Heat pump hot water service.

[tea lady]

Our old hot water service has carked it, and I think we are getting a heat pump hot water service. Nearly 60% of the cost is paid for by gov rebates cos its classed as a solar system, cos all heat in the world comes from the sun I guess! Apparently they work a bit like a reverse air conditioner, and use the temp of the air to evaporate refrigerant. All sounds very technical. Does anyone else have one of these systems, or similar?

http://www.hotwaterprofessionals.com...er-systems.htm

[Claw Hama]

Don't have one TL butused to work on them years ago when they first kicked off. They work well and are economical to run but if they break down they can cost a lot to fix would be my only word of warning. Similar to air conditioning repairs only worse. The biggest problem is if they split the heat exchanger and you get water in your refrigerant system, this then turns the oil acidic and thats when the repair bill goes through the roof.

[damian]

There are several brands. Myself and friends have had good service from saxon. I'm not associated apart from having had one in my home (conventional not heat pump) for the last 12 years, and it was second hand when I bought the place. They are copper. They used to make a heat pump version don't know if they still do.

As you both said they use the same principle as an air conditioner. If you compress a fluid it gets hoter than ambient, cool it down then drop the pressure and it gets colder than ambient. The pump increases the pressure, the radiator dumps the heat, the tx valves drops the pressure, the other radiator absorbs heat. The radiators have other names, just can't remember them right now.

If you want to feel the principle in action block the end of a bicycle pump, wrap your hand around it and push the plunger, it'll get warm. Conversely find something pressurised at room temp, drop the pressure and feel it get cold.

I like heat pumps and intend to fit one when mine goes (if it ever does). None of the hassles of solar systems.

BTW did anyone notice the gov cut the solar subsidy this week and brought in the new system ?

[tea lady]

I like heat pumps and intend to fit one when mine goes (if it ever does). None of the hassles of solar systems.We don't get enough sun on ur roof to do solar. So this sounded like a good option.

BTW did anyone notice the gov cut the solar subsidy this week and brought in the new system ?

The subsidy change is on Solar electricity where the power can get put back into the grid (I think. ) , not solar hot water. So the subsidies on these are still on the go. Good to know heat pumps are actually old technology. You don't hear much about them in the media.

[arose62]

We have a Quantum unit which came with our current house. It's worked well, and the electricity bill seems OK (much larger house, with a/c, more lights etc., but bill hasn't jumped as much as we'd anticipated.)

The only heads-up I have is that they condense a lot of water out of the atmosphere. We collect a bucket a day, which we toss on the garden. If the hose clogs, the water gathers in the top, near the electric/motor/computer bits !

I thought it might be more efficient to take hot air from, say, the roof space into the HWS, and in summer, pump the freezing output air into the house, or across the A/C coils, but that's for my to-do list

I've spoken to a few plumbers, including the one who did the 5-year service on it, and they all had good things to say. A couple said some other brands went a bit over the top on computerising some HWS models, and they had been a bit flakey - wasn't Quantum, so I didn't bother retaining the info.

Cheers,
Andrew

[tea lady]

I think we are getting a Rheem unit.

[jackliveshere]

Hey Tea Lady,

Here at work we install quite a lot of heat pumps with our new houses (occasionally we also do solar and the rest are gas). We always install Rheem 310lt heat pumps. They never miss a beat and I can't even remember if we've ever done any maintenance on one of those units. Can be a bit more expensive, but as you have already discovered in your research, there is a rebate to be had. Good luck with it!

Cheers,

Will

[tea lady]

Hey Tea Lady,

Here at work we install quite a lot of heat pumps with our new houses (occasionally we also do solar and the rest are gas). We always install Rheem 310lt heat pumps. They never miss a beat and I can't even remember if we've ever done any maintenance on one of those units. Can be a bit more expensive, but as you have already discovered in your research, there is a rebate to be had. Good luck with it!

Cheers,

Will

The rebate is amazing. Total cost is $4500, but after all the rebates we only pay $1300 or so. Looks like the old one carked it at a good time for once. ('cept the fact that its freezing. We have a little temporary unit till the other one is installed, so at least we don't have to do the sponge bath for a week. )

[damian]

Sorry didn't make that clear, yes I was referring to the solar cells not solar hot water.

The americans are more inot integrated water/house heating. Downside is if it goes wrong everything is broken and it's expensive.

Not a big fan of dux and rheem. Once the electrode rots (assuming you don't replace it) the tank is on borrowed time. They seem to go about 10 years. It would be good if you could recycle the heat pump side onto a new tank but I don't know if that's possible.

I don't know anyone whos ever had a saxon rot out on them. YMMV.

Be aware the rebate only applies to the first one (I believe), so if it rots you'll have to pay full price for the replacment. Personally I think the price of all of them is a ripoff. You can buy an air con for $1k and a tank for $500, so why aren't hp's $1500 ?

I believe new houses have to have low energy hot water now, so hp, solar or gas. Some spec home builders fit hp's as std and you have to specifically request anything else. No more hassle to install than a regular system.

tea Lady: where is belgrave ? No sun ?

[jackliveshere]

$4500! man that does seem steep. If you don't mind me asking, how much of that is the install price or do you only see it as one lump sum? At least you are getting a sizeable rebate! Way to do it, that's for sure.

[jackliveshere]

Be aware the rebate only applies to the first one (I believe), so if it rots you'll have to pay full price for the replacment.

I believe new houses have to have low energy hot water now, so hp, solar or gas. Some spec home builders fit hp's as std and you have to specifically request anything else. No more hassle to install than a regular system.

Yeah you only get one rebate per residence as far as I'm aware too. Don't think it'd really matter to most people anyway as even if your heat pump does bugger it in 10 years, I almost guarantee the legislation will be totally different and there won't be any rebates for that sort of thing. By then hopefully the price in the technology would come down too.

We actually have been installing instantaneous gas HWS as a default for a few years now since the legislation changed in 2006. Gas HWS are cheaper to buy and install then heat pumps, so we only put a heat pump in if someone asks for it.

Cheers,

Will

[tea lady]

The americans are more inot integrated water/house heating. Downside is if it goes wrong everything is broken and it's expensive.I thought there would be use full cold air coming off this thing. Seems logical too me.

Not a big fan of dux and rheem. Once the electrode rots (assuming you don't replace it) the tank is on borrowed time. They seem to go about 10 years. It would be good if you could recycle the heat pump side onto a new tank but I don't know if that's possible.

I don't know anyone whos ever had a saxon rot out on them. YMMV.So are Saxons more expencive? Do I need to get a differant saplier for them?

Be aware the rebate only applies to the first one (I believe), so if it rots you'll have to pay full price for the replacment. Personally I think the price of all of them is a ripoff. You can buy an air con for $1k and a tank for $500, so why aren't hp's $1500 ?cos there is a gov rebate so the price doesn't HAVE to be priced lower to sell.

I believe new houses have to have low energy hot water now, so hp, solar or gas. Some spec home builders fit hp's as std and you have to specifically request anything else. No more hassle to install than a regular system.

tea Lady: where is belgrave ? No sun ?

Well we do have sun. But we are on the south east side of a hill, and surrounded by trees, so the roof is too shaded in winter.

[damian]

Saxons are usually about the same price as dux and rheem. They used to be cheaper up here as they are made (I beleive) just north of brissy.

Yes i too suspect the price is driven by the rebate

Have a good weekend everyone.

[Claw Hama]

TL, the technology is old it would be 20years since I worked on the first one, it was wizz bang then. Many pool (as in Olympic) heaters are heat pump, Local council pools etc, large indoor heated pools.

PS. Check with your insurance Co and see if you can have it put on your policy for fusion and other damage.

[tea lady]

TL, the technology is old it would be 20years since I worked on the first one, it was wizz bang then. Many pool (as in Olympic) heaters are heat pump, Local council pools etc, large indoor heated pools.

PS. Check with your insurance Co and see if you can have it put on your policy for fusion and other damage.

Fusion?