Can I control my heat pump by voice?

Often, yes, once it's on wi-fi. Several brands link their apps to voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, so you can change the temperature with your hands full. You need the brand's wi-fi adaptor and a compatible smart speaker.

How quickly does the heat pump respond to the app?

Usually within seconds, though it can take up to a minute. Many systems route commands through the brand's server, which checks in with the heat pump about once a minute, so there's a short gap between tapping the app and hearing the unit respond.

How should wi-fi control work in a rental?

The account belongs to whoever sets it up. If you're a landlord, hand the login over with the tenancy or remove the unit from your account. Agree in writing who controls it, so nobody changes settings that land on someone else's power bill.

Can I stop guests or kids turning the heat right up?

With some apps, yes. You can give other people their own access and set limits on the temperature and settings they can choose. On some brands that sits in a paid tier, so check before you rely on it.

Do my schedules still run when my phone is off?

Schedules you save in the app live on the brand's server, not on your handset, so they still run when your phone is switched off. Set the morning warm-up once and it keeps happening, whether your phone is charged, flat, or left at home.

Smart and Wi-Fi Heat Pumps: What App Control Does

A wi-fi heat pump isn’t some special machine. It’s an ordinary heat pump with a small adaptor that hooks it up to your home internet, so you can run the thing from an app on your phone, tablet or computer. On, off, temperature, schedule, from the couch or from the other side of the country. Some newer models come with wi-fi built in. On plenty of others it’s an optional extra, and a lot of older units can have an adaptor added later.

Is it worth it? If the upgrade isn’t expensive, usually yes. It doesn’t make the heat pump heat any better. It just makes it much easier to run only when you need it.

What can you do from the app?

The details vary by brand, but most apps let you:

Turn it on or off from anywhere with an internet connection.
Change the temperature, mode, fan speed and louvre direction.
Set schedules, so it comes on before you wake up or get home, and off when you leave.
See what it’s doing right now, including room temperature and current settings.
Control several units from one app, and share access with other people in the house.

Some go further. Depending on the brand, you can also get:

Rules based on temperature, such as coming on if the room drops below a set point.
Geolocation, which turns the heat pump on as your phone gets close to home.
A failsafe timer that switches it off after a set number of hours, even if everyone forgets.
Energy monitoring, showing roughly how many kWh it uses by hour, day or month.
Fault alerts that send the error code to your phone.
Filter reminders based on how long it has run.

A few brands put the extra features in a paid tier of the app, so check what’s free before you buy.

Does wi-fi control actually save power?

A heat pump running while nobody’s home is power wasted. Wi-fi control makes it easy to run it only when someone’s there to feel it.

Coming home to warmth without leaving it on all day. Switch it on 30 minutes before you get home instead of running it since breakfast.
Fixing mistakes. Left it going when you headed away for the weekend? Turn it off from wherever you are.
Heating the bach or crib before you arrive. A cold holiday house in Wānaka or the Coromandel can be warm by the time you’ve unpacked the car.
Seeing the cost. Energy monitoring shows how your habits change the power used.

Most heat pumps already have a built-in timer, and some have a seven-day one with several settings a day. If your week runs the same way every week, the timer on the remote does most of the job for nothing. Wi-fi is for the days that don’t go to plan. Our guide on heat pump winter settings covers what temperature to run it at.

What do you need at home to use wi-fi control?

A wi-fi network that reaches the heat pump. Many adaptors only work on the 2.4 GHz band, so check your router has it switched on. Some brands need a router with WPA2-AES security as well.
An internet connection that stays on. The app usually talks to the brand’s server, and the server talks to your heat pump. If the home internet drops, remote control stops, though the remote in the room still works.
A compatible phone or tablet with the brand’s app.

Some brands can connect your phone straight to the unit when you’re in range, even with no home wi-fi. Handy in a holiday house without broadband.

Can you add wi-fi to an older heat pump?

Many existing heat pumps can take an adaptor, but compatibility is model by model.

Mitsubishi Electric sells wi-fi adaptors that fit its high-wall, floor and ducted units, either at purchase or retrofitted later. The adaptor connects to the indoor unit’s control board and should be fitted by an authorised installer.
Daikin’s wi-fi adaptor works with its app on compatible split systems, and one app can run up to ten indoor units, each with its own adaptor.
General Airstage’s anywAiR adaptor works with a select range of its units. Outside the Lifestyle wall range, it needs a licensed installer and an extra cable.

Find the model number on the indoor unit’s label and check it against the brand’s compatibility list before you order anything.

What’s wrong with a cheap remote copier?

A brand adaptor plugs into the control board, so the app and the heat pump talk both ways. If someone picks up the remote in the room, the app updates. A remote copier only fires infra-red commands at the unit and can’t tell you what it’s actually doing.

Does wi-fi control work on multi-room and ducted systems?

Yes, though some extras can drop out. Energy monitoring, for instance, isn’t available on every brand’s multi-room setup. Our guide on single-room vs multi-room heat pumps covers the other trade-offs. Ducted systems usually have their own wall controller, and many offer an app or wi-fi module as an option, sometimes with zone control from your phone.

→ Related: Ducted vs high-wall heat pumps

How do you get wi-fi control fitted?

If you’re buying a new heat pump, ask for wi-fi in the quote. Adding it at install is usually simplest. For an existing unit, get an installer to check the model and fit the right adaptor.

Browse installers who fit wi-fi heat pump control, or pick your town to see who works near you.