By Kate Harvey
Content Manager | Pou Whakahaere Ihirangi
James le Page is head of our test team at Consumer NZ. He's been comparing heat pumps and letting New Zealanders know the best ones available for 7 years. We picked his brain to see what consumers might be doing wrong when using a heat pump. Turns out there’s a few things James wouldn’t do.
1. Pay for a service
It’s that time of year when flyers might be landing in your mailbox telling you how important it is to have your heat pump serviced.
“Don’t do it. You can do it yourself in less than 10 minutes and probably save yourself at least $100,” James says. He’s put together a guide to cleaning and checking your heat pump to show you how easy it is.
2. Put off cleaning the filters
This is one of the most satisfying jobs you can do around the house, so don’t put off doing it. The filters usually slide out easily and just need a gentle vacuum. If they were really clogged, you’ll notice how much better the heat pump works once you’ve cleaned them.
3. Go without heat while it defrosts
If you live somewhere that gets winter frosts, you’ve probably noticed your heat pump struggling to do its job on chilly mornings. It’s working hard to get the room up to temperature, but the harder it works, the more ice it has to defrost.
“If you know it's going to be cold and still, set a timer so your heat pump starts up a bit earlier to account for the defrost cycles,” James says.
4. Sit underneath it
Circulating air can cause draughts, so if you have your couch or bed too close to the heat pump you might feel a bit chilly when it’s on.
5. Buy a heat pump from a brand with a low reliability score
We give heat pumps a reliability rating based on what their owners tell us about them in our surveys. The heat pump brand with the lowest reliability rating is Hitachi. Gree, Toshiba and Haier also get low ratings. Make sure you choose one with a high reliability rating so you’re less likely to have problems.
6. Use it to dehumidify on a chilly night
Your heat pump might have ‘dry’ mode, which will extract moisture from the air, but unfortunately it can’t keep heating at the same time. So, while dry mode will help if the room is damp, you’d be better off using a dehumidifier to deal with that and keep your heat pump heating. Removing the moisture will make it easier to heat the room too.
Check out our dehumidifier test results if you think your house could do with one. There are five dehumidifiers we recommend.
7. Leave it running 24/7
This one always causes a lot of controversy, but James is sticking to his guns. For most households, he says it’s cheaper to turn on heat pumps when you’re at home rather than leaving them going all day. He recommends using the timer to have the heat pump come on before you wake up, go off again when you leave the house, and then come back on before you’re due home.
8. Set the temperature above 21°C
Here’s another controversial one. Check out our video on why you’re better off turning the fan up, rather than the temperature, if you feel you need more heat fast.
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Which are the best heat pumps?
We’ll only recommend heat pumps you’ll love to own, that work well and will keep working well for a long time. If you’re a Consumer NZ member you can compare 282 heat pumps and see which 67 get our Consumer Recommended tick.
Best heat pump for a small room
Best heat pump for a lounge
Best budget buy
