Typically you would call a plumber for issues relating to water supply, pipes, valves and fixtures, and an electrician for electrical components such as elements, thermostats and electrical wiring. In some cases, the issue can be both plumbing and electrical related and therefore it is best to call a plumber with a restricted electrical licence who can cover all aspects of your hot water system under the one service call fee. Here at King Solar Man, our technician is a fully licensed plumber and a fully licensed electrician. 1 repair, 1 service call fee.
Our technicians are licensed in Plumbing, Drainage, Gas, Electrical and Solar and Heat pump Endorsed. We fix ALL types of hot water system, regardless of whether it is solar, heat pump, electric or gas and every brand of hot water system on the market. Our vehicles are stocked with plumbing and electrical supplies ready to fix your issue on the spot.
Repairing a leaking cylinder does depend on the location of the leak. If it is leaking from a valve or fitting, usually this is a common repair and an easy fix, however, if it is leaking from the anode port or the tank internally, this is usually a sign that the tank may need replacement. It is important to check the age, life-span and condition of the tank as it may be more feasible in the long run to replace the tank rather than repair. If you have a solar hot water system, it may be possible to replace the tank only, and retrofit your existing solar controller, pump and collectors to the new tank rather than having to replace the complete system.
No this is not typical. The circulation pump should not run continuously. This is usually an indication of a malfunction or misconfiguration of the system and it is highly likely that the solar function of your hot water system is no longer working. In other words, you will be drawing electricity for your hot water consumption. It’s best to call your solar hot water technician for repairs as soon as possible to avoid high electricity usage.
This is usually an indication of a faulty hot water valve, clogged pipes, or a faulty bathroom fixture. If there was a fault at the hot water tank, then typically you would not get hot water to the entire house. It’s best to call a plumber to fault find, diagnose and fix.
Solar
Solar hot waters systems (both split system and thermosiphon systems) are the most energy efficient of all heating options.
Solar collectors are mounted on the roof and absorb the energy from the sun. They in turn heat cooler water that flows through pipes just underneath the surface. This hot water is then transferred to a storage cylinder in readiness for use. As the hot water is used, cold water then flows into the collectors for heating. Usually a large upfront purchase, however the benefits are long term savings off your heating costs – they can save you up to 90% on your heating costs.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are energy efficient hot water systems. They work on ambient air temperature and don’t rely on sunlight to operate. Typically a 250 ltr heat pump with an ambient temperature of 25 degrees will heat up from cold in 2.5 hours. They work day and night and are an easy same day replacement option to an electric hot water system. They are a fantastic option for customers who want an energy efficient device but have no available roof space as the Heat Pump System does not have any collectors therefore reducing the structural load on your roof. The savings are all year round, up to 65% off your heating costs. King Solar Man recommend for the performance of the system, that heat pumps are installed outside the home and preferably on the northern or western side of the home.
Electric
Electric storage hot water systems are the most common systems installed. With availability in all different sizes from a compact 25 litre unit, through to super sized 400 litre storage cylinder, there’s a tank for every household and application.
Electric Solar campatability
We can even install Solar Electric hot water systems. These are electric hot water systems that are in readiness for solar connection at a later date. These are available in 315 ltr and 400 ltr systems only. We offer a complete range of brands including but not limited to Rheem, Everhot, Vulcan, Dux and Aquamax. It is considerably cheaper to install an Electric Hot Water system, however the possigble downsides following installation can be that they are not as environmentally friendly and have higher ongoing costs.
Gas
There are two main types of Gas available: Natural or mains pressure and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Natural Gas
First and foremost you must have natural gas available in your area. Natural Gas can be fairly cheap to run and is an environmentally friendly option. A Gas provider will usually charge a quarterly connection fee of approximately $70 – and this is before even considering usage charges.
LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)
LPG is actually the most expensive to run. Even though it is reasonable environmentally speaking, it can be hard on the pocket; sometimes even 1.5 to 3 times dearer than Electric Hot Water. Typically gas systems cost more to install and LPG is considerably dearer to run but have the advantage of supplying more hot water due to the continuous flow unit not being limited by storage capacity.Gas hot water systems produce about a third of the greenhouse gas emissions of electric storage hot water systems.
The cost of your solar hot water heater and heat pump is subsidised by the application of STC’s (Small Scale Technology Certificates). STC’s are a form of currency created by the Federal Government under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. Our installations comply with Zone 3 STC’s. All solar hot water systems and heat pumps that are Government approved have a number of STC’s allocated to them and this number varies based on brand, size and style. The value of STC’s usually ranges on a daily basis between $15 and $40 on the STC market.
King Solar Man make it easy for you. Our quotes include the STC rebate discounted up front for you. We just ask that you sign off paperwork transferring the STC rebate to us on your behalf. Rebates are not available for electric or gas installations.
The 3 tariff options are A11, T33, T31.
A11 (Peak tariff)
This is your normal power that is turned on 24 hours a day, or electricity on demand. The highest cents per kw charge at approximately 21c per kwh (depending on your energy retailer).
T33 (Off Peak tariff)
The electricity to your hot water system is turned on for 18 hours a day, and will be turned off for 6 hours per day during peak periods. This usually occurs around 4pm – 8pm but is dependent on your provider and subject to daily change. You need at least a 125 ltr hot water system to be connected to this tariff. Usually this tariff is approximately 17c per kwh (depending on your energy retailer). This is the recommended tariff for a solar hot water system or a heat pump.
T31 (Off Peak tariff)
The electricity to your hot water system is turned on for 10 hours per day during the night time only. It heats your system without raising the peak demand. You will need at least a 250 ltr hot water system to be connected to this tariff. This is the cheapest of all tariffs at around 11c per kwh (depending on your energy retailer). This is the recommended tariff for an electric hot water system.
Not all households have an off peak meter installed. If this is the case in your household, your hot water system will be connected to A11. You may wish to contact your energy retailer to discuss the costs associated with the installation of an off peak meter.
Typically an electric and heat pump installation takes approximately 3-4 hours. A solar hot water installation usually takes a full working day. Your hot water supply will be interrupted for that day only and will resume the following day. All our solar and heat pump installations are performed by solar endorsed technicians. In Queensland solar and heat pump installers must hold this endorsement to be able to perform your installation. The installation of a tempering valve is required on all installation to comply with AS/NZS 3500.4 and forms an integral part in the installation. We will even take away your old system free of charge. On completion of installation a Form 4 ‘Notifiable minor work is lodged to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
LOn overcast or rainy days, the system will need to be boosted via electricity or gas. Be prepared to boost your hot water during the colder months.