The Emerald heat pump hot water unit is one of the most popular units in the market.
But, having only been in the market for 2 years, I think the jury is still out.
In my article and video “How to Choose a Heat Pump Hot Water Unit“, I set out a framework of four key factors to analyse heat pump hot water units:
- Cost
- Reliability/Warranty
- Refrigerant
- Maintenance
Below I review the Emerald unit and run it through these four factors.
While Emerald’s units have a number of positives, and they’re certainly not the worst unit on the market, I think customers are better placed looking at similarly priced alternatives like Aquatech or Haier Monoblock.
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A quick note on Powrhouse to explain why we are well placed to review heat pump hot water units. We have mapped just about every unit on the market, comparing them across a variety of factors like capacity, power, tank recovery, place of manufacture, reviews, refrigerant, warranty and cost. Please see our “Compare Heat Pump Hot Water Units” spreadsheet to see our research. We are independent and this review is our opinion, informed by our thorough research.
1. Cost
Emerald units are affordable. I place them in the lower end of the mid-section of the heat pump hot water market.
However, one of the concerns I have with the Emerald units is I often see them advertised very cheaply.
To me, this screams “too good to be true.” I’ve seen Emerald’s wholesale prices and if we were to install an Emerald for $799, we’d be losing money. I see these advertisements and think one of two things is happening. First, Emerald is probably offering significant discounts to volume installers. Secondly, and I think this is highly likely, these prices are from volume installers who install 3 or 4 units per day, rush through the jobs and don’t take care in their work. A heat pump hot water unit is only as good as its installation. This doesn’t sound like quality to me, so I don’t like seeing Emerald partner with these types of installers (although I can see why they do it: more sales!).
2. Reliability and Warranty
When analysing reliability, I recommend people research reviews and online forums. It’s one thing to take my word, or a plumber’s word, but a multitude of reviews are very helpful. I also place greater value on reviews of units that have been operating for a long time. A review of a unit that has been operating for 5 plus years is more valuable than a review of a unit installed 3 months ago. I like Product Review and the Facebook Group My Electric Efficient Home.
The Emerald heat pump currently rates 4.6 on Product Review from 178 reviews. On first glance, that’s not a bad result. The problem however is that Emerald units have only in market for just over 2 years. Most people are going to have a positive experience with most heat pumps in the first two years.
I also like to read the negative reviews to see how the company responds. Things go wrong and we want to assess whether the company will help customers, or simply disappear. Pleasingly Emerald’s responses to negative reviews look as though they are committed to customer service.
The warranty of the Emerald heat pumps is 5 years on the heat pump and tank, 2 years on labour. In short, the warranty is ok. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely weaker than other mid-market units like Haier (7 years on the unit) and iStore (5 years labour warranty). Emerald the company was founded in 2006, which is a good sign as it suggests Emerald will be around for a long time to honour any warranty claims. On the other hand, we’d like to see a longer warranty which demonstrates stronger conviction in their product. Emerald, and indeed other manufacturers, suggest units should last 10 to 20 years – we’d like to see them back up those claims with a longer warranty.
3. Refrigerant
Emerald heat pumps use Propane (R290) as a refrigerant. Propane is one of the best refrigerants on the market with a global warming potential (GWP) of 3. Carbon Dioxide is the only refrigerant in the market with a lower global warming potential of 1 (how ironic that Carbon Dioxide is the best refrigerant?!).
While previously there was a greater range of refrigerants used in heat pump hot water units, most now use Propane.
4. Maintenance
One of the concerns I have about Emerald units is they technically require servicing every six months by a plumber.
The Temperature and Pressure Release (TPR) valve is a simple valve on all hot water systems. Emerald, like most manufacturers, require owners to operate the TPR valve every six months. Unfortunately, it also appears they require a plumber to do it, which is way over the top. Most other manufacturers allow users to do it. My concern here is that if this isn’t carried out in line with the Owner’s Manual, there may be implications on the warranty.
Other Factors
Other factors when considering the Emerald heat pump:
- Noise – operates at 45dB, which is pretty consistent with the rest of the market
- Tank Recovery time – around 1 litre per minute, also consistent with the rest of the market
- Place of Manufacture – the units are manufactured in China, which is also consistent with the rest of the market
Emerald Heat Pump Review Summary
Powrhouse is independent. Our review of the Emerald heat pump is purely a result of our research of the heat pump hot water market. The conclusion of this research is that the Emerald unit is okay, but there are a few concerns and due to those concerns, I think customers are better off with other units. I prefer the Aquatech units as they have a longer track record and require less maintenance. If warranty is a priority, the Haier Monoblock is a great unit with a 7 year warranty. Both the Aquatech and Haier Monoblock units are a similar price point to the Emerald, so I think they are a better choice.
If you are interested in a quote for a heat pump hot water unit and/or you would like to discuss your options, we’d love to hear from you.
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