Hot Water System Replacement, Repairs Installation
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WHAT’S THE BEST HOT WATER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT FOR YOU?
WHAT HOT WATER SYSTEMS
ARE AVAILABLE IN SYDNEY
Hot water systems in Sydney come in two fundamental designs – ‘storage hot water system’ and ‘instantaneous hot water system’ (also known as a continuous flow hot water system). Both systems can be found using gas, electricity, solar or heat pump technology.
STORAGE HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Storage hot water systems keeps heated water in a tank until it is needed. This allows for instant hot water however it is limited by the tank’s storage capacity.
INSTANTANEOUS HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Instantaneous hot water systems heat water only as it is required. It may take a few moments to get hot, however it has an unlimited capacity and doesn’t waste energy keeping unneeded water warm.
GAS HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Are you looking to switch to Gas? A Gas hot water system has the advantage of being low maintenance. Both the tank and continuous flow systems use a gas burner. The gas burner on the tank continuously maintains the heat in the tank whilst the burner on the continuous flow system only ignites when the water is needed.
ELECTRIC HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Did you know that a large portion of the average Australians household electricity bill comes from the cost of heating water? It can be as high as 30% of your total bill! Both the tank and continuous flow system use an electric-powered element to heat water. On the storage system this sits at the base of the heater whilst in a continuous flow system the element is wrapped around the pipes to heat your water.
SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Solar hot water systems use the sun to heat water in a tank via panels installed on your roof. If there is insufficient sun to heat the water, the system will use gas or electricity or natural gas as a substitute. These systems greatly reduce the energy bill to run, however have significantly higher upfront costs to install.
HEAT PUMP HOT WATER SYSTEMS
Heat pump hot water systems are essentially reverse cycle air conditioners that heat your water (instead of the air in your home). They are very energy efficient, using a third of the electricity that would normally take to run an electric hot water system. The reason for this is that the electricity is used to operate the heat pump and does not heat the water directly like a standard electrical hot water system. The system needs a steady stream of air to run efficiently and so needs to be installed in a well-ventilated area.
Government Rebates Are Given For
Choosing Gas Or Solar Hot Water Systems
If you change from an electric hot water system to a gas hot water system then you may be eligible for government rebates. There are even more generous government rebates if you look to install a solar-powered hot water heater or upgrade to a heat pump system.
Things to consider when choosing an electric hot water system
Electric hot water systems | Storage | Instantaneous |
Cost to supply and install | Low cost | Low cost |
Total cost over 15 years – purchase price plus running costs |
Moderate for off-peak where the system only runs at night. Moderate off-peak tariff that allows day operation as well as night. Highest of all systems for |
High cost as they run on a continuous tariff |
Location | Indoors or outdoors | Indoors or outdoors |
Configuration | Stand-alone tank, floor or wall mounted, direct connection to cold water supply and your water users | Stand-alone unit; wall mounted, direct connection to cold water supply and your water users |
Tank size |
2 persons: 50L-80L for continuous 4 persons: 125-160L for continuous 2 persons: 160-250L for off-peak 4 persons: 250-315L for off-peak Smaller for fewer people, larger for more people |
Not applicable Heater size or number of heaters needed will depend on the number of hot water outlets |
Minimum standards and/or labelling |
Water heater is subject to Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Voluntary energy rating labelling by industry |
No |
Government incentives | None | None |
Noise impact | Negligible | Negligible |
Greenhouse gas emissions (assuming you are on standard grid power) | Very high for continuous operation, high for off-peak | High |
Other considerations | If off-peak tariffs are not available, this may be the most expensive option over the life of the hot water system | Multiple users simultaneously can limit effectiveness |
Best suited to | Small households or businesses with low hot water demand | Small households or businesses with low hot water demand |
SOURCE: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/ | Hot Water Guide for Households and Businesses
Things to consider when choosing a gas hot water system
Gas hot water systems | Storage | Instantaneous |
Cost to supply and install | Low cost | Low cost |
Total cost over 15 years – purchase price plus running costs |
Moderate cost | Moderate cost |
Location | Usually outdoors for venting | Usually outdoors for venting |
Configuration | Stand-alone tank; floor mounted, direct connection to gas, electricity for controls and possibly pilot light, cold water supply and your water users | Stand-alone unit; wall mounted, direct connection to gas, electricity for controls and possibly pilot light, cold water supply and your water users |
Tank size |
2 person: < 135L 4 persons: 135-170L Smaller for fewer people, larger for more people |
Not applicable. Heater size or number of heaters needed will depend on the number of hot water outlets |
Minimum standards and/or labelling |
Water heater will have a Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Voluntary energy rating labelling by industry |
Water heater will have a Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Voluntary energy rating labelling by industry |
Government incentives | None | None |
Noise impact | Negligible | Negligible |
Greenhouse gas emissions (assuming you are on standard grid power) | Moderate due to gas consumption, currently no ‘green gas’ option | Moderate due to gas consumption, currently no ‘green gas’ option |
Other considerations |
If gas is not used elsewhere in the home, then there may be a cost saving by switching to or choosing an electric-powered system LPG is an option if natural gas is not available, but is likely to be much more expensive to run |
Multiple users simultaneously can limit effectiveness |
Best suited to | Most house and small businesses where there is a gas connection and other gas-using equipment | Most households and small businesses where there is a gas connection and other gas-using equipment |
SOURCE: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/ | Hot Water Guide for Households and Businesses
Things to consider when choosing a heat pump or solar hot water system
Heat pump and solar hot water systems | Heat pump | Solar hot water |
Cost to supply and install | High | Typically, the highest cost water heater |
Total cost over 15 years – purchase price plus running costs |
Moderate cost, comparable to gas and solar hot water in many cases | Often the lowest cost system overall due to low running costs |
Location | Outdoors | Outdoors |
Configuration | May be a single unit with integrated heat pump and storage tank or separate units, typically ground mounted |
Roof mounted panels, roof for hot water storage in a thermosiphon system, ground mounted storage tank for split systems. Electric or gas boost connected to energy supply |
Tank size |
2 persons: < 270L 4 persons: 270-315L Smaller for fewer people, larger for more people |
2 persons: 180 L 4 persons: 300-360L Smaller for fewer people, larger for more people |
Minimum standards and/or labelling | None at present |
None at present for solar components. Storage tanks for gas-boosted systems must have an efficiency label |
Government incentives | Yes, eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) as an upfront rebate | Yes, eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) as an upfront rebate |
Noise impact | Low, compressor and fan on the heat pump are similar to an air conditioner | Negligible |
Greenhouse gas emissions (assuming you are on standard grid power) | Low as the heat pump extracts renewable energy (heat) from surrounding air to heat water | Low to very low depending on the location. Carbon emissions are only associated with operation of the gas or electric boost. |
Other considerations |
Operation in warmer climates and in daytime maximises carbon savings. Efficiency is reduced in colder regions and at night Heat pumps that use carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant produce even more greenhouse gas savings |
Around 4 m2 is needed for a 4- person house, more if the orientation and shading limit the effectiveness of the panels |
Best suited to | Medium to large households | For most households this may be the cheapest system in the long term |
SOURCE: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/ | Hot Water Guide for Households and Businesses
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