As one of Melbourne’s affluent neighbourhoods, Toorak has many large family residences and luxury homes. With multiple bathrooms, kitchens, and even a separate pool house and other buildings, these properties need more hot water than the average home. They need to choose the right hot water system for a steady supply. To help you out, we’ve laid out this guide on what to consider before choosing a hot water system for your large home in Toorak.
Know Your Home’s Hot Water Demand
Several Residents and Bathrooms
For homes with larger families, multiple bathrooms are a given, but this can increase daily hot water usage. You’ll need a hot water system with higher storage capacity and rates of flow to meet increased demand, especially if you have a bigger household. So a 160-litre system might be enough for a couple, but a family of four would need a capacity of 250 to 315 litres.
Simultaneous Usage
If your household has simultaneous usage patterns, like several showers and taps being used at once, you’ll need a hot water system with storage solutions. But if you have fluctuating water usage or multiple bathrooms, continuous flow systems can heat water on demand, reducing wasted energy to deliver a continuous supply.
Types of Hot Water Systems and Their Suitability
Tank Hot Water Systems
A storage (tank) system is the ideal choice for consistently highly demand – frequently common in homes with multiple family members. The advantage is that it comes with larger storage capacity, so multiple showers and taps can run at the same time. It’s also faster at heating up water, refilling the storage tank.
Continuous Flow Systems
An instantaneous hot water system can heat water on demand and is compact enough for you to store one in each bathroom. It’s the best option for homes with fluctuating water usage and provides an endless supply, but you’ll need multiple units for a bigger home as opposed to one storage system
Gas, Electric, or Solar?
Gas
For larger homes with high water usage, a gas system can heat water quickly and offer lower running costs than an electric system. It does, however, have a higher installation cost because you’ll need to call in a professional to set up the gas lines that link up to the system.
Electric
If the goal is to install a hot water system quickly while keeping installation costs down, you can consider choosing an electric-powered system. The downside is that there are high running costs due to off-peak tariffs, but you can offset them with solar panels.
Solar
Considering how rooftops in Toorak get plenty of sunshine, large homes can benefit from a solar hot water system. However, you might need a gas or electric booster for cloudy days, or when there’s higher demand due to simultaneous usage. You could also be eligible for a rebate, like the hot water rebate, administered by the Victoria Government, which gives Victorian households a rebate of up to $1000 to purchase an eligible solar hot water system.
System Size and Placement Considerations
Oversized Versus Undersized
Choosing the right size for your hot water system is important to balance both efficiency and demand. If the system is too small, you won’t have enough hot water to meet usage needs, whether it’s for a washing machine, dishwasher, or the shower. On the other hand, choosing a system that’s too big for your needs will end up wasting energy heating water you don’t need.
Storage Tank Sizing Guidelines
The size of your storage tank depends on the number of people in your household. So if you have 4 to 6 people at home, you’ll need a storage tank with a capacity of 250 to 400 litres. And if you have more than three bathrooms or more than 6 people at home, you’ll need a tank with a capacity of 400 litres or more. Or, you’ll need to install an instantaneous flow system in each bathroom.
Professional Hot Water Repairs in Bayside Melbourne
At Plumb Well Solutions, we specialise in installing, repairing, and servicing hot water systems in Bayside Melbourne. We have extensive experience in recommending and installing hot water systems for large homes in Toorak. From storage hot water systems to continuous flow systems, we have the expertise to repair all types of units to meet your needs.