It suits new builds, deep renovations and airtight homes in the North Shore, where there are fewer gaps for air to leak through on its own. In a very leaky older house, much of the air bypasses the heat exchanger through gaps, which reduces the benefit, so we always ask how the house is built before recommending one.
North Shore heat recovery by suburb: what the house era decides
On the North Shore, the age of the house tells us most of what we need to know about heat recovery. Albany homes from the 1990s and 2000s, and the newer apartments around Takapuna and Milford, are tight enough that a balanced system earns its keep. They hold their heat, and controlled fresh air with the warmth recovered keeps them dry without pushing the heating bill up.
Post-bridge houses in Glenfield and Browns Bay are often single-level or split-level homes from the 1960s and 1970s. Some have been insulated and reglazed, some have not, and that decides whether we recommend a full balanced system or start with extraction in the bathroom and kitchen. Villas on Northcote Point and in Devonport sit at the leaky end of the scale. Unless they have been fully renovated, air escapes through floors and sashes before it ever reaches the heat exchanger.
The coast adds its own work. A lot of homes in the bays sit within about 500 metres of the sea, so intake filters load with salt and exterior hoods need suitable materials. In Takapuna and Milford apartment buildings, the body corporate approves any new vents through the external walls before we start. Split-level homes in Glenfield and Browns Bay have a layout quirk too. Rooms sit on several levels, and the duct routes have to follow ceiling spaces that do not always connect, so the design takes longer and the unit is often placed centrally to keep every run short.
Local tip: Before asking for heat recovery in an older North Shore house, find out whether the walls and ceiling have been insulated, because that one fact changes our advice.
Heat Recovery Ventilation in the North Shore: Local Conditions
Newer homes and townhouses around Albany are built tighter and suit balanced ventilation well, while the Shore's 1960s and 1970s houses usually need sealing and insulation work first. Near the bays, we place intake and exhaust vents out of direct spray where we can.
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 Heat Recovery Ventilation in the North Shore
The unit and ducts go inside the insulated part of the house where possible, with short, insulated duct runs. Outdoor intake and exhaust vents are kept apart so stale air is not drawn back in.
Pricing: every job starts with a free in-home assessment and a written quote, with a fixed price agreed before any work starts.
Heat Recovery Ventilation Jobs We Do in the North Shore
- Ducts run during a villa renovation
- Quiet duct design for upstairs bedrooms
- Balanced system for a new two-storey townhouse
- Extract points added to windowless bathrooms
- Yearly filter change and core check
Heat Recovery Ventilation North Shore FAQs
Which North Shore homes suit heat recovery ventilation best?
Insulated, well-sealed homes such as Albany's 1990s and 2000s houses and newer apartments in Takapuna and Milford. Older villas and unrenovated post-war homes leak too much air for the heat exchanger to do much, so we usually start with simpler fixes there.
What affects the cost of a heat recovery system?
Balanced systems cost more than positive pressure systems because there are two fans, a heat exchanger and two sets of ducting. Retrofits with difficult roof access cost more than systems planned into a new build. We quote after a free in-home assessment.
Does it heat my home?
No. It recovers heat that would otherwise be lost through ventilation, but you still need a heat source such as a heat pump. It pairs well with a ducted heat pump or high wall units.
Heat Recovery Ventilation in Other Areas
- Heat Recovery Ventilation Central Auckland
- Heat Recovery Ventilation West Auckland
- Heat Recovery Ventilation East Auckland
- Heat Recovery Ventilation South Auckland
- Heat Recovery Ventilation Hibiscus Coast
- Heat Recovery Ventilation Albany
- Heat Recovery Ventilation across Auckland