Gas Hot Water Systems
Continuous flow and gas storage units for homes on ATCO mains gas or bottled LPG.
Learn more →How a heat pump makes hot water
It is a refrigeration circuit running backwards. A fan pulls ambient air across an evaporator, a refrigerant picks up that low-grade heat, a compressor raises its temperature, and the heat is transferred into the water in the storage tank. The electricity goes into moving heat rather than creating it, which is why a heat pump delivers roughly three units of heat for every unit of power drawn.
That efficiency is the whole argument. For an all-electric Mandurah house with no gas and an old element tank, a heat pump is generally the single biggest cut you can make to the water heating bill without touching the roof.
Why they work well here and not everywhere
Heat pump performance tracks ambient air temperature. The colder the air, the harder the compressor works and the more the efficiency drops, and in genuinely cold climates the unit ends up leaning on a supplementary electric element that undoes the saving.
Mandurah does not have that problem. Winter overnight minimums here are mild by Australian standards and frost on the coastal strip is rare. A unit sitting on the north or east side of a Halls Head or Meadow Springs house is working in air that supports good efficiency almost every day of the year.
Standalone or retrofit
Two arrangements are common. An integrated unit combines the compressor and tank in one cabinet, and drops into roughly the space an electric storage tank occupied. A split arrangement pairs a compact compressor module with a separate tank, which is easier to fit where space is tight or where you want the noise source further from a bedroom wall. It is also possible to add a heat pump module to an existing suitable tank rather than replacing the lot.
We supply and install Sanden Eco, Stiebel Eltron, Quantum and Bosch units, and service and repair them afterwards.
The costs, plainly
A heat pump is several times the price of a basic electric storage tank. Federal small-scale technology certificates take a meaningful amount off the purchase price at the point of sale, and the typical WA supply ranges are set out in the cost guide. The payback is strongest against an electric element tank on a standard tariff, weaker against efficient gas, and weakest against an existing solar system that is still working.
There are real downsides. There are moving parts, which means there is more that can fail than in a plain cylinder. The fan makes noise. The unit needs airflow, so it cannot be boxed in. And salt air near the estuary and the ocean corrodes coil fins, which is the one maintenance item we push people hardest on.
If you are comparing against the alternatives, read the electric, gas and solar pages, or work through the selection guide. Installation detail is on the installation page.
Call (08) 9516 1934 for a free quote across Mandurah and the Peel district.
More services
Explore our other services
Electric Hot Water Systems
Storage tanks and instantaneous electric units, plus element and thermostat repairs.
Learn more →Solar Hot Water Systems
Roof-mounted, split and evacuated tube solar with gas or electric boosting.
Learn more →Hot Water System Installation
Like-for-like swaps, relocations and fuel changeovers by licensed WA tradespeople.
Learn more →Hot Water Repairs
No hot water, leaking tanks, pilot light faults and tempering valve failures.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Are heat pumps noisy?
They run a fan and a compressor, so they are audible — broadly comparable to an outdoor air conditioner unit, and only while heating. Placement is what decides whether it bothers anyone. Against a bedroom wall or under a neighbour's window on a narrow Madora Bay lot is a bad idea; a side or rear wall with clear airflow is not.
Does Mandurah's climate suit a heat pump?
Yes, better than most of Australia. Heat pumps lose efficiency as ambient air gets colder, which is why they struggle in alpine and inland-frost areas. Mandurah winters rarely drop near freezing, so a well-specified unit holds its efficiency through July rather than falling back on an electric booster.
Can a heat pump replace my existing electric tank in the same spot?
Usually, with two caveats. The unit needs unobstructed airflow around the fan and a condensate drain, so a tight alcove that suited a sealed cylinder may not suit a heat pump. Integrated models sit in roughly the footprint of a storage tank; split models put a compact compressor beside the tank and need a little more room.
What maintenance does a heat pump need?
Keep the air intake and fins clear, check the condensate drain is running free, and have the sacrificial anode inspected on the same cycle as any other tank. On coastal streets near Silver Sands or Halls Head the fins collect salt, so a gentle fresh-water rinse of the coil once or twice a year is genuinely worthwhile.
Free, no-obligation