FAQ
General
The right sized heat pump will make a big difference to both the energy consumption and having a comfortable environment.
Every home is different, and the right heat pump will depend on many factors, such as room orientation, window size and ceiling insulation, just to name a few. It’s an important decision to get right, as a heat pump that’s too small won’t adequately heat or cool your home, and one that’s too large will be inefficient and expensive to run.
At Auckland heat pumps we have the knowledge, skills and experience to help you make the right choice.
Every home is different, and choosing the right heat pump will depend on many factors that we can assess during an on-site consultation.
Our clients choose Highwall heat pumps because:
- They are the most cost-effective and popular heat pump solution.
- Being mounted high on the wall they do not restrict the placement of furniture as much.
- Children cannot touch them.
Our clients choose floor standing heat pumps because:
- They prefer the look of a floor standing heat pump.
- In some situations, they are the only option. For example, an upstairs room with sloping walls and minimal vertical wall space.
In principle it is said that heating works better with a floor standing unit, because the air is thrown out closer to floor level, reducing cold spots at your feet. But in reality, a highwall heat pump is also pushing heat down on an angle towards the floor
From our experience, the most important factor is that the heat pump is sized correctly for the space. From there the client can decide whether they want a highwall or floor standing heat pump.
The two main factors that affect sound levels of an indoor heat pump unit are:
- The kilowatt capacity of a heat pump: The smaller the heat pump is in kilowatt capacity, the less the volume of air it needs to push out of the heat pump which results in less air flow noise. A larger capacity heat pump has to push out a higher volume of air which results in sound levels being higher.
- The fan speed setting: Most Daikin heat pumps have 7 fan settings. A quiet mode, 1 – 5, and an automatic mode. In most situations a fan setting of 1 – 2 is fine. In a bedroom at night on the quiet mode the heat pump is barely audible.
‘Cooling capacity’ is the measure of an air conditioning system’s ability to remove heat from a room, thus making the room ‘cooler’.
The reverse of this gives you ‘heating capacity’ (i.e. an air conditioner’s ability to remove heat from outside and transferring this into the room).
Capacity in these instances is always measured using the rated conditions specified in the official document: Australian/New Zealand Standard: Performance of electrical appliances – Air conditioners and heat pumps (also known as ‘AS/NZS 3823’).
Generally the unit used for this measurement is specified in Kilowatts (kW).
Our advanced inverter technology features in all of our Daikin heat pump systems.
An inverter-based system continually adjusts its cooling and heating output in accordance with the temperature in the room, similar to the accelerator of a car, used to gently increase or decrease power.
Inverter technology controls the temperature in accordance with natural changes to the room’s temperature, so that when a desired temperature is reached the inverter technology subtly adjusts its own output to ensure that temperature is maintained, keeping you comfortable whilst operating more efficiently.
An energy label is required for all single phase (the standard method of distribution of electric power in lighting and heating), non-ducted air conditioners and provides consumers with information on the energy efficiency of a product.
The higher the star rating of an air conditioner, the more efficient the product is.
Because of the way a heat pump works, a smaller capacity heat pump will always have a higher energy label than a larger capacity heat pump.
A heat pumps efficiency is measured using the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) for cooling and Coefficient of Performance (COP) for heating.
They indicate the ratio of cooling or heating provided by a unit relative to the amount of electrical input required to generate it. Heat pumps with a higher EER and COPS value are more efficient, so by comparing COP and EER ratios of products with the same capacity output you can determine which is more energy efficient.
Installation
The first consideration for placing any wall-mounted heat pump is establishing where will be the best air distribution throughout the room. Wall-mounted heat pumps are also best positioned high on a wall that has suitable access for drainage. However, there are different installation options, we will discuss with you in full when advising you on the selection and installation of a Daikin heat pump system. Aside from these more technical aspects, some common sense factors that are also important include making sure the indoor unit is easily accessible, so that you can clean the filters regularly.
All Daikin heat pumps are engineered to be installed within certain distances from the outdoor unit. The smaller kilowatt capacity heat pumps must be within 20 metres from the outdoor unit. The mid-sized to larger capacity heat pumps must be within 30 metres from the outdoor unit.
We too often see heat pump outdoor units positioned on the front of houses. This looks ugly and in most cases is completely unnecessary. We ideally like to see outdoor units positioned on the side of a house visually out of the way. We often take the interconnecting pipework up and over ceiling cavities or under a house to achieve this. Other factors we consider are installing the outdoor unit in a safe, well-ventilated area clear of trees and plants and away from bedrooms as outdoor units do make some noise when operating.
An outdoor unit does not have to be installed on a concrete slab or brackets.
There are many different options for installing your outdoor unit, which are best discussed with us during an on-site consultation to find the most suitable arrangement for your home.
We will explain how the location of the outdoor unit affects noise levels, and will advise on the best placements to counter this and other important considerations. For example, we would try and avoid having the outdoor unit installed directly on the side of an upstairs bedroom, because resonation noise from the outdoor unit could be heard through the wall.
The outdoor unit of a split system air conditioner requires adequate clearance in order to function correctly. Its performance depends upon efficient outdoor heat dispersal, so covering the unit will effect this.
Allowing at least 1 metre of clear space on each side of the air conditioner is a good rule of thumb to utilise.
If you would like to cover your outdoor unit, your Daikin Specialist Dealer can advise you on whether an ‘air deflector kit’ can be used for your particular system.
In most cases, you cannot re-use piping and cable from existing air-conditioning units for any new units you are having installed.
This is because different systems use different piping and have their own specific electrical requirements.
Please speak to your Daikin Specialist Dealer for more information regarding the re-use of piping.
In existing houses we have developed some interesting techniques over the years to run our interconnecting pipework, wiring and drainage so that we can position the heat pump indoor unit and outdoor units in the best positions possible with what we have to work with.
In a new house, if we can design the heat pump system at the planning stage, it opens up many more location options, as we can run our pipework, wiring and drainage within the timber frames and the cavities.
We can install a basic single heat pump into an exiting house within half a day. Two heat pumps installed into an existing house would take us a full day. The more complex systems can take us several days.
The most popular Daikin highwall heat pump ranges we carry in our stock. Most of the other Daikin heat pump models are readily available for delivery to us from Daikin New Zealand’s Auckland distribution centre.
Maintenance
At a minimum you need to clean and maintain your heat pump’s air filters, as any build-up of dust or dirt will restrict airflow and reduce the energy efficiency and capacity of your system.
On completion of your heat pump installation, we like to give you a demonstration on how to properly take care of your heat pump system.
The Daikin user manual recommends cleaning your heat pump filters within the indoor unit every two weeks. But this would be for the most dusty or polluted environments. For most residential applications we would recommend every 2 – 3 months.
Cleaning your filters is the most important maintenance task you can do to care for your heat pump. Blocked filters can reduce a system’s efficiency significantly.
For the Titanium Apatite Photocatalytic Air Purification and Enzyme Blue Deodorising Filter featured in many of Daikin’s heat pumps, cleaning it once every six months and replacing it once every three years is recommended.
The procedure to remove and replace your filters can be found in the operation manual of your particular Daikin heat pump.
The main black nylon air filters in your heat pump indoor unit can be replaced, although if you look after them, they should last the lifetime of the heat pump.
If you do find that you need replacement air filters, please contact us and we can order them for your particular heat pump model.
We can come and check over your heat pump every 12 months, but for most of our clients, as long as you remember to keep the air filters clean within the indoor unit and keep the outdoor unit free of leaves and debris, your Daikin system should operate at full capacity throughout the peak seasons.
Re-gassing a heat pump should never be necessary as it is a sealed system.
However, if a gas leak in your heat pump system does develop, we can come and inspected the system, locate the leak and rectify the problem.
D mobile Wi-Fi controller
The Daikin Mobile Controller (D-mobile) application for smartphone lets you use your smartphone or tablet to operate your Daikin wall-mounted or floor mounted heat pump unit via Wi-Fi or the internet, and can control up to ten indoor units at once.
This is provided that the indoor units are compatible with the D-mobile app and each has a WLAN adaptor (BRP072A42) installed.
D-Mobile caters to controlling multiple units by featuring the ability to group indoor units for easier management and unified ON/OFF control.
Daikin Warranty and after sales support
Daikin’s 5-Year domestic warranty covers all damage, faults or malfunctions for Daikin heat pumps (and other relevant Daikin products) installed in homes across New Zealand, provided the heat pump has been installed in accordance with the installation manual and the warranty card.
The warranty does not cover any issues that are caused by improper installation of the product.
The 5-Year parts and labour warranty does not cover faults caused by the product being installed incorrectly or not in accordance with the product installation manual.
This is why it is important to use a Daikin Specialist Dealer in installing your Daikin heat pump, as they will ensure your system is installed as required by your warranty.
The warranty also does not cover the use of consumable items, such as batteries, or general maintenance, such as filter cleaning.
Daikin takes pride in providing its customers with effective and efficient after sales support, unparalleled within the New Zealand market.
The Daikin NZ service team provides phone support for all technical queries, so you can expect prompt, professional guidance with any issues that arise and advice on any accessories to complement and enhance the performance of your Daikin product choice.