Floor console heat pumps for Whangarei homes
A floor console sits low on the wall like a gas heater, so it warms cold rooms from the ground up. It's a good fit for older villas where there's no clear space up high.
A floor console heat pump mounts low on the wall, near the floor, instead of up high. It pushes warm air out at floor level, so cold rooms heat faster and feel warmer underfoot. In damp Northland homes that also helps dry the air and cut condensation.
Why floor consoles suit older Whangarei villas
A lot of the timber villas and weatherboard bungalows around Riverside, Kensington and the Avenues just don't have a good high wall for a standard head unit. Tall sash windows, picture rails and narrow walls eat up the space. A floor console sits down low, often under a window, where a wall-mounted unit would never go.
It looks a bit like the old gas heater it might be replacing, so it doesn't dominate the room. If you're weighing up your options, our rundown of the types of heat pump shows where a floor console fits against the usual high-wall unit.
Floor-level heat and damp Northland winters
Warm air rises. A unit mounted up high has to fill the whole room before the heat reaches your feet, which is slow in a cold villa with high ceilings. A floor console blows warm air out at ground level, so the floor and the lower half of the room warm first. That's where you actually feel it.
In the valley-floor cold pockets around Morningside and Regent, homes get damp and cold air pools low. Getting heat moving down there dries things out and takes the edge off the condensation that builds up on single-glazed windows over winter.
Floor console, high wall, or something else
A floor console is great for one room, but it still needs a clear stretch of low wall and a spot outside for the compressor. If you're heating several rooms off one outdoor unit, multi split heat pumps can run a mix of indoor units, including floor consoles, from the one system.
Where a room has no suitable wall at all but a decent ceiling cavity, ceiling cassette heat pumps are worth a look instead. And for reliable floor console models we fit plenty of Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps, which do well in our damp climate.
- Mounts low on the wall, often under a window
- Warms the floor and lower room first
- Good where there's no clear high wall
- Can run solo or as part of a multi-split
Fitting a floor console in an older home
The pipework runs down low from the indoor unit, which usually means a shorter, tidier run than a high-wall install in an old villa. We work out the best spot for the compressor, keep the drain running clean, and make sure the unit clears skirting and furniture. See how we handle heat pump installation in Whangarei for what's involved.
Sizing matters more than the wall position. Too small and it never quite keeps up on a cold Northland morning. We measure the room, check insulation and window area, then quote the right size. For pricing, our guide to installation cost gives you a realistic range before we visit. If you're still deciding on layout, start with the room you use most and give us a call.
Not sure a floor console is the right fit?
Tell us about the room and the wall space you've got. We'll come and measure up and give you a straight answer.
Floor console heat pump questions
What is a floor console heat pump?
A floor console heat pump is an indoor unit that mounts low on the wall, close to the floor, rather than up high. It draws air in and pushes warm air out at floor level. It works the same way as any other split system, just in a lower position that suits rooms without a clear high wall.
Are floor console heat pumps better for heating?
For heating, they have a real edge in a cold room because they warm the floor and lower half first, so you feel it sooner. In an old, high-ceilinged villa that beats waiting for heat to work its way down from up high. For cooling it's much of a muchness, since cool air settles anyway.
How much does a floor console heat pump cost?
It depends on the size of the room and how tricky the install is, so we quote each job after measuring up. A floor console unit usually costs a little more than an equivalent high-wall model. Our cost guide gives you a range, and the quote we give you is the full supplied-and-fitted price.
Get a floor console quote for your Whangarei home
We fit floor consoles across Riverside, Regent, Kensington, the Avenues and Morningside. Call 09 434 1234 or send us the room details and we'll sort a time to measure up.