it's cheaper than Heap pump.

[Chelsea]

Why paying someone else while you can simply do the math?

[Learning]

The online assessment report states it needs 5.6kW of heating, a standard heater is 2.4km, so probably need to install 3 heaters? well, at least it's cheaper than Heap pump.

The act states:

If the main living room’s required heating capacity is more than 2.4kW, the heater must not be an electric heater (except heat pump), unless it is used to top up an existing heater that was installed before July 2019

If you are adding a new heater to a room with existing heating, each heater must meet the general requirements for heaters. There is one exception, which is that you can add a smaller fixed electric heater to ‘top up’ your existing heating if you meet all of the following conditions:

If you installed your existing heating before 1 July 2019 each of your existing heaters meets the general requirements and is not an electric heater (except for a heat pump)the required heating capacity is more than 2.4 kWthe ‘top up’ you need is 1.5 kW or less.

[Bob Kane]

The online assessment report states it needs 5.6kW of heating, a standard heater is 2.4km, so probably need to install 3 heaters? well, at least it's cheaper than Heap pump.

I don't think you are allowed to install 3 heaters.

[Don't believe the Hype]

You're right bob.

I'm really surprised at the amount of time and effort people are putting into finding a way to NOT use a heat pump. It's a false economy to me.

We've installed over a dozen heat pumps this year in some of our rentals as we've ungraded our properties, each time we've advertised them we've priced them above similar properties WITHOUT heat pumps and had huge demand resulting in the heat pump paying for itself over a year or two.

A heat pump is a selling feature (before they become mandatory) and is noticable - more so that insulation was a couple of years before that was mandatory - install early and market the property to leverage the benefit of having the heat pump. Those that want one will pay for it, those that don't want one will rent a place at a lower price without a HP.

[hacona]

I have big a question mark to your statement about "the heat pump paying for itself over a year or two."

if you have an open plan living, kitchen, hallway, it requires 6.8kw to 7.9kw heat pump. A Mitsubishi Classic GE Series heat pump cost $3500-$4300, back to back installation cost $800, second floor cost extra $500 on top. Any heat pump over 5kw requires wiring to power box that cost extra $1000. This is not including $150 annual service fee. We are talking about $5450 - $6750 for the first year.

Average cost paying for itself for a year or two would be $52-$65 or $104-$130. Would tenant be happy to pay $50-$130 more per week for a proper size heat pump?

[Don't believe the Hype]

I have big a question mark to your statement about "the heat pump paying for itself over a year or two."

if you have an open plan living, kitchen, hallway, it requires 6.8kw to 7.9kw heat pump. A Mitsubishi Classic GE Series heat pump cost $3500-$4300, back to back installation cost $800, second floor cost extra $500 on top. Any heat pump over 5kw requires wiring to power box that cost extra $1000. This is not including $150 annual service fee. We are talking about $5450 - $6750 for the first year.

Average cost paying for itself for a year or two would be $52-$65 or $104-$130. Would tenant be happy to pay $50-$130 more per week for a proper size heat pump?

Based on the size of your heat pump you're not renting a small place so could you achieve $50-100/wk more... where I invest the answer is yes. If you wait till a time that heat pumps are in every house you probably won't get a premium.

[Learning]

if you have an open plan living, kitchen, hallway, it requires 6.8kw to 7.9kw heat pump. A Mitsubishi Classic GE Series heat pump cost $3500-$4300, back to back installation cost $800, second floor cost extra $500 on top. Any heat pump over 5kw requires wiring to power box that cost extra $1000. This is not including $150 annual service fee. We are talking about $5450 - $6750 for the first year.

I suggest you shop around. FUJITSU ASTG24 8kw heating capacity. Power draw under 2.4kw so can be wired directly to the back to a standard 3 pin socket. A few places have it for under $2500.

I also question the annual servicing. I've got 5 heatpumps across 4 dwellings and never had one professionally serviced in 12 years.