Air Conditioning North Shore

An oversized air conditioner cools the air quickly but switches off before it has removed much moisture, leaving the room cool but clammy. One that is too small runs flat out on hot afternoons and never catches up. For the North Shore homes we aim for the right cooling capacity and show you the cooling stars on the Zoned Energy Rating Label.

North Shore air conditioning: Albany glass, Takapuna apartments and breezy bays

Cooling demand on the North Shore follows the age and position of the home. Albany's 1990s and 2000s houses are insulated and often have large north or west-facing glass, so summer heat is a real issue and units there are sized on cooling capacity. Apartments in Takapuna and newer townhouses in Northcote trap heat behind glass and need compact, quiet units, usually with body corporate approval for the outdoor position.

In the bays from Devonport to Browns Bay, sea breezes do some of the work on many summer days, and opening the house up for cross ventilation often does the job before any unit is needed. The 1960s and 1970s homes in Glenfield, Browns Bay and the East Coast Bays often have one reverse-cycle unit in the living area that heats and cools, and the choice of model needs to suit both seasons. Devonport's villas, with high ceilings, often only need cooling in one or two sunny rooms.

Salt is the issue that links the bays. BRANZ marks homes within about 500 metres of the coast as being in the highest sea spray zone, and a unit running in cooling mode has wet coils that catch salt. Near the water we pick a sheltered wall and fixings made for coastal exposure, and a coil rinse belongs in every service. Inland, the focus is on sizing and keeping noise away from neighbours.

Local tip: Compare the cooling stars on the energy label if your home faces north or west, not only the heating stars.

Air Conditioning in the North Shore: Local Conditions

Albany homes with large north and west-facing glass gain a lot of heat on summer afternoons, so we size those rooms on cooling capacity. Near the bays, the outdoor unit needs a spot out of direct salt spray.

Homes in the North Shore

Post-bridge homes in Glenfield, Browns Bay and the East Coast Bays are often single-level or split-level 1960s and 1970s houses with open-plan living added over the years, which creates one large space that needs a bigger unit or two units working together. Devonport and Northcote Point villas bring high ceilings and single glazing, so they need sizing for heat loss rather than floor area. Albany's 1990s and 2000s houses usually have insulation and sometimes double glazing, so heating loads are lower, but large north and west-facing glass makes summer cooling capacity and room orientation just as important as winter heating.

How We Handle Air Conditioning in the North Shore

We check each room in your the North Shore home for glass area, window direction, eaves and roof insulation, then size the unit on its cooling capacity. The quote shows both the cooling and heating figures so you can compare.

Pricing: every job starts with a free in-home assessment and a written quote, with a fixed price agreed before any work starts.

Air Conditioning Jobs We Do in the North Shore

Bedrooms cooled from one multi-split outdoor unit
Ducted cooling for a two-storey family home
West-facing lounge sized on cooling capacity
Condensate drain run with a good fall
Pre-summer filter clean and drain check