A Hot House Is Not A Cool House

If you want to see yet another benefit of heat pump installation in Auckland, you only need to look as far as a recent UK study that confirmed what has been suggested for years. Temperatures in homes have increased dramatically over the years, and all over the world. Average room temperature has risen by five degrees compared to 30 years ago, thanks to cheaper heating, more efficient heating systems and a wider embrace of better insulation.

While warmer homes are welcome during the winter months, it’s during summer that higher internal temperatures have a detrimental effect. For example, a home that is too hot can cause skin problems including eczema, as well as be the reason behind lethargy, an inability to concentrate, disturbed sleep and fatigue. Meanwhile, scientific research reveals that a rise in household temperature of four degrees could more than double bacterial growth rates, which is often associated with higher risks of food poisoning and the spread of germs.

Overheated homes are common in New Zealand as well. A study by the Building Research Association of New Zealand found that an indoor temperature range between 20 to 25 degrees was considered “comfortable” yet 36% of the homes in their study were consistently 25 degrees or more. When temperatures reach these levels, cardiovascular problems become quite prevalent, as well as all of the conditions we mentioned earlier.

Much of the blame for hot houses in New Zealand can be laid firmly at the feet of contemporary design. Recent research shows that modern houses are warmer year-round, and can become too hot in summer. Much of this has to do with the current trend of building homes with virtually no eaves and larger glazing areas, with both intended to give solar heat gains. While this is done with a nod to sustainability and more natural heating, it does raise peak temperatures, particularly in living rooms and bedrooms where the window size is increased.

As New Zealand faces Daylight Saving and the prospect of yet another hot summer, homes will naturally heat up during longer, sunnier days. More than a third of them will heat up too much, causing discomfort and exacerbating a wide range of health conditions as well. Not to mention, that feeling of lethargy that really does confirm that classic phrase “lazy, hazy days of summer”. This installer of heat pumps in Wellington and Auckland can certainly testify to overheated homes when they go in to install a unit. They work in stuffy and uncomfortable conditions as they install the heat pump, which is promptly put into cooling mode the second it is in place. It’s certainly an effective way to add greater degrees of comfort to hot houses that have never been cool.