I am in the market to buy a new HWS after my existing heat pump just died.
This seems like a good deal, considering how efficient they are compared to standard electric hot water systems (even gas).
Mod: This offer is claiming the STC which you can do with any participating brand and retailer, see comment. Thanks dibbs.
Please see my comment below and AVOID CHROMAGEN!!! This company is very bad news!!
A sharp offer.
Interestingly I went looking for end date for this offer:
- This offer commences 1st February 2015 at 9.00am (AEST) and will continue for a limited time at which all claims must have been received by Chromagen.
With no specified end date, I would be cautious about actually getting your rebate from Chromagen?
Fair point.. however, I confirmed at my local bunnings tonight that the offer is still valid.
Something interesting.. maybe some of the techies can confirm…
"170L heat pump has an effective daily hot water delivery of 340 Litres" — is this true of standard electric HWS?
So is that correct, you would only need a 170L heat pump if a 350L electric was sufficient?
An exact copy of the info is:
2) Higher daily hot water delivery
170L heat pump has an effective daily hot water delivery of 340 Litres
On Tariff 33 a heat pump will run during the day. It can recover heat losses from
morning showers & be ready with another 170 Litres in the afternoon
Electric heaters operating on off-peak tariffs (T31) can only operate between 10pm & 6am
After morning showers, the electric water heater cannot recover heat losses during the day
An electric water heater will have to wait until the next morning to recover with
another 250L of hot water
So they are comparing heat pump operating on T31 vs electric on T33.
It's the tariff operating hours that allow the heat pump to recover losses.
Electric would also be the same.
It can recover heat losses from morning showers
Gawd, how does it do that fer Christ sake? How is that possible without the water draining back to some sort of heat exchanger?
The offer is based on the Government STC incentive and by completing the claim form you are assigning the STCs generated from the installation of your heat pump.
So you'd get it anyway if you are claiming STC's. Nothing to do with buying this particular brand or from Bunnings in this case.
Basically an advertising scam.
So this is applicable to ANY heat pump system?
Can you please share some other links to other units?
No mention about warranty, specs, or even a simple "size"… wow, terrible website :/
Any other suggestions?
mention about warranty, specs, or even a simple "size"… wow, terrible website :/
I don't know where you went but the hydrotherm website has all that detail and more.
Any other suggestions?
Stop using the internet if you can't find the above information.
On every page is a link to the warranty details - http://hydrothermhotwatersystems.com.au/warranties-2/
The rest of the information is also readily available.
I have a hydrotherm unit that is around four years old and I can't fault it.
@Maverick-au:
Good to know, I got my quarterly power bill down to $131 which included $105 in supply + $6 meter. I have gas hot water so am looking to upgrade to a heat pump to run during solar hours, as it's about $160/q for the gas connection.
Good to know, I got my quarterly power bill down to $131 which included $105 in supply + $6 meter. I have gas hot water so am looking to upgrade to a heat pump to run during solar hours, as it's about $160/q for the gas connection.
I can't remember the exact figure but we run ours on the off peak tariff without the timer so it runs as required because our showers are late at night and we have the smaller system but it's around $35-40 a quarter. When it was on timer to run during the day it was around $25-30 a quarter.
Running it in timer so it operates during the day when your solar is exporting and the system is most efficient you would want to get the bigger system.
Without a tempering valve I doubt we would have any problems with running low on hot water.
We have a large solar system with a premium FIT so run it on the off peak tariff. The situation with gas in this country is beyond stupid, I don't know why anyone bothers with the huge costs especially when we're selling it for cents overseas.
@Maverick-au: To be fair to Joshuah, he probably viewed it through a phone (or maybe tablet). Their website redirects to http://hydrotherm.mobi/, even when directing linking to pages like warranty. Other than a cut down homepage, you can only get to a policy page & a find a tradie page.
Since they have full control of their mobile website, they have chosen to provide little to no information, hence Joshuah's criticisms are valid.
Is this for solar panels, sorry confused with the terms
No, not solar.
Is this for solar panels, sorry confused with the terms.
How do you confuse solar panels with heat pump hot water systems?
I find it hilarious that he gave the deal a plus vote when he doesnt even know what the deal is about. Good stuff.
No its not for solar power, Heat Pump is another alternative for hot water production. Solar panels, Solar Hot Water systems and Heat Pumps can claim STCs for up to 14 years. Both Hydro and Wind are not considered a form of STC but in some States and Territories they have their own benefits and schemes for the other two technology.
I sell these for a living, STCs looks like better in some places but every State and Territory are different but depends if you can buy it from your local Bunnings tho.
These are also a Midea branded heat pump not a Chromagen heat pump model the product number for these are RSJ-35/300RDN3-D for the 280 litres and RSJ-15/190RDN3-C for the 170 litres. Its a Chinese made product.
We have a Chromagen gas boosted solar HWS.
It's only a few months old, but already multiple problems. Also had the wrong pressure relief valve installed ex factory.
Wouldn't touch another Chromagen product.
I didn't buy one as my Chinese mother in law buys loads of Midea products in China to fill her kitchen. They are all weird and wonderful, but mostly crappily made.
It wasn't hard to pass up a cheap HWS made by them, or anyone like them (chromagen/Hydratherm). Instead, we bought a Sanden Heat Pump with a separate stainless tank. It's more efficient as it uses CO2, but above all is well made (Japan) and is known for being reliable by those in the know.
Also it's damn quiet. But it was MUCH more expensive than the single-piece ones that seem to fail.
Heat pump systems are great for hot climates, if your house is in a (VERY) cold, damp environment it will be less efficient and possibly ice up. If near the sea, the salt air will probably kill it in no time.
A good brand is also the Australian made Siddons, if you are in Tas/Victoria these are the best option by far.
It wasn't hard to pass up a cheap HWS made by them, or anyone like them (chromagen/Hydratherm). Instead, we bought a Sanden Heat Pump with a separate stainless tank. It's more efficient as it uses CO2, but above all is well made (Japan) and is known for being reliable by those in the know
Makes little financial sense, Sanden is three to four times the price of the Hydrotherm units.
The efficiency gains from the Sanden are generally only a few percent. Only part of the system is made in Australia. Will it last three to four times longer? I doubt it.
Also it's damn quiet. But it was MUCH more expensive than the single-piece ones that seem to fail.
What are you basing your claim on? There are heaps of people on sites like Whirlpool with the hydrotherm units with no failures after many years and most of the components are easily replaceable.
LOL!
OK, so in a good environment, a cheap unit, if it is well made can last quite well. But a HWS needs to have a modicum of assured reliability. The way the Midea ones are actually made (solder joints, design) all things that have been steadily improving, but are nowhere near there. They incorporate components that are of lower quality because these decisions are made by the designers, who don't design them to last as long as others. "That plastic piece will be alright in there", even though the hot water will degrade it at normal temperature. Or, as is very commonly the case in China, the supplier switches to a cheaper plastic mid-production, or the manufacturer switches to a cheaper supplier (so the part used hasn't been tested), or the testing itself is or was flawed… or not even done. There is corruption everywhere, so anything in the manufacturing and supply chain can end up impacting the product you buy and rely on for hot water.
Increasingly though, problems nowadays arise from the software which is never good on commodity products. On these Midea things??? Just look at the code, let alone the UI.
Being without hot water has a pretty bad impact on a cheapskate as much as a big-spender. A heat pump is nowhere near as reliable as an element, or even solar, so a cheap heat-pump is a very bad idea.
I base my claim on having seen how they are made, as no-one is collecting stats on this as you would know. BTW there are also heaps of people on wp who are pretty bitter about their heat pump units- all kinds… :-)
Take the cover off and its plainly obvious which is better, or just listen to one working. Better still, program it, or obtain the operational code and read the comments and the logic. There is good Chinese code, but it is not generally found in commercial products- they are mostly made to a price.
I've been interested in one of these for a few years and everything I've read suggests what zero velocity says is the case. Very few brands are worth considering. Siddons, Sanden, (a german one I forget). Even Dux and Rheem don't sound crash hot. ANY other brand is just asking for trouble.
It is a fairly complex machine being a HWS and a heat pump (thats reverse cycle air con to mainlanders). Ok you may buy a cheap one and may get some good years from it, but from all reports you will most likely get repair or replacement bills very soon. This is just one bit of tech you cant buy cheap.
PDF Guide to heat pump HW - check map for suitability (hot humid best)
These model Specs
Some unhappy customer reviews for their solar systems.
Plenty more info - search
Hadn't considered heat pump HW - so thanks OP😯
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM CHROMAGEN!!!!
I personally bought a solar system from them and had massive problems with the tank just over a year after buying. They were trying to not honour the warranty, but we were very lucky to come across a plumber who helped us and basically threatened Chromagen with a class action because of the number of failed tanks he personally knew of. We got a replacement tank from them, but it was a different brand to their original stuff. And they were trying to charge us for labour even when we got the parts replaced under warranty.
Since then, I keep coming across people who have had similar problems with Chromagen, and who know of other people who have had similar problems.
I just googled "Chromagen problems" and there are many people reporting problems on the net…
https://www.australiansolarquotes.com.au/retailers/vic/braes…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2--CwLUxhk
http://www.productreview.com.au/p/chromagen-450-litres.html
http://www.productreview.com.au/qa/chromagen-450-litres.html
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1455113
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59002
Those were all from the first page of the Google search.
You have been warned!!!
This.
Our Chromagen water tank rusted through and warranty was a nightmare.
Another very sorry Chromagen owner here as well. We got duped by our builder into having one of these pieces of shite.
Lots of trouble with rusting, valves, pump etc.
Funnily enough it is getting replaced on Monday with a different brand after the sensor screwed up again and it is releasing gushes of hot water 2-3 times a day. Have had 3 different plumbers give me quotes on a new system and they all - and I kid you not - laughed when they saw I had a Chromagen.
Avoid Chromagen like the plague!
If you've had a negative Chromagen experience, I suggest negging this deal, not because of the OP's post (sorry!), but because of Chromagen's reputation…
Don't do it. Chromagen are absolute junk. Brand new passive solar + tank + instant gas boost and the damn thing could never deliver a constant temperature. It took multiple service calls to diagnose the issue, and then it started to fail again less than three months after it was fixed.
Avoid them like the plague, unless you like your showers cold.
Electric resistance heating is 100% efficient. Does this violate the laws of thermodynamics?
No because it's not creating heat, with the exception of the compressor, water pump and fan.
It's an air conditioner on reverse cycle but instead of heating air inside a house, it's heating water inside a tank.
Afraid heat pump at all cost. You will find yourself showering in cold water during winter.
Afraid heat pump at all cost. You will find yourself showering in cold water during winter.
Utter rubbish, these units are used across the world including Europe with no problems in colder climates. Your comment speaks volumes about your lack of knowledge because fundamentally all these are is an AC system.
Nothing but problems with these systems
Thanks to everyone that took the time to share comments on these units. You've saved quite a few fellow OzBargainers time, money and anguish.
Is there any heat pump water heater combined with aircon?
Makes sense to me in summer…
I was reading something online that you could put a duct from the air outlet of the HWS and vent it back into the house as it's literally the same air quality that comes out from an actual aircon unit?
lol .. 150 clicks and no comments