Back in May, we worked with builder Chris on a ducted heat pump in his beautiful new home in Feilding. Before the walls and ceiling were lined we installed the indoor unit, ducting, pipework and wiring.

In August, after the plastering and painting was completed we returned to install the outdoor unit, fit the diffusers & control panel and test the system.

Whilst it is certainly not impossible to retrofit a ducted system, by doing it at the time of the build we were able to put outlets in the best place both visually & in terms of air flow, and hide the pipework within the walls.

For this install we used a combination of classic round ceiling diffusers, and downjet diffusers (used in areas with high ceiling as they direct the air flow downward). Return grilles are filtered for easy cleaning and the outdoor unit is on a raised wall bracket for easy cleaning underneath.

Back in June, we installed one of our Patented Tranzheat Ventilation Systems at John & Jenni's place in Palmerston North. They had a positive pressure ventilation system but it wasn't working and the home was suffering from bad condensation.

The principal behind a positive pressure system is that the house is pressurised and air will escape through cracks around windows and doors. But the thing about modern homes is they are built to be quite air tight. A modern home has all of its cracks and gaps sealed during construction. So, their positive pressure system didn't work because it fundamentally can't work in a modern home.

The morning after we finished the install, an ecstatic Jenni called to say her condensation was gone already. Before our system was installed the indoor humidity was a whopping 84% - and that was with their positive pressure system running. For this install John and Jenni chose a combination of round ceiling diffusers, and rectangular wall diffusers (used on a bulk head in two of the bedrooms). Exhaust air went out through the roof using a Branz appraised flashing. Fresh air in comes through a grille under the eaves.

Like all the best Kiwi inventions, Tranzheat was born out of necessity and developed in a back shed. Patrick, an electrician and HVAC specialist with a mechanical background had an idea and developed it from his home in Palmerston North. The first working prototype was installed in his daughters home in winter 2012 and within 48 hours condensation was gone. A week later and the family could feel the change in the home - it was healthy.

The system has come a long way since that prototype with changes like the cooling mode and touchscreen controller coming from customer feedback. We have some exciting new features planned for the future too.

Manufacturing all takes place in-house from our base in Palmerston North. Below you can see Pat and Phil working their magic.