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Thread: Heat Pumps

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    Default Heat Pumps

    I cant think of any other forum where this might go , so here I am

    I am looking at replacing my hot water system with a Quantum Heat Pump. Does anyone have one or have any information about them ? Everything I have read is positive.



    The price with 2 rebates is $665 ($3883 is full price).



Look Here ->
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    "electricity is required for the compressor, fan and digital display panel"


    the power consumption will be at peak rates no doubt?

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    Quote Originally Posted by z80 View Post
    "electricity is required for the compressor, fan and digital display panel"


    the power consumption will be at peak rates no doubt?
    Y eh funny how they never mentioned that . If you have natural gas I wouldn't bother .
    The site is just a tiny bit misleading

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    I do the warranty on chromagen & Rheem heat pumps - watchout the circulating pumps on these units are cheap & don't last!!

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    Talking Could be improved no doubt.

    G'Day fellow acolytes,
    There is potential for using the expelled cold air for house cooling.
    Would then make it more efficient and attractive.
    I just love my reverse cycle air conditioner. (Heat pump).
    Looks very attractive with the rebates.
    Kindest Regards, " The Druid "..............

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    Quote Originally Posted by omega99 View Post
    I do the warranty on chromagen & Rheem heat pumps - watchout the circulating pumps on these units are cheap & don't last!!
    I think this post just put a nail into your plans Sanity.

    Tread carefully mate.

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    keep and eye on the circ pump during warranty, then replace them with a good quality grundfos pump when out of warranty.

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    I actually have a Quantum HWS since over 3 years.

    I am vey happy with it.

    No doubt I would pay much more for LPG, like most of my neihbours do.

    I have ducted the cold air into the kitchen, that also cools the dining area and some of the living area noticably in summer.
    If you, like me, prefer to shower after a hot, sweaty day it will cool down at the right time. The aircon effect is pretty useless when you shower in the morning and the nobody is home afterwards.
    In winter I take the pipe off so it can run more efficient to heat the water.
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    Quote Originally Posted by nomeat View Post
    I actually have a Quantum HWS since over 3 years.

    I am vey happy with it.

    No doubt I would pay much more for LPG, like most of my neihbours do.

    In winter I take the pipe off so it can run more efficient to heat the water.
    So how much does the Unit cost to run?
    Sounds to me like it runs off electricity and that is should be expensive.
    I have Gas and there is pretty much hot water there 24/7.

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    I looked at heat pumps too when our old HWS had to be replaced but opted to go for solar assisted electric instead.
    Had it working for about 4 months now and pretty happy with it.
    $1000 Government rebate applies to this aswell.

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    Quote Originally Posted by weirdo View Post
    I looked at heat pumps too when our old HWS had to be replaced but opted to go for solar assisted electric instead.
    Had it working for about 4 months now and pretty happy with it.
    $1000 Government rebate applies to this aswell.
    Over $3000 of government rebates apply on this offer which is why I am trying to find anyone with first hand info on this particular model. From what I have read so far I can only find Quantum and Rheem heat pump hot water in Australia.

    Obviously as a new unit it comes with warranty , other than that my step father would be able to get me any parts I need in the future as he is a water pump dealer.

    The main question I want to know is how much power they use. From reading its claimed as verry little but there is no stated amount.

    I currently have gas hot water and the unit is under 2 years old. However , it is a cheap builders range model and it also has this new by law stupid anti burn valve crap which effectively means it has to run flat out 24 hours a day.
    For anyone that doesnt know what it is , it is to stop small kids getting burned by hot water when turning the tap on.

    I dont have small kids and it is illegal to remove it. No plumber will remove it either. Even if they did , I know what the lifespan of the current unit and its probably already half gone.

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    At the end of the day i suspect you are more concerned with the cost rather than the environmental blurb that goes with them?

    The power consumption has to be wired to off peak power to make it more economical than what you have now.

    If it uses even 500watts then it will cost as much as a 2-3kw off peak setup.


    You need to ascertain:-

    (a) is it wired to off peak power?
    (b) what is the total power consumption in any given hour?
    (c) total cost of ownership per annum over say, ten years



    From their website:-

    Q. How long does it take to heat from cold to hot?
    A. At an ambient temperature of 20°C Quantum will run 3 - 4 hours to raise the water to 60°C. From this it can be seen that the Quantum unit will use 3 - 4 kWh of energy for 270 litres of hot water.


    But melbourne it will start at about 12 degrees average, so allow 6 kw I reckon.

    Q. How does this compare with electric water heaters?
    A. Off-peak water heaters will use 4.8 kWh x 4 hours for 270 litres, which works out to 19.2 kWh of energy for same amount of water.



    Okay...we can say that they use about a quarter of the power?


    Better be sure it's off peak...else there will be NOTHING in the savings except a warm environmental feeling.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    I currently have gas hot water and the unit is under 2 years old. However , it is a cheap builders range model and it also has this new by law stupid anti burn valve crap which effectively means it has to run flat out 24 hours a day.
    For anyone that doesnt know what it is , it is to stop small kids getting burned by hot water when turning the tap on.

    I dont have small kids and it is illegal to remove it. No plumber will remove it either. Even if they did , I know what the lifespan of the current unit and its probably already half gone.
    Yeah, tempering valves. Don't get me started on them. Typical over regulation crap. What's next? Ban hotplates cause kids can burn themselves on them too.
    Compulsary in all new houses (here anyway) and I think set at a max temp of 50 or 55° Celsius. In the kitchen I like to have hot hot water for rinsing grease of plates. I bet it would use less water aswell cause it would rinse quicker.
    A kid that grows up in a brand new house will be used to being able to crank
    the hot water tap open and not scald themselves. They go to a friends place without the safety item thinking they can do the same.
    I know burns are one of the worst injuries to get ( I had carpet burn once) but this device is just trying to be another poor substitute for good parenting/supervision.
    End rave.

    PS Sanity just remove the device yourself or adjust it to your needs.

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    This mob in NSW also make heat pump hot water thingys.



    Consumes 1.2Kw when running according to specs.

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    From their website...one of the last q&a...

    Q. How does taking energy from the atmosphere make it more efficient?

    A. By using only a small amount of electrical energy to run the heat pump it can transfer 3 times this value, in heat energy from the atmosphere, into the water, giving an efficiency rating above 300% e.g. 1kW of electrical energy into the heat pump can transfer 3.6kW of heat energy into the water.


    So...if the unit uses full peak priced power, (which is 3 times the price of off peak)...then the savings are zero over a conventional electric storage system.


    IMHO...Solar with off peak electric boost shits all over it Sanity.

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    sanity what type of gas you using.
    Have you had a look at the new Rinnai infinety continous flow 6 star yes 6 star. you can get remote controllers & heat start pump for em.
    If your on bottle gas then that might not be an option!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by z80 View Post
    At the end of the day i suspect you are more concerned with the cost rather than the environmental blurb that goes with them?

    The power consumption has to be wired to off peak power to make it more economical than what you have now.

    If it uses even 500watts then it will cost as much as a 2-3kw off peak setup.


    You need to ascertain:-

    (a) is it wired to off peak power?
    (b) what is the total power consumption in any given hour?
    (c) total cost of ownership per annum over say, ten years



    From their website:-

    Q. How long does it take to heat from cold to hot?
    A. At an ambient temperature of 20°C Quantum will run 3 - 4 hours to raise the water to 60°C. From this it can be seen that the Quantum unit will use 3 - 4 kWh of energy for 270 litres of hot water.


    But melbourne it will start at about 12 degrees average, so allow 6 kw I reckon.

    Q. How does this compare with electric water heaters?
    A. Off-peak water heaters will use 4.8 kWh x 4 hours for 270 litres, which works out to 19.2 kWh of energy for same amount of water.



    Okay...we can say that they use about a quarter of the power?


    Better be sure it's off peak...else there will be NOTHING in the savings except a warm environmental feeling.
    Yes , your right , I couldnt give a hoot about the enviromental aspect . I am looking at running costs only.

    I found some other info that might relate to the power issue. The Quantum units do not have a booster where the Rheem units do. The Quantum also operates at m uch lower temperature than the Rheem.Some info is below :

    The Quantum solar heat pump is so efficient that it does not require any boosting and as such does not have nor need a booster element fitted.

    For installation, all you basically need is a 15amp power connection to the unit, your cold inlet and hot outlet pipes and a 600mm concrete slab outside to sit the unit on. Not only cheap to run but cheap and easy to install.

    Running costs per year for your hot water only $120-150.00 in total.


    I did also find something in regards to off peak power and it says its not required....simply because it basically uses nothing. Now I have lost the link , will try and find it again.

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    solar stay clear of the edwards brand - elements just don't last unless you use low watts density type

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    Chromagen do a solar uit on the roof that has a continuous flow gas HWS piggy backed onto it - ugly lookin sucker, you'd have the best of both world then solar & gas boost to a temp that can be preset either inside the unit or by a controller- couldn't find anything about them on their website only seen them on a few houses!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    Over $3000 of government rebates apply on this offer which is why I am trying to find anyone with first hand info on this particular model. From what I have read so far I can only find Quantum and Rheem heat pump hot water in Australia.

    Obviously as a new unit it comes with warranty , other than that my step father would be able to get me any parts I need in the future as he is a water pump dealer.

    The main question I want to know is how much power they use. From reading its claimed as verry little but there is no stated amount.

    I currently have gas hot water and the unit is under 2 years old. However , it is a cheap builders range model and it also has this new by law stupid anti burn valve crap which effectively means it has to run flat out 24 hours a day.
    For anyone that doesnt know what it is , it is to stop small kids getting burned by hot water when turning the tap on.

    I dont have small kids and it is illegal to remove it. No plumber will remove it either. Even if they did , I know what the lifespan of the current unit and its probably already half gone.

    Its called a thermostatic mixing valve. They arent all that hard to remove if you wanted to. Or you could just increase the temp on the valve itself. Just pull the cap off and wind it out. And yes it is aimed mainly at kids but also the elderly, plus it can help your hot water go further and reduce you gas bill by not needing the water as hot in the first place.

    If you are going to replace your storage unit, i would recommend a Rinnai 26 or 32 continuous hot water unit. They dont require a thermostatic mixing valve and can go as high as 50 degrees compared to 40. No pilot light and you only heat what you need, plus you never run out of hot water.

    Well thats what i will be replacing my gas storage unit with when it goes.

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