Heat pumps...

[vifferman]

Jennie and I have been watching your winter temperatures closely Malcolm and conclude that we would hibernate rather than step outside. That photo you sent of you on your 1200 coming down your drive is a classic.

Thanx for sharing it!

Tease...

[Blackbird]

Thanx for sharing it!

Tease...

Well, well..... I've found Jantar's famous south island "out for a brisk ride" photo. I'm sure he won't mind the post! They breed them tough down there, it was probably only minus 17.

[Jantar]

Not quite that cold Blackbird. Conditions when that photo was taken were similar to what we are getting at the moment, but this year it is just a bit harsher. From memory, last year we were getting - 8 overnight and warming to around -4 or better during the day.

At present we are getting down to - 10 overnight, and I've just come inside from washing the bike. The only trouble is that I have to carry water to the bike as I can't get any water to flow outside at all. We haven't seen a temperature above 0 for a couple of weeks now, and today is the first day I've been home where it has been warm enough to give the bike its well needed clean. Its a balmy -1 outside at the moment.

[westie]

Wow you guys are keen to pay heaps for your electricity bills.
Insulating your house would be more important. Otherwise you will be fighting a loosing battle trying to heat your house. You need thermal resistance!

There is a great product on the market that will insulate your walls in one or two days work. They drill small holes in your walls and install "airfoam" into the cavities. It gets into every nook and cranny. Holes filled and undercoated.
Average 3 bdrm house $3000-$4000.
This product will give you great insulation and is done without turfing the family out of the house. Its all done from the outside.

Give me a call if you want to be warmer!

0212063119

[vifferman]

Yeah, if we'd stayed in Chch I would've had that done - the south wall of the house got very cold. Electricity bills? Pah!
Our bills have been very reasonable since the aircon went in, MUCH less than the same time last year. Of course, since the prices have gone up now, it may just be that the electricity company has been under-reading the meter so they can make a big killing.

[Crisis management]

Wow you guys are keen to pay heaps for your electricity bills.
Insulating your house would be more important. Otherwise you will be fighting a loosing battle trying to heat your house. You need thermal resistance!

There is a great product on the market that will insulate your walls in one or two days work. They drill small holes in your walls and install "airfoam" into the cavities. It gets into every nook and cranny. Holes filled and undercoated.
Average 3 bdrm house $3000-$4000.
This product will give you great insulation and is done without turfing the family out of the house. Its all done from the outside.

Give me a call if you want to be warmer!

0212063119

A similar product was around years ago but as it ate the PVC insulation on electrical wiring was somewhat unpopular....mind you the ensuing fire seemed to take the chill off the home temporarily!

Is this product free of that problem? I ask as it was a good idea and there are plenty of instances where it could be used today.

[rogson]

Even more important (and cheaper) than insulating your house is fixing the drafts!

[westie]

A similar product was around years ago but as it ate the PVC insulation on electrical wiring was somewhat unpopular....mind you the ensuing fire seemed to take the chill off the home temporarily!

Is this product free of that problem? I ask as it was a good idea and there are plenty of instances where it could be used today.

NO it does not create a fire hazard!
I tried burning it on a slow day and it would not catch fire or even smoulder!
Not reactive with electrical cables either. I have heard of that product but am unsure of what it was. I have been fielding questions about that for a while. Its a pitty bout products that give others a bad name(hard time).

This product and application was invented in New Zealand by Burt Munroes son about 30 years ago. His legend lives on. It has been used in many countries around the world for years.

The english government actually pay for people to have it installed. Thats the nicest thing I've heard a government doing!

[westie]

Even more important (and cheaper) than insulating your house is fixing the drafts!

"Drafts" are created by the warm air touching cold surfaces(uninsulated walls or roof) and causing the air to fall creating moisture and then cold air running across the floor, in your words drafts. Although some houses actually have gaps in the house where wind can get in.
The beauty is that this foam will find the cracks inside the walls and fill them up, also stopping the "drafts" inside the house.

Just a precursor to another ineveitable question. The foam is "pre expanded", ie does not expand further once made. Then it is installed into the walls. Unlike the yellow expanding foam the builders use. Also non toxic

[Fooman]

NO it does not create a fire hazard!
I tried burning it on a slow day and it would not catch fire or even smoulder!

The concern with it may not be a reaction with the insulation, but in effect insulating the wires too much - i.e. the wires heat up (due to their inherent electrical resistance and the current they are carrying) and are unable to dissipate the heat due to being surrounded in insulation, causing the electrical insulation on the wire to melt, resulting in the danger of a short circuit/sparking.

For example, in a ceiling, electrical wires are supposed to be either above insulation or or inside a conduit with sufficient air gap to ensure they don't overheat. Similarly, recessed lights and flues are supposed to have a 150 mm air gap surrounding them to prevent overheating.

Cheers,
FM

[westie]

I dont think that is the case. Although I cant speak for any other types of insulation. Many homes are insulated(whatever the material) and the cables in the walls must go through, around and under the insulating materials, thus insulating the wires. Yes electricity builds up heat as it goes through the wires, but I would have thought that the cable would be of sufficient performance to cope easily with these house hold loads?

[Sollyboy]

Mitre 10 mega has self install Delonghi heat pumps , they are on R410 gas so will be future proofed as R22 is only available for 3 more years , they just need you to put a very small hole in your wall to install, they have a fitting similar to some truck air line fittings, for Waiuku you need about 1 Kw for every 10 sq meters , thats just roughly but should be close enough, if you dont get an inverter get the smaller of the 2 options available with a fixed speed as short cycling shortens the life of the compressor, and if used for cooling in summer the AC will release moisture back into the environ during off cycles, by going smaller I dont mean skimping and getting the smallest thing you can find just the smallest thing to do the job.
Double check that your not getting older stock that uses R22.
I like mitsubishi personally, theres 2 kinds melco and heavy industries the melco stuff is a bit better.

[Ruralman]

I'm getting someone in shortly to price up and advise on a heat pump too - one of the biggest things that I have found out from talking to numerous owners is the minimum temp you can set them to INSIDE. I will be putting mine up a hallway and really only want low level background heat.
Most of the heatpumps can only set their thermostats down to 18 degrees C - many owners reckon that is much too high. The Daikin units can be set down as low as 12-13 degrees which is much better, especially if the heatpump is in say the sleeping areas and you have a log burner or similar in the living area.

the Daikin can also cope better with lower outside temps (to about minus 15 on some units) - we don't get those extremes like in Central Otago but we do get minus 5-10 degree temps

[Sollyboy]

the Daikin can also cope better with lower outside temps (to about minus 15 on some units) - we don't get those extremes like in Central Otago but we do get minus 5-10 degree temps

Youll find most of the newer R410 based units will work to those lower temps ok,R410 gas was developed in japan allowing a smaller unit foot print and
greater efficiency at lower temps because of the higher evaporating preasure.
Mitsubishi inverters have a great boost function allowing 130% heat capacity for 2 hours, Ive had nothing but trouble trying to get parts,technical advice and backup for Daiken ,they have a logistics company distributing their stuff so you have fragile compressors stacked upside down on a shelf next to peanuts and tins of corned beef

[trex_rider]

Hi Guys

Im a refrigy (air con engineer) and work for Climatech, and we install all over Auckland and sometimes outer auckland, if you guys are looking for a fair price and good services call Gwyn on 09 634 9624 tell him the boy with the Aprilia referred you.