technology that saves
installation couldn't be easier......
The Eccotherm hot water heat pump connects directly to your new or existing hot water cylinder. Cold water from the bottom of the cylinder is drawn into the Eccotherm where it is heated by a highly efficient heat exchanger and then returned to the top of the cylinder. Some electricity is used in the process, but due to the wonders of everyday thermodynamics, you get out a lot more than you pay for. This isn't magic - what comes out is exactly what goes in since the output is a combination of the electrical input and the absolutely free energy that Eccotherm captures from the surrounding air. For every dollar of electricity that you put in you get up to $4.50 worth of hot water.
Plumbing
Valves are installed at the top and bottom of your water cylinder and piping is connected to these. These are left closed until the Eccotherm is ready to be installed, now or later and this option is ideal during renovations where outdoor appliances may be in the way or likely to become damaged in an all too often busy and hectic building site. Once the connecting valves are installed then it will take only minutes to connect the Eccotherm. All connections and materials used for installation withstand high pressures so it doesn't matter whether you have mains or low pressure water. Eccotherm works on both providing you with the lowest cost hot water that is possible. All piping and fittings are insulated to minimise heat loss and ensure highest savings.
Installation Basics Increase Efficiency.
Correct interconnecting piping is necessary to get the best efficiency from your Eccotherm. Pipe lengths should be as short as possible and smaller bore pipe should be used . This reduces the volume of water (dead volume) in the pipes which cools down between heating cycles, even when pipes are insulated.
Pipe* loses account for 40% of the energy used nationally for hot water heating - that's around 10 Petajoules(Pj) and is approximately one Benmore Dam worth of power just dedicated to heating the water in your pipes as you wait for the hot water to arrive after turning on the tap or shower. That can cost upto $500 per year for an average house. !!
Easy Electrical Connection Because the Eccotherm uses so little power, there is no need to run expensive wiring back to your switchboard. A simple three pin plug connection to an existing power point is usually all that is necessary. Simply flick off your normal electrical heating, turn on the Eccotherm and just watch the savings grow and grow.
Enjoy Hot Water Faster First developed in Dunedin in 1978 top down heating ensures that usable hot water is produced a lot quicker. You'll be enjoying a hot shower just 20 minutes after your tank was completely cold. Because it heats up so fast you can save extra and turn the Eccotherm off when you go away on holiday. When you come back, just flick the switch to turn it back on and by the time the car is unpacked you'll be able to enjoy a hot shower.
*Carrington, C.G.,Warrington, D.M.,Yak,Y.C., (1985) 'Structure of Domestic Hot Water Consumption' Energy Research, Vol. 9 65 - 75