Rheem is one of the most trusted and longest standing names in hot water in Australia. In this Rheem Ambiheat heat pump review, we run the unit through the four key factors we believe you need to consider about heat pump hot water units, including:
- Cost
- Reliability
- Refrigerant
- Maintenance
The summary of our review is the Rheem Ambiheat is a solid choice, especially customers looking for an Australian-made heat pump hot water unit.
1. Rheem Ambiheat Cost
A Rheem Ambiheat will probably cost around $3,000-$4,000 fully installed. This is at the higher end of the mid point of the heat pump hot water market. It’s more expensive than good quality mid-market units like Aquatech, Haier and iStore, but it’s still significantly cheaper than premium units like Reclaim and Sanden.
2. Reliability and Warranty
I like to look at a number of factors when considering the reliability of a heat pump hot water unit:
- how long the current unit has been in market
- reviews and online forums
- warranty terms
- the company offering the warranty
The reliability of the Rheem Ambiheat looks to be mostly positive. As a start, the reviews are promising.
You’ll note the line on Product Review saying that the Rheem Abiheat HDc270 has been discontinued. The Ambiheat used to use R-134a as the refrigerant, but has recently changed to R-513a (short story: if they didn’t, the unit would no longer be eligible for rebates). So a Victorian customer is likely going to get the new model which uses R-513a. Do the reviews for the old unit carry over to the new unit? Probably – we can expect similar performance.
I also like that Rheem has been around for a long time, so we don’t have concerns about the company being around in future to honour any warranty claims. Rheem is a trusted name in Australian hot water and we have many customers report that they’ve been happy with their previous Rheem hot water systems.
Rheem’s warranty for the Ambiheat could be better – it’s unnecessarily complicated.
I consider myself a heat pump expert but what does “sealed system supply and labour” mean? Why not just keep it simple? Further, heat pumps are only eligible for Solar Victoria and VEEC rebates if they have a minimum 5-year warranty. The screenshot below states Rheem’s ‘normal warranty’, but the asterisks explains that if the unit is eligible for either of these rebates, the warranty is improved to meet these minimum standards. I’ve seen this with a few other heat pumps and I read it as “we’re not prepared to offer anyone else a decent warranty, but we’ll offer Victorians a minimum warranty otherwise we realise our product will not be competitive.”
3. Refrigerant
The Rheem Ambiheat used to use R-134a but now uses R-513a. R-134a has effectively been phased out as the different rebate agencies made products using a refrigerant with a high global warming potential ineligible for rebates (effectively making them uncompetitive). R-513a still has a relatively high global warming potential of 631. Most other manufactures that needed to make this change switched to R-290 (propane) which has a GWP of around 3. This is a strange choice by Rheem. The acceptability of a heat pump that uses a refrigerant with a still high global warming potential comes down to the your personal preference. I’d prefer to choose a unit that has a low GWP.
4. Maintenance
The maintenance requirements for a Rheem Ambiheat are in line with better quality units. Here is a summary of what you’ll be required to do:
- 6 months (owner) – operate the PTR valve and expansion control valve (if required), a gentle clean, trim back shrubs to ensure ventilation, inspect for the presence of ants and other insects, check condensate drain for blockages
- 5 years (plumber) – major service of the unit including replacing the PTR valve, inspecting and replacing the anode if required, various other checks and cleans
Australian-Made Rebate
For customers that are eligible for the $1,000 Solar Victoria hot water rebate, the Rheem Ambiheat attracts an additional $400. The additional $400 is designed to make Australian made products more attractive. Rheem Ambiheat units are made in Parramatta in Sydney, so the total rebate will be $1,400.
Rheem Ambiheat Heat Pump Review Summary
Rheem Ambiheat heat pump hot water units have a number of positives – reviews for the unit are reasonable, Rheem is a trusted and long standing name in Australian hot water and I like that the units are made in Australia.
Ultimately, the appeal of the Rheem Ambiheat will largely come down to how much you value Australian-made. Rheem and Rinnai are the only two Australian made heat pumps that we like in the heat pump hot water mid-market (we also like Reclaim, but they are much more expensive).
If you’re not as driven by “Australian-made”, I suggest there are better and more affordable alternatives. Aquatech, iStore, Apricus all have better heat pump track records, most have better warranties and are much more affordable. These units typically cost around $2,000 (give or take) which is significantly cheaper than $3,500-$4,000 or so for a Rheem Ambiheat.
I hope this review helps and if you are interested in a quote for a heat pump hot water unit, we’d love to hear from you.
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