Air conditioning Palmerston North homes stay cool in
A reverse-cycle heat pump cools your living areas on those humid summer afternoons and warms them through winter. We install them across Palmerston North.
Yes, a reverse-cycle heat pump is air conditioning. It pumps heat out of the room in summer to cool it, and pumps heat in during winter. One unit does both. For most Palmerston North homes it's the simplest way to cool a west-facing living area without a separate cooling system.
Why Palmerston North rooms get so hot in summer
Sheltered inland Manawatū suburbs trap the heat. There's no coastal breeze to move it on, so a still, humid afternoon just builds. West-facing living areas cop the worst of it, with the sun pouring in from lunchtime until it sets.
We see this most in the newer Aokautere and Whakarongo builds with big west-facing glass, and in older bungalows around Hokowhitu that don't ventilate well. Different houses, same problem: by 4pm the room is uncomfortable and opening a window does nothing. A cooling unit sized for that room is what actually fixes it.
Reverse cycle means cooling in summer and heating in winter
The unit we fit for cooling is the same one that heats your home in winter. Reverse-cycle just means it runs both directions. So you're not buying a summer-only gadget that sits idle half the year.
That's worth keeping in mind when you compare the installation cost. You're getting your winter heating out of the same box. If you want to see how the different formats stack up, the types of heat pump we install range from a single wall unit to whole-home setups.
Cooling one room or the whole house
For a single hot living area, one wall-mounted split does the job. If you've got a few rooms that overheat, or bedrooms upstairs in a two-storey Aokautere build, there are better options than a unit on every wall.
A multi split system runs several indoor units off one outdoor unit, which keeps the outside of the house tidier. For a new build or a full renovation, ducted heat pumps cool the whole home from hidden vents. We'll talk through what suits your layout when we visit.
Getting the size right
Size matters more than brand. Too small and it runs flat out and never cools the room on the hottest days. Too big and it short-cycles, costs more to run, and doesn't dehumidify properly.
We work the size out from the room's floor area, ceiling height, how much west-facing glass it has, and how well it's insulated. You can get a rough starting figure from our heat pump sizing calculator, then we confirm it on site before we quote.
- Room size and ceiling height
- How much sun-facing glass the room has
- Insulation and how draughty the room is
- Whether it's a bedroom, living area or open-plan
Have a look at our heat pump installation for more.
Want a straight answer on what your room needs?
Give us a call on 06 242 4317 or send through the room details and we'll come back with a size and a price.
Air conditioning questions we get asked
Can a heat pump be used as air conditioning in summer?
Yes. A reverse-cycle heat pump is air conditioning. In summer it moves heat out of the room to cool it, and in winter it runs the other way to heat it. That's why most Palmerston North homes only need the one unit for both jobs.
What size air conditioner do I need for my room?
It depends on the room's floor area, ceiling height, how much sun-facing glass it has, and the insulation. A small bedroom might need around 2.5kW while an open-plan living area could need 6kW or more. We measure it up on site rather than guess, because a unit that's the wrong size either struggles or wastes power.
Does air conditioning cost a lot to run?
Running cost depends on the size of the unit, how well the room holds temperature, and how long you run it. A well-sized modern unit cooling one room for a few hours on a hot afternoon is cheap to run. Cooling costs less than heating in most cases, because the temperature gap is smaller. Keeping doors shut and the unit on a sensible setting keeps it lower again.
Book a cooling install for your Palmerston North home
We install across Aokautere, Whakarongo, Kelvin Grove, Hokowhitu, Fitzherbert and Milson. If you're weighing up the heat pump installation options for a hot room, get in touch and we'll sort a quote.