Highly dependant on brand you choose.
Be careful of “free” or very cheap rebate assisted products.
Any brands recommended, SolarHart ?
The one I have is an istore. I don’t know about other brands but I’m happy with mine.
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We got iStore 270L, seems good so far
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IMO your two options are, especially if you are using solar to run it.
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heat pump. Super efficient. But has a high upfront cost, and repairs (if any) would be expensive. It’s kind of like an air conditioner looking thing.
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Get the biggest electric hot water service/storage you can get. Doesn’t matter if it’s inefficient, you’ll be using solar to heat the water, and consider the hot water a way to store ‘energy’ to use later like you would a battery. Up front cost will be less, but need to figure out if the cost to heat during cloudy days/months is cheaper than the heat pump.
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Was it easy enough to get the gas disconnected? And does the heat pump run loud I hear that as a common complaint
We’ve done pretty much the same, the only gas appliance we have left is a storage hot water, it’s only about 4 years old so I’ve figured I’d hold onto it.
But gas bill just came, it’s costing us about $720 annually for just that and all the connection fees/service fees whatever it is.
Ours is crazy quiet. I guess the same as a fridge, but it’s outside. The only reason you know it’s on is if you walk past it, you can feel the air pushing out.
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Yeah pretty much what tinhill has said. It’s pretty similar to a fridge or a ceiling fan - but outside. And it only makes noise when it’s refilling after you’ve taken a shower etc, so it isn’t even all the time.
Your old hot water connection will need to be properly capped but that’s what your installer should be doing. It should be included in the cost.
To have the gas completely disconnected (read: how to get the bills to stop), you eventually call your provider and have them put plugs on your meter. This cost should be less than $100. If you want the meter uninstalled completely, that costs a lot more. I just went with plugs as the easiest and cheapest option to stop paying for gas.
I figured gas was only going to become more expensive so bit the bullet (so is electricity but I have solar on the roof helping me out). My heat pump installed after the rebate was about $3k, so probably something you’d pay off in only a few years by switching.
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We are getting solar installed next week, about a 10KW system, 30 odd panels. Once that is up and running in a year or 2 I think I’ll switch the HWS over to heat pump. Gas is becoming outrageously expensive, gas ducted heating in a poorly insulated house is an absolute money pit
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I have finally had the fences done at my place. Been a bit of back and forth with the owners corp committee, and I ended up getting involved in terms of sourcing quotes for the works with around 7 properties involved, plus common land. Got some before and after shots:
Before
After
Still have to install the gate, which hopefully is completed by the weekend. Got the trees removed at the same time at the recommendation of the fencing guys. They were at risk of doing damage to the retaining wall, so had to go. Sad because they provided a great deal of screening and sun protection on the upper level. Next is stump removal, then deciding what to do with the space to make it more useable.
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But it’s soooooo damn toasty on a Melbourne winters morning.
If someone can figure out how to convert these things to battery electric, with similar output, they’ll clean up!!!
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We replaced an enormous gas ducted heating system in our 2 storey house with a ducted reverse cycle system upstairs, and several split systems downstairs. The main kitchen/dining/living area is heated by a single 7kW split system, and I’d say it heats the system in very similar time as the old gas ducted.
The new ducted reverse cycle system was initially disappointing, as they configure the general area at the top of the stairs to always be on, as a pressure release area, but the effect was that one area that no one uses was always warmed/cooled, and heating/cooling efficiency in the bedrooms was poor. I had them add the central are as another zone, and the system can be set to use any zone as a ‘dumping area’ if not enough is going to any rooms. Each zone can either be set to temperature, or what percentage the solenoid is open for that zone/room. If I set any one room to 100%, it doesn’t need to pressure release anywhere else, and works pretty efficiently.
We find that if we head upstairs to our bedroom, and it’s cold, we switch the heater on in our room, and by the time we’ve done teeth and are ready for bed some 5-10 minutes later, it’s warm enough to turn off again.
We’re pretty happy with it. My wife, who loves warmth, often comments about how effective the heating is for both our bedroom and the common area donwstairs.
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Thanks.
Are you using the original ducts?
It’s common in our house during winter for people to congregate on the floor ducts for warmth.
I could add other heating, but then I’d have all these worthless holes in my floors, and have to throw away a family tradition.
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No. Our original ducts were all ceiling mounted. We had gas and evaporative cooler ducts. Neither of which were the right size for ducted reverse cycle, so it required all new ducting. Floor mounted returns can be widened for central reverse cycle systems, but they would also need to have ducting re-done to a larger size.
We would have loved to use the downstairs ducts, but they’re not large enough for ducted reverse cycle, and although a few people said they would connect them if we really wanted, they also made sure we knew that no-one they’ve ever done that for has been happy with the results. Hence, for 2 storey, you either have to do split systems downstairs, or you need to run ducts down wall corners, or in cupboards upstairs, which costs more, and takes away space.
My wife doesn’t like the look of split systems, but we managed to mount them in less ‘intrusive’, but still effective locations, like short inside walls, instead of outside walls etc.
On top of all that, split systems are always more efficient than ducted systems for 2 reasons. Firstly, they’re only recirculating air in the one room/area they’re set up in, whereas ducted systems, by design, have to push air back to a common ‘return’ air vent. So they heat larger areas than you’d ideally want. Secondly, the smaller the system in kW, the more efficient the heating/cooling. A 2.5kW system can create 7 times the cooling/heating as it uses in power. A 14kW system typically creates more like half that, i.e it creates closer to 3 times the heating/cooling as it uses in power.
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has anyone ever had a go at grout removal in a shower ?
Yes. It’s a pain in the arse. Buy a multi tool for the bulk work, and wear a mask, goggles and earplugs. And careful of black mould.
Yes very recently. I had a go with a Dremel but for my case it was easier to rip out the lot and retile which now looks great.
Can’t seem to find an auto thread and I’m reluctant to create one just for one query but can anyone recommend a good auto air con mob? Car air con has been regased at least three times and obviously has a small leak.
cars for the people thread
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