Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Oct 13, 2016 8:55 pm Hi Guys, Hoping someone can offer some advice. Building in Wollert, Victoria and currently at the site cut stage and ready for the plumbing to be laid by the builder. I received a call from our builder indicating that they didn't realise that our estate had the recycled water system in place and as per the developers guidelines, it was necessary to have this in place within the house. However, they mentioned as we already had solar hot water system in our contract, they said they could switch to the recycled water in lieu of the solar hws or i would have to pay $2500 to have both. Now i find this a tad ridiculous that they weren't aware that the estate had recycled water. Am i in my means to say, well this is your fault not mine, the solar HWS is a standard inclusion and within my contract so you have to honour that and install the recycled water at your own cost? i assumed that recycled water connection to the house was included if the estate requires it. Does taking out the solar HWS in lieu of the recycled water affect my energy rating for the house? Any help would be great. Thanks Joe Recycled water in lieu of Solar Hot Water system 2Oct 13, 2016 9:37 pm What sort of hot water service will you have instead? Will you be charged for the alternative? The builders should have been aware of the estate covenants, did you have to put in for developer approval before council? It probably should have been picked up at that stage. I made sure I thoroughly understood mine before putting a deposit down, some covenants add big $$ to the cost of a build. It should all be in your land contract, it's important that you fully read and understand these documents before signing. Will help you avoid these sort of issues in the future. I'm not 100% sure but I think it might be your responsibility as the owner. You could insist they include solar HWS bit they will probably raise a post contract variation for the water. If it's not written in the contract you signed it is not included and you will have to pay for it. The recycled water is the same in terms of six star http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/6-star-standard. I will be having solar HWS in my new home but currently have gas on demand. Gas on demand is effective and cheap to run, so not too bad if that's what they are offering. You could always do it later might be worth getting a quote. Re: Recycled water in lieu of Solar Hot Water system 3Oct 14, 2016 9:08 am They mentioned it will be a Rinnai 135L Gas HWS at no extra cost. (the original solar hws was 200L) Not sure if i should opt for the Infinity Continuous hws for an extra $235 As for the approvals and permits etc, the builder took care of all that. Re: Recycled water in lieu of Solar Hot Water system 4Oct 14, 2016 11:28 am Solar HWS companies recommend 2 collectors for Melbourne but many builders cheap out and only spec one. If you retain the solar HWS, make sure that it is suitable for the Melbourne cllimate. Also, you have to pay for the recycled water that you use. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Recycled water in lieu of Solar Hot Water system 5Oct 14, 2016 3:52 pm I have found continuous gas on demand has been economical and efficient might be worth the $235, it would probably pay for itself in 2-3 years. I'm no expert though, it might be worth ringing a gas fitter for advice. My uncle owns Natgas in Epping he would be happy to give advice over the phone. Re: Recycled water in lieu of Solar Hot Water system 6Oct 16, 2016 8:10 pm randy85 Does taking out the solar HWS in lieu of the recycled water affect my energy rating for the house? Any help would be great. Thanks Joe To get your 6 star rating for thermal performance (in Victoria) you also have the additional requirement for a Solar HWS or a rainwater tank connected to all toilets. Where recycled water is available you can substitute the rainwater tank for the recycled water connected to all toilets. http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/20397/PN-55-2014-Residential-Sustainability-Measures.pdf None of these 3 options actually change the thermal performance of your home but are simply an additional requirement. the sun master is the solar heating to "warm" the water in the tank the S26 is your hot water system which will heat the water (25 degrees?) so with both turned on you… 2 14076 instantaneous is three phase and draws heaps of current, the efficiency comes from not storing it so you don’t lose heat to the environment. The problem is it is not… 5 1524 Building Standards; Getting It Right! Hi all, My neighbour has built his 15m long garage on our boundary. It was agreed as part of the planning permit that the wall must be in exposed recycled brick. For some… 0 10916 |