FAQs
- How does a heat pump hot water (HPHW) system work?
The Sanden Eco® Plus heat pump hot water (HPHW) system operates like a refrigerator in reverse. It contains a fan that forces air through an evaporator that contains a refrigerant. The heat in the ambient air passes through the evaporator (note: even air below 0 º C contains heat energy) and is absorbed by a natural refrigerant, R744 (aka CO2), which is ozone friendly and does not significantly contribute to global warming compared with most other refrigerants (older style refrigerants have thousands of times more global warming impact for the same amount of gas, when compared with CO2).
The warm gaseous refrigerant is circulated in the system via a compressor. As it passes through the compressor, its pressure rises, as does its temperature. This hot refrigerant then passes through a heat exchanger to heat the water, which is finally pumped to the storage tank.
- What do I do if the Sanden Eco® Plus heat pump hot water system has a problem?
Check our comprehensive Sanden not working checklist here if you think you have a problem with your Sanden Eco heat pump hot water system.
If you're still unsure after going through this guide - please lodge a Pure Electric Service Case here
- Why does the Sanden Eco® Plus use CO2 as its working gas? Isn’t CO2 a greenhouse gas and therefore harmful to the environment?
Why does the Sanden use CO2 as its working gas, what is the benefit?
- There is far less environmental impact (i.e. No ozone layer depletion and minimal global warming) than other commonly used refrigerants, should the system leak.
- There is a much higher efficiency, thereby allowing more heat to be transferred to the water, for less energy used (i.e. Excellent thermodynamic ability).
Isn't CO2 a greenhouse gas and therefor bad for the environment?
While it is true that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas it has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1. Whereas refrigerant gases in other heat pumps can have GWP of over 10,000, which means if they leak to the atmosphere they contribute 10,000 times more to global warming compared with the refrigerant gases used in a Sanden Eco Plus.
The table below shows the GWP for some common refrigerant gases (note: GWP must include a time interval over which the greenhouse gases act, in this case 100 years)
Our system utilizes less than 1 kg of R744 (CO2) as a refrigerant contained in a closed system at the factory. The installer does not need to charge the heat pump on site.
- There is far less environmental impact (i.e. No ozone layer depletion and minimal global warming) than other commonly used refrigerants, should the system leak.
- Do I need to register my Sanden Eco Plus warranty?
- Uploading Photos for Sanden Eco Heat Pump Quote
Uploading Photos for Sanden Eco Heat Pump Quote
As heat pump hot water systems receive Government subsidies and rebates, Government authorities are requiring all photos are GEO-tagged to comply.
If you are unsure that your photos are GEO-tagged, we have a helpful Geo-tag guide on our website here -> https://pure-electric.com.au/resources/geo-tagging-helpful-guide
You can test if your photos are GEO-tagged by uploading photos to this website -> https://tool.geoimgr.com/
Please see below some photo tip examples for uploading photos to your Sanden Eco heat pump quote request.
Existing Hot Water System (Left)
Photo Tips: 2-3m to the left of the tank and up to the eaves
Existing Hot Water System (Right)
Photo Tips: 2-3m to the right of the tank and up to the eaves
Existing Hot Water System (Serial Number)
Photo Tips: Clear and readable
Switchboard
Photo Tips: Clear and readable so if you zoom in you can see the circuit breaker rating, enclosure flaps are open
Meterbox (Outline)
Photo Tips: Meterbox Door Open
Old Tank Details (Example filled in:)
Old Tank Make: Rheem
Old Tank Model: 315T136G
Old Tank Serial: 33633XXXX
Old Tank Date: 15/03/2006
If you have a renovation with a new hot water system location, please share a photo that confirms both hot and cold connections are presented:
- What is the noise level of the Sanden Eco® Plus heat pump hot water system?
The unit is rated at 37dB (measured at one metre from the unit), which is almost silent. By comparison, a whisper is around 30dB and the sound of the inside of a Library is approximately 40dB.
- Sanden Eco Hot Water Tank Size Options? Which tank size should I choose?
The Sanden Eco Plus hot heat pump hot water system is available in the following five sizes with our sizing guide below:
Tank size/shape Tank Code System No. of People No. of Bathrooms Dwelling type Off-peak & Continuous tariffs? Tank Diameter (mm) Tank Height (mm) 160L SS SAN-160SAQA GAUS-160FQTS 1 1 Bedsits Continuous only 621 970 250L SS
SAN-250SAQA GAUS-250FQTD 1-3 1-2 Residential Both 621 1428 250L SS Tall Slim SAN-250SAQD GAUS-250FQTD 1-3 1-2 Residential Both 580 1635 300L SS Tall Slim SAN-300SAQA GAUS-300FQTS 2-6 1-3 Residential Both 580 1891 300L SS Tall Slim SAN-300SAQD GAUS-300FQTD 2-6 1-3 Residential Both 580 1905 315L SS SAN-315SAQA GAUS-315FQTS 2-6 1-3 Residential Both 621 1748 315L SS Tall Slim SAN-315SAQD GAUS-315FQTD 2-6 1-3 Residential Both 580 2000 315L VE SAN-315VE GAUS-315FQTV 2-6 1-3 Residential Both 638 1626 *SS = Stainless Steel // VE = Vitreous Enamel
The same Sanden Heat Pump condenser unit is used in combination with different tanks sizes. So which tank size you would like?
When considering tank sizes - we need to consider a few factors - number of people, number of bathrooms, the heat recovery rate.
If you're using an existing hot water system for comparison - here are some comments/thoughts:
If you have an existing gas storage hot water system (e.g. 130L / 170L) - these are much smaller in capacity but they will reheat several times a day. Therefore the Sanden tank size will be larger than an existing gas storage replacement with the Sanden re-heat typically only required once per day - a good opportunity to maximise rooftop solar PV production or to utilise an off peak tariff.
If you have an existing electric storage hot water system (e.g. 400L 3.6kW unit) - these electric storage 3.6kW units recover heat at a slower rate (60L/hr) compared to a Sanden heat pump (approx. 80L/hr). Therefore a 400L electric storage hot water system would equate to a 300L/315L Sanden system in this example.
Based on our years providing the Sanden Eco heat pump hot water system - here are our tank recommendations for different scenarios (SS - Stainless Steel // VE - Vitreous Enamel):
160L SS: Only recommended for 1 person bedsits. This tank size is rarely chosen and due to its small tank size must be run in Continuous only mode (no blockout timer can be set up).
250L SS: Typically 1-3 person household with 1 bathroom. Height just under 1.5m with tank diameter 621mm.
250L SS Tall Slim: Typically 1-3 person household with 1 bathroom. Height just under 1.635m with tank diameter 580mm.
300L SS: The Tall Slim - the most popular and best recommended tank choice. Recommended for 2-6 people. Tank diameter 580mm and tank height just under 1.9m. If no height restrictions apply, this is the recommended tank for majority of situations and considered best value for money across the tank sizes.
315L SS: The largest tank size with an additional 15L delivered hot water (5% more) compared to the 300L Tall Slim tank. Tank diameter 621mm with tank height 1.74m - this is recommended if the 300L tall slim tank is too tall for your application.
315L SS Tall Slim: The largest tank size with an additional 15L delivered hot water (5% more) compared to the 300L. Tank diameter 580mm with tank height 2m - this is recommended if you're a very high hot water user.
315L VE: Tank diameter 638mm with tank height 1.63m with 315L delivered hot water. This VE tank is specified for poor water quality areas - you can identify if you are in a poor water quality area via the Sanden website -> https://www.sanden-hot-water.com.au/check-water-quality/
- There is a red LED flashing on the Sanden heat pump display panel should I be worried?
The flashing red dot (LED) indicates the Sanden heat pump unit is currently in 'sleep mode', it is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
We consider this the "Sanden Heart Beat". If you see a red flashing dot, the heart is beating and all is well for your Sanden heat pump.
This controller display with the red flashing dot is applicable to the following Sanden heat pump models:
Sanden G3 - "GS3-45HPA-AU"
Sanden G4 - "GAU-A45HPC"
Sanden G5 - "GAU-A45HPD"
- At what temperatures will the Sanden Eco® Plus heat pump hot water system operate effectively?
The Sanden Eco Plus heat pump hot water (HPHW) system will operate effectively between - 10 º C and + 43 ° C, without the need for an electric booster element. It is also fitted with built in freeze protection, making it suitable for all climates.
- What is the life expectancy of the Sanden Eco® Plus heat pump hot water system?
The Sanden Eco Plus heat pump hot water (HPHW) system is designed to last for 15 years. The high quality, weather resistant Eco® Plus HWHP outdoor module carries a 6 year warranty and the extra-long life stainless steel storage tank carries a class leading, 15 year warranty.
