Haier Monoblock Review

At Powrhouse, we believe Haier’s Monoblock is one of the best value heat pump hot water units on the market. We run the Monoblock through the four key factors we believe you need to consider about heat pump hot water units, including:

Cost
Reliability/Warranty
Refrigerant
Maintenance

1. Haier Monoblock Cost

A 250L Monoblock through Powrhouse costs just shy of $2,000 fully installed (assuming customers are eligible for all rebates). This price includes a plumber to disconnect and remove the existing unit, an electrician to wire the unit to the switchboard and Powrhouse to coordinate the installation and claim rebates and incentives on your behalf. Installation may cost higher if the unit will be in a new location, if wiring costs extra or if there is no more room on the switchboard.

We’d describe this price as mid range. It’s at the lower end of the more affordable units (eg: iStore, Apricus, Aquatech, Rinnai) and considerably lower than the premium units (eg: Sanden, Reclaim). It’s more expensive than what we think are poorer quality units like Emerald, Ecogenica, Enviroheat.

2. Reliability and Warranty

When analysing reliability, we recommend you consider the following:

reviews and online forums
warranty terms
the company offering the warranty

It’s one thing to take our word, or a plumber’s word, but a multitude of reviews are very helpful. We also place greater value on reviews of units that have been operating for a long time. Reviews of units that have been operating for 5 years are more valuable than reviews of units that have been operating for 5 months. We like Product Review and the Facebook Group My Electric Efficient Home.

The Monoblock currently rates as 4.9 on Product Review. That’s an impressive result. You can’t please everyone and things will go wrong. The Reclaim Unit is widely considered as the Rolls Royce of heat pump hot water units and receives 4.8.

You should keep in mind however that the Monoblock has only been on the market for around 12 months, so while it’s off to a good start, it’s not a long track record.

The Monoblock has one of the best warranties on the market: 7 years for the tank and 5 years labour. This is the best warranty of the units that are priced at the mid-market. The other big positive about the Monoblock’s warranty is the company backing it: Haier is one of the world’s largest appliance manufacturers and support is run by Fisher & Paykel, which it acquired in 2012.

3. Refrigerant

The Monoblock uses Propane (R290) as a refrigerant. Propane has a Global Warming Potential (GWPs) of 3 and is only bettered by Carbon Dioxide as a refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential of 1.

4. Maintenance

Monoblock’s maintenance requirements are a little over the top. Here is a summary of what you’ll be required to do:

6 months – operate the PTR valve, check the watertightness of the water connections and piping, check condensate drain for blockages
5 years – service the unit and check anode
The fan should be checked for dust annually – recommended that the evaporator is cleaned every two years

Unfortunately if you read the Owners Manual, a tradesperson is technically required to carry out the 6 monthly maintenance. Anyone can operate the PTR valve – the requirement for a plumber to attend every 6 months is over the top. I’ve spoken with Haier about this and they agree and reassure me that a warranty will not be voided if this is not completed. The paperwork will be fixed up shortly.

Manufacturing

Another big positive about the Monoblock is it is manufactured “in-house.” We think it’s a positive that one company is responsible for all aspects of building and design. Most heat pump hot water units are manufactured by third-party manufacturers. Reliance on third-party manufacturers could potentially result in a conflict between the manufacturer and the company. For example, the third-party manufacturer might be tempted to cut costs without telling the company.