Do I need to register my Mitsubishi Electric heat pump when it's installed?

No, it isn't required. Doing it online makes any service enquiry quicker later, which is the main reason to bother, but it's optional rather than a condition of cover. Have the model and serial numbers in front of you and keep the confirmation with your purchase paperwork.

Can I buy a Mitsubishi Electric heat pump from overseas?

No. The New Zealand warranty only covers units supplied by Black Diamond Technologies. A unit imported privately or bought through another distributor isn't covered, even if the model looks identical. Check where the seller sources their stock before you pay, because a cheap import can look like a bargain and leave you without cover.

Can I take my Mitsubishi heat pump with me when I move house?

You can, but the warranty doesn't cover a unit reinstalled somewhere other than where it was first fitted. Taking it down and putting it back up has to be done by a qualified, competent service person, and that's a cost to weigh against leaving it behind or buying new for the next place.

Can I touch up the paint on my Mitsubishi outdoor unit?

Yes. There's a registered colour match called Mitsubishi Air Con Cream, sold at Resene ColorShops in gloss enamel, in tins of 500 ml or more. Clean the scratch and treat any rust before you paint, which matters most near the sea.

Does the Mitsubishi Wi-Fi Control app work for a holiday home?

Yes. One app can control units at several addresses, such as your home, a bach and an office, and group units together. The app is only in the New Zealand and Australian app stores, so set it up before you travel.

Mitsubishi Electric Heat Pumps in NZ

Mitsubishi is the name New Zealand installers bring up more than any other, and Mitsubishi Electric is the bigger of the two Mitsubishi heat pump brands here. It’s sold in this country through one distributor, Black Diamond Technologies (BDT), and BDT is also who issues the warranty. The badge on the outdoor unit and the name on the paperwork should line up.

Mitsubishi Electric or Mitsubishi Heavy Industries?

Two separate companies with separate warranties and separate service networks. The model number is the fastest way to tell them apart. Mitsubishi Electric wall units start with MSZ for the indoor unit and MUZ for the outdoor. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries uses SRK and SRC.

An MSZ-AP25 is a Mitsubishi Electric AP Series unit, and the number after the letters is the cooling size: 25 is 2.5 kW, 71 is 7.1 kW.

One trap. Models starting MSY/MUY are registered with no heating rating. If you want a heat pump, check the quote shows an MSZ model.

The model and serial number sit on a label on the indoor unit and another on the outdoor unit. Write both down somewhere safe. You’ll need them for manuals, repairs and claims.

→ Related: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries heat pumps

What Mitsubishi Electric ranges are sold in New Zealand?

High wall units are what most homes end up with:

GS Standard: the entry level series.
AP Series: quiet, from 18 dBA on its lowest fan setting in heat mode on the 2.5 kW size, which suits bedrooms.
EF Designer Smart: slim, with Wi-Fi Control built in, in black, silver or white.
LN Black Diamond Smart: three colours, a 3D i-See sensor and plasma filtration, with HyperCore available on the 2.5 to 5 kW sizes.

Floor consoles come in the KW RapidHeat series, with a HyperCore version. Then there are ducted (PEAD and PEA), concealed (SEZ), cassette (MLZ, SLZ and PLA) and ceiling suspended (PCA) systems. MXZ multi-room systems can connect up to eight indoor units to one outdoor unit.

→ Related: Ducted vs high wall heat pumps

Is HyperCore worth it in a frosty town?

Most heat pumps give you less heat as the outdoor temperature drops. HyperCore models are rated to deliver full heating capacity down to -15°C and to keep heating down to -25°C. The outdoor unit has a 130 W de-icer in the drain tray so ice can’t build up in the base.

In Central Otago, the Mackenzie or Taupō, where a frosty morning is just what winter looks like, ask for a HyperCore quote alongside a standard one and compare the 2°C heating figure on the energy label. That number tells you more about July than the headline output does.

→ Related: Best heat pumps for cold NZ climates

Mitsubishi Electric heat pump warranty: what you get

Five years parts and labour on M, S and P Series split systems and on MXZ and PUMY multi-room systems, including their indoor units. Controllers and accessories get one year. Cover starts on the purchase date and applies to the original purchaser, and the unit has to be installed by an authorised dealer to qualify.

What the warranty doesn’t cover

The exclusions are the part to read before you sign a quote:

The installation itself. Pipework, wiring, drains and ducting are the installer’s responsibility, and so is getting the size right.
Corrosion where protection suited to the site wasn’t specified and kept up. That covers coastal, geothermal and industrial areas.
Hard-to-reach units. Extra labour, scaffolding or a crane because of poor access.
Noise complaints about an outdoor unit placed close to a boundary.
Travel costs beyond a 100 km round trip from an authorised repair company.
Refrigerant leaks from badly made pipe joints or leaking Schrader valve cores.

Near the sea or in Rotorua? Plan for corrosion

Salt air and geothermal gases are hard on metal, and indoor units can corrode too when outside air is drawn in. New Zealand is mapped into corrosion zones from C1 (low) to C5 (very high). Ask your installer which zone your address is in and what extra protection it calls for.

As the owner, you’re expected to keep up regular servicing, clean the filters, coils and drains, and maintain any protective coating. Standard home systems should be serviced at least once a year, and more often on the coast or in geothermal areas. Keep your service invoices, because maintenance records can be asked for if you make a claim. Our servicing guide covers what a service involves.

Can you control a Mitsubishi heat pump from your phone?

Wi-Fi Control was developed in New Zealand. Through the Mitsubishi Wi-Fi Control app you can turn the unit on before you get home, change the mode and fan speed, and set weekly rules. The one families use most is a minimum room temperature: the heat pump turns itself on if a child’s bedroom drops below the level you set. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

It’s compatible with the domestic high wall, floor console and ducted systems. The EF Designer has it built in. Other models need a Wi-Fi Interface, which can be added to a new unit or retrofitted to selected existing high walls and floor consoles. Your router needs a 2.4 GHz band. Smart heat pumps covers the app side in more detail.

Is it worth upgrading an old Mitsubishi heat pump?

Replacing an older unit? Ask about pipe reuse. Mitsubishi Electric has a refrigerant oil that cleans the old mineral oil out of existing pipes, so in many cases the pipework can stay. Repair-or-replace questions are covered in replacing a heat pump.

Getting a Mitsubishi serviced or repaired

Warranty repairs are done by an authorised repair company during normal business hours. The service centre search on the Mitsubishi Electric NZ website finds your nearest one by location, and the customer service line is 0800 784 382.

Service is easy to find. Of 1,020 installer websites checked, 326 mention Mitsubishi, more than any other brand. Of those, 317 name Mitsubishi Electric outright, which on its own sits just behind Daikin (224) and ahead of Fujitsu or General (191) and Panasonic (184). When a fault light shows, note the model number and what the unit is doing before you ring. Our heat pump problems guide covers the checks to try first.

→ Related: Mitsubishi Electric vs Daikin

Find a Mitsubishi installer near you

Look for installers offering heat pump servicing or repairs, or start from your town. If you’re still weighing up a new unit, get a quote from someone who’ll size it for your rooms.