What does a commercial heat pump job involve?
In the trade this is HVAC: heating, ventilation and air conditioning. A small office or shop might run one or two high-wall heat pumps. Where wall space is short, Consumer NZ says a ceiling cassette can go in instead, though its filters are just as awkward to reach as a high-wall's.
Open-plan offices often suit a ducted heat pump, with vents in the ceiling and the unit out of sight. Larger buildings move to systems that run many indoor units from shared outdoor plant: Midea NZ lists VRF systems in its business range, and Haier NZ lists MRV systems and chillers.
Fresh air is a separate question. BRANZ says ducted heat pumps usually just recirculate the air inside, so ventilation has to be managed by other means. In a busy office, salon or clinic, that deserves as much thought as the temperature.
Consents, the Building Code and noise
Ask your council early. Christchurch City Council's position on commercial heating and ventilation is a firm yes to building consent, a long way from its no-consent position for heat pumps in houses. Other councils set out their own requirements, and all building work has to meet the Building Code whether or not it needs a consent.
Skipping a consent you needed is a serious risk. The Building Act allows a fine of up to $200,000, plus up to $10,000 for every day the offence continues. If work has already been done without one, the owner can apply to the council for a certificate of acceptance.
Noise limits come from the district plan. In Auckland they vary by zone and by time of day, and an activity that breaks a permitted noise standard needs resource consent. If the outdoor units will face homes, raise it at the design stage.
In a commercial unit title, read the body corporate's operational rules before any work starts. If you lease the premises, check what the lease says about changes to the building.
Warranties when the use isn't a home
Read each warranty against how the unit will really be used. Temperzone gives many Hitachi systems 6 years parts and labour, but drops most of them to 3 years for high usage applications such as computer server rooms.
Haier NZ gives five years on air conditioning products under 25 kW of system cooling capacity, two years at 25 kW or more, and one year on all chillers. LG's NZ warranty lists Multi V VRF systems at two years and excludes use other than human comfort conditioning. Samsung NZ's warranty doesn't cover units whose primary use isn't human comfort.
Consumer law can differ for a business, too. The Consumer Guarantees Act doesn't apply to a purchase for business use if both sides agreed in writing that it wouldn't, so look for that clause in the contract.
Who does which part
Connecting the system is prescribed electrical work for a registered and licensed electrical worker, who gives you a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC). Work on the main switchboard, main cable or main earth also has to be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector, and the electrician arranges that.
Refrigerant work is for a technician who can buy refrigerant. Under the industry arrangement the Commerce Commission authorised in 2011, wholesalers may supply only holders of an RLTB Refrigerant Licence or an EPA Approved Handler or Approved Filler test certificate. It's an industry rule, not a licensing law.
Ask for a commercial heat pump specialist rather than someone who mostly fits single units in bedrooms. Consent documents, switchboard capacity and safe access to ceiling units are routine for them.
Long hours and servicing
Workplaces often run their heating and cooling for long days, so efficiency and maintenance count for more. BRANZ says inverter systems are about 30% more efficient than fixed speed ones. Mitsubishi Electric NZ says commercial, coastal and geothermal systems may need servicing more often than its yearly minimum for homes.
To compare running costs between options, use a method rather than anyone's dollar estimate: input power in kW, times hours run, times your own rate per kWh. Our running cost tool does that sum for you.
What a commercial quote should spell out
- How the system was sized: the space, the people, the equipment and the sun.
- Each unit's model and capacity, and where it goes.
- Who prepares the building consent documents, and who applies.
- How the space will get fresh air.
- Electrical work: switchboard changes, inspection, the CoC and the ESC.
- The warranty period for your type of use, and who issues it in NZ.
- A servicing schedule, and how a technician reaches ceiling or roof units safely. BDT's warranty for Mitsubishi Electric excludes extra costs for cranes, lift platforms and hiabs.
- Whether the contract excludes the Consumer Guarantees Act.
Your part as the owner or tenant
You can
- Tell the installer your opening hours, how many people use the space, and what equipment runs in it.
- Check the lease, the body corporate rules and the council's consent requirements.
- Keep filters clean as the manual says, and the outdoor units clear.
- Keep the consent, the certificates and the service records together.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Heat load design and choosing the system.
- Refrigerant pipework and commissioning.
- The electrical connection, inspection and certificates.
- Scheduled servicing and repairs.
What we'd do
Where we'd begin
We'd call the council before anyone measures up, because a consent shapes the timeline and the paperwork. Then we'd want a commercial heat pump specialist to size the system on how the space is actually used, and we'd read the warranty's clause on business use before picking a brand. Fresh air goes on the list from day one.