Rheem Solar Hiline

Excellent system and warranty – Perfect for saving energy costs. My electricity bill dropped dramatically. Show details ·  1

Hot Flushes With Rheem Solar – Thanks to the efficient Rheem team I have just had my third heater installed. Gratis. I was assured that this new enamel model surpasses the others. The problem seemed to be with the tanks coming apart at the seams and spitting water over my dear Mediterranean clay tiles.... as if they were splitting their sides laughing at me. I did want the new… Read more ·  1

heater replaced with the original colour which looked much like the Nullabor dessert on a fiery day. No, these are not produced anymore. Only a silver model is manufactured now. To me it looks like the Phantom in a grey mist. Oh well, after a week of cold water we are all gleeful, because showering was a remembrance of days long past. Out came the old flannel and basin, though I seemed to have lost the hacked off cake of yellow, cracked soap. The memories of simpler times envelopes one with tears. Anyway inconveniences do strike, but I have to give a thumb up to Rheem for giving new heaters for old.

Absolute rubbish – I paid a $500.00 deosit for a system, had it installed only to find out the system doesnt work (no hot water), then they decide to remove and reposition the system to another roof aspect only to find it still doesn't work, then this is the system for you. After two months of letting them try everything to make this system operate correctly I had… Read more

enough and instructed the installer to remove it permanently. Now I am left with 8 holes in my roof that has been plugged up with silicon (I now have a quote for a little over $2000.00 to repair the roof) and more or less told I don't get the $500.00 deposit back because it was my fault the system didnt work.

Getting the Run Around and around and around – I have a Edwards(now Rheem) L32 S/S tank with 2 Australis panels. The tank is leaking after only 8 years. I'm looking at replacing it with a Rheem 52L300 S/S Tank with 2 Australis panels. My Rheem franchise supplier/installer has quoted on the new tank and panels and advised I am eligible for $840.00 but when queried increased it to $900… Read more

rebate of S.T.C.s.

Rheem's website advises I'm eligible for $1,150.00 S.T.C.'s

When I queried Rheem today by phone they said the S.T.C. rebate was $1,333.

When I checked the Rheem website after this great news - it was showing $1,150. They said they update the website daily.

I know if fluctuates, but, really!!!!!!!

Please, could someone give me a straight answer - we're talking about a difference of $433.00.

Do I believe my installer/supplier, do I believe the Rheem website, or do I believe the Rheem Representative?

Does a great job – I chose this model after some research to replace a conergy system, which was awful. This model has a stainless steel tank with a 10 year warranty, so that immediately gave me some piece of mind about my choice. The system produces a good supply of very hot water at a good pressure on sunny days, obviously late night showers or washing can… Read more ·  1

leave you short on hot water in the morning.

On cloudy and rainy days the booster will need to be used to maintain the temperature of the water.

Overall I am very happy with this solar hot water system and would recommend it.

The price is very reasonable and there are still generous subsidies available.

No problem with the Edwards stainless steel cylinder system (Now Rheem) still working after 18 years – New build, specified an Edwards stainless steel cylinder (now Rheem) as "other brands" use a steel cylinder with an enamel lining. These steel cylinder brands use an electrode to counteract the effect of the steel cylinder rusting as the enamel cracks due to its expansion at a different rate than the steel, during it's lifetime. Our stainless… Read more ·  1

steel cylinder system worked fine a for a young family of 4 in a two story house. Only after a period of 3 days of overcast weather we did turn the booster on manually. For a 1 year period we had the Booster on for a total of 14 days. After 18 years it is still on the roof working fine. I think people with problems do not understand how the system is designed to work correctly and therefore have unrealistic expectations or get confused with what is happening with their electricity bill, and blame the Hot water system.

I would buy and specify a Rheem Stainless Steel cylinder Sola Hot Water system again.

After 35+ years of solar hot water we have a 52S300S7 - which is terrible! – We have had solar roof mounted hot water for most of our married lives - 35+ years. We moved into our new house on Nov 6 2015. The builders wouldn't fit anything but a Rheem solar unit, so we accepted it. We always struggled to get water hot enough to wash the dishes. Just after Anzac day I rang Rheem to complain. Their local installer rang and… Read more

told me that he told all his customers to turn on the booster on Anzac day and turn it off 3 months later. He also said that it should cost no more than $30 in electricity costs for the quarter. We tried his advice.

It cost well over $200 for the quarter, but we did have hot water. I turned it off and measured the temperatures morning and night for 2 weeks. Highest was 48 c [once] the rest are in the low 40's and down to 24 c in the mornings. We took out the tempering valve as we thought this could fix it - no change

So it doesn't get hot and won't keep any heat it collects. We last had a Solahart which kept the heat for 3 days.

I will be contacting Rheem tomorrow.

Peter Watkins 0421 239 078

May 19th 2017 Update: Rheem Solar System. Great if you want an electric system with occasional solar boost

We built a new house, asked for a Solarhart solar hot water system. The builder didn't fit Solarhart but offered Rheem as "It is every bit as good as the Solarhart!"

IT IS NOT!!!!!

The system is advertised as suitable for 2 - 5 person households.

IT IS NOT!!!!

We have 2 adults living in the house, we have 1 3 minute shower each every day. We have come off living on farms with tank water and cannot waste water. Just can't do it. Rheem told us that "You only have a 300 litre tank - that will give you 4 showers in 48 hours."

I asked a number of times what the other people in the house did for a shower. Rheem never answered that question

It seems that Rheem never answer questions that may be difficult.

The Rheem website advertises that a Rheem solar hot water system will save between 73% and 85% of a normal hot water system's operating costs. Their own website has a calculator which shows that the solar costs $420 [approx] per year to operate - the normal electric system is a bit over $900 per year to operate.

I know that I am old and that my maths is also old - however I can not find savings of more than just over 50% here

I contacted Rheem - their local rep came out, measured temperatures and announced that there was nothing wrong, then charged us for the visit. He told us that he tells his customers to leave the booster on from Anzac day - for the next 3 months - and it will only cost $30. He was wrong - it cost us $117.

I recontacted Rheem again. Mentioned that apparently both the Rheem tank and the Solarhart tanks were produced in the same factory - why was the Sloarhart one better. They actually sent an attachment back from one of their techs saying that if you compare the STC's allocated to each tank, then Yes, the Solarhart one was more efficient.

My major concern has been heat loss from the tank overnight. It is about 12 C cooler in the morning than the night before. We have washed the dishes and had 2 x 3 minute showers - obviously high water usage - and if we have a day and a half of cloud we need to boost the system.

I raised both parts of the problem on numerous times via email.

Never were either concern addressed by rheem.

Eventually they sent out their agent again to fix our warranty problems. He fixed the problems by taking temperatures again and leaving. They ignored my request to look at the system with cloudy conditions to give a realistic comparison.

They told me there is nothing wrong - and basically to go away.

I went to the Qld Office of Fair Trading - turns out that they have no teeth - wrongful advertising - Ho Hum.

Rheem advised them that

"I have reviewed my notes that I have received from Bar plumbing whom I asked to go to site and the temperature readings for the day were consistent with the solar gain indicated on the day which was the 31st January 2017.

It was a 31 Degrees day and the temperature reading in the tank at 1.30 pm was 67 Degrees. The formula to calculate heat loss overnight is a little hard to explain on paper but assuming the customer uses 150 litres per day and also assuming that the cold water temperature was 25 degrees which I did not get a reading on the water in the tank overnight without boosting would be approximately 47 Degrees in the tank which falls in line with the readings that they have given themselves.

I believe that there is no more that Rheem can do for this customer and if you read the attached from page 5 it explains heat loss and boosting requirements in detail. It is not feasible to go out to site when it is cloudy as you will experience low solar gain and this will indicate nothing but the obvious.

It would appear that the customers complaints always start around the winter period in which the system will require boosting due to low solar gain. The average solar heater will heat the water at twice the average daily temperature for the day."

# Funnily enough, my second lot of complaints started in November 2016 - after poor weather - and we live in the subtropics!

We have neighbours who have alternate solar hot water systems

Next door is a Rinnai - they have not needed to turn their booster on in over 8 months - with 5 people in the house.

Another friend has an older Solarhart - boosts 4 or 5 times a year - never in less than 3 days of cloud/rain.

We had a Solarhart 9 km's away - shaded in the afternoons but rarely needed boosting.

We have had solar hot water systems for most of our married lives - never had a lemon like this one

We asked for the system to be removed and a refund.

Rheem refused

Rheem own Solarhart

We will replace the system with one not made in any company owned by Rheem

If you wish to discuss it with me ring 0421 239 078 - My name is Peter Watkins

Remember DON"T BUY RHEEM - No customer service and they just don't care.

September 14th 2017 Update: Rheem told us

We had our Rheem solar hot water system fitted when we built our new house. The builder told us that it was as good as the brand we wanted

Rheem tell us that it will only heat water to double the outside air temperature - so on an 18 degree day we can get 36 C - or tepid. I have their emails to prove this

Our tank heat loss overnight is 12 C - "within standards" - too cool to do the dishes in the morning. I have their emails to prove this

They tell their customers to turn the boost on ANZAC day and leave it on for 3 months - an electric system with a solar boost! The ANZAC day was verbal but I have their emails to prove the boost needs.

August 5th 2018 Update: We had a rheem 52L300 system

I reviewed it elsewhere, however we sold the house and moved in with our son who has a 16 year old Solarhart

system.

We have gone from having to boost our hot water on any day when we had some cloud cover or just plain low temperatures to having enough hot water to shower 4 adults with no boosting - the booster has been on once in 6 weeks

Whereas the Rheem rep assured me that it was normal for a solar hot water system to only double the daytime temperature in hot water - ie 20 degrees gave you 40 degrees f hot water - obviously no-one told Solarhart 16 years ago because 20 degrees gives us enough for four adults - prior to that we had only two of us in the new house and had to boost either before we both showered or before doing the dishes in the morning

For the most expensive/unreliable hot hot water you've ever seen – 2.5yrs = over $700 in repairs. Electric heating element replaced after 13 months (1yr warranty), thermostat after 2yrs and element again last week! Isn't solar hws meant to save $$$??? I'm ready to cut my losses, throw this unit into the rubbish tip where it belongs and buy something else. NEVER again will I purchase a Rheem product.  Show details

Lasted 3 years – Same as solar edwards and in WA which has higher saline levels mine suffered from anoxic corrossion on the west end tank plug. Maybe last longer with less salt. Replaced by rheem and I had to pay for install. My best friend had same problem. No more warranty. Wouldn't buy another one. Thanks tony  Show details

Terrible – Would not recommend solar or Rheem. We relied on Rheem and ETSA for their expertise. Rheem installed the solar panels on a western facing roof which we now believe was inappropriate although there is no north facing roof. Our electicity (off peak) for hot water went from 3kilowatts/day to 4 killowatts/day averaged out over the year. Although the… Read more

summer months are the same, the rest of the year our solar system uses more energy. Because we are low users in dollar terms the cost of hot water is negligible.

uses more electricity and delivers less hot water even though it is a bigger tank (315 litre) than we had before that our old 250 litre system. No sensible answers or help from Rheem