Frequently Asked Questions

Each type of water heater has advantages which will vary due to how much hot water is required and over what time period and whether gas is available as an alternative to electric which may reduce the running cost in certain situations. Rheem has an easy to use online product selector tool to help with residential product selection.

The wide range of Rheem products available in New Zealand will have varying warranty terms for each model. The Owners Guide supplied with new units will carry this information and full details are also available online here. 

Mains pressure water is delivered to your home from the street’s water main and is the highest flow possible to your taps. Because of its higher pressure, it can deliver a strong flow to many taps or showers at once and as both the cold and hot water are at the same pressure, it ensures a strong flow which is easily mixed to find the right temperature. 

It's important to consider this because everyone loves lots of hot water and no one likes their shower turning to a trickle when another tap is turned on!

So, when you want a reliable supply of hot water delivered at full mains pressure to more than one tap at the same time... Install a Rheem!

Rheem products are sold through merchants located nationwide. A local Rheem stockist list can be found online here.

Rheem has a nationwide network of service centres so there should be one in your area. You can search for a service centre near you here.

Rheem owner manuals supplied with products which can display error codes will have details of any code which could be resolved by the user. A suitably qualified person (plumber, gasfitter or electrician) should only attempt a repair which requires covers or casing to be removed using tools. The error codes will assist this person to diagnose the fault safely.

The size of a hot water cylinder is based on how much hot water is used over a period of time. A large family home with more than one bathroom will require more stored hot water to be available at any one time than a two person home with a single bathroom. Rheem has an easy to use online product selector tool to help with residential product selection.

The water temperature may be lower than usual due to heavy hot water usage. Also this problem could be due to a faulty tempering valve that is excessively cooling your hot water. Your local approved plumber can test your system and replace the valve if necessary.

There could be many reasons for discoloured hot water and may need to be investigated by a local qualified person. A contaminated water supply or problems with pipework and valving may need to be checked as well as considering the age and type of the hot water heater to identify the cause.

Not all hot water cylinders have a lining. Copper and stainless steel do not require this but VE cylinders are lined with a Vitreous Enamel glass lining which makes them more resistant to poor water supplies.

A local qualified plumber would be able to specify if a wetback installation is possible. The location of the fire in relation to the hot water cylinder is crucial for the system to operate and each installation will be different.

When the fire is alight the water inside the firebox pipework is heated which in turn will rise up through the pipework connected to the hot water cylinder to heat the tap water inside rather than having the electric element running. There are several types of wetback compatible cylinders available from Rheem which operate at low or mains pressure.

Click here to view our Hot Water Storage reference guide

Click here to view our Hot Water Storage reference guide

Click here to view our Hot Water Storage reference guide

Click here to view our Continuous Flow reference guide

Rheem gas products with pilot lights are designed to operate reliably and safely. A local qualified gas fitter would be able to check the installation for any issues that may be causing the unit to shut off the pilot for safety reasons or whether a service on the unit to clean the pilot and burner is required to rectify the problem. A local Rheem Service Centre can be found here if required.

Maybe. If you have gas piping in your street, your home can be connected to natural gas. Your local energy provider can advise if gas is available, and arrange connection. If gas is not available, you can install a ULPG gas water heater, which can be run from refillable gas bottles. Either way, a plumber can advise what will be involved.

It depends on the size of your home and how you tend to use hot water. Gas water heaters come in two types:

• Continuous Flow – compact and wall-mounted, this type heats water as you use it, delivering hot water that ‘never runs out’
• Gas Storage – this type heats the water and stores it ready for use, supplying it at mains pressure, so you can run several taps or showers at once without loss of pressure.

Maybe. It will depend on the size of your existing gas pipe, and the type of gas water heater you want to install. Most gas storage water heaters can be fitted to the gas pipe that already exists in many houses, but a continuous-flow water heater requires a larger diameter pipe to be installed from the gas meter. A plumber can check your existing set up, advise you on what’s needed, and then give you a quote to install it.

A Heat Pump might be right for you. Heat pumps are like solar without collectors on the roof. They use refrigerant vapour compression technology to extract and intensify the warmth in the air around us. They then use that warmth to produce hot water. Have a look at the Rheem Heat Pump range to find the one that’s right for you.

Yes, you can. 

• Indoor gas water heaters are available but they require an available gas supply and fluing through an external wall.
• A solar tank can be placed indoors, but if it’s gas boosted it will need a gas supply and fluing through an external wall.

• A good-sized roof – most houses will use 2 collectors which are each around 2m tall x 1 m wide. That means you need at least 2m x 2m, plus some clearance space on your roof. You’ll also need some ground space for the ground-mounted hot water storage tank. For a roof-mounted tank, you’ll need even more roof space .
• A north-facing roof area – it’s best if the collectors can be mounted facing north in order to capture the most sunlight. If you’re not sure, use a compass or go to Google Earth to check if you’ve got a north-facing roof area.
• An area free from shade – the roof where the solar collectors are fitted needs to get plenty of sunlight – so watch out for shade from trees or surrounding buildings.
• Climate can also be a factor when choosing a solar heater. Extreme weather areas that get frost or very high heat will need a product designed to suit the climate.

Remember, a plumber or solar installer can help you make sure you have the right set-up. If your house doesn’t suit solar, a Heat Pump is a great alternative. We call it ‘solar without the panels’. 

Not long at all, particularly if the installation is well planned. If a ground level storage tank is installed first, you won’t be out of hot water for long, as the tank can operate using its gas or electric booster until the collectors are installed. An experienced installer will organise the necessary licensed trades so you are quickly enjoying hot water from your new solar hot water system.

A Heat Pump is also a quick replacement for an electric water heater. We call it ‘solar without the panels’. 

Yes. All Rheem solar water heaters come with either a gas or electric boost function, so you can get hot water even when it’s cloudy.

Different systems are suited for different climate zones. Your installer can advise on what is right for your location.

A Heat Pump is another option that’s best suited for some climates and will work without the sun. We call it ‘solar without the panels’.

Definitely. Heat Pumps are often the simplest replacement for an electric water heater.

They have a storage tank much like an electric water heater. They use the same plumbing and electrical connections as electric water heaters. They can be quickly installed by a licensed plumber and they consume about a third of the electricity than a traditional electric water heater.

The one thing to be aware of is that the water in the tank may take a bit longer to heat but a Rheem Heat Pump comes with an electric back-up element for those times when the ambient temperature (weather) gets really cold.

Talk to your plumber or installer about the storage capacity to make sure you have enough hot water when you need it.

A Heat Pump doesn’t need solar collectors mounted on the roof. It uses technology to extract and intensify the warmth that is naturally in the air around us then uses that warmth to produce hot water.

Traditional solar water heaters use the warmth from the sun to heat the water.