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Apricus Solar Hot Water System
315ltr Tank, 250ltr Tank, 400ltr Tank (See All)Pros
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I have owned an Apricus ground level system since 2009. It has certainly done an excellent job through changing climate conditions here in SE Qld. However, I must point out a continuing cost problem with this system. Because the tank is ta ground level, the sun collectors at roof level require the water to be constantly pumped through the system. This is great until the recirculating pump fails. Unfortunately my original pump failed in less than 2 warranty years, and I had to have it replaced at a cost of over $600, because the plumber did not ...
Read morebother to inform Apricus of the failure- which voided the warranty. My 3rd pump is now showing signs of wear, so I searched the net for a compatible replacement. To my horror, the xost is now above $700 BEFORE YOU ADD THE INSTALLATION FEE. Current pumps on the market only have up to 2 years warranty, making this system a quite expensive proposition in the long term. Not included is the tube end sealing maintenance on the roof that needs to be done every 2 to 3 years.. Apricus might consider the idea of including a couple of high efficiency solar panels to power the pump during daylight hours to reduce the overall electricity cost, and allow the system to run when the power is down.. This would also help is defraying the overall cost of pump replacement into the future. A pump with a greatly improved lifespan would be the ultimate way to go and make the whole system a lot more attractive to prospective purchasers.Purchased in for $3,200.
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Just realised our system has been going for over 11 years non-stop in Canberra - 30 tube 315L vitreous tank - We were a house of 7 when installed and down to only 4 now so a lot of hot water use. It is gas boosted and our last gas appliance so if it ever fails we will replace with electric boost or heat pump as we now have large solar PV and battery. But until then we are very happy with it and the energy savings. Have never done any maintenance on it
Purchased in for $5,544.
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Regularly serviced and anode changed and tank failed
1week asked for pictures of failure /provided
2week asked for service records /provided
3week asked for anode to be removed and pressure relief valve in operation pictures
Accc said you do not have to do this as is inappropriate
After 6 week of no hot water told they would not honour warranty
Purchased in for $1,600.
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10 year old system, tank and circulating pump an tubes live out in Queensland weather. Never problems, flow of hot water slowed few days ago. supplier contacted Apricus company, that responded promptly, put me in contact with technician that talked me through the diagnosis and problem of dirty inlet strainer fixed in few minutes. cost neutral!
Professional honest company, great gear!
Purchased in .
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Find out how Apricus Solar Hot Water System compares to other Solar Water Heaters
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- 3 reviews
- 1 like
Was good but the tank turned it to a fountain 6 years old and only 5 years warranty.most of the others have 10 years.
Works very well up until now but when compared with the solarhart which is 16 years old and still working very disappointing when the replacement cost is around twice the price of a normal hot water systems.
Purchased in .
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- 3 reviews
Won't honour the 10-year warranty. Pump failed at 15 months, tank split at 9 years. Maintenance 'requirements', with supporting evidence must be provided before warranty claims are considered (the first I learned of this was when I lodged a warranty claim). The owner's manual contains maintenance 'recommendations', with no mention of relationship to warranty. No mention of 'maintenance requirements' in Warranty T&C's either. If you buy this system follow the owner's manual like your warranty depends on it, because it does. My experience trying to make a warranty claim was stressful and long-winded, even though the staff were polite and seemed like they were trying to help (with everything except for honouring the warranty).
Purchased at Australis for $3,900.
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- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
System is about 7 years old. Over a year ago we had some power lines cut in our street. About that time the quantity of hot water started to decline.
The off-peak electric booster was continually on - 58 hours every weekend, and all night every weekday night - costing a fortune in electricity each quarter.
We sent to Apricus temp figures for one cloudy day.
They immediately said the that the roof heat pipes inside the evac tubes were gone and sent out replacements at no charge. I asked why the off peak should be continually on if the heat pipes...
Purchased in for $5,000.
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- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
The system has a 10yr warranty (as advised by Apricus), it is not even 6 years old but leaked. Refusing to listen to experts and wont honour warranty. STAY AWAY
Purchased in .
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We have just replaced our gas boosted water heater after 11 years of faithful service with no issues or problems at any time. The water is sooo hot in summer. Of course we use more boost in winter but still are extremely pleased with the savings and efficiency. Apricus organised the replacement and covered the cost of freight. The no fuss installation was conducted by their preferred installers Laser Plumbing. Ros is a major asset to Apricus. Her customer service, knowledge of the product and follow up was excellent. Thanks so much for your help Ros! Leanne and Bill Sanderson
Purchased in .
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Find out how Apricus Solar Hot Water System compares to other Solar Water Heaters
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- 2 reviews
- 1 like
I recently became concerned that my APRICUS solar HWS was not working (400 L installed in 2015). This was based on the high electricity consumption on my property (average occupancy 2), despite have solar HWS plus 7.5 kW of solar panels and a battery. I contacted my solar installer who contacted Apricus, who suggested we do a simple diagnostic test which involved using up the hot water so that it was at low temp in the morning, and recording temperature on the roof, and top and bottom of tank (shown on the unit display) at 9 am and 4 pm. This c...
Read moreonfirmed that the HWS was not working. The diagnosis suggested by APRICUS was a problem with heat tubes, and the solution was to replace them at no cost to me, as the system was still under warranty. It took a little while for Apricus to find a service provider who could do the work (the original installer had retired), but once they did, the replacement was done promptly. It's too soon to know for sure if the problem has been solved, will need to wait for the next power bill (I'm currently unable to do another test). The lesson I learned was to monitor my power bills more closely. I should have noticed that the proportion of total power consumption from the dedicated supply was very high - I should have noticed this 2.5 years ago, I believe the problem happened about 2.75 years ago, based on review of my past power consumption. There were also other observations that should have twigged my brain - I had noticed that night time power consumption was much higher when my great nephew was staying, and it couldn't have been simply due to having one light on overnight - the difference was his evening bath, which ran the hot water down (with no power going to the HSW during the day time); the HWS was boosted on night tariff (thank heavens) hence the high consumption at night whenever my great nephew was staying. Also, absolutely fabulous service from Ros, who kept me very well-informed throughout.Purchased in .
- Incentivised Review No
- Household Size 2 person(s)
Hi Liz,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a detailed review. We are glad to hear that your experience with our Aftersales & Warranty team was so superb. We look forward to hearing that ...
Read morethis replacement fixes the problem with your system and starts saving you some money on your energy bills. Please be sure to let us know if we can assist any further on this matter. We will let Ros know how much you valued her service!- 2 reviews
Ros was great to deal with. Help me with everything I needed to fix my system. Parts arrived in a timely manner also. Would definitely use again. Thanks guys keep up the great work.
Purchased in .
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Hi Steve,
Thank you for your feedback. We will let Ros know what a great job she's done - we will keep up the great work! Let us know if we can assist any further. ...
Read more Kind regards, Apricus Australia- 2 reviews
Firstly a exceptional Thank you to Ros West, who provided extremely professional support, it was very refreshing to have a knowledgeable and appreciative person at the other end of the phone, in regards to my sudden control unit expiration, was a wonderful unit for nearly 10 years but old age had caught up with it.
The Apricus unit is a first-class water heating system which has effective heating tubes, runs very quietly and even on successive cloudy days the water is hot. I have never used the booster in the 10 years of the product being insta...
Purchased in for $8,000.
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Hi Iain,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback and wonderful review. We are incredibly proud of both the product and service we provide here at Apricus Australia and we will be sure...
Read more to pass on your thanks to Ros in the Aftersales team. Please be sure to let us know if we can assist any further.Find out how Apricus Solar Hot Water System compares to other Solar Water Heaters
Know better, choose better.
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
Had a faulty water tank temperature sensor. Rang for advice, very professional, told me exactly the sensor I needed, ordered and paid online and delivered to Tassie within 48 hours. Impressive!
Purchased in for $27.
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Hi Steve,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We will be sure to pass on your comments to our customer service team. We are glad to hear your system is back up and running and you are happy with the service you received. ...
Read more Apricus AustraliaInstalled at initial cost to us of just over $6000 in 2009 sine then we had to replace pump, controller Solar Stat and again it is not working. We are in Jun 2021 and have got to cost us up $8000. We are asking for quote to decommission it and go to old system gas HW which will cost us $2000 plus decommissioning of Apricus around $1200. The problem is that initially we have gone for Apricus for environmental issues but considering that the system can not work without use both electricity and gas it is dead loss to us financially and no benefit to the environment. This was at my old age the worst mistake I have ever made and if I would have another life time I could not recover the cost.
Purchased in for $6,000.
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Hi Steve,
Thank you for your valuable feedback about your experience with Apricus Australia. We are sorry to hear that you have had such a negative experience over the last 12 or so years. $6000 for...
Read more purchase and install of our system seems an excessive amount. We would love to speak to your further about your experience, to find out where the system was purchased from and whether we can assist you at all moving forward. Please could you call Amy at our Head office on 1300 277 428 or email her directly on warranty@apricus.com.au.- 4 reviews
- 1 like
We are waiting on replacement tubes. Melanie has been great...no answers back from many companies and plumbers but now feel we're getting somewhere! Thanks Melanie for your input and many emails...very much appreciated.
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Hi Margaret,
Thank you for taking the time to love such a fantastic review. We will be sure to pass on your praise to Melanie for her fantastic customer service. ...
Read more Kind regards, Apricus AustraliaQuestions & Answers
We have a small jet of water leaking from the bottom sensor port on the tank. I presume the silicone has degraded over time. What's the best way to fix this. Thanks.
Hi David - please could you send an email to our Aftersales team on warranty@apricus.com.au or call 1300 277 428 and choose the 2nd option.
Hi, I have the 315 / 30 tube system. North Facing 23deg. installed 2012. Slowly diminishing over the years in fact I don't think it has ever worked properly. Had the Controller changed from the beginning by the seller. Made no difference ( he even said it should be topping out ). a 27 degree day with full sun all day will be lucky to get to 55deg. tried new heat paste, sensors all seem OK. I have a feel it may be crook tubes. would like to rule out.... ? sick of paying for too much gas backup.
The water is not hot enough
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Details
Features:
- The Apricus Solar Hot Water System has vitreous enamel construction that’s designed to resist chemicals, corrosion, and wear and tear over time.
- It’s Australian-designed and designed for a tough Aussie climate.
- The system is insulated with polyurethane foam, which has ultra-efficient thermal performance that helps save energy, as well as money.
- You can get this solar hot water heater in 3 different sizes: 250L. 315L, and 400L.
- This product has a 10-year warranty.
Points of praise:
- Most reviewers found that this hot water system scored them big energy savings, and thus savings on their electricity bill.
- They also said that the installation was a no-fuss affair, with everything going smoothly and installers being polite and tidy.
- Reviewers also praised the knowledge staff on Apricus’ customer service team.
A point of pain:
- Some reviewers have expressed disappointment at the after sales service they experienced, with some saying that conditions of their warranty weren’t made very clear when they purchased the unit.
Apricus 400ltr Tank3.6(20) | Apricus 250ltr Tank2.9(42) | Apricus 315ltr Tank3.3(86) | |
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Category | Solar Water Heaters | Solar Water Heaters | Solar Water Heaters |
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Hi Bill & Leanne,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful review. It is great to see after 11 years that your system works so well. We will be sure to pass on your praise to Ros f...
Read moreor the service and help she has provided you. Please let us know if we can assist any further.