Reclaim Heat Pumps

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Reclaim Energy Heat Pump Hot Water Systems

As mentioned in our general heat pump page, quality reigns supreme. We are finding many of our customers do want a quality heat pump they can trust. Many of our customers are starting to hear the horror stories of cheap systems.

The most popular and at the same time high quality heat pump we install is Reclaim, so we thought we would put up a dedicated Reclaim page, however it’s our take on the product.

Reclaim is a heat pump that is made up of three main components. These systems are commonly called a split system heat pump. The main components are the tank, condenser and controller.

How Do Reclaims Work

Like many hot water systems, there is a storage tank which is used to store the heated water for future use. Instead of a gas burner or an electric element heating the water, the Reclaim heat pump uses an efficient refrigeration process to heat the water. The condenser, which looks like a normal split system air conditioner, is the device that heats the water. Think of it as an air conditioner working in heating mode. Instead of warm air being produced, it produces heated water, this is then pumped into the tank. These systems are a true heat pump.

Top Down Heating

This is the clever process that separates Reclaim heat pumps from many all in one systems.

Firstly a bit about the basics of normal gas and electric element tanks. The water is heated generally at the bottom and slowly finds its way to the top tank through a process called thermosyphon. In short, passive heat exchange occurs in the tank making the warmer water rise to the top when it is heated. Hot water is drawn out of the top of the tank for use. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying heat rises.

This method is alright if you want to wait for hot water and in the case of many lower cost heat pumps, many hours, further exacerbated in the colder winter months.

The Top Down method speeds the process up, reverses it if you like. Because there is a true water pump in the condenser, instead of pumping the hot water into the bottom of the tank, to then mix and dilute with the tank water (which also takes time), the condenser draws water from the cooler bottom of the tank, then pumps the heated water into the top of the tank, actually right next to the hot outlet of the tank. This is where your hot water for the house fixtures comes from. Therefore you have usable hot water in a much quicker timeframe. You don’t have to wait for the whole tank to be heated to start using hot water.

It shortcuts the natural thermosyphon process and gets the heated water to where it needs to be much quicker.

Did you know?

Many all in one/integrated heat pumps still use the natural thermosyphon process.

That’s why they take time to produce usable hot water.

Heat Pump Mechanics

Heat-pump hot water systems harness the principles of refrigeration cycles to extract heat from the surrounding air. This heat is then transferred to water within an insulated storage cylinder through a heat exchanger. The energy efficiency of these systems is impressive, consuming approximately 60 to 75% less electricity compared to conventional electric hot water systems. Unlike the direct heating mechanism employed by traditional electric systems, heat pumps employ electricity to power the heat pump itself, which then heats the water indirectly.

Sun-Powered Efficiency: A Kinship with Solar Heaters

An interesting analogy emerges when considering heat-pump hot water systems and solar water heaters. Both systems harness the sun’s energy, albeit in different ways. Heat-pump systems derive heat from the air, which is ultimately warmed by the sun. Unlike solar systems, heat pumps don’t rely on electric or gas boosters, utilizing electricity solely for operating the evaporator fan and compressor during water heating. This distinction positions heat-pump systems as efficient alternatives to solar heaters.

Installation

The systems can be installed in a variety of configurations, because they are modular. The two main components are joined together via flow and return copper water pipes, there are no additional refrigeration lines required. A normal installation is the condenser on the left or right of the tank, however the tank can even be indoors or even under a house if space permits. The condenser must be outdoors, it can be mounted on the ground or on wall brackets at various heights.

They do need a dedicated electrical circuit from the switchboard to the condenser, a bit like an air conditioner does. The controller can plug into a normal power point. For our installations, we arrange the electrician to perform this work.

This is a Solar Victoria requirement as many cheaper systems which have had power cords/plugs altered to plug into existing general purpose outlets have the potential to suffer nuisance tripping of the electrical supply causing limitations in hot water production.

Tanks

The standard tank is made out of steel and is glass lined, They are Australian made and come with a 10 year cylinder warranty. They are available in 160L, 250L, 315L and 400L capacities. The most common size is the 315L capacity tank.

Stainless steel tanks are available, these are also made in Australia and come with a 15 year cylinder warranty. They are available in 160L, 250L,400L and 3 different style 315L tanks. A tall slimline version, a shorter squat version and also another tall tank with a recycled plastic outer case.

Integration with rooftop photovoltaic systems offers an avenue for efficient energy utilisation, aligning with sustainability goals.

Condenser

The condenser is also commonly called compressor or heat pump

The Reclaim Condenser is manufactured in Japan. It uses CO2 refrigerant making it environmentally friendly and it is extremely quiet at 37dB.

It is then matched to suit what control system is required by the customer. The control systems are wifi or non wifi. Both come standard with timers however the wifi model allows connectivity from a smart phone.

Both systems now come with a 10 year warranty on condenser and controller.

reclaim condenser serviced by the hot water man

Controller

Reclaim has the choice of two controllers. Both have a timer function which is great for customers with photovoltaic (PV) power. As an example, set it to the number 4 preset time period and the system will come on at 10am and turn off at 4pm. That is the peak PV time period for hot water systems.

The standard controller (V1.1) is the non wifi model controller. It still has a timer with multiple operational time modes which can be set by the customer. Some time periods are already pre set so all you have to do is select them or you can just use it as a normal hot water system and not worry about the timer at all.

The wifi controller has the function of the standard controller with added benefit of wifi connectivity so you can control the hot water system from your smart device such as a phone. Great for holiday homes or for customers into their PV or battery systems. You can also do a quick boost from your phone if required.

Standard (non wifi) Controller

Wifi Controller

Reclaim Case Studies

Have a look at our case studies page here, click on Reclaim.

Learn More About Reclaim

You can visit the Reclaim website here. Check out their heat pump pages and YouTube videos.

Reclaim Downloads here

We only install quality systems with a high Australian made content where possible and backed by companies that have a proven history in the hot water industry with great customer support

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