In my Neopower heat pump review, I run the Neopower heat pump hot water units through our 4-factor framework. I look at the four most important factors when considering heat pumps:
- Cost
- Reliability
- Refrigerant
- Maintenance
I will admit from the outset, if we included a fifth factor of “Style”, Neopower units would probably win – they are the most swish looking units on the market.
But, looks aren’t everything.
Let’s jump in…
1. Neopower Heat Pump Cost
The heat pump hot water market has three tiers (prices are fully installed, assuming a standard installation)
- Cheap and nasty units generally sell for less than $1,000
- Good quality mid-market units are available for $1,500 to $3,500.
- Premium units like Reclaims and Sandens are installed for upwards of $5,000.
Neopower has a range of all-in-one units of various sizes (210L, 260L and 315L) and split heat pumps (160L and 260L).
I can see with a bit of internet searching that Neopower all-in-one units are available for around $1,000 fully installed. I think we can look at this in two ways. On the positive, it’s great to see affordable heat pumps. On the negative, such low prices are bordering on the cheap and nasty and I hope installers are taking the time to install the units properly – a heat pump is only as good as its installation.
2. Reliability
Reliability is probably the most important factor in analysing heat pump hot water units.
The trouble with Neopower units is there isn’t much data as they’ve only been on the market for around 2 years.
We need heat pumps to last 10 years plus, so it’s difficult, if not impossible, to tell whether they will stand the test of time.
There are only a few reviews on Google and websites like ProductReview, and even then reviews of new units are going to be positively biased, as units tend to work in the short term. I don’t think we can place any value on these reviews.
I also like to analyse the warranty of heat pumps – as a guide to how much confidence the company has in its own product.
Neopower’s standard warranty is 6 years on the main components and 2 years on parts and labour. This means if the unit breaks down in year 3, Neopower will replace the unit, but the owner will need to pay for the plumber’s time.
From 1 September 2025, Solar Victoria imposed a minimum 5-year comprehensive warranty for all systems installed under the scheme. This explains the second table – if a customer is eligible for the Solar Victoria hot water rebate (about 80% of our customers), they will receive a longer warranty.
I really don’t like these two-tiered warranties. First I think they are unfair. You could have two neighbours with exactly the same unit, but one neighbour receives 3 extra years on their warranty for no good reason. Second, I think this smells of a lack of confidence in their product. If Neopower really backed their product for 5 years, which is not a long time, they should offer the longer warranty to all customers.
3. Refrigerant
The refrigerant used in Neopower units is R-290 (Propane). R-290 is the most commonly used refrigerant in the heat pump hot water market.
4. Maintenance
The maintenance requirements for Neopower heat pumps are more onerous than for similar units.
Neopower requires owners to conduct a major service on units every 5 years (standard) and to operate the PTR valve every 6 months (also standard). Neopower units use a sacrificial anode to protect the tanks. Sacrificial anodes are designed to degrade (instead of the tank) and need to be periodically monitored and replaced.
Sacrificial anodes are a common method of tank protection. I’m not against sacrificial anodes as a flat rule, but I prefer alternatives as I think owners are more likely to forget to monitor them, potentially causing issues with the tank and invalidating any warranty claims.
Neopower Heat Pump Review
I think there are better choices than the Neopower heat pump hot water unit.
While the unit is certainly affordable and stylish, I’m concerned about the short track record of Neopower heat pumps and maintenance requirements.
The other key to remember about cheap heat pumps is they are only cheap once. Most of the rebates are only available once, meaning if the Neopower unit fails and is not covered by warranty, the next heat pump will be much more expensive.
For those reasons I recommend people consider Aquatech and Haier heat pumps. The Aquatech units in particular are still affordable (perhaps only $200-$500 more), reliable with a long track record and require less maintenance.
If you are interested in a general discussion about your heat pump options and/or a quote, we’d love to hear from you.
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