Aquatech Heat Pump Hot Water Review

Tim's Aquatech Review

Aquatech’s heat pump hot water units are one of the best affordable units on the market. They are currently the only brand on Heat Pump Compare that receives four ticks.

✅ Cost: Aquatech's units are affordable

✅ Reliability: Aquatech's units are well reviewed and have a strong track record

✅ Refrigerant: Aquatech's units use propane as the refrigerant, which has very low global warming potential

✅ Maintenance: The Dynamic X8 and Rapid X6 require little ongoing maintenance

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Aquatech heat pumps are one of the leading affordable heat pump hot water units on the market.

Aquatech heat pumps come in 2 sizes:

The Dynamic X8 (previously known as Hydrotherm) is 270L, suitable for 4 to 5 people
The Rapid X6 is 210L, suitable for 1-3 people

One of the things I like most about Aquatech is its track record: the Company was formed in 2009 and launched the first Dynamic X8 unit in 2011.

Aquatech is based on the Gold Coast and units are manufactured in China.

Aquatech units receive a healthy 4.7 stars on Product Review from hundreds of reviews. As with most units though, it’s hard to know whether the reviews are for units that have been working for six months (which is somewhat irrelevant) or 10 years (which is highly relevant). I like to sort by negative reviews and unfortunately a number of the negative reviews are from people that have owned the units for 5+ years, citing issues along the way. The counter-argument to that is you'd hope newer units last longer as technology continues to improve.

I don't recommend Aquatech units for dwellings with 6 or more people.

The warranty on Aquatech units is a little weak: 5 years on the unit and 2 years labour. This means that if there's an issue in year 3, you will need to pay for the plumber to visit, diagnose and fix the unit. We know labour is expensive so it's an important part of the warranty. I'd like to see Aquatech's warranties increased in line with iStore's - 5 years on both labour and the unit.

Aquatech units require little maintenance. They are one of the few units on the market which have an impressed current anode - which means if they are plugged in, the electrical supply will help protect the tank. This requires less maintenance than units which have two sacrificial anodes (although they still have a backup anode).

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Aquatech Specifications

Model	Rapid X6/Dynamic X8
Split/All-in-one	All-in-one
Capacity (L)	210/270
Tank Material	Glass lined
Tank Protection	Impressed current anode with backup anode
Place of Manufacture	China
Product Review Score	4.7 from 450 reviews
Warranty	Heat Pump & Parts - 5 yrs Labour - 2 yrs
Time in Market (Unit)	2021/2011
Company Founded	2011
Noise Level	43 dB
Maintenance	6 months (owner) - open PTR valve; check air intake/lid/condensate drain are free of debris; 5 years (tradesperson) - check PTR valve, tempering valve; check backup anode and replace if required; drain the tank;
Recommended Retail Price (RRP)	$2,295/$2,995

One of the downsides of the units is they are manufactured in China. I like to support local manufacturing where possible, but this is not a deal breaker. Most other units on the market are made in China as well.
I have heard a few stories of noise complaints about Aquatech units, but this really shouldn’t be an issue as units should only be run during the day and not at night time.
One big positive of Aquatech units is they use Propane as the refrigerant, and have done so since their first unit in 2011. I write more about refrigerants here, and explain that units with poorer refrigerants are being forced to switch to ensure they are still eligible for rebates. I can see teething issues as manufacturers get used to the new refrigerants, but it’s business as usual for Aquatech.
A number of customers report problems with Aquatech’s Wifi setup. I don’t think this is a big issue, as I write here, but keep this in mind if Wifi connectivity is important to you.