FAQ
Does it actually work?
Absolutely! Your fireplace is an excellent source of heat, but so much of it is wasted, or just stays in the room where the woodburner is. Turboheat collects and distributes hot air around your home,
It looks complicated
The principle of operation is very simple. Once it is in the auto mode, you shouldn't need to touch a thing, it will switch on and off as required. All you need to remember to do is put wood on the fire!
Can I attach this to any fireplace?
Turboheat can be installed on most woodburners that fit a standard 6 inch Flue (this is most woodburners in NZ)
Brick Chimneys are unsuitable for safety reasons, as are open fireplaces.
Inbuilt fires can be successfully used for turboheat installations, but will require space for an air inlet. These are easier to install on new builds as internal wall access to install the flue is required.
Can I just add this to my existing flue? No, the active (inner) flue and outer flue are an integral unit installed with the heat exchanger so will require removal of your old flue prior to installation.
What about the smoke? The Inner flue ('active flue') is just like a normal chimney flue and takes the exhaust smoke from your woodburner out through your roof into the air. Turboheat takes the hot air from around the outside of this hot flue and uses this clean air to duct around the home.
Is it safe?Yes. The Turboheat Flue unit has been independently tested and passed the Thermal Clearance requirements for Flue Systems in accordance with the joint AUS/NZ Standards 2918 Appendix F. View the certificate here. How do I install it? You will need a Solid Fuel Heater technician (this is normally a plumber) to install the Flue and an HVAC technician to source and install the ducting. See www.nzhha.co.nz for installers in your area. Turboheat is happy to provide suggestions and guidance for you.
Do I need consent? This depends on the region, some councils may not require consent if you are just replacing the flue. It pays to check with your Plumber as to whether this is a requirement or not in your region. If you are installing a new fireplace, this will require building consent. Normally this is straightforward and your technician will guide you through this process, as they do it regularly. Turboheat can provide any technical data that your local council may require if a building consent is required. Isn't this just another ducted air system? There are many ducted air systems on the market. These do a great job at reducing condensation in traditionally cold, damp kiwi homes. However what they don't do well is heat your home. Central Heating systems and ducted heatpumps are expensive to install and expensive to run. The only running cost for Turboheat is the small fan in your ceiling, and firewood of course! With Turboheat, you have the luxury of central heating at a fraction of the price. What kind of ducting do I use? Most ducting installed in ducted air systems in NZ has poor thermal performance, with an R rating of 0.3. (You can normally see this printed on the side of the ducting) This means that much of the heat energy of the air is lost by the time it gets to the outlets. We insist on using R1.0 to R1.5 ducting on Turboheat installations. This means the air is still toasty when it comes out of the vent, even down the far end of your house! Can I use it with a wetback? Yes, if your fireplace supports this. Typically you will lose 2-3kW of heat by having a wetback running, depending on the fire. A wetback coupled with a Turboheat system is a great use of the energy generated by your woodburner, and great on your wallet too! How long for delivery? This can be between 6-8 weeks at the moment, as our product is currently assembled and shipped from Australia. We will endeavour to have the product delivered to you in a timely manner. How much power does it use? Maximum 315 Watts and a 2 amp draw (at 100% fan speed). The mini package uses a slightly smaller fan and thus less power. This makes Turboheat a great option for off-grid homes. How much space do I need in the ceiling? For thermal clearance reasons, as well as space for the fan unit, 600mm minimum between the ceiling and roof is required in the ceiling space. Are there other finish options? As well as the standard Black Powdercoated option, we also offer a sleek Stainless Steel flue as an alternative What if there's a power cut? Turboheat now has an overheat exhaust feature so if there's a powercut and the fan can't run, a safety louvre opens and the hot air from the heat exchanger vents out into your ceiling space, without damaging the fan components. What about warranty? We offer 5 years warranty on electrical components and 2 years warranty on the fan unit. Also, 12 months warranty on any ducting provided. Do you offer finance? We are developing some competitive finance options and look forward to offering these shortly
Can I just add this to my existing flue? No, the active (inner) flue and outer flue are an integral unit installed with the heat exchanger so will require removal of your old flue prior to installation.
What about the smoke? The Inner flue ('active flue') is just like a normal chimney flue and takes the exhaust smoke from your woodburner out through your roof into the air. Turboheat takes the hot air from around the outside of this hot flue and uses this clean air to duct around the home.
Is it safe?Yes. The Turboheat Flue unit has been independently tested and passed the Thermal Clearance requirements for Flue Systems in accordance with the joint AUS/NZ Standards 2918 Appendix F. View the certificate here. How do I install it? You will need a Solid Fuel Heater technician (this is normally a plumber) to install the Flue and an HVAC technician to source and install the ducting. See www.nzhha.co.nz for installers in your area. Turboheat is happy to provide suggestions and guidance for you.
Do I need consent? This depends on the region, some councils may not require consent if you are just replacing the flue. It pays to check with your Plumber as to whether this is a requirement or not in your region. If you are installing a new fireplace, this will require building consent. Normally this is straightforward and your technician will guide you through this process, as they do it regularly. Turboheat can provide any technical data that your local council may require if a building consent is required. Isn't this just another ducted air system? There are many ducted air systems on the market. These do a great job at reducing condensation in traditionally cold, damp kiwi homes. However what they don't do well is heat your home. Central Heating systems and ducted heatpumps are expensive to install and expensive to run. The only running cost for Turboheat is the small fan in your ceiling, and firewood of course! With Turboheat, you have the luxury of central heating at a fraction of the price. What kind of ducting do I use? Most ducting installed in ducted air systems in NZ has poor thermal performance, with an R rating of 0.3. (You can normally see this printed on the side of the ducting) This means that much of the heat energy of the air is lost by the time it gets to the outlets. We insist on using R1.0 to R1.5 ducting on Turboheat installations. This means the air is still toasty when it comes out of the vent, even down the far end of your house! Can I use it with a wetback? Yes, if your fireplace supports this. Typically you will lose 2-3kW of heat by having a wetback running, depending on the fire. A wetback coupled with a Turboheat system is a great use of the energy generated by your woodburner, and great on your wallet too! How long for delivery? This can be between 6-8 weeks at the moment, as our product is currently assembled and shipped from Australia. We will endeavour to have the product delivered to you in a timely manner. How much power does it use? Maximum 315 Watts and a 2 amp draw (at 100% fan speed). The mini package uses a slightly smaller fan and thus less power. This makes Turboheat a great option for off-grid homes. How much space do I need in the ceiling? For thermal clearance reasons, as well as space for the fan unit, 600mm minimum between the ceiling and roof is required in the ceiling space. Are there other finish options? As well as the standard Black Powdercoated option, we also offer a sleek Stainless Steel flue as an alternative What if there's a power cut? Turboheat now has an overheat exhaust feature so if there's a powercut and the fan can't run, a safety louvre opens and the hot air from the heat exchanger vents out into your ceiling space, without damaging the fan components. What about warranty? We offer 5 years warranty on electrical components and 2 years warranty on the fan unit. Also, 12 months warranty on any ducting provided. Do you offer finance? We are developing some competitive finance options and look forward to offering these shortly