Replacing an old electric resistive hot water unit with a heat pump usually halves the running cost. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting installs Sanden, Stiebel Eltron, Reclaim, iStore and Rheem heat pump systems across Melbourne's south-east, with the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) rebate handled at quote stage so the out-of-pocket cost is the number you sign off on, not a paperwork shuffle months later.
Quick answer: A heat pump hot water unit uses a fraction of the electricity of the old resistive tank it replaces, and Victorian rebates cover a meaningful part of the changeover cost for eligible homes. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting supplies and installs heat pump units across Melbourne, handles the rebate paperwork, and decommissions the old unit. Fixed written quote first, Compliance Certificate after.An electric resistive hot water unit costs noticeably more to run than a heat pump for the same hot water output, because the heat pump moves heat from the air into the water rather than generating it from scratch. The exact savings depend on your household size, hot water use pattern and current electricity rate, but for most Melbourne families the swap pays for itself well inside the heat pump's expected service life, and the VEU rebate brings the up-front cost down further. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting quotes the swap with the rebate already deducted, so the comparison against keeping the old unit is honest.
If you're still on an electric resistive hot water unit, your hot water is one of the bigger items on your power bill. A heat pump uses substantially less electricity for the same delivery, and the VEU rebate further reduces the out-of-pocket cost of the swap. We'll walk through the actual numbers for your household on the quote, current unit, typical use, applicable rebate, so the comparison against keeping the old unit is real, not a sales pitch.
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The VEU rebate requires accredited installer paperwork, quote, install certificate, before-and-after photos of the old/new unit, and the homeowner's signed authority form. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting is registered to claim the rebate on your behalf, so the discount appears on your quote, not as a separate refund six months later.
An undersized heat pump runs the booster element constantly and loses the efficiency advantage. An oversized unit costs more upfront and uses more standby energy. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting sizes the unit by household occupancy, peak hot water draw pattern and tank-vs-instant configuration before quoting, not a one-size-fits-all default.
Hot water installation is licensed plumbing work. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting plumbers hold current BPC licences (#103414) and the certificate is on every quote and invoice. AS3500-compliant tempering valve installation is included, required on all bathroom hot water deliveries in Victoria.
We come to the property, look at the existing unit, measure ambient air access for the heat pump fan, check the electrical supply and confirm placement options. The quote we send afterwards is the fixed price, including unit, install, removal and rebate.
The existing electric or gas unit comes out first. We isolate water and electrical (and gas where applicable), drain the tank, disconnect and remove. The old unit goes to scrap-metal recycling, we handle disposal, not your council collection.
The heat pump is positioned with the manufacturer's clearance requirements respected (most need 300mm+ clear in front of the fan). Water in/out, condensate drain, and the electrical isolation are connected. The unit is filled, leak-tested and powered up.
The unit runs through its initial commissioning cycle. We fit the AS3500 tempering valve on the hot water delivery to bathrooms, set delivery temperature to 50°C as required, and verify hot water output at fixtures. Any issues at this stage are corrected before we leave.
BPC Compliance Certificate emailed as a PDF, before-and-after photos sent to VEU for the rebate claim, manufacturer warranty registration completed in your name. The rebate appears on your quote, there is no separate refund process for you to chase.
The price depends on the brand and size of unit, the install location, and whether new pipework or electrical isolation is needed. The VEU rebate brings the out-of-pocket cost down. We come to your property to quote, send your address and current unit details through the form and we'll arrange a site visit.
Yes. Modern heat pumps maintain efficient output down to about 5°C ambient and have an electric booster element for the rare cold-snap days. Melbourne winter overnight lows of 5-8°C are well within the efficient range. The booster cuts in only on the few days the air temperature drops below that.
Around 38-45 dB at one metre, about the same as a quiet fridge. Modern units run quieter than the older split-system air conditioner builds people remember. Placement matters: we don't put the unit next to a bedroom window if there's a better wall available.
Usually yes, provided there's clearance for the heat pump fan and access to ambient air. Internal cupboards and tight cavities don't suit heat pumps, the unit needs to draw air from the surrounds. We confirm placement on the site visit before quoting.
A like-for-like swap (existing electric unit, same location) is typically a single-day install. Relocations, new electrical supply runs, or tight-access jobs can run into a second day, we'll discuss which it is when we visit.
Initial site visit yes. Install day: yes for at least the start (water shutoff, hot water outage discussion) and the commissioning sign-off. Mid-day attendance is optional if access is sorted.
Sanden is split-system (separate compressor and tank). Stiebel Eltron is a European build. Reclaim and iStore are integrated tank-and-compressor units that suit tighter installs. Rheem heat pump is a familiar warranty path. We size and recommend per household on the site visit, there isn't one best for every job.
Yes, VEU rebate values are set by the Victorian government and updated periodically. We use the current rebate on your quote, dated, so the figure is what you actually receive. If the rebate changes between quote and install, we requote.
