Anybody installed a heatpump?

[FatBelly]

Has anyone installed a heatpump into one of their properties lately? Can you give me an idea as to price of the heatpump and installation charges? What brand/model is good quality?

Im looking to put one in on the ground floor of a 2 bed property - although I only need it to service the ground floor, which is probably around 80m2?

[drelly]

Check these threads...

http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3645

http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3155

[Gerrard]

Hey FB - have just installed a second one in my own house. First one was so good I couldn't resist another

The first one was 6.7kw max heating and did a big lounge really well, but because of the shape of our house didn't get far enough to the rest of the rooms (knew this was the case when we bought it).

Second one was done a year later at similar spec and covers the rest of the house nicely.

We ended up with 2 different models of Mitsubishi. 1st was from the heavy industries (more commercial) arm of Mitsi, and the second was the standard domestic model. 2nd one was cheaper, quieter, and had a better remote.

Cannot disclose prices for fear of losing a good source

However if I was doing it for a rental property I'd probably look at lesser known brand names to purchase it cheaper. Probably won't be quite as efficient to run, but it will keep the capital (your) cost down and operational cost is the tenants responsibility.

Gerrard

[xris]

I have heard rave reviews of them, like Gerrard’s, and other’s that say they’re alright but noisy. I have also had a one or two put into rentals and have had no complaints but rather that the tenants quite like them.

I chose not to use them for my own home because I felt the alternatives available to me better suited my needs, a decision I have not once regretted. The further south you go though, especially if you are on the mainland, I suspect the greater is the potential need for them.

I believe that each property is different and should be viewed differently. This is particularly true when looking at the various heating and ventilation needs in different parts of the country. In some areas heat supply may be the first objective whereas in others moisture control or ventilation may be more pressing as might indeed be proper shading.

An important point to remember though, and one often overlooked by new landlords is that if you install it you have to fix it if it breaks down. My general thoughts on all appliances, including heat pumps, is to let the tenants provide their own. The more complicated the appliance the greater the need for this.

xris

[SuperDad]

My general thoughts on all appliances, including heat pumps, is to let the tenants provide their own. The more complicated the appliance the greater the need for this.

xris

I'm not sure about this. Unflued gas heaters, popular because of their cost, can make an awful mess of a house due to the amount of moisture they put out. An existing open fire can also be a problem - wood and ash dropped throughout the lounge. Quality heating can be a wise investment.

If a new heatpump breaks down under normal operating conditions within the warranty period, then it should be fixed free of cost. (Or course, if this happens in the middle of winter, then tenants might be unhappy until it is fixed.) If it breaks down after this, then it's part of the claim against the maintenance budget.

The unit, once fitted, can be depreciated. (I'm not sure what the rate is.) Finally, all other things being equal, a house with a heat pump will be more desirable than one without it.

Just my thoughts,

Paul.

[CRL]

Instailed a Fujitsu 6.7kw model. Price $2500 instailed.
Not as energy efficient as daiken or mits but cheeper than equvalent model.
Keeps the chill of the whole of a 100m 3bd house. Does not really heat the far end, but has meant no more mold problems in the bathroom as house is warmer and drier.

[pgflt]

Happy tenants

I have installed a mitsubishi in one property to replace an open fire and my tenant is ecstatic.
I am installing fijitsu's in 2 properties this winter to replace ancient night storage heaters.
I have no problem buying top of the range (always saves in the long run) or providing my lonf term tenants with nice conveniences in line with the top rents they are paying. Have used invertor technology in all 3 installations. My tenants save 75% if their heating costs, which helps pay periodic rent increases. Win-win.

[FatBelly]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Im happy to go with this option rather than stand alone heating as I feel it will make a big difference to prospective tenants on a newly renovated property, especially in a cold region. I have just had an informal quote for around $3,500, so not far off the $2,500 you mentioned CRL, although I will be investigating costs for different brands. Glad to hear they provide effective heating.

[leapy]

Just looking at this myself - does anyone have other comments to make - good or bad - re brands or appropriate kilowattage?

[Seaside]

I had two installed in a property (one in each bedroom) in 2002 (OK, a wee while back now!) for $5000 installed. Depending on the house layout, I found they only heated the room they were in, but other than that, I loved them.

I've since noticed a product that puts a heat pump in the roof space with vents to each room. I plan to investigate that for our new house when we move. If possible, you'd think it would be better to have the heat pump in the floor space with vents in the floor - but haven't looked into this yet.

I was talking about heat pumps to the salesman who quoted for our hot water system. He works for a large-ish firm that supplies various heating options. He recommended that we get a Japanese heat pump rather than a Chinese one because after their firm started supplying Chinese models for the first time, they had tonnes of call outs to fix them the following winter. He said that it appeared they didn't cope so well with the *really* frosty cold weather that we sometimes get in ChCh. Just hearsay and circumstantial of course, but might be worth asking around.

[BusyLizzy]

A friend of mine had one installed in her home last year. She loves it and says it made such a difference to her home (which is a basin area of Milford with lots of water sitting under her house - this means lots of dampness).

However, she did have problems around the installation. The sales guy who quoted said it would be located in one place; the installer put it in somewhere else without consultation with my friend. This meant it was more difficult to access due to furniture being in the way.

The installer also put the wrong model in (a lesser one) so it wasn't effective. When they replaced it with a more powerful model, she was happy.

So.. she thought it was great. But just be sure all instructions are clearly documented. The same as with any contractor I guess!

[CRL]

With regard to size of heat pumps.
The installer said that a 4.5 kw model would heat the living areas of the house but not the rest. By installing the bigger unit it takes the chill of the whole house. I have also know of several people that have taken installer's advise re-min size and found that the units only just heats the room they are in, and if a door is left open the room cools down very quickly. So I would recommend getting the next size up, instead of the min size recommended.

[xris]

So I would recommend getting the next size up, instead of the min size recommended.

Hello CRL,

This is good advice, not just for heat pumps.You can always use less power that a gadget is capable of, but not more than it is capable of.

I have always wondered why people buy those ridiculously weak vacuun cleaners you can pick up for a few bucks. They simply don't do the job, so what is the point of having them? Because they only cost a few bucks I suppose.

xris

[TWT]

Hey There all....

We are based in Waikato and service Auckalnd also....
I have installed heaps of them...... we supply top tier Mitsubish Electric, Fujitsu (5 year manufacturersguarentee) and second tier (Haier Inverters)(good quality and unit warrenty = 5 years).......

There are a few things to consider besides price.....
Inportant : in more matter of order )
1. The better brands spend more time and effort in producing a quieter indoor and outdoor unit (up to 20% quieter) - So if it is for a tennant then you can go for the second tier brands).

2. Efficency.... the better quality the unit the better the input to output energy rating (electricity input current to produce X KW of energy =heat). - however if the tennant is paying for the electricity ... then no worries )

3. performance below 0 degrees celcius. a lot of hte cheap units die in the cold weather at below '0' degrees.... this is due to poor design of refrigerant system and metering etc...(built to tight budget). All of the units we sell are all rated and guarenteed to function at either -10 or -15 degrees celcius (model and brand dependant)... so when it is really cold it will actually still work!

4. All installations are different as things such as under floor access (crawl space) roof space and also levels up in the air make a huge difference to the install costs and to top it off there are also better cosmetic locations to place the outdoor unit in a less conspicuous location to maintain property appeal.... nothing worse than driving up to a property and seeing a sore thumb of the heat pump outdoor unit just sticking you right in the face.... this can affect the capital value or appeal of the property.


Installs start at $900 for a back to back installation (less than 3.5M) and includes all electrical and COC sign off. $1000 for 5Metre and $1100 for 10 Metre (+ Milage depending on location)

Haier units start at around $1,000 for 2.5Kw and $1500 for the 6.8KW models (units only).....

Anyway just thought I would give you some information ... I have put them in all of my rentals and the tenants love em!

Cheers,
Kiwi

[NESW]

Hello CRL,

This is good advice, not just for heat pumps.You can always use less power that a gadget is capable of, but not more than it is capable of.

I have always wondered why people buy those ridiculously weak vacuun cleaners you can pick up for a few bucks. They simply don't do the job, so what is the point of having them? Because they only cost a few bucks I suppose.

xris

Seconding Xris's post, we had installed for our Aussie home, a ducted v. cycle airconditioning system, and obtained several quotes prior to our selection, in the "off" season.

We found the cheapest quote to be the system with the smallest "equipment" (yes size really does matter ) and as a moment of interest, the same business who sent out an ex well known (in his lunchbox anyhow) rugby player who they had engaged as a Sales Specialist.... to promote the business and product...

So it was interesting to receive the other quotes and opinions and realise what was going on. Most people wouldn't and just go for the cheapest.

Obviously V. cycle air isn't for everyone (we mainly use our woodbox and use the a/c on fan only to distribute the heat between the living areas) but it pays to pay attention as to why sometimes thing seem "cheaper" than others....