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Heat Pumps > FAQFAQ
As the name suggests, a ventilation system is designed to ventilate - introduce air from outside into an area. When the introduced air is colder than inside they can use electric heaters to boost the temperature. The heating efficiency is therefore the same as an ordinary electric heater. Spend a $1 and get $1 worth of heat. Heat pumps transfer heat, not air, from outside into the home. They do not need a heating element. A heat pump will return more than $3 worth of heat for every $1 you spend with a properly sized and installed heat pump. A heat pump can also cool your home in summer. Fujitsu Ducted and Cassette heat pump systems are able to have connections providing fresh air ventilation. Go back > Can heat pumps help with condensation? Yes they can. Condensation is caused by warm moist air cooling and condensing. There are two ways to stop 'crying windows'. You can either remove the warm moist air (ventilation) or, you can stop it from cooling to the new 'dew point' by heating it. The best option is to do both, but the problem is that in winter the fresh air (ventilation) can be very cold, and expensive to heat. Better to keep the area warm. Go back > Will a heat pump dehumidify? Yes they will dehumidify your home in summer. They will not remove condensation while in heating mode in winter. But in winter they will warm your space to a comfortable point, helping to reduce condensation. However, it is in summer when uncomfortable humidity occurs and that is when you can switch your heat pump to cooling, reducing the discomfort of humidity at the same time. Go back > Will a heat pump heat my entire house? A single outlet heat pump like a Hi-wall or Console type is unlikely to heat your whole house. Heat pumps are like powerful, very efficient fan heaters. A typical heat pump provides the same amount of heat as having three fan heaters lined up together, but only costs about the same as running a single fan heater. So if you can heat your house today from one heating position then you can probably do so with a heat pump. But typically, heat pumps are sized and installed to heat a single room or open area. To heat your whole house, you will probably need several heat pumps, a multi head heat pump system or even a fully ducted system. Go back > What size heat pump will I need for my home? Modern inverter heat pumps have a greater capacity for variations in the temperature. That is because they can increase or decrease their output. But there is obviously a limit. It takes almost twice as much energy to heat a house from 2 degrees to 20 degrees as from 7 degrees to 20 degrees. So if you want to make sure you are going to get heating in all situations the heat pump needs to be sized accordingly. Approximately 120 watts of the heat pumps star rated output per square metre is about right for many situations. But every home is different. If your home is particularly cold or has large windows or poor insulation the requirement will vary. It is very important to get proper advice, which is why we recommend you speak to a Fujitsu Accredited Installer before buying. Go back > What is the 'Energy Star Rated' figure? Inverter heat pumps have a range of outputs depending upon the load put on them. The 'Energy Star Rated' figure is the point at which the unit is tested at its most efficient. That is the running speed you want to have for best efficiency. The efficiency drops as the running speed increases, such as when very cold or when first turned on to heat the room. It should then settle back to its rated speed for best efficiency. To get the best possible efficiency Fujitsu recommends that you speak to a Fujitsu Accredited Installer, who will recommend the best heat pump for you needs. Go back > What is 'defrost'? While the unit is providing heat for the inside it is taking that same heat from the outside atmosphere. The outside unit can get too cold and ice up in extremely cold weather. The unit, senses this and will go into a defrost mode. A correctly sized unit will have heated the inside area before it goes into a defrost mode and after defrost should be able to maintain the room temperature without going into defrost. Go back > Are heat pumps noisy? No, most modern heat pumps are very quiet. The source of noise in a typical heat pump is the air passing over the grill, as it is blows through the unit. This sound is usually only marginally higher than ambient room noise. Fujitsu technology also developed a 'quiet mode' on many models, which means that once the room has reached it's desired temperature, the sound is usually less than the sound of a soft whisper. We measure sound levels of all our heat pumps (in decibels) and they are clearly set out in the specs page on our brochures. Go back > Do heat pumps need maintenance? The only on-going maintenance a home heat pump needs is the cleaning of the indoor air filter, which should be done approximately every 3 months, or monthly over high usage times like winter. When you see dust build up on your filters you could be losing up to 10% efficiency. This easy task is detailed in the model manual. Of course, if you don't want to do that, Fujitsu has also developed a model that cleans itself: the Nocria! The only other maintenance which might be needed is not to the unit itself but to make sure that the outdoor unit is clear from obstructions like greenery. Go back > Do they need a drain? Yes. The indoor unit on cooling will dehumidify and the resultant water needs to be led away. That is why they are typically mounted on an outside wall. If not, a condensate pump can be used to lift the water to the ceiling to be drained out. But sometimes condensate pumps can be heard when they operate. The outdoor unit when on heating will also produce water. The amount of water produced is similar to a dehumidifier in use. Go back > How important is a good installation? Installation is critical. Sizing and positioning and installation are very important to good operation. The units require connecting piping to be added plus professional wiring during installation. The piping can carry huge pressures, and needs a skilled Installer, or we can guarantee there will be problems later. There is a national shortage of skilled installers. Correct installation requires specialist tools with a combined worth of more than $5,000. Fujitsu Accredited Installers are your safeguard of sound, professional workmanship, they have at least shown us they have the tools and have agreed they will follow the installation instructions. Go back > Where do I place the inside unit? Positioning is important. Heat pumps are like big fan heaters and your installer should consider the airflow that will be created, along with the need to circulate the warm air. Consider the area that is to be heated so that air can circulate freely and not be short-circuited. For example a unit blowing across a hallway will not be as effective as one blowing along the length of the hallway. Go back > Where do I place the outside unit? The copper used in the connecting pipes and wiring is very expensive and so the shortest distance is the cheapest, but might not be aesthetically pleasing. Discuss with your installer the best place and the cheapest places and then decide. It is best to avoid positioning of the outdoor adjacent to your or your neighbours' bedrooms. Go back > Explanation of technical terms. Heat pump - a reverse cycle air conditioner. It pumps heat (not air) from outside to inside in winter and from inside to out in summer. COP - the coefficient of performance. It is the ratio of power used for heat out. The higher the COP the better, more efficient the heat pump. Star rating - like COP the star rating is the result of testing to the standard. The higher the star rating, the more efficient (and therefore more economical) to run. Dba - the unit measure for noise. There are two noises. Firstly, the inside unit containing just a fan. Logically when on high fan speed there will be more noise because there is more air flow but if sized correctly then once he room is up to temperature the unit should be able to maintain that on quiet mode (if available). 30 Dba is considered to be a whisper so quieter than that in quiet mode is good. The outside unit will be noisier than the inside because it has a compressor added to the fan noise. Go back > Which type of heat pump should I choose? Please have a look at our how to choose a heat pump page to find out which type of heat pump is best for you. Go back > Do heat pumps take up a lot of room? Today's heat pumps are unobtrusive in size and style, with low noise levels. There are various types. Hi-walls are mounted on walls close to the ceiling, floor consoles look like traditional heaters, and some can be recessed into walls. Cassettes and Ducted split systems can be hidden in the ceiling. Go back > How big is the outdoor unit and where does it go? Outdoor units vary in size, but most are about the size of a large suitcase. The outdoor unit is located in a position that is unobtrusive, and where it is easiest to run pipe work between the indoor and outdoor units. You accredited Installer will suggest the best location for it. Go back > How 'environmentally safe' are heat pumps? EECA recommend heat pumps for heating, because they use significantly less energy to heat your home than any other type of heating. This reduces both pollution and the release of green house gases. Check the model you are buying for its Energy Star rating. In addition, all Fujitsu heat pumps use the R410A refrigerant. This is significantly more environmentally friendly than the older refrigerants. Go back > How much will it cost to buy and install a heat pump? The cost of a heat pump is different for each home and will depend on the size and type of heat pump, and how easy it is to install. A Hi-wall Inverter single system, suitable for a small area or bedroom, starts at around $2,500 for a 3kW unit including installation. Larger capacity models - say, between 5kW and 9kW costs between $3,200 and $4,800 including GST and installation. Some local governments are offering financial assistance if you are replacing an open fire or a solid fuel burner. Your Fujitsu Accredited Installer will advise if this is possible in your area. Go back > Are heat pumps expensive to run? The price of power in New Zealand is rising at an alarming rate (more than 50% in five years). This accounts for the growth of heat pumps for heating, because they use significantly less power to heat than all traditional electric heaters. Here's why: if you need 9Kw of heating, electric heating is normally 100% efficient, so for 9Kw of heating you pay for 9Kw of electric energy. Heat pumps transfer three to four times more heat, meaning efficiencies of 300-400%. In other words, to produce 9kW of heating, a heat pump would only require about 2.25kW-to-3kW of electrical energy to heat the same area. Go back > Why are heat pumps much cheaper heaters? A heat pump simply 'transfers' heat from the atmosphere outside, to inside your home. All other heaters use an element (electricity) or naked flame (gas, open fires) to 'convert' energy to heat. The only energy a heat pump needs is the electricity to drive the fans and compressor. The result is up to 4 times less energy needed, saving your heating bill, and the environment too. Go back > How reliable are heat pumps? Heat pumps are very reliable - as trouble free as a fridge or freezer. However, should anything ever go wrong, we offer New Zealand's longest warranty - 6 years full parts and labour warranty in fact - when you use a Fujitsu Accredited Installer. Go back > How do I operate my heat pump? Heat pumps are operated with an infrared remote that lets you control features such as On/Off, the temperature, fan speeds, timers, and the mode (such as 'heat' and 'cool'). Heat pump remotes also allow you to programme them to turn on when you're away from home, or overnight, ensuring a warm or cool room on your return, or when you wake up in the morning! Go back > How long do they take to install? A Fujitsu accredited installer will usually take around 5 to 6 hours to install a straightforward (back-to-back) system. More complex installations including multi - systems and ducted systems can take longer. Go back > Can a heat pump increase my power bill? A heat pump uses approximately 33% less power than any other electric heater to achieve the same result. Most heat pumps, even the small ones, provide a lot of heat. For example, the maximum heat a plug-in fan heater can supply is 2300 watts, whilst the smallest Fujitsu heat pump will supply 3600 watts (56% more heat), but the Fujitsu will still cost 50% less to run. As a result, instead of 'huddling over a heater', it is possible to enjoy a better quality of life at home by allowing the whole living area to be warm and comfortable, rather than just a corner of the room. So a heat pump user may take advantage of the cheaper, more efficient heat by using more of it, to improve their home lifestyle. Go back > |
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