Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 04, 2011 6:11 pm Hi there, my contract with my builder states "Solar hot water system with gas booster" but I do understand in WA, any rebate from the government for the solar hot water goes back to the builder and not the owner. Thus I contemplated with just having a gas storage hot water unit with 170l capacity. If I choose this option, I will get some credit off from my builder as well. Anyone in WA who are using just the gas storage hot water and thinks it works well or solar hot water system with gas booster is still what everyone prefers? Re: solar hot water or gas storage? 2Apr 04, 2011 8:49 pm Hi axio99, It must depend on your builder as to whether the rebate goes back to them, as I work for a Perth project home builder and the rebate goes back to the solar hot water unit supplier, not the builder... but the client pays the "discounted" amount. So effectively, you would still only pay the same amount as if the rebate were to go to you, but instead you sign over the rebates to the supplier. Check with your builder, but the price they have quoted should take into account the rebated amount. The solar HWU will cost you more than the 170L storage unit initially, but the savings are in the long term, so you would need to work out whether it is worth it for you. The only other difference is that most solar HWU will have a larger storage tank (often around 300L) compared to the 170L you are looking at, and this could make a difference if you have a spa or bath that you may use often, or even if you have a household that uses several loads of warm washing plus a family of warm showers etc, in which case 170L could possibly not be enough. Your other option is for a gas instantaneous system, the cost will depend on whether you want temperature controllers or not - I find most of my clients do not worry about controllers, because most people don't seem too worried about changing their water temperatures on a daily basis, plus not having controllers halves the cost of the unit. If you don't have controllers, you will find the cost is in between the 170L storage unit and the solar hwu - but it means you won't run out of hot water if you use a lot of it. Personally, I prefer the gas instantaneous Re: solar hot water or gas storage? 3Apr 05, 2011 12:19 am Hey CA, I just googled and found out that gas storage isn't a very eco friendly option. I am going to ask for the quote on gas instantaneous. For a family of 4-5, would you recommend a 20l/min or a 26L/min? Re: solar hot water or gas storage? 4Apr 05, 2011 12:33 am I'd definitely suggest going for a 26L/min for a family - the 20L/min is usually only recommended for smaller homes and those that will house less people. Before you ask for a quote, decide whether you want temperature controllers or not - if you don't have controllers, the water will be set at the manufacturers standard, approx 50 to 60 degrees depending on the model. Otherwise you can have one or 2 controllers (depending on if you want different locations around the house) - the idea being that you can change the temperatures each time you use the shower or kitchen sink so that you can have the perfect temperature without use cold water. As I mentioned though, the controllers will add quite a bit to the price. Alternatively, ask your builder for a quote on both and decide once you see the prices I want to build a decking to the drawn shape outlined in black. The problem is how close can I build to the gas hot water unit? Will I be able to build around it and be… 0 20656 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 14811 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Hi, I've got a brand new (2nd hand) Bosch Hydropower 16H tankless hot water heater. Since it was installed I have noticed it leaks a lot. I took the cover off and it looks… 0 25064 |