Whole-home, hidden

Ducted heat pump installation

A coil in the ceiling or underfloor, air through vents, often with zoning. The quietest whole-home option, and a poor retrofit if the house was never designed for ducts.

Free quote from a local installer
Sized for your room during a site visit
New installs and replacements
No obligation to go ahead

Overview

What is a ducted heat pump?

A ducted system hides the indoor coil in the roof space or under the floor. Rooms get vents. You can often zone so unused bedrooms are not heated all day. Once it is in, it is the quietest way to condition a whole house.

It is also the most expensive to install and the easiest to get wrong as a retrofit. Shallow ceilings, no return-air path, and a 1920s villa are usually the wrong house. New builds and larger renovations that already opened the ceiling are the right ones.

Grants do not cover ducted. A living-area high-wall can still be the first unit while you plan a later whole-home system. The installer should say if the roof space is even a candidate before you fall for the renders.

Is a ducted right for your home?

A quick way to tell before the installer visits.

A good choice when

A new build or a gut renovation
The ceiling can be designed for ducts, returns and service access. This is when ducted makes sense.
You want the hardware invisible
No heads on the walls. Zoning so the guest room is not on the same setpoint as the lounge.

Consider another type when

A villa with no roof space
Forcing ducts into a shallow ceiling is a noisy, expensive disappointment. Use multi-split or several high-walls.
You need the grant this year
Warmer Kiwi Homes is high-wall only. Do the living area first if funding matters.

How it works

How to get a ducted quote

1
Tell us about the job
What you need, whether that is a new heat pump, a replacement, a repair or a service. It takes about a minute.
2
A local expert gets in touch
We pass your request to a local heat pump business that works your area. They call to talk it through and book a visit.
3
Get your quote and decide
They take a look and give you a written quote for the work. Go ahead only if you are happy.

Get a free quote

By city

Ducted heat pumps near you

Local notes on housing and climate for each city.

Ducted in Auckland Ducted in Wellington Ducted in Christchurch Ducted in Hamilton Ducted in Tauranga Ducted in Dunedin Ducted in Queenstown-Lakes Ducted in Palmerston North Ducted in Napier-Hastings Ducted in New Plymouth Ducted in Nelson Ducted in Invercargill

Ducted heat pump questions

Can I retrofit a ducted heat pump into an older house?

Sometimes, if the roof space is deep enough and there is a return-air path. Many villas and low-pitch 70s houses cannot take it cleanly. The installer should look before you budget for it.

Is ducted cheaper to run than several high-walls?

A well-zoned ducted system can be efficient. An unzoned unit heating empty bedrooms is not. Running cost is about zoning and insulation, not the word ‘ducted’.

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