I am looking at installing a heat pump and would like to get some opions if this is the way to go and what brand is best?

I don't know if they are the most advanced heatpumps, but one thing I can tell you is that despite the ownership changes in the last couple of years, Kwikot provide very good service and have inventory of spare parts (mine is 13 years old and they still have bits for it).

I have a heatpump. I had it before I had solar. So I can testify that they are more efficient than a regular geyser. Significantly, if you have PV, they draw less current, so I can get away with running the heat pump on the backed up side of the PV system.

They are not very noisy, but they are also not silent. You need to think about the location because the biggest problem you are likely to have in real life is leaves clogging up the condensor, or it's installed in too confined a space and so the heatpump sucks back in air that it has already extracted heat from. As regards the latter, this will be included in the specifications for the pump, and a good installer will adhere to those guidelines.

Get a strainer on the supply side. Check it twice a year.

Edited May 30, 20251 yr by Bobster.

15 hours ago, Mark D said:

I am looking at installing a heat pump and would like to get some opions if this is the way to go and what brand is best?

As per @Bobster. I got my heat pump 13 yrs ago. It is still running very well. I did have a Kwikot for 2 days and it was removed to fit the ITS which I wanted to install in the 1st place. The installer/seller agreed that the Kwikot was not working well. At the time ITS was the only heat pump with a loading valve that does not just mix the incoming cold water with the hot water in the geyser. I have had very few leaves/debris clogging the condenser :). This could be because it is mounted on a high wall but just above the roof. No free leaves can be sucked in by the fan.

I just blow it out once year. I use PV to drive the heat pump during the day and will not think twice if I need hot water to dump 1.5kWh of battey power for a heating cycle. Most days the heat pump only runs for 1 hour using 1.5 kWh to heat to 55 degrees. This is around 30-40% what any size element would use to create the same amount of hot water. I cannot think of being without a heat pump due to the savings in power used - no matter what source is used to heat the water.

Edited May 31, 20251 yr by Scorp007

15 hours ago, Scorp007 said:

At the time ITS was the only heat pump with a loading valve that does not just mix the incoming cold water with the hot water in the geyser

Please explain this valve and why it's an advantage.

20 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Please explain this valve and why it's an advantage.

To get the correct description search for ITS patented loading valve. What the supplier at the time agreed was with temp at 55 deg before a bath was half full the hot water coming from the geyser was like warm. This was a disaster and the pump was changed.

It the time only ITS had a loading valve as an external item. It would not just circulate the cold incoming water with the remaining hot water in the geyser. The way I understand it it was ensuring the pump outlet water was hot before sending it back to the geyser.

Also called a diverted valve. It is the 3 way valve that circulates water in the pump before discharging it to the geyser. In this case the valve is adjustable and comes pre-set at 40 degrees.

Years ago I found this problem also at holiday resorts that did not have this valve fitted. So 2 guys can have the same pump and the one with the valve will have a much better performing system. The key is installation.

Recently y burst geyser was replaced. The insurance plumber was clueless as far as heat pumps go. He installed a non return valve from the heat pump to the geyser hot water connection which meant no hot water could get into the geyser. He argued it is correct. Only after I showed him an installation guide with pics from Google did he remove the valve. This took place after I inspected the work at the geyser. Just my luck as the guy seemed to be on top of plumbing work and was ready to leave and was not prepared to wait to ensure all is working fine.

Hmmm.... me not very clever. But if I understand this, it is letting only water above a certain temperature into the geyser. Cooler water is immediately sent back into the pump.

13 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Hmmm.... me not very clever. But if I understand this, it is letting only water above a certain temperature into the geyser. Cooler water is immediately sent back into the pump.

Spot on.