Heat Pump Types for Hastings Homes
There's no single best heat pump. The right one depends on your room, your home's age and how the layout works. Here's the honest rundown.
The main heat pump types are high wall, floor console, ceiling cassette, ducted and multi split. High wall units suit most Hastings rooms. Floor consoles work well in older villas, cassettes and ducted heat whole homes, and multi splits run several rooms off one outdoor unit.
The high wall unit most people picture
When someone says heat pump, this is usually what they mean. It mounts high on the wall, blows warm or cool air down into the room, and it's the cheapest type to buy and fit. For a lounge or bedroom in most Hastings homes it does the job without fuss.
The catch is the look. On a tidy Art Deco or villa interior, a white box up the wall isn't to everyone's taste. If that bothers you, the other types below are worth a look before you decide.
Older villas and where the box goes
Plenty of homes around Akina and central Hastings are single-glazed villas and plaster places with high studs and picture rails. A high wall isn't always the neat fit there. This is where floor console heat pumps earn their keep. They sit low like a radiator, warm your feet first, and don't fight the character of an older room.
For open-plan spaces or homes where you'd rather not see a unit at all, ceiling cassette heat pumps tuck up flush into the ceiling and push air out four ways. They cost more and need the ceiling space above, but they disappear into the room.
Heating the whole house, not one room
If you want even warmth through several rooms rather than one hot lounge, there are two ways to go. Ducted heat pumps hide in the roof space and feed air through vents in each room, so nothing shows but the grilles. They suit newer plains builds and villas with a decent roof cavity.
The other option is multi split heat pumps, where one outdoor unit runs indoor heads in different rooms. That keeps the outside of the house tidy, handy on a tight central section where you don't want a row of outdoor boxes. Which one's cheaper depends on your layout, so it's worth pricing both.
Matching the type to our weather
Hawke's Bay summers can sit in the low 30s and winters bring hard frosts, so a good heat pump has to do both ends well. Sizing matters more than the type here. An undersized unit strains through a Taradale cold snap and an oversized one short-cycles and wastes power.
That's why we look at the actual room, the glazing and which way it faces before we suggest anything. A single-glazed Raureka bedroom loses heat fast, so the pick and the size shift to match.
Fitting and looking after it
Once you've settled on a type, the fit is what makes it run well or badly. Good pipe runs, the right spot for the outdoor unit and a clean electrical connection all matter, and that's the bulk of a proper heat pump installation Hastings homeowners are paying for. If you want the numbers first, the heat pump installation cost breakdown lays out what drives the price.
Down the track, a unit that's serviced keeps its efficiency and lasts longer. We handle heat pump servicing for the systems we install ourselves. We don't service or repair other companies' installs, so if we didn't fit it we can't book it in, but we're happy to quote you a new one.
Still weighing it up? Give us a call on 06 235 4345 and tell us the room, or start with a quote and we'll talk you through the options.
Not sure which type suits your room?
Send us the room and whether the house is single-glazed. We'll tell you straight what fits and roughly what it costs.
Common questions about heat pump types
What are the different types of heat pumps?
The common types are high wall, floor console, ceiling cassette, ducted and multi split. High wall and floor console heat single rooms, cassettes tuck into the ceiling, ducted feeds several rooms through the roof, and a multi split runs several indoor units off one outdoor unit. Which one fits comes down to your room and your home's layout.
What is the difference between a high wall and a floor console heat pump?
A high wall mounts up near the ceiling and blows air downward, so it's cheaper and suits most modern rooms. A floor console sits low on the wall like a radiator and warms from the ground up, which works well in older Hastings villas with high studs and picture rails. Floor consoles usually cost a bit more but read better in a character room.
Which type of heat pump is best for a bedroom?
For a bedroom, a smaller high wall or a floor console is usually the pick. Bedrooms don't need much output, and a quieter unit set on a low fan speed keeps things comfortable overnight without a draught. If the room is single-glazed and faces the cold, we'll size it a touch bigger so it holds heat through a frosty night.
Get the right type for your home
We install across Hastings, Havelock North, Taradale and out onto the plains. Tell us your room and we'll quote the type that actually fits.