Hot water
A cheaper way to heat your water
Water heating is one of the largest steady loads in most homes. A heat pump changes how that heat is produced, not how much hot water you get.
How it works
A heat-pump hot water unit is a refrigerator running in reverse. It moves warmth from the outside air into your tank.
It draws warmth from the outside air
A fan pulls ambient air across an evaporator containing refrigerant. Even air that feels cold to you holds usable heat.
A compressor raises the temperature
Compressing the refrigerant concentrates that low-grade warmth into a much higher temperature, which is the step that makes the process useful.
The heat transfers into the tank
A heat exchanger passes that warmth into the stored water. Because the unit is moving existing heat rather than generating it with an element, it draws a fraction of the electricity for the same tank of hot water.
A timer decides when it runs
Set it to heat in the middle of the day and the cycle runs on your own solar. Without a timer, it can just as easily run overnight on grid power, which defeats most of the point.
Why this matters in Perth
The WA energy market and the local climate both change what makes sense here.
Perth's climate suits the technology
Heat pumps work harder in genuinely cold conditions. Perth's mild winters sit comfortably within the operating range of most units, which is not something every capital can say.
It turns hot water into a solar load
Heating water is a big, flexible, movable load. Timed to the middle of the day, it soaks up surplus generation that would otherwise be exported at the lower daytime buyback rate.
Certificates come off the invoice
Heat-pump hot water is eligible for small-scale technology certificates under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, with Perth in Zone 3. The certificate count depends on the model and the year of installation and is usually assigned to the installer and deducted up front.
It is usually a like-for-like replacement
Most installs reuse the existing location and plumbing runs. The differences to plan for are the unit's footprint, the condensate drain and the fact that it makes some noise while it runs.
System options
Choosing a specification
Tank size follows household size and how your hot water demand clusters through the day. The options below describe the usual shape of a specification.
Small household
For one or two people with modest, spread-out demand.
Family household
For a household with concentrated morning and evening demand.
Large or high-demand household
For bigger families, or homes with high simultaneous draw.
Paying for it
Cash, finance and lease arrangements are all available. Terms, rates and approval conditions come from the finance provider, not from us, so we set them out plainly rather than quoting a headline figure.
Get a quote for heat-pump hot water
Five details is all we need to get started. We will follow up to talk through your place before anything is specified or priced.
- No obligation and no pressure to sign on the day
- Assessment of your roof, switchboard and usage first
- A written quote you can compare against others
Get a free quote
Tell us where you are and what you are considering. We will come back with straight advice on what suits your place.
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Common questions
Heat-Pump Hot Water questions
Does it work on a cold Perth morning?
Yes. Perth winter mornings sit well inside the normal operating range for these units. In genuinely cold conditions efficiency drops and some models use a booster element, but that is far more of a consideration in the eastern states than it is here.
How noisy is it?
There is a fan and a compressor, so it makes a noise comparable to an outdoor air conditioning unit while it is running. Placement relative to bedrooms and to your neighbour's boundary is worth thinking about before install rather than after.
Can I run it entirely on my own solar?
Often close to it, if the unit is timed to heat during daylight and your array has surplus at that time. This is the single biggest factor in whether the change shows up on your bill, so the timer setting is part of the handover, not an afterthought.
What is an STC and does it lower the price?
Small-scale technology certificates are created under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme when an eligible system is installed. Perth falls in Zone 3. In practice the certificates are assigned to the installer and shown as a deduction on your invoice. The number generated depends on the model and the installation year.
Can it replace my gas hot water system?
Yes, though the change is bigger than an electric-to-heat-pump swap. It needs an electrical circuit at the unit's location, and gas decommissioning if you are removing the last gas appliance. Both are checked during the site assessment.
Does it need much maintenance?
Periodic checks on the pressure relief valve and the air intake, in line with the manufacturer's instructions.
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