Heat pumps are a very efficient way of heating a home. They work by extracting heat from the air outside your house and bringing it indoors.
You do not need a qualified and registered person to install the heat pump.
You do need a certified electrician (licensed electrical worker) to connect the unit to the electrical supply. Once complete, you should receive an Electrical Certificate of Compliance and Electrical Safety Certificate post installation.
In most cases, especially residential, installing a heat pump doesn’t require a building consent.
For advice on choosing and operating a heat pump, visit the Gen Less website.
Heat pump water heaters do need a consent - read about Solar and heat pump water heaters.
Making a penetration through the building exterior increases the chance of incoming moisture.
Most external walls are load bearing, and the position of the penetration should be considered carefully.
Before you undertake any work involving external wall penetrations, you should get professional advice.
Making a hole up to 300mm through an external or internal wall doesn't usually require a consent.
For other building code compliance references, visit the Building Performance website.
Heat pumps should be correctly installed and located as far away from property boundaries as possible, to avoid creating excessive noise for neighbours.
When heat pumps are installed wrong, they can exceed noise level limits - particularly at night.
For more information on noise and heat pump installation, read our downloadable resources.
