Stiebel Eltron Heat Pump Hot Water Review

Tim's Stiebel Eltron Review

I recommend avoiding Stiebel Eltron units. I want to like them - the company has an impressive history, a good reputation in the industry and the units look schmick. However, the reliability concerns, the poor warranty, higher cost than other units and the terrible refrigerant all add up to a recommendation to avoid these units.

➖ Cost: Stiebel units are priced at the mid-market

❌ Reliability: Stiebel units receive poor reviews and have a poor warranty

❌ Refrigerant: Units currently use R-134a which is a terrible refrigerant and should be avoided

✅ Maintenance: Maintenance requirements are standard

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Stiebel Eltron (pronounced “Steebel) is a German company founded by Dr. Theodor Stiebel in 1924. Impressively, Stiebel can now claim it has over 100 years of manufacturing experience. Stiebel Eltron has had a presence in Australia since 1995 and launched its first heat pump hot water unit in 2016.

“Stiebels” come in two sizes: a 220L unit (2-4 people) and 302L unit (5-6 people).

One clear positive of Stiebel units is they are low maintenance. Using an impressed current anode removes a great deal of maintenance requirements for customers.

The reliability of Stiebel units is hard to assess. On one hand I’d think they are impressive units - impressive company history, the unit looks great and they have a good reputation in the broader market. However, their reviews are concerning. They receive 3.7 from 5 stars on Product Review with a number of reviewers expressing their negativity about how long the unit lasts. Perhaps this is an example of the flaws of reviews? Perhaps people judge Stiebels harshly because they are a little more expensive? Either way, it’s a concern for the likely reliability of the unit, which along with cost, is probably the most important factor about heat pump hot water units.

The warranty on Stiebel Eltron unit is underwhelming - 5 years on the tank, 2 years on refrigeration components and 1 year on TPR valve. Given the price tag of these units, I’d expect the warranty to be better.

Stiebel units appear to still use R-134a which has a very high global warming potential (GWP) of 1,430. I could never recommend units using such poor refrigerants and indeed these units have lost their eligibility for rebates in Victoria.

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Stiebel Eltron Specifications

Model	Stiebel Eltron
Split/All-in-one	All-in-one
Capacity (L)	220 / 302
Tank Material	Glass lined
Tank Protection	Impressed current anode
Place of Manufacture	Slovakia
Product Review Score	3.7 from 82 reviews
Warranty	Cylinder & Condenser - 5 yrs Refrigeration - 2 yrs T&P Relief Valve - 1 yr
Time in Market (Unit)	2016
Company Founded	1924
Noise Level	47 dB
Maintenance	6 months - activate valves, clean the air intake grilles and discharge, check condensate drain Have the evaporator regularly checked by a qualified contractor If the power supply is regularly interrupted by a switching contact or the security of supply is inadequate, the batteries of the impressed current anode must be replaced every three years
Recommended Retail Price (RRP)	$3,500 (est)

I have emailed Stiebel Eltron to verify the details above
The units are manufactured in Slovakia
The noise output of the units is rated slightly on the higher side at 47 dB, but this isn't really an issue as I recommend people set timers to run the units during the day