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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Head Office & Warehouse Address: 13 Godfrey Street, Walliston 6076

Office Hours: 7.30am – 4.30pm Monday – Friday

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Shop 5B Kalamunda Glades, 121-123 Canning Road,
Kalamunda 6076

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Excellent4.9★★★★★ Based on 465 reviews from review us onSharon Herbert ★★★★★ Great service - fitted me in on a Saturday morning, quick, fixed the problem AND replaced the bricks! Will use these guys again🙂Lisa Reed ★★★★★ Needed same day plumber toilet flush broke , receptionist was lovely, very understanding and accommodating, got a time slot and phone call notice so didn't need to sit at home and could go to work, turned up promptly, fixed the problem, the plumber was friendly, clean and courteous, i did think a little pricey but didn't have time to shop around , hapoy with the service and jobAntoinette Wilson ★★★★★ We are very satisfiedThe workers are always professional and friendly, very helpful and deliver high quality workmanshipResponse from the ownerWe greatly appreciate your feedback! Our team consistently demonstrates excellence in their work while maintaining a positive attitude. Their professionalism and willingness to assist truly contribute to a successful experience. Thank you, Antoinette, for this wonderful review Giuseppe Luci ★★★★★ Thanks to Kalamunda Plumbing for a great job with my recent HWS replacement job.Friendly and professional service from everyone involved.I would highly recommend Kalamunda Plumbing to anyone needing any plumbing work.Response from the ownerThank you, Giuseppe. We are delighted to learn about your positive experience with Kalamunda Plumbing. Your recommendation truly speaks volumes! Lorraine Markwell ★★★★★ I will always go to Kalamunda Plumbing as I feel safe knowing I'm getting the right advice and experiencing good old fashion service! Clayton was fantastic and did the job so quickly and left the area all clean, I was impressed by Clayton's knowledge and level of caring!I will continue to recommend Kalamunda Plumbing.Best wishes to the team for a happy, healthy and safe 2025!Response from the ownerIt's Fantastic to hear such positive feedback about Kalamunda Plumbing! It sounds like you had a Stella experience with Clayton, We know it’s always reassuring to be in capable hands. Our Teams commitment to quality service and attention to detail really makes a difference. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and I’m sure the team will appreciate your well wishes for the upcoming year. Here’s to a happy and successful 2025 for everyone! Brigitte Quinn ★★★★★ From the first call to the lovely Sophia, professional, efficient and approachable. David was prompt , professional and explained all aspects of what he was doing. Highly recommend this company.Response from the ownerThank you, Brigitte, for taking the time to share your thoughtful review. Our team strives to be approachable and professional at all times, ensuring that we communicate all relevant information to maintain transparency in every situation. Jack Watson ★★★★★ As usual, Kalamunda Plumbing are on time, professional & fix the problem. I have no hesitation recommending these guys. Great workResponse from the ownerWe sincerely appreciate this outstanding recommendation. Thank you, Jack. Anne Derry ★★★★★ fast call out, very nice to deal with,fair pricing and lovely man who came, coming back within 1 hour as there was a problem fixed it immediately Well done Kalamunda PlumbingResponse from the ownerThank you, Anne. It sounds like you had a remarkable experience. Our prompt response and friendly service truly make a significant impact. I am glad to hear that we were able to address the issue promptly. Gary Palmer ★★★★★ We used this service to deal with some taps that after a long time had become difficult to turn off. This was a non urgent job but we obtained a booking for the next day. We received a call that he was on his way and he completed the job to our satisfaction. Ssniors discount was a plus.Response from the ownerThank you for your review, Gary! We always aim to get out to each and every job as soon as possible, so we're glad to have met your expectations! Derek Smith ★★★★★ Cameron turned up on time & had the problem found & sorted out quickly , great friendly & knowledgeable service 🙂Response from the ownerThankyou Derek for the great review. We strive for great service. carole trivett ★★★★★ Very happy with everything and the way things were explained and cleaned up. Thank you.Response from the ownerThanks Carole! We always strive for the boys to be as neat and tidy as possible, so it's reassuring to hear they they are! Marie Pooley ★★★★★ Excellent service, communication and staff interaction.Response from the ownerThank you, Marie, for your excellent review. Rachel Smith ★★★★★ Great service and expertise. Highly recommend. Thanks David for your service and positive attitude.Have been a customer for over 15 years.Response from the ownerThank you, Rachel, for your longstanding loyalty. We sincerely appreciate all your support over these years. It’s truly gratifying to know that you have consistently had a positive experience. David excels at delivering exceptional service, and we look forward to continuing to provide you with great experiences in the future. ursula smith ★★★★★ Great fast service, on time, good communication, good honest knowledge.Thank youResponse from the ownerI am pleased to hear about your positive experience. It is truly rewarding when service aligns so well with expectations. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Glenn Woodward ★★★★★ Prompt on time , great serviceResponse from the ownerThank you Glenn, for the great review! Sam Bird ★★★★★ Had Cameron out to replace our shower head and vanity sink Tap and handles. Very professional and friendly and did a great job!! Highly recommend.Thank youResponse from the ownerThank you, Sam! Cameron is truly outstanding, and we are confident he will appreciate this excellent recommendation as much as we do! james mcmillan ★★★★★ Efficient smooth process thanks for all your help JimResponse from the ownerAbsolutely! I'm so glad to hear that everything went smoothly. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out! Wayne Doust ★★★★☆ Had a Rheem Hot Water Heat Pump InstalledBooked in and installed the next day, fast turn around and good installationResponse from the ownerWe are pleased to hear that you are enjoying the new system. Our goal is to provide a quick turnaround to assist our clients in any way possible. Trevor Fletcher ★★★★★ The plumber was very helpful and got the job done promptlyResponse from the ownerThank you, Trevor. Our team consistently strives to be as helpful as possible. Sarah Walker ★★★★★ The job was booked in with a friendly and helpful receptionist at Kalamunda Plumbing. David arrived on time and fixed our plumbing issue. He went above and beyond and I would highly recommend their services.Response from the ownerThank you, Sarah, for the excellent recommendation. I am confident that the entire team will greatly appreciate your kind words Phillip Wilson ★★★★★ David arrived so positive and accommodating. Very timely, diagnosis was done quickly, yet nothing was found. Was happy to service the unit, and thankfully, the issue appeared, and he was quick to show me his luck to spot the and fix straight away.So happy with his work I asked for them to schedule annual servicing . Thanks Heaps Kalamunda PlumbingResponse from the ownerThank you Phillip for the excellent review. We understand the value of having a knowledgeable, positive, and friendly professional available to assist with any issues that may arise. Additionally, scheduling annual servicing is a wise decision to ensure that your unit remains in optimal condition. Donna Grafham ★★★★★ Fast and efficient up front cost and photos to show damage doneResponse from the ownerThank you, Donna. We sincerely appreciate your positive feedback. Norma Hurley ★★★★★ I was very satisfied with the service provided by Kalamunda Plumbing and would have no hesitation in recommending them.Regards NormaResponse from the ownerThank you very much, Norma. Your recommendation is greatly appreciated, and we are pleased to hear that you were satisfied with our services. Aleksander Smith ★★★★★ Great company to go with. All the team are extremely professional and have so far had them three times for separate issues/installs. Prompt service and I highly recommend!Response from the ownerWe are delighted to learn about your positive experiences! Our team is committed to consistently providing professional service to support wonderful customers like you. Thank you for sharing your recommendation! js_loader

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Kalamunda Plumbing employs a team of professional local plumbers, servicing Perth's Hills and Eastern Suburbs with a proud tradition of delivering Service Excellence since 1954. Get in touch with us today to discuss your water heater, plumbing or drainage needs and speak to one of our friendly team members!

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