Hot Water System Comparison
Compare hot water heater styles
Deciding which style of hot water system will suit your home or business can be overwhelming. Ensuring the style you purchase is the most economical, energy efficient and will meet the hot water demands now and in the future can take some serious research.
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Our team work with all types of hot water systems every day and our customers often ask for advice on which water heater is best for their needs. The answer to this question depends on many factors such as available power options, storage space, roof area and aspect, hot water usage, purchase budget, and renewable energy priority.
Compare hot water systems
We’ve put together some points as well as the pros and cons of each style to help you choose the perfect system for your needs.
Style
Pros
Cons
Costs
- Large quantity of hot water on hand to cope with high hot water requirements
- Indoor or outdoor installation options
- Suitable for continuous or off-peak tariffs - tank size increase should be considered for off-peak connection
- Mains pressure maintained
- Substantial space in yard or cupboard inside required for installation
- Some regular maintenance such as anode replacement
- Continuously heating stored water - increasing energy costs
- Lag time while the tank reheats
- Price - affordable
- Operation costs - high
- Small unit
- Ideal for the office sink, granny flat or small bathroom where hot water needs are low
- Indoor fitted
- Heats on demand
- Minimal choice
- Some unit have high power requirements - 3 phase power
- Price - mid
- Operation costs - high
- Natural gas or LPG options
- Star rated for easy comparison of running costs
- Energy efficient
- Indoor and outdoor installation options
- Continually heating stored water
- Storage space needed for LPG bottle
- Price - affordable
- Operation costs - mid
- Energy efficient - up to 7 Star
- Versatile installation - the small unit is fitted to a wall
- Indoor and outdoor models
- Heats on demand - no heat loss through stored water
- Natural gas and LPG options
- Lower pressure than storage to allow water to heat as it passes through the heat exchanger
- Several units may be needed for a large house or homes with a high demand for hot water at one time of the day.
- Price - affordable
- Operation costs - low
- Very energy efficient
- Utilises heat from the sun
- Ground (split system) or roof mounted (thermosiphon) tank
- Electric or gas boosted options
- Possible rebates from state and federal green energy schemes
- Booster needed for overcast days
- Doesn't heat overnight
- Price - mid to high
- Operation costs - very low
- Works very well in warmer climates
- Uses warmth from the air to heat the water
- Gas or electric booster options
- Easy upgrade from electric storage
- Around 3 times as energy efficient as electric storage
- Can be noisy
- Not ideal for cooler climates - needs to work longer to heat water reducing efficiency
- Outdoor installation only
- Price - high
- Operation costs - low
More information on all these hot water system styles can be found here:
Need more help with a hot water system?
Our experienced hot water and plumbing team can provide advice on upgrading or buying a new hot water system taking into account your specific requirements. Contact our team on 02 9191 7309 or complete our online booking request form today.