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Tauranga, Bay of Plenty

Heat pumps in TaurangaGentle winters, but hard on outdoor units.

An installer for Tauranga

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Tauranga winters are gentle by New Zealand standards: Tauranga Airport averages just 3.9 air frosts a year, and the July average low is 6.3 degrees. Heating still does most of a heat pump's work here, but summer cooling earns its keep. The bigger local question is the outdoor unit, because sea spray and the Mount's industrial air are both hard on metal.

Tauranga's climate and coast

Mild winters

Wikipedia's climate table, from NIWA's 1991 to 2020 normals, gives Tauranga a July mean daily minimum of 6.3 degrees and a February mean daily maximum of 24.4. Tauranga Airport averages 54.6 ground frosts a year, but only 3.9 air frosts.

Heating and cooling

NIWA gives Tauranga Aero AWS 1,324 heating degree-days and 176 cooling degree-days a year, close to twice Hamilton's 94 for cooling. MBIE's H1/AS1 places Tauranga City in climate zone 1.

Sea spray

BRANZ's summary of NZS 3604:2011 puts homes within 500 m of the coast, the harbour included, and within 100 m of tidal estuaries and sheltered inlets in exposure zone D. E2/AS1 adds zone E for breaking surf beach fronts, which is the question at Mount Maunganui and Papamoa.

Industrial air at the Mount

BRANZ's Hewletts Road test site sits in the Mount Maunganui industrial area, where fertiliser, chemical and asphalt manufacturing affect the air. It measured more sulphur dioxide there than elsewhere in the region.

Humidity and damp

NIWA says Tauranga is the least humid of its listed Bay of Plenty sites, with mean 9 am humidity of 78% over the year and 85% in June. 18.9% of people in the Bay of Plenty health district lived in damp homes in 2023, below the 20.6% national figure.

Heat pumps and gas

75.1% of Tauranga City homes used a heat pump as a main heater in the 2023 Census. Some newer areas may have reticulated gas: Whanganui District Council reported in 2016 that GasNet had secured agreements to build gas networks for several major new subdivisions in Papamoa.

What that means for your heat pump

In a Tauranga winter, the label's 7 degree heating figure describes most nights well. EECA's advice to check the 2 degree figure still applies on the coldest ones, and it should be no lower than the 7 degree number.

If summer is a real reason to buy, look harder at cooling. EECA says to size on the cooling capacity at 35 degrees for a unit that will mainly cool, and BRANZ says cooling capacity generally runs 10 to 20% below heating capacity.

Corrosion protection is the line to read twice on a Tauranga quote. BRANZ says outdoor units in coastal areas need extra anti-corrosive coatings. Rinnai NZ makes the owner responsible for extra protection in corrosive settings, naming sea air and industrial pollution, and Samsung NZ's warranty doesn't cover damage from salt spray. Black Diamond Technologies, which handles Mitsubishi Electric's warranty, says units in coastal or industrial settings must be assessed and protected before installation.

The jobs that come up in Tauranga

Installs near the water. From the harbour edge to the surf beaches, the outdoor unit's spot and its corrosion protection matter as much as the brand. A heat pump installation specialist who works along the coast will know which brands' terms ask for what. Our brands section has each brand's own wording.

Cooling as well as heating. A sunny lounge in February can be the reason for the whole job. Our heat pump air conditioning page covers sizing on the cooling figure.

Servicing that keeps salt off the coil. Mitsubishi Electric NZ says coastal systems may need servicing more often. Our Tauranga servicing page goes into it.

Ventilation. Tauranga is less damp than most places, so a system isn't automatic. Our Tauranga home ventilation page covers when it's worth it and which type suits which house.

Warning signs on a coastal quote

  • No mention of corrosion protection for a house within 500 m of the harbour or the surf.
  • No clear answer when you ask whether the brand's warranty covers corrosion at your address.
  • An outdoor unit squeezed into a corner or under a deck, with no reason given.
  • A phone call or door knock you didn't ask for, offering a heat pump check or a regas on the spot.

What we'd do

Our take

In Tauranga we'd buy for winter comfort, check the cooling figure for the sunniest room, and put most of our questions into the outdoor unit. Within 500 m of the water or near the Mount's industrial area, we'd want the corrosion protection named on the quote and checked against the brand's warranty before anyone drills a hole.

Heat pump and heating jobs in Tauranga

Areas around Tauranga

Questions people ask

Does a heat pump in Tauranga need corrosion protection?
Near the coast or the Mount Maunganui industrial area, plan on it. BRANZ recommends extra anti-corrosive coatings for coastal outdoor units, and several brand warranties exclude corrosion damage or leave the protection to the owner.
Do I need a heat pump that cools in Tauranga?
The heat pump that warms a room in winter can cool it in summer, so the real question is size. With 176 cooling degree-days a year at Tauranga Aero AWS, check the 35 degree cooling figure for any room that bakes in the afternoon.
Can I connect to gas in Tauranga instead?
Possibly, in some streets. GasNet signed up in 2016 to provide gas network infrastructure for several new Papamoa subdivisions, and Firstgas says its networks serve parts of the Bay of Plenty. Any gas heater is gasfitting work for a registered gasfitter.
How do I find a heat pump installer in Tauranga?
Give us the job and your postcode. Installers nearby who specialise in that kind of work, and whose registrations we've checked, can see it. Your contact details go only to whichever of them takes it. If nobody near Tauranga takes it within 48 hours, heat pump installers elsewhere in the Bay of Plenty may see it.

Ready for the right installer to take a look in Tauranga?

Your postcode and three quick questions. Registration-checked local installers who specialise in your kind of job see it, and the one who takes it gets in touch to quote.

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Read next

  1. 01Heat pump servicing in TaurangaHow often to service a heat pump near Tauranga's coast, and what a coastal service should include.
  2. 02Home ventilation systems in TaurangaWhen a Tauranga home needs a ventilation system, and which type suits older and newer houses.
  3. 03Air conditioning with a heat pumpCooling with a heat pump: sizing for summer, the label's cooling figures, and night-time noise.
  4. 04Heat pump installationWhich heat pump suits the room, how to size it, and what a good install and quote include.
  5. 05Heat pump brandsWho issues each brand's NZ warranty, what it asks of you, and what to compare.
  6. 06Heat pump installers in Bay of PlentyTauranga's coast and Rotorua's geothermal air ask different things of a heat pump. Here's how.

Where this information comes from

We don't publish prices. Every home is different, so an installer's written quote is the only real number. How we write and check these pages.

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