Chofu is Japan’s leading air-to-water heat pump manufacturer. Chofu started operation in 1954 as a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, based in Shimonoseki, Japan.
In 1960, Chofu developed a kerosene-fired burner for drying rice or wheat in the husk. This product prompted Chofu’s later growth. After the development of kerosene-fired burner, they shifted course into residential appliances, with a clear focus on oil-fired water heaters. In 1968, Chofu discontinued its agricultural machinery.
In 1972, Chofu advanced into the field of air conditioners and started the production of residential-use air conditioners. By 1986, Chofu started the production of kerosene-fired water heaters with a direct connection to tap water.
Chofu has since gone on to start the production of solar water heaters, hybrid air conditioners, hybrid solar water heater systems, high-efficiency gas-fired bath water heaters, gas engine-driven cogeneration systems and many more. They are the second biggest manufacturer of heat pumps, just behind Mitsubishi in Japan.
Chofu manufacturers heat pumps for several companies around the world and only sell their branded Chofu products in Japan and New Zealand.
Central Heating New Zealand partnered with Chofu in 2014. Chofu supplies Central Heating New Zealand with its air-to-water heat pumps. The high-quality heat pump features a single-phase inverter compressor with an integral room controller for heating times and temperatures, including domestic hot water production. Chofu’s heat pumps come with a 5-year warranty.
In 2019, Chofu switched to R32 refrigerant across its entire range of heating products. Chofu’s second generation, air-to-water heat pumps with R32 was the first of its kind to be rolled out across New Zealand.
R32 has less environmental impact than R410A which is currently the international refrigeration standard. With a GWP* (Global Warming Potential) of 675, R32 is less than half of R410A, which has a GWP of 2090. Because R32 efficiently conveys heat it requires less refrigerant volume per kW. This equates to a 10% reduction in energy consumption. The refrigerant is integral to Chofu’s ongoing commitment to manufacturing low environmental impact products.
Chofu embraced the belief of ‘realizing a comfortable life abundance with hot water’ and has strived to supply customers with numerous water heaters powered by various types of energy, such as oil, gas, electricity, and solar energy.
Chofu promises to make a company-wide effort to further technological innovation, to develop products that are kind to humans and the environment, and to conduct our business as a company that is passionate about environmental protection.
*The Global Warming Potential (GWP) - was developed to allow comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases. Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a period, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the earth compared to CO2 over the time period. The time period usually used for GWPs is 100 years. GWPs provided a common unit of measure, which allows analysts to add up emissions estimates of different gases and allows policymakers to compare emissions deduction opportunities across sectors and gases. Information sourced by EPA.gov.
