Hot Water Tank Replacement

[Deactivated] on 16/09/2017 - 20:02
Last edited 17/09/2017 - 09:37 by 1 other user

Short version: We are constantly running out of hot water when all the teenage kids are home so considering upgrading to a dual element 400L tank.

I know we need to do some electrical work because of the off-peak/peak elements.The plumber suggested we get a new pressure limiter, new temperature limiter mixer thingy plus 1 other valve thingy replaced. Does anyone know whether these 3 items have a defined lifespan and if so when should they be replaced.

I got the impression the plumber was upselling because he could. Sorry for the vague descriptions, but if you can answer the question you probably know what I mean :)

If anyone has any experiences with a dual element, I would be happy to hear.

• 

  npc on 16/09/2017 - 20:21

  Yes they have a limited lifespan, the exact one should be written in the user manual.

  Have you considered replacing the tank with the instantaneous gas or electric heater? Seems to be a no brainer for me given that you need 400l tank.

• 

  Worf on 16/09/2017 - 20:31

  Anyone know much about instant electric water heaters, similar to this: https://www.stiebel.com.au/3-phase-electric-instant-hot-wate…

  Are they any good? Are they reliable, are they cheaper to run compared to the traditional hot water tanks?

• 

  Euphemistic on 16/09/2017 - 20:54

  How big is your current tank? Maybe you should consider solar heating with tank storage to reduce the energy costs.

• 

  2jzzzz on 16/09/2017 - 20:58

  If you have access to gas, get an Rinnai Infinity gas electric hot water. Infinite hot water. Amazing.

  No need for a tank and ig you have electricity point there, even easier.

  • 

    Ocker on 17/09/2017 - 09:03

    You need to ensure the size of your current gas piping is large enough to allow the required gas flow to the unit

• 

  trevor99 on 16/09/2017 - 20:59

  My recommendations:

  • Pay extra for stainless. I learned this the hard way.

  • Put flow restricters in the showers, keeping them down to 9litres/minute.

  • Put a pressure restriction on your main to keep it under 500kpa.

  Usually for dual elements you connect the lower one to off peak set to around 70c that comes on overnight, and maybe in the afternoon. The top one is a booster set to around 60c. That's what we have and usually never runs out even with kids.

  You can get heat pump units these days but then they aren't silent.

• 

  mskeggs on 16/09/2017 - 21:22

  +2

  The temperature limiter is likely referring to a tempering valve that mixes cold water to ensure the hot isn't scalding.
  If you don't currently have one, most states have regulations you need to install one when the system is upgraded.

  My own suggestion is to consider either solar thermal, if you can get a large system, or install electric and solar PV panels and use your own generated power. Instantaneous systems will become quite costly to run with projected gas price increases.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 17/09/2017 - 16:51

  Thanks for the feedback. Gas is not an option as we don't get gas in our street and don't need or want the hassle of bottles. We are mostly ok with our 315 L tank, but once every 6 weeks or so we run out. All the showers have water saving shower heads, and we use automatic shower timers as well to try and hurry the kids up. But my partner informs me that as a female with long hair, sometimes you need a longer shower to wash it properly. So the upshot is I will get the pressure valve and tempering valve replaced, as ours are around 10 years old. I know we got them installed when we got the existing tank. I am happy with a dual element as I don't think we will need use the peak element all that often, but it would be nice to have when we need it. Solar is something I have been looking at - more for instant use, rather than selling back into the grid. Possibly savings to be made on the Aircon, but I reckon most of our power consumption is actually hot water. We also don't have 3 phase coming into the house.