Make your heating system work in summer
The hottest summer on record has for many people been a blunt reminder of the need to consider air-conditioning when planning home heating.
The Heat Pump People manager Vicky Keatley says some people who built new houses in recent years have found their new dwelling to be much warmer than anticipated.
Improved insulation, a change from single-storey to two-storey living and a north-facing aspect might all have played a part, she says.
And while setting a heat pump in reverse turns it into a cooling device, absorbing warmth from a room and expelling it outdoors, this doesn’t mean heat pumps positioned for winter use will be equally effective in summer.
‘‘Especially on two-storey builds,
Especially on twostorey builds, cooling is something that often gets forgotten.
Vicky Keatley
The Heat Pump People manager
cooling is something that often gets forgotten,’’ Keatley says.
‘‘People don’t realise how hot the upper level might get, or they might not realise how the positioning of the home itself affects heat gain.
‘‘They may have designed a house with lots of glass; it’s fantastic in summer with lots of light but also heat gain, and in winter, heat loss.’’
Developing a system for heating and cooling when a home is being designed instead of installing it as an afterthought ensures buildings can have the setup that is most effective and aesthetically pleasing.
A ducted system, for instance, might be ideal but if ceiling space doesn’t allow room for ducts it may not be possible. It is a problem more common in highly stylised architectural builds, Keatley says.
Likewise outdoors: if planting and landscaping is done before heat pumps are installed, the most subtle or convenient locations for exterior units might already be taken.
‘‘The Heat Pump People can run through all that with architects and homeowners or look at floor plans to find the best scenario. That avoids having to retrofit, accommodate extra-long pipe runs or compromise the chosen solution,’’ Keatley says.