Most people buy a hot water system maybe two or three times in their whole life. Which is probably why it’s so easy to get wrong. You walk into a shop, someone points you toward a brand, you nod along because what else are you going to do, and ten years later you’re the one always stuck with the cold shower.
A bit of homework beforehand saves a lot of grief later. Here’s what actually matters, and honestly, most of it has nothing to do with the brand on the box.
Think About Your Household First, Not the Product
Most people start with brands. That’s the wrong end to start from. Start with your household instead, how many people live there, how they actually use hot water, and when.
How Much Hot Water Do You Actually Need
Industry rule of thumb is roughly 50 litres per person per day. One or two people, you’re generally looking at 80 to 125 litres of storage. Three or four people, more like 160 to 250 litres. Once you’re past five people in the house, you’re either into 250 to 315 litres or you skip storage altogether and go continuous flow.
Watch Your Peak Usage Times
Worth mentioning too, if everyone showers in the same half hour window every morning, you’ll need more buffer than the daily average number suggests. That’s the detail people forget about until they’re standing there mid shower wondering what happened.
Not Every System Suits Every House
There’s no single best system out there. There’s a best system for your house specifically, and a few things decide that.
Electric Storage Tanks
Electric storage tanks are still the most common choice in Australia, mostly because they’re the cheapest to get installed. They hold a set amount of heated water and take an hour or two to recover once it’s used up. Fine for smaller households, especially with an off peak tariff, though they do cost more to run over time than most of the alternatives.
Gas Storage and Continuous Flow
Gas storage and continuous flow suit homes that already have mains gas connected. Continuous flow heats on demand rather than storing anything, so you genuinely don’t run out, doesn’t matter how many showers happen one after another. Good option if you’ve got a bigger household or more than one bathroom going.
Heat Pump Systems
Heat pumps have picked up a lot more in the last few years, and there’s a decent reason for that. They pull heat from the air around them instead of burning gas or running a plain electric element, which makes them roughly three or four times more efficient than standard electric storage. They need decent airflow around the unit though, and they lose a bit of efficiency on really cold nights, so if you’re somewhere colder in Canberra, ask about a model with an electric booster.
Solar Hot Water
Solar works well if your roof has clear north facing space with nothing blocking it, paired with a gas or electric booster for the cloudy days and winter mornings when solar alone can’t keep up on its own.
The Rebates Genuinely Matter Here
This bit gets glossed over more than it should. Heat pump and solar systems qualify for Small-scale Technology Certificates under the federal scheme, and that knocks a real amount off the upfront cost, usually somewhere between $500 and $1,500 depending on the system and where you are.
An ACT Specific Rebate Worth Checking
On top of that, if you’re an ACT resident with ActewAGL, there’s sometimes an extra rebate available specifically for switching from a standard gas or electric setup to a heat pump. Worth checking what’s currently on offer before you lock anything in, since these things change and aren’t always mentioned upfront by whoever’s selling you the unit.
Installation Isn’t the Same Job Every Time
A Like for Like Swap
A like for like swap, same type of system going back in the same spot, is generally the fastest and cheapest way to go. Usually two to four hours, somewhere between $800 and $2,500 depending on whether it’s electric or gas.
Switching System Types
Switching system types altogether is a bigger job. Going from electric storage to a heat pump, or adding gas where there wasn’t any before, often means extra electrical or plumbing work on top, and can run four to eight hours once you factor in pulling the old unit out and getting the new one commissioned properly. Get a proper time estimate from whoever’s doing the install before they start, not halfway through.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign Anything
Ask if removal of the old unit is actually included in the quote, or if that’s a separate charge tacked on later. Ask about warranty coverage on the tank and on the labour too, since they’re often not the same warranty. And ask straight out whether what’s being recommended is actually the right size for your household, not just whatever happens to be sitting in the van that day.
If you’ve already got solar panels on the roof, it’s worth asking whether an off peak electric or a heat pump makes more sense with what you’ve already got, since the two can work together to bring running costs down further still.
Getting It Right the First Time Round
None of this is actually that complicated once you know what to look at, household size, what energy source you’ve got available, and how much buffer you genuinely need during those peak morning windows. Rushing it to save yourself an afternoon of reading tends to cost a lot more over the next ten years than it saves you right now.
Still not sure which type fits your place best? Worth getting a second opinion before committing to anything. Visit Born Plumbing’s website for more information regarding hot water system options, sizing, and current rebates available in Canberra.
