Haydn Office Gets a Reliable Daikin VRV Upgrade
Haydn’s Christchurch office now has a simpler, more reliable Daikin VRV system that was designed, supplied, and installed within four weeks after ongoing failures of the previous Fujitsu VRV left staff in an all-glass building unbearably hot.
Project Overview
The Heat Pump People’s air conditioning team was engaged by Haydn, a national paint brush and hardware supplier, to replace a failed Fujitsu VRV system serving their two-storey office in Christchurch. The original system had suffered ongoing gas leak issues for several months, and another contractor had already recommended full replacement when The Heat Pump People was invited to provide a second quote.
The Challenge
With a fully glazed office and no opening windows on the first floor, staff comfort plummeted as the failing system struggled to cool the space. The client needed a fast, dependable solution that would restore comfort for around a dozen office staff while also supporting the wider warehouse operation on site.
The Solution
The Heat Pump People proposed a like-for-like Daikin VRV replacement, selected for fast design support, competitive pricing, and as the team’s preferred equipment choice. The system was redesigned from a single VRV to two separate Daikin VRV systems, one per floor, each with its own outdoor unit, branch selector box, and seven indoor ducted units with individual wired controllers. All copper refrigerant pipework was replaced with new three-pipe runs from the outdoor units to the branch selector boxes, while existing drains and suitable electrical circuits were reused to control costs and minimise disruption.
To improve air distribution and performance, 28 new plenums were installed along with new ducting on the ground floor, and the return air strategy was upgraded from using the ceiling void as a return to fully ducted return air. A dedicated Daikin Cora high wall split was added for the server room, replacing the previous arrangement where it shared an office ducted unit and giving IT better, independent temperature control.
Delivery and Timing
From initial visit to commissioning, the full replacement was delivered within four weeks, including design, quotation, procurement, installation, and testing. Works were staged floor-by-floor to keep the business running: the ground floor was completed in week one, and the first floor in week two, with the client’s IT team relocating staff as needed. The system was commissioned on the final Friday without any faults or hiccups reported.
Results and Client Feedback
Haydn’s team reports that the new Daikin VRV system is “running better than ever,” with noticeably higher condensate production from the outdoor units indicating significantly improved cooling performance. By splitting the building into two independent systems, the client is now better protected against future whole-building failures, as any fault would affect only one floor rather than the entire office. The Heat Pump People has also taken over ongoing maintenance, ensuring the system continues to operate reliably.
Beyond the technical improvements, the office atmosphere has lifted, with staff enjoying a comfortable, cool workspace—and even commenting on how much they enjoy the “daily karaoke” from the installation team as they worked to the soundtrack of classic pop hits during the project.
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