The Pros And Cons Of Gas Boosted Solar Hot Water Systems

As solar hot water has been an attractive alternative to traditional gas and electric water heaters for decades, you’d think it couldn’t get any better. Well, it can!

By boosting your solar hot water system with a continuous flow gas hot water system (gas booster), hot water will always be readily available, come rain, shine, or night time, as it acts as a supplemental water heater booster to ensure you get the most out of your solar hot water system.

However, before looking into replacing your existing gas or electric water heater, or upgrading your current solar hot water system, do yourself a favour and get to know the benefits of gas boosters. You won’t regret it!

To help you make your decision, we’ve compiled the most notable pros and cons of gas boosted solar hot water systems.

The Pros of Gas Boosted Solar Hot Water System

Significant savings of solar

As solar hot water systems use the sun’s natural rays as a source of free energy, installing one could significantly slash your monthly energy bills. In fact, modern solar hot water systems can pay for themselves within six to ten years! Even less in some cases.

Better together, whatever the weather

Whether you’ve used up your sun-heated water or there was no sun to begin with, with a gas booster you’ll always have hot water on tap. Once your gas booster detects a drop in water temperature, it’ll automatically ignite to provide instantaneous and continuous flow heating.

Therefore, no more remembering to turn on the electric booster and waiting hours for a “cold” solar water heater to heat up enough water for a hot shower, or number of hot showers. A continuous flow gas booster can be turned on at the “flick of a switch” at any time and hot water is immediately available.

Environmentally friendly

Going solar helps you protect our planet, as it can offer 70-80% of your hot water needs from free renewable, clean energy. On the other hand, conventional hot water systems have to generate all their heat by combusting fossil fuels (gas or electric). This produces harmful greenhouse emissions, pollutes the air, and contributes to climate change!

The best part?

Gas boosters are easily retrofitted to existing solar storage hot water tanks to increase their effectiveness and convenience. And in the long run, your gas boosted solar hot water system will also pay for itself.

The Cons of Gas Boosted Solar Hot Water System

Initial Upfront Installation Costs

The costs involved in adding a gas booster or installing a complete gas boosted solar hot water system can make most homeowners think twice about outlaying the cost of getting the system installed.

Efficiency Rating

Nowadays the STC energy rating of most gas boosted solar water heaters is the same as for electric boosted solars, and even less for some brands. Therefore, they are tested and deemed by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) to be no cheaper to run than an electric boosted solar water heater. Why? Because solar gas boosters have to be set to heat the water coming from a solar HW tank to 70C and use considerably more gas, than when used as a dedicated and separate stand-alone continuous flow gas HWS, which can be set as low as 42C (the temperature at which most adults shower).

Fossil Fuel Combustion

Unfortunately, a gas booster involves fossil fuel combustion and may not be the best choice for die-hard environmentalists. But, all is not lost! Natural gas is one of the cleanest fossil fuels available, producing 50-60% less greenhouse gas emissions than the rest.

Decision Time

Now that you’ve seen the evidence, you can make an informed decision for yourself!

Whether you choose an electric, gas, heat pump, electrically boosted solar, or gas boosted solar hot water system, our team at Kalamunda Plumbing has the expertise you need. We offer all manner of hot water system services, while specialising in the sale, service, and installation of solar hot water systems for over 30 years!

Visit our website for more information or call us on (08) 9291 6000 – we’re happy to help.

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Testimonials What our
Customers Say

Excellent4.9 Based on 199 reviews from review us onangie duke ★★★★★ I felt very stressed when our 20 year old gas storage heater suddenly decided to die … but I needn’t have worried! We rang Kalamunda Plumbing and from that first contact with Vicky with her lovely voice and calm, capable manner we knew we were in the best of hands. Someone came out within a few hours and after assessing that the unit was indeed dead, advised us on a replacement - a gas instantaneous hot water unit. It was going to take a few days before it could be installed due to someone from the Gas board having to come out to adapt something in the meter box. Horror of horrors, the thought of no hot water for 2 or 3 days, I couldn’t believe it! - but again I needn’t have worried as a small temporary electric storage hot water unit was linked up to the house at no extra charge. WOW! That was service!!! Our new instantaneous unit was fitted within a few days and everyone involved in the job was extremely professional and couldn’t have been more helpful … thus turning a potentially stressful event in to a pain free and pleasant experience. Thank you Kalamunda Plumbing!Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, angie duke! We're glad to hear that you had a pleasant and pain-free experience with our team. We understand how stressful it can be when a gas storage heater suddenly stops working, but we're glad that we were able to assist you promptly and provide you with a temporary electric storage hot water unit at no extra charge. We appreciate your compliment on our professionalism and helpfulness. If you ever need any plumbing assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for choosing Kalamunda Plumbing! Dale Cousens ★★★★★ Prompt, excellent and friendly service. Highly recommend Kalamunda Plumbing for their top quality professionalism.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Dale! We're glad to hear that you had a prompt, excellent, and friendly service experience with us. We appreciate your recommendation and your compliment on our top quality professionalism. If you ever need any plumbing assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help! Luke Rhodes ★★★★★ Had the team fix some burst flexi pipe and replace 3 others, they did a fantastic job, and were very quick.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Luke! We're glad to hear that our team was able to fix the burst flexi pipe and replace the others quickly and did a fantastic job. We appreciate your review and hope to assist you again in the future! erin dolman ★★★★★ Great service, promo, friendly, and knowledgeable. Recommend to anyoneResponse from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Erin! We're glad to hear that you had a great experience with our service. We strive to provide great service, along with friendly and knowledgeable staff. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to assisting you again in the future. arthur barker ★★★★★ Great ServiceResponse from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Arthur! We're glad to hear that you had a great service experience with us. We appreciate your review and hope to assist you again in the future! Saverio Piccioni ★★★★★ Excellent work from Trent. Very efficient and knowledgeable.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Saverio! We're glad that Trent provided you with excellent work and that he was efficient and knowledgeable. We appreciate your review and hope to assist you again in the future. Chantelle Dodge ★★★★★ Quick and helpful service, from a friendly team who saved me in a pickle when a tap wouldn't turn off. Thankyou Kalamunda Plumbing and Gas!Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Chantelle! We're glad that our friendly team was able to provide quick and helpful service to save you from a tricky situation with your tap. We appreciate your kind words and are here to assist you with any future plumbing needs. Erica Gordon ★★★★★ Today I had Barry booked in to check out why our aircon was leaking water into our ceiling.He quickly identified the leak and was able to repair it straight away!I was worried we would have to replace the whole system but thankfully it was an easy repair!The customer service was also great, Barry was friendly, easy to talk to and explained everything in detail.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Erica! We're glad that Barry was able to quickly identify and repair the leak in your aircon. We understand the concern of potentially having to replace the whole system, and we're relieved that it was an easy repair. We appreciate your compliment on our customer service and Barry's friendliness. If you ever need any plumbing assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help! Clare ★★★★★ Was so helpful. Went above and beyond the service we asked for. You guys have a wonderful ChristmasMark Davies ★★★★★ Had pipe repair today the 2 blokes dominated and got the job done and left yard tidyVery professional will definitely use againResponse from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Mark! We're glad that our team was able to complete the pipe repair efficiently and leave your yard tidy. We appreciate the compliment on our professionalism and look forward to assisting you again in the future. Eden Wilkins ★★★★★ Barry was friendly, professional and got the job done in a timely manner. Thanks Barry!Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words, Eden! We're glad that Barry was able to provide you with friendly and professional service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to assist you again in the future! Andrew Williams ★★★★★ Fantastic service. Always helpful and willing to go the extra mile.Response from the ownerWe're glad to help Andrew! max maller ★★★★★ Very positive experience… serviceman was professional, friendly and helpful.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Max! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our serviceman. mellissa deery ★★★★★ Great service, great workers, all round greatcompany. Very happy with the service.Response from the ownerThank you for your wonderful review, Mellissa! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our service and our workers. We strive to provide top-notch service and we're delighted that we met your expectations. If you ever need any plumbing assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here to help. Felicity Sayers ★★★★★ Prompt and efficient with good explanations of what had to be done. Clean tidy upResponse from the ownerThank you for your feedback, Felicity! We're glad to hear that our team provided prompt and efficient service, along with clear explanations of the work being done. We always strive to leave the job site clean and tidy. If you have any future plumbing needs, don't hesitate to give us a call. Ben Mcarthur ★★★★★ Exceptional service, cannot fault anything at all with my experienceResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words, Ben! We're glad to hear that you had an exceptional experience with our service. We strive to provide the best service possible and it's great to know that we met your expectations. If you ever need any plumbing assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to help! Anna Hawkins ★★★★★ Thanks Anthony & Callum for your excellent work today. We had various water leaks and they sorted out our problems quickly and efficiently.Will definitely be using them again.Response from the ownerThank you, Anna! We're thrilled that Anthony & Callum were able to quickly and efficiently resolve your water leaks. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to assisting you again in the future. Jordan P ★★★★★ Booked in for a quote to repair a leak and install a mixer, the guys came out and assessed, gave me a quote.The job turned out to not be as difficult and was completed in 15 minutes. They gave me a revised invoice that was lower to reflect.Honest, punctual, got the job done, no dramas. Will use them for my future plumbing needs.Response from the ownerThank you for your positive feedback, Jordan P! We are glad that we were able to assess and complete the job efficiently for you. We appreciate your trust in our honesty and punctuality. We look forward to assisting you with your future plumbing needs. Alan Butler ★★★★★ Had a problem with a leaking solar water tank.Cameron arrived early the following morning and very efficiently explained all of my options. Settled for a heat pump system at a very reasonable cost. Cameron and Dan arrived the next morning. Dan did an outstanding install while Cameron decommisioned the old solar system. Would not hesitate to recommend Kalamunda Plumbing for any work you may need. Many thanks to the guys for a very professional and expert job installing our heat pump. Alan ButlerResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words, Alan! We're glad that we were able to assist you so quickly and that our plumbers were able to help you with your new unit! Glen Raffaele ★★★★★ On time and professional job. Very happy with the air con repairs and plumbing works. Thanks.Response from the ownerHi Glen, Thank you for your kind review! We appreciate it. We look forward to helping you in the future! Sue Bourn ★★★★★ Great service and very professional. Very happy with the work completed.Response from the ownerHi Sue, Thank you for your kind review! We appreciate it. We look forward to helping you in the future! Aya ★★★★★ Many thanks to Trent who replaced my burst bathroom water hoses today and gave me some valuable advice. The service was very professional, efficient and on time. Would recommend Kalamunda Plumbing Plus to anyone who appreciates high standard of work.Response from the ownerThanks for your review, Aya! We look forward to helping you in the future. js_loader

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Kalamunda Plumbing is a team of professional local plumbers, servicing Perth's Hills and Eastern Suburbs with a proud tradition of Service Excellence since 1954. Get in touch to discuss your solar, plumbing & aircon needs, or visit our Showroom at Kalamunda Glades Shopping Centre to speak to our friendly team today!