If you’re looking for an economical and environmentally friendly way to heat the air or water in your home, then you may have stumbled upon one of Steibel Eltron’s heat pumps. Alongside domestic manufactures, Steibel Eltron is one of the most popular heat pump manufacturers in today’s Australian Market.
In general, the brand is recognized for:
- Long-standing international market presence
- Continuous innovation and focus on green energy
- And outstanding customer service all around the world
Here’s everything you need to know about Steibel Eltron heat pumps below, and whether or not a Stiebel Eltron heat pump is a smart investment for your home or building.
The Verdict
So is a Stiebel Eltron heat pump the right solution for your home or business? We’ll get right to it and say yes, there is probably a Stiebel Eltron heat pump that is suited to meet your property needs. With highly efficient systems, quality parts, and excellent customer service, Steibel Eltron makes some of the best heat pumps in Australia.
As can be expected from the sustainability-minded brand, customers utilizing renewable energy are most likely to get the maximum amount of value from a Stiebel Eltron heat pump system. Whether incorporating solar PV, geothermal, or plain old hot air, Stiebel Eltron is likely to deliver a solution that helps keep operating costs and environmental impact low.
With operations on 6 continents, Steibel Eltron has the international customer base to guarantee a high-quality experience. While local suppliers may be limited in some of the remote areas of the country, Australian consumers can easily contact a Stiebel Eltron representative to determine what heat pump is the best fit for their individual property demands.
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Company Background and History
As an international corporation, Steibel Eltron is rooted in German history. The company was founded in 1924 when Dr. Theodor Stiebel began developing coil immersion heaters in his own backyard. In just 20 years, the company grew to employ over 600 people with appliance production facilities and offices moving to Holzminden in Lower Saxony to accommodate the growth.
In his lifetime, Dr. Stiebel was considered one of the most influential pioneers of heat pump technology with his continuous innovation and product launches. After he died in 1960, the company began incorporating renewable energy into products and slowly expanding its market share.
At the turn of the 21st century, Stiebel Eltron was featured in the world’s EXPO and went on to acquire many companies such as Electrolux-Haustechnik GmbH and Tatramat GmbH. The company has not slowed down, acquiring manufacturers and distributors throughout the world in Nordic countries, the United States, Australia, and beyond.
Stiebel Eltron Products
Operating in over 100 countries, Steibel Eltron brings the best of its best to compete against other strong products on the Australian market. Although the company also sells ventilation systems, water filters, and heating and cooling systems, we will be focusing on what Stiebel Eltron is best known for: heat pumps.
Hot Water Heat Pumps
Currently, Stiebel Eltron manufactures two models of their hot water heat pumps, which are the most popular products that they sell. Both the WWK 222/222H and WWK 302/302H are installed to use hot air and electricity to cheaply and efficiently heat up the hot water of Australian properties.
Built to suit Australia: Stiebel Eltron’s hot water heat pumps are designed to adapt to any Australian area, with a temperature range down to negative 5C degrees and suitability for hard and soft water areas. The systems are designed to be maintenance-free with a current pressed anode and auto-defrost settings.
Ease of Use: The Striebel Eltron hot water heat pump can easily incorporate into a home’s solar PV system for completely renewable electric hot water boosts. The entire system is incorporated into one standalone component, making it incredibly easy to install and operate on property sizes of all dimensions. As a bonus, its quiet operation is hard to notice even when the electricity kicks in.
Plenty of hot water: Between the different models of Stiebel Eltron’s hot water heat pumps, Australains can choose between storage capacities of 220 and 302 litres. For households of 2 to 6 people, this capacity combined with Striebel Eltron’s efficiency make it possible to always have hot water, 365 days per year.
Air Source Hydronic Heating Heat Pumps
Stiebel Eltron has several makes and models of its Air Source Hydronic Heat Pumps designed for the future of energy. These systems use ambient outside air and electricity to raise the temperature within a home or commercial building.
What is hydronic heating? Hydronic heating, for those that are unaware, is a method of heating a building with the ambient temperature of hot water that is typically snaked beneath the floor of a room or entire structure. For more information, feel free to check out our guide to hydronic heating systems in Australia.
Hydronic cooling: With Steibel Eltron’s latest air source hydronic heating heat pump, the WPL-A 07, the company has made the leap into dual action hydronic heating and cooling. In the new model, users can cool down or warm up the temperature of their interior space that contains an existing hydronic piping installation.
Geothermal Hydronic Heating Heat Pumps
Lastly, Stiebel is one of few geothermal heat pump manufacturers with consumer products on the market in Australia. Also called ground source heat pumps, geothermal systems utilize energy from the subsurface of the earth to create spatial heating, air conditioning, and hot water solutions. Stiebel Eltron offers geothermal hydronic heating pumps for both underfloor and radiator systems.
Accounts In the Wild (Screenshots)
In a world with scathing online reviews as far as the eye can see, somehow Steibel is able to shine relatively scar-free. For instance, the company’s hot water heat pump has a 5.0 rating on Appliances online and a 4.1 rating on Product Review AU, with the number of happy customers, dramatically outweighing the number of issues and complaints considerably around the web.
Below, we will showcase a few real reviews from real Stiebel customers to showcase the quality of their companies’ products and customer support. As their hot water heaters are the most common product throughout Australia, we will be focusing on reviews from these universally adaptable products.
This first review from Appliances Online user ‘Sylvaivc’ pinpoints the exact reason why most people are typically satisfied with their Stiebel Eltron hot water heater purchase. The reviewer awards the company 5 stars for build quality, ease of use, and overall value of the product with an emphasis on the financial savings the system was able to deliver.
After probably spending far too much on gas each month, Slyviavc is happy to have made the switch to a hot water heater system just 4 months prior to leaving the review. With incorporation into their home’s existing solar system, this happy customer is heating their hot water with absolutely minimal costs.
Of course, you do not need a solar-powered system in order to save money with the Steibel Eltron. As heat pumps use the ambient exterior temperature to heat a home’s hot water, the majority of the energy cost is completely free, literally running on hot air.
In this Appliances Online review from user potteh, $800 in annual gas savings are being reported. Knowing this, it is likely that a Steibel Eltron heat pump will essentially “pay for itself” due to the fact that ongoing gas costs can be easily lowered by $50 each month. This return on investment is especially true in hot areas around the country that are less likely to need frequent electrical boosts supporting the system.
Jumping over to Product Reviews, this review from Will in Queensland is exactly what people like to see when shopping for a large home appliance. In his review, the consumer reports 11 years of efficient hot water production, saving an average of $1200 on gas expenses each year.
Highly recommended, this user reports 5/5 for nearly every product category including build quality, cleaning & maintenance, functional, value, and heating speed. Although it is rated at ⅘ for noise level, the reviewer claims that the unit ran on a timer, maxing out at 2 hours per day in the dead of winter. With plenty of hot water for a family of five at just 50c per day, it is easy to see why this reviewer is satisfied enough with their purchase to reinvest with Stiebel.
Last but not least, this image shows an interaction between a Stiebel Eltron representative and a previously unhappy customer. After a scathing 1 star review due to product malfunctions, Kimberly J from Stiebel Eltron stepped in to respond to the reviewer (Richard), directing him to their service department.
As in any large appliance, defects and malfunctions can be expected in some units. Here, a company’s reputation relies on how they respond in times of trouble, and Stiebel Eltron has a proven record of success. Although the timeline was a bit extended, Richard’s confidence has returned to the company after an experienced technician fixed the product. This incident is not isolated, as many people have reported successful warrantied fixes with the international manufacturer.
Performance Notes – How does Stiebel Eltron Stack up Against the Competition?
So people think Steibel Eltron is a great company. We agree! In Australia’s shift to green energy, there are plenty of great heat pump manufacturers that have quality products just the same. Below, we will touch upon a few of the ways in which Steibel Eltron’s heat pumps compare to the competition.
Shape and Size
These days, the most efficient heat pumps on the market all tend to look the same. Like the Stiebel Eltron hot water heat pumps, most models are metal cylinders designed to slim fit onto any tight property area.
Here, the only thing holding back Stiebel Eltron is their lack of a 2-part system model. Although it may be more inconvenient to have the tank and fan all in one place, systems with detached parts may work better on properties in which air can be captured more efficiently away from the location of the tank.
Energy Efficiency
Steibel Eltron’s systems are efficient, but not enough to make them stand out from the rest of the crowd. With an average Coefficient of Performance (COP) <4, the companies heat pumps will certainly save you money on your energy bills, but perhaps not as much as others during the colder months. Of course, this is best improved with the incorporation of PV solar.
Compared to other models, more expensive systems may have higher COPs, which are better suited for differing climates and water demands. For instance, the iStore 180L has a COP of over 6, making it much more efficient overall than a Steibel Eltron hot water heat pump.
Ease of Use
When it comes to the day to to day operation of a Stiebel Eltron heat pump, there is little to nothing system owners must do in order to maintain a healthy and efficient system. We recommend having a technician perform spot checks every 1-2 years with preventive calls being placed if anything different is noticed about the system (i.e. noises, leaks, loss of efficiency, etc.).
Operating Noise
No matter how warm your water is, most people can’t stand an incredibly noisy or clunky heat pump system. While Steibel Eltron’s hydronic heating heat pumps operate at near silent levels, the company’s hot water heat pumps are a bit noisier than most of the other whisper quiet models on the market today.
For example, the WWK 200 (Steibel Eltron hot water heat pump) has an average operating noise of 45 dBA. Reclaim Energy’s best heat pump operates at 37 dBA, and the fan can even be extended into areas further away from a home or building.
Brand Recognition
Last but not least, it is important to recognize Steibel Eltron as one of the global leaders in heat pump technology. The company knows exactly what it takes to successfully maintain products in different markets and has created appliances that are built to suit Australian conditions. With nearly 100 years of experience, it is very easy to trust Steibel Eltron alongside some of Australia’s most long-standing brand names.
Value
In terms of overall value, Stiebel Eltron Heat pumps are very effective against traditional gas heating as well as some of the other innovative hot water and ambient temperature heating systems available today (like solar hot water systems). While installation and product costs may be higher than some people are willing to pay, the real savings come each month when free hot air is used to run the system.
The exact price of a Steibel Eltron heat pump will vary greatly, depending on the size of the unit and the location of the property. Shipping and handling costs may be larger than expected, but maintenance costs are typically low. Nearly all normal fixes are covered under warranty, and users are expected to have very little upkeep required throughout their lifespan.
Warranty/Service/Support
Each of Stiebel Eltron’s heat pumps comes with its own unique warranty on the different parts of the system. In general, most of the company’s systems come with a 5-year full parts and labor domestic warranty on most of their unit’s components. For commercial appliances, the warranty period is generally guaranteed for just one or two years of normal use.
In order for a warranty to be valid, verified customers must register their appliance with Stiebel Eltron’s website. Here, visitors can also find extended information about specific product warranties and information about contacting representatives and making claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we conclude this review, we’d like to take a moment to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Stiebel Eltron heat pumps. If you have any questions about one specific unit, please contact the company directly.
Is Stiebel Eltron a good heat pump manufacturer?
Yes, with nearly 100 years in the industry, Stiebel Eltron is one of the world’s leading heat pump manufacturers. The company is well-reviewed across the globe for the quality of its various products and excellent customer service.
How does a Stiebel Eltron heat pump work?
Heat pumps work by capturing the heat of outdoor air and transferring it to a home’s ambient temperature or hot water supply. Some heat pumps can be used as air conditioners and various models can be boosted by additional energy supplies to supplement hot air. Stiebel Eltron heat pumps can be incorporated into PV solar, geothermal, and hydronic heating systems.
Do the units draw much power?
No, they have an extremely low current draw of 2.3 amps. It is plugged into a standard powerpoint.
Do Stiebel Eltron units have frost protection?
Yes, they have “Active Defrost” that will turn on if the monitor detects a build up of hoar frost at the evaporator. This will direct hot vapour to the monitor to begin defrosting the evaporator.
What is the minimum operating temperature for the heat pump units?
The Stiebel Eltron WWK 222/222H and WWK 302/302H heat pumps operate in temperatures as low as -5 Celsius
What is the best kind of heat pump in Australia?
In response to our country’s climate, tons of great heat pumps have debuted on the Australian Market. Whereas Steibel Eltron manufactures some of the highest quality hot water heat pumps, there are also many other great hot water heat pumps in Australia.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a high-quality heat pump that incorporates renewable energy, then the Steibel Eltron is a safe bet in Australia. Although some consumers prefer to go local, Steibel Eltron’s global presence has allowed them to become one of the best available manufactures for heat pump systems down under.