A licensed plumber connects the water, fits a tempering valve for the bathrooms and any valves your area needs, and drains the condensate. An electrician connects the unit to a 10 A circuit: it comes with bare wires, not a plug. Get the plumber's fixed price before you order, and keep the certificate of compliance: the warranty and the rebate both need it.

Before you order

  • Open the product page and send your plumber the installer brief: power, size, weight, connections and valves.
  • Measure the spot: height, diameter and the clearances in the brief.
  • Check the delivery path. A 300 litre unit weighs over 100 kg empty: plan two people and a clear route.
  • Ask the plumber for a fixed price, including removing the old system.

What the plumber does

  • Connects the cold and hot water to the unit.
  • Fits a tempering valve so bathrooms get water at no more than 50°C, as Australian plumbing rules require.
  • Fits an isolation valve, and an expansion control valve where your water pressure or local rules call for it.
  • Runs the relief valve drain and a condensate drain. A heat pump makes condensate water while it runs.
  • Removes the old system, if that is in the quote.

What the electrician does

The Stiebel Eltron hot water heat pumps can be powered by a 10 A circuit. They come without a plug: three bare wires (active, neutral and earth) that a licensed electrician connects. The electrician can also connect the solar input, so the unit heats harder when your panels have a surplus. Instantaneous heaters are different: they need a dedicated hard-wired circuit, three-phase for a shower.

The paperwork that matters

Stiebel Eltron's warranty starts when installation is completed and needs installation by a licensed tradesperson. A claim needs the serial number, the seller's name, the purchase and installation dates and the certificate of compliance. The STC rebate needs the same certificate plus photos of the installed unit and its serial number, taken with your phone's location on.

Keep three things together: our tax invoice, the plumber's certificate of compliance and the photos.

What to ask for in the quote

  1. The installation, with every valve named.
  2. Removing and disposing of the old system.
  3. Moving pipes, if the new unit goes somewhere new.
  4. The electrician connecting the unit to a 10 A circuit.
  5. The certificate of compliance.

Extras such as a new location, a new circuit or disconnecting a gas system add to the cost. Asking for them as separate lines lets you compare quotes fairly.