Continuous Hot Water Unit - NSW

fouhay on 24/10/2024 - 16:10

Hi

are there any regulations regarding the location of a (gas) continuous hot water unit?

We have purchased a house and everything that requires hot water (bathroom, kitchen etc) is at the opposite ends of the house to where the unit is located.

This means hot water needs to travel a good 10 metres through pipes before reaching the taps - a waste of gas and water.

Our current thought process is to have the unit moved closer to where it's needed - but this would most likely be under the kitchen or bathroom windows.

Are there regulations around where these units can be located?

Cheers.

Home & Garden Hot Water System

Comments

  • jv on 24/10/2024 - 16:11
    -2

    are there any regulations regarding the location of a (gas) continuous hot water unit?

    Very likely.

  • jv on 24/10/2024 - 16:12
    +1

    This means hot water needs to travel a good 10 metres through pipes before reaching the taps - a waste of gas and water.

    https://www.rinnai.com.au/online/hot-water/continuous-flow-h…

  • snappy1234 on 24/10/2024 - 16:46

    JV stop !
    No sensible answers ☺️

    • jv on 24/10/2024 - 17:41
      +2

      How is an accessory to reduce the water wastage not sensible?

      Water saving
      Fast hot water response
      Reduce ‘dead legs’, long runs of hot water piping

      • snappy1234 on 26/10/2024 - 05:09

        I was saying stop it with the sensible answer silly.
        ie: I'm not so used to that from you 😉

        • jv on 26/10/2024 - 19:19

          My bad…

          I don't know what got over me.

          No more sensible answers.

  • snappy1234 on 24/10/2024 - 16:52

    To keep on topic
    The building behind me just replaced the instanteous gas units with "thermann" brand now I regularly smell fumes ( can't remember if they were Bosch or Rinnai before but never remember any smell prior)

    • jv on 24/10/2024 - 17:43
      +1

      We don't get any smell from ours.

      It has been going strong for over 20 years.

      • snappy1234 on 24/10/2024 - 18:27

        Ok these run on LPG

        Wonder if it makes any difference?

        • jv on 24/10/2024 - 21:14

          Maybe the LPG bottle is leaking ?

          • snappy1234 on 26/10/2024 - 05:04

            @jv: No "gas" smell normally
            Just when the Solenoid? Tells it to heat the water.

            Maybe the new style instanteous ignites/ burns differently to old school instanteous?

        • mooseca on 24/10/2024 - 21:46
          +1

          You can definitely smell LPG ones, I haven't been near a natural gas one

  • mskeggs on 24/10/2024 - 16:57
    +3

    My plumber acquaintance told me not within 1.5m of a window when I was asking him a similar question.

    • bargaino on 24/10/2024 - 17:21
      -1

      There may be some leeway when that is impractical, but certainly not [/under/] the window, as OP said.

      The cost of moving the heater will be far greater than the lifetime savings of gas and water. Maybe wait until you install solar, or heat pumps get cheaper.

  • AustriaBargain on 24/10/2024 - 17:21

    It is continuous, so once hot water is flowing you should be fine. How much gas could it really waste to warm 10m of insulated pipes?

    • fouhay on 25/10/2024 - 10:47

      Definitely once it is flowing it is more than fine. As to how much does it waste - this is the conundrum. The cost of wasted gas (and water - waiting till it get's hot) vs the cost of having it moved. Was looking to see what others thought - maybe someone else has been through the same process.

      • skid on 25/10/2024 - 11:43
        +1

        10m pipe holds about 4 litres. Depends how many times a day you use hot water. I use it twice a day and live with the 8L/day lost. I think the "SmartStart" is a waste as the hot water pipe is not insulated.

        With a water temperature controller, it's bugger all gas. Haven't accurately calculated how much as that changes with the ambient temperature.

  • brendanm on 24/10/2024 - 17:27

    What's the cost to relocate the unit? What's the cost difference in water and gas usage?

    • fouhay on 25/10/2024 - 10:48

      This is the decision we need to make. I think over 12 months not much. But over the next xx years? - maybe enough to rip the band-aid off and pay to have it moved/replaced.

  • snappy1234 on 24/10/2024 - 17:28

    Depends a fair bit on the climate and good pipe insulation.

    • snappy1234 on 24/10/2024 - 17:29

      @ austriabargain^^^

  • mooseca on 24/10/2024 - 21:52

    https://ibb.co/pjX2HbS

    Snippet from standards

    • fouhay on 25/10/2024 - 10:52

      this is good - thanks for that. This seems to suggest there are no state based standards? I'm trying to read on a mobile so I could have missed it, but it seems to refer to a meter only and not a hot water system?

      • mooseca on 25/10/2024 - 11:22

        Australian standards, a continuous flow hot water heater is a fan assisted flue gas appliance. This is a diagram and table with the distance restrictions for a flued appliance. If you find the manual for the continuous flow heater it will have same diagram, at least the ones I have installed have.

  • iguana on 25/10/2024 - 00:26

    I wouldn't worry about wasting water. It's basically free for most people.

  • singlemalt72 on 25/10/2024 - 11:34
    +1

    The plumbing cost of doing so would far exceed any savings to be made
    Gas line extended to far side of house, all hot water pipes to be redirected to this new location , multiple wall penetrations required to change plumbing

  • dtc on 25/10/2024 - 14:21

    Continuous hot water systems barely use any gas. At 200L per day a system will use around 19000MJ per year or around $700. Even if your pipes mean you 'waste' 10% of the water, you are talking $70 per year. The water will cost a few cents a year. Turn the shower on, take a piss, get in the shower and its good to go.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join