Story of Hartnell Coolheat

Hartnell Coolheat history

In 1980 brothers Chris and Phil Hartnell recognized a unique opportunity to establish an engineering company with a specialization in air conditioning, heating, ventilation and heat recovery systems. The idea was to specialize in both commercial and residential markets within the greater Canterbury area. At the time there was little offered to the public in the way of quality, service-orientated climate control installation. The formation of Hartnell Coolheat provided this service.

Our story

The company has gone from strength to strength in the following decades, growing from a relatively small family business to a30-strong workforce with extensive capability in both high-end architectural residential along with a wide range of commercial climate control projects.

The company aims to understand their client’s needs for detailed, clear information across a sometimes complicated process.

From the very outset the company policy was to only undertake projects that would guarantee the clients complete satisfaction without unduly compromises.

This approach helped win new clients and guaranteed repeat business from existing clients. From the beginning the company had its own in-house design team and dedicated installation and service teams.

In 2006 the company solidified this presence with the purchasing of Nutemp Heating in Rangiora & became Hartnell Coolheat North Canterbury offering the same high standard of service as the city office, from the start to the finish. Since 1980 there has been a marked increase in competition in the market. But little has changed in the mindset of Hartnell Coolheat.

2008 saw Phil Hartnell leave the company for other pursuits leaving Chris at the Hartnell helm. With the same dedication to client expectation and satisfaction as always Chris expanded again and formed a sheet metal division. This enabled the company to manufacture in house bespoke ducting for the specialized projects being undertaken.

The Canterbury earthquake of 2010 / 2011 caused major disruptions and upheaval for Hartnell Coolheat. With a number of staff out of their homes, the company was also forced to vacate their building pending structural re-entry approval. The team pulled together and for a number of weeks and worked out of their homes and garages. They then spent a number of months in portable buildings in their car park and anywhere they could find space while the building was repaired.

During this period the company had extensive involvement in the Earthquake Recovery Program (EQP) whereby a heat pump was to be installed if the chimney was not to be rebuilt.

In 2020 with the arrival of Covid19, lockdowns & the uncertainty around this period it was decided to close the Rangiora branch& concentrate on the central location. However we still continue to serve the North Canterbury area with our local sales team.

The company is also a foundation member of the CCCA (Climate Controls Companies Association) previously known as RACCA(Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Companies Association).

How we work

Refrigeration technicians, electricians and duct installers are employed directly, allowing the greatest level of project control and accountability. This level of capability and accountability has been instilled from the start, with the company a founding member of CCCA (Climate Controls Companies Association), formerly RACCA, in 1985. This organisation is committed to professionalism and excellence in all aspects of the industry. We take safety seriously and, as a member of Site Safe, require our site staff to have a Site Safe Passport and sit two yearly refresher courses. All our installation and technical staff also attend yearly training courses provided by our suppliers. This ensures we have the latest knowledge, and can give our clients prompt, efficient service. These clients know that no guarantee can be given that a piece of technology will never break down. However, when worst comes to worst, our technicians can soon put things right. Here are just some of the reasons why we stand out…

Reasons to Choose Hartnell Coolheat:

  • Specialty knowledge: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning is all we do. That’s why we’re so good at it.

  • Fully accessible: Knowledgeable staff are ready to answer all your questions. If there are any problems with a unit we’re only a phone call away.

  • The team: Reception, sales and installation staff are all employees of Hartnell Coolheat. We don’t employ anyone extra. Everyone is part of the team.

  • Ready to go: Our office in Christchurch is staffed from 8:00am–5:00pm Monday to Friday.

  • The history: We have been serving Canterbury for over 40 years. That’s the experience that matters.

  • Expertise counts: We are only interested in selling technically superior products. We’ve been around long enough to know what does and doesn’t work.

  • Experience the difference: Our showrooms have a full range of working models available to try out, with plenty of parking available.

  • Easy for you: We provide free, no-obligation site visits & quotations, with flexible payment terms available. For existing homes, we also offer on-the-spot quotations.

  • The question of quality: Although we are competitive, we are not necessarily the cheapest. That’s because we pride ourselves on providing the absolute best in quality product and service. Our clients appreciate the difference.

Welcome to the Coolheat Team

  • Chris Hartnell: Founder & Managing Director

    Since beginning in the industry in the early 70’s Chris has spent the best part of this time running Hartnell Coolheat. With his unwavering passion and dedication Chris ensures the company will continue to stride ahead of the rest. And, in his efforts as Director, he’s never far from the action. Chris is a member or IRHACE (The Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers of New Zealand Inc.) and an IQP (Independent Qualified Person).

  • Kane Greig: Logistic & Sales

    Kane joined the team in 2015 and is responsible for company stock levels and also fulfills the role of Sales Consultant. Kane is very passionate about sales with good customer skills and understanding of customers requirements.

  • Lisa Hartnell: Service & Maintenance Manager

    Lisa has been with the company since May, 2017 & given her high level of organisation & attention to detail quickly moved to the position of Service Manager. She is responsible for ensuring plant breakdowns are kept to a minimum via our plant maintenance program. With Councils requiring yearly confirmation all HVAC plant is being maintained in accordance with the NZ Building Code this is particularly important for signing off our commercial clients' annual building warrant of fitness. She also has the added responsibility of getting our Techs to breakdowns as soon as possible to ensure we minimize the downtime of your plant.

  • Alek Stefanovski: Senior Design Engineer & Estimator

    As a qualified HVAC engineer with extensive experience in the climate control industry Alek joined Hartnell Coolheat in 2004. With this level of experience he is able to provide the necessary focus for delivering adaptable, dependable solutions, no matter what the size or shape of the project. Alek currently works for the company in a part time capacity.

  • Cameron McBride: Design & Sales Engineer

    Cameron joined our company in 2021 as a Design & Sales engineer. Cam is qualified Mechanical Engineer with a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering at ARA Institute. Cameron is very passionate about engineering and is an important part of our team. Cam also has a very interesting hobby – in his free time he builds his own custom jet boat.

  • Shane Prinsloo: Service Supervisor

    Joining the company from South Africa in 2018 as a Senior Technician, with his high level of skill & knowledge Shane quickly moved to the position of Supervisor. Responsible for assisting our Technicians, trouble-shooting & commissioning of our larger projects Shane is valuable addition to the company.

  • Moises Lapojapo: Senior Ducting Fabricator

    Joining the company in 2014 Moises quickly became our Senior Fabricator able to handle any size project with a high degree of engineering knowledge & the ability to resolve any tricky installation issues

  • Krishnil Kumar: Senior Installer

    Krishnil joined Hartnell Coolheat in 2016. His ability to handle our larger projects along with instructing other staff in how to correctly install plant is why he is our Senior Installer.

Join Our Team


Hartnell Coolheat Limited has been serving Canterbury for over 40years specializing in a range of heat pumps, air conditioning, heat recovery, and ventilation systems.

We are always looking for well qualified, motivated people to join our team so if you are interested in an apprenticeship in our industry or are a qualified sheet metal worker with HVAC experience or a refrigeration tech looking for employment then we would like to hear from you.

If this sounds like you, please send your CV and cover letter to: Hartnell Coolheat Ltd, P.O. Box 7423, Christchurch or email to, reception@hartnell.co.nz, Attn: Chris Hartnell