Stiebel Eltron WWK300A / WWK300AH

VERY NOISY – February installed not slept since . its outside my bedroom. constantly noisy during the night. I would never recommend this product. it provides hot water but noise is NOT WORTH IT . Show details

Disappointed – This model is supposed to last 12-15 years but ours has died after 7 years and we are advised it is not worth repairing owing to corrosion and leaking. Our only warning was a decline in water temperature and the unit appearing to run more frequently. We would not buy this brand again. Show details

Great product – Got mine about the 6 years ago under a government incentive program in SA. They can be a little noisy due to fan running but isnt too bad, they will run longer in cold weather.....i have a smart meter which allows me to boost during the day when ambient temps are higher. Have not had a problem with support from company as i rang them because i had… Read more

concern with pressure relif valve opening a little, they sent a new valve which i havent replaced yet as i havent got around to it. Not an issue really. Temps do get down to minus 2 where i live during winter.....my brother has one as well and we are both happy. Overall a very good system.

Great customer service! – I wrote the previous review 'Not Happy Jan' but now must retract some of my sentiment as the supplier in Melbourne backed up the warranty even though it was a month out and has just replaced the unit. The tradesman who turned up was polite, informative, skilled and helpful. I couldn't be more happy. The heat pump is producing steaming hot water, the unit is quieter and its no more cold showers for me! Thankyou!  Show details

Purchased 2 units and both work just fine – One unit has been in operation for one year, the other for 3 years. I have them indoors (laundry and garage) where you can hardly hear them but where they are protected from the elements. They are on a timer to come on when we are usually out. The water is always hot and it uses very little electricity (about 50 cents a day). They have never… Read more

missed a beat. One replaced a useless Solar HWS which cost over $4000 and never worked. After that company went belly up I switched to Stiebel Eltron and so far I'm very pleased with their product.

Expensive purchase for six year life span – I bought a Stiebel Eltron DHE27 which was installed in July 2013 and had three phase power installed (at an extra cost) to run the hot water service. It has failed after 6 years (the warranty is only for five), as it seems the motherboard has gone. It has performed well, but the cost of getting the electricity fitted for it, the cost of the… Read more

unit then and now the $900 to replace the motherboard makes it a very expensive purchase. I have Rheem instantaneous gas systems installed in another property and they have been going for 9 years without any problems. Unfortunately I don't have gas here, otherwise would have put one in. Stiebel recommended a plumber who has been fantastic, but unfortunately they don't have the motherboards in stock - 2 weeks wait with no hot water. The plumber has been able to source one from another plumber, so only four days without hot water.

Sadly another 7 year death – Inherited this hot water service when I purchased the house 4 months ago ,and was happy to have a German manufactured system. Found it to be noisy but happy with the pressure and temperature of the hot water and the electrical bill. Sadly like other reviews a fatal leak of refrigerant within the sealed section, rendered the unit useless except for… Read more

scrap. Had great service from the gentlemen at Stibel who organised parts to be posted for best case scenario and also organised a second opinion at their cost. They were professional and above helpful. The disappointing thing is such an expensive unit having such a short lifespan which seems to be a common issue. Despite the excellent service I could not justify another Stibel.

Noisey and irritating – Unit is far too noisy and it is a VERY irritating noise. SE have not been helpful. Two stars for the hot water - so far ok. Show details

Good till it dies – Good for nearly 9 years but water leakage from top of cylinder led to total failure - apparently a common problem. Leads to corrosion and failure of heating elements at bottom of cylinder. Being European manufactured, I would say that they are not suitable for Australian conditions. Good initially but I would recommend looking elsewhere. Show details

Continuing problems – Purchased our heat pump water heater 4 years ago when converting house to solar, unit works great, continuous hot water at any time of day, however in the past 3 years we have had to replace the pressure valve 3 times, and now today 20/11/2018 it looks like it has gone again, has now come to the stage that we will replace it with a off peak model, very disappointing.  Show details

Not fit for purpose – I bought 3 of these machines in 2010. Since then all three have been replaced by stiebel Elton under warranty. This was 2 years ago. Now they are all failing again, 2 have stopped working in the last 10 days. They are noisy and I had to buy acoustic hoods. I have given up with them and have replaced them with instantaneous gas. They are a joke $3k each and a rubbish product.  Show details

Terrible Service from Eltron – We bought a Thermann heat pump water heater through Stiebel Eltron (the same as this model) and it makes such a noisy racket that we can't have it on while we're home. It also leaks oil onto the ground around it. The service guy from Stiebel Eltron has come out but despite many calls in the 5 months since it was installed they've done nothing to… Read more

rectify the fact that it leaks oil, or is way above the residential decibel allowances. Typically we call them, are told they'll return our call only to have nothing done. We haven't paid our builder who is now chasing them. In the mean time, we're stuck with a water heater that we have to manually switch on before we go out. I absolutely don't recommend Stiebel Eltron or this heat pump system at all. A terrible product & worse service from Stiebel Eltron. I totally agree with the previous reviewer Marcelle Ogg that 1 star is too high. Zero stars would be more suiting.

Stiebel Eltron WWK300A – I brought a Stiebel Eltron WWK300A back in May 2011, I live near the coastal area and it seems to affect those areas the most. Cylinders close to sea water erodes quicker. After 7 years now I'm thinking of buying something else having problems. Same problems as everyone else mentioned. Repair $1200 for call out and replacement of motor and… Read more

cylinder.

The warranty only last as certain parts work. 1 year for all other parts, 2 years for Evaporator, 2 years for Compressor, 5 years for Condenser and extra expense may be after 3-5 years.

After Seven years having issues...

Total disappointment! Don't buy it!

Failed after 7 years – Initially reduced our electricity bill substantially. Fan makes a bit of noise but it worked well and keep our water hot and our winters are often -2 to 5 degree mornings. After 7 years it started to leak heavily from the top water outlet which cannot be fixed. Our friend bought one at the same time and they have needed to hit the reset switch every morning for 18 months to keep theirs going.  Show details

Failed - Garbage – I had a Stiebel WWK300A installed in 2012....it has been trouble for years. Stiebel kept telling me "it's only condensation" when all along it has been a leaking tank. Stiebel offer no after sales service or help. In 2016 after many weeks of waiting Stiebel reluctantly organised for their "recommended plumber" to inspect our heat pump.....I wasn't… Read more

home when he supposedly repaired our heat pump (replaced a valve and sprayed rust preventative) . In 2016 the warranty was still valid, it expired in 2017.....I have recently had 3 independent plumbers inspect the pump and all agree the tank is rusted out and has been leaking for years. Why wasn't this picked up by Stiebel's recommended plumber in 2016 when the tank was still under warranty?. The unit should have been replaced under warranty. I contacted Stiebel in November for an explanation but all I got was an email telling me they are looking into the matter. When I telephone Stiebel and the call is actually answered I get the same explanation "we are looking into the matter" and it is now December. The staff at Stiebel are no help and at times very hostile. I could not possibly recommend Stiebel Eltron products, do not waste your money. 1 star is too high a rating....should be zero stars.

Extremely disappointed - by the product, and also the company! – I was born in Germany, and I grew up with names like Stiebel-Eltron. When I had my home built in 2010, I wanted it to be as environmentally friendly as possible and at the same time low maintenance. The builder offered a few hot water options, amongst them a Stiebel Eltron heat pump, and I happily went for the familiar name - a company that had… Read more

been around for some 80 years - back then still believing in the quality myth that surrounds products 'Made in Germany'.

From the beginning, the warm water pressure was significantly lower than the cold water pressure, to a degree that filling a bucket with hot water took several minutes; so the internal resistance of the device has to be enormous.

The water was never really hot; the mixer tap always had to be on 80+ % to feel comfortable in the shower, but after maybe 3 years, the water temperature started to drop further. I called Stiebel Eltron several times without getting any helpful support. In the end, the water was just hand warm. Now after exactly 7 years, the unit is completely dead. It happened on a weekend, and when I called SE support, the phone just rang through, no recorded message, no way to leave a message, nothing. I then got the nearest hot water plumbing service to have a look, and for A$185 got the diagnosis that all the refrigerant gas had escaped and I needed a new hot water system. After the weekend, again I tried to ring SE, during normal business hours, and the phone, again, just rang through - several times. However, when I finally rang the number for sales, I got someone instantaneously... SE insisted that before they could give any comment, a refrigeration technician had to look at the system, who confirmed the diagnosis - for another A$ 165.

SE's position then was, that the pump was out of warranty, and while they would expect those pumps to last at least 10 years, there was nothing they would want to do for me, except for giving me a bit of a discount on a new pump. Over a couple of not exactly pleasant phone conversations, which involved discussions about the Australian Consumer Protection Act, the ACCC, and me mentioning that I could and would contact the German Headquarters, this eventually shifted to a significant discount.

I was not overly keen to risk another frustrating experience with a SE product, but it was the most economical solution - whilst still getting an energy efficient system.

The day before the SE appointed plumber was meant to replace the pump, I rang to confirm with that plumber and learned that the plumber had assumed that SE would send the pump to my place, and SE had thought the plumber would get it, so there was no pump available for the next day - and meanwhile I had been without hot water for around three weeks.

At that point, I decided that I had had enough of SE products, service (or lack thereof) and unprofessionalism, and contacted the initial local hot water business to have them install a heat pump from a different (also German) manufacturer. Luckily they could slot me in for the next day, and now after having had the new pump for almost two weeks, I am happy that I didn't get another SE - despite the 1k more that I had to pay. The water, for the first time since I moved into my home, is really hot (mixer tap just a bit above middle position is hot enough), and the difference in water pressure is even more amazing.

The plumber (and owner of the business) had a lot to say about SE heat pumps, but I won't write anything here that is not based on my own experience.

Summarizing, my experience with the Stiebel Eltron heat pump, the company's after-sales support and overall professionalism is extremely disappointing. I can neither recommend the product nor the brand in general. Contact me via PM if you want more details.

Failed after 8 Years Throw in the Bin – Purchased 3 Heat Pumps in July 2008. I have had them running on a timer and all connected together..One had been running on for the last 12 to 18 months did not realise it was out of gas had the pump checked. Gas has leaked out around the tank somewhere. Have been informed to buy another one. Not sure I will buy another Stiebel. Not very cost… Read more

effective.The Pumps only run from 6am till 11pm each day in Winter and 6am till 1pm and back on again from 3pm till 11pm in Summer. The heat pumps are set up to store and back up hot water for a gas fired Boiler all has worked well? With one pump not working have not noticed any change in running cost as we run solar.

January 21st 2018 Update: Second one has failed did not last 10 Years

I just noticed that another Heat Pump is no longer making hot water as I have three connected together.

The Pumps only run from 6am till 11pm each day in Winter and 6am till 1pm and back on again from 3pm till 11pm in Summer. The heat pumps are set up to store and back up hot water for a gas fired Boiler all has worked well? I have only one Heat Pump working now. I will have to look at other options other than Stiebel Eltron. Not Happy! I paid a lot of money for the three Heat Pumps in 2008 not very economical when you factor in the cost of the units.

Poor product, poor service, major disappointment with a German product – Update 03/2018: 10 months later, no issue with the Sanden Eco, which I continue to recommend, though time is still to tell. Practically silent - truly, I can’t hear a thing. Stiebel failed after 4 years and 5 months use. We live close to the Pacific Ocean. I don’t know if this is a factor, though the product was corroding. Their sub-contractor… Read more

visited us (after we had to “chase him up" as he hadn’t returned our calls) but his attitude led me to ask him to leave before he had diagnosed the cause of failure.

He was abrupt at the door. He complained that this was not an emergency (I told him I never said it was).

I called SE to enquire about how to check the sacrifical anode (while the machine was open - what better time?, not to mention it may be relevant), because 1. the repair-man said it was not his job and 2. the manual has a boxed-warning: “ Triangle! PLEASE NOTE: “The sacrifial anode must be checked by a qualified contractor 12 months after the unit has been installed and checked periodically thereafter as advised by the qualified contractor. Failure to do so may void your warranty.”- page 4 of "Operation & Installation”. However, the SE phone consultant told me the sacrifical anode would absolutely not be the cause of the fault and point-blank refused to instruct the serviceman how to check it, despite my mentioning the manual’s warning. He asked me to call him back once the fault was found. But the serviceman complained that “you got on the blower ... before I had even looked at it”. I don’t know if it was because he was tired (he stated he was the only one capable of looking at it for a 50 km radius in Sydney), or because he was unwell (he said he had the flu) or because of communication issues, but he just completely misconstrued the purpose of my call. Having damaged my wall adjacent to the machine removing the lid (and distorting the cylinder) (and then saying its OK because it was hidden), I asked the serviceman to leave. Of course he was upset and gave me wishes of good-luck finding someone to fix it now as there was only him. I spoke then to the SE office phone consultant - his solution was to call the serviceman and apologise (!, needless to say) - “He’s the only one in Sydney who can fix it”.

That was my last contact with Stiebel Eltron’s Sydney Office. I was flabbergasted that a German Company can have such non-competent staff. Of course we are not in Germany, so any German quality product is only as good as its weakest link - the Australian final mile. I was contemplating calling the German Office, or the CEO and having my wife, who is from Bavaria and a Scientist, speak to him (or her).

But my wife, within 2 hours, had another technician at our home. The unit had corroded and was unsalvageable.

So!...sacrificial anode being the issue or not - we never found out - my wife and I decided to completely forget Stiebel and their Australian Operation, and purchase a new unit from a different company - a Japanese one - a Sanden Eco. Time will tell of course, but unlike the Stiebel, this is as silent as can be, has a stainless-steel non-rust tank, comes with a much longer warranty, and has no sacrificial anode to check. Only maintenance it needs is letting off the built-up gas pressure every few months.

We don’t care about the money in this case - that’s how bad Stiebel’s Australian Operations is. We want nothing more to do with them. I’m tempted now to give them just one star, but I think the actual product is not really that bad as until the end, apart from some noise, we were quite happy with it. But it didn’t end well.

Expensive, noisy, does not provide value for purchase price – My heat pump died in October 2015 after 3 years 5 months of annoyingly noisy service. It was out of warranty of course but the real killer is that there was no service available to repair it - even the fellow recommended by Stiebel Eltron refused to work on it. I decided to write this review because I heard someone talking up heat pumps… Read more

elsewhere. This is the issue though: They are expensive to buy and have a limited lifespan, and though they do reduce your power bills, they don't reduce them enough to justify their purchase price when you take into consideration that they break down, and that repairs are either costly or, in my case, impossible to obtain. These things ought to be under a 10 year warranty throughout, or not sold at all. Avoid. p.s. I second other people's comments that these units are disturbingly noisy. I was told it would sound "like a refrigerator". It sounds like about ten refrigerators.

Stiebel WWK300AH - a lemon – I had my Stiebel WWK300AH about 6 years. After 1 year, the valves leaked and was replaced at no cost. Then 2 years later the thermostats failed to switch off when the water hot. The electricity bill costed me $200 for the quarter. It was then fixed with the cost of $264 even though the thermostats were provided free by Stiebel. Then when it… Read more

just past the warranty period of 5 years by one month, the outlet get rotten and leak. It costed me $400 to temporary fix and Stiebel refused to pay for that or a replacement. Very disappointed with the so called "German Engineering". We paid a hefty premium for the well-known "German Engineering". I don't believe it was made by German. Very disappointed with the treatment by Stiebel when it past the warranty by merely a month or so.

Now, when it starts heating, it makes sound like 2 stroke engine for about 10/15 minutes. I just wait for it to die so to buy different brand. That day is not far away from now.

Heap of Junk – We purchased a WWK300A approximately 6 years ago. Our first 12 months the product had to be replaced as it stopped working. In the past 5 years of I've had banana coast look at the tank each winter as something always goes wrong with it. If I'm been honest this product is a pile of junk the worst hot water system I've ever had i would not… Read more

recommend your product to any one and after reading the reviews prior to today i would of never purchased the unit. I will be forwarding this complaint to the ACCC as I'm surprised this product has not been discontinued.

Tomorrow i will be back on the phone to banana coast to get them out and have another look at the system second time in 12 weeks. Yes I'm frustrated and unhappy due to the price you pay for a system you expect it to work but it has continually failed.

WHAT AN EXPENSIVE MISTAKE – In August 2009 I purchased a new STIEBEL ELTRON WWK300A in line with the then misguided NSW Govt emphasis on Energy Conservation. The installed unit cost $4,420 all up. We recieved a Rebate from the Govt of $1,050 so the initial cost was $3370. 2 years later we had to shell out another $445.50 to have the fan replaced. Over the last 6 months to… Read more

date the Hot Water has been getting cooler and cooler until finally it went stone cold. As suspected when the Technician came out = "You have a Gas Leak!!" and it will be another $900 to fix this as well as the compressor is on the way out and that will be another $500. I decided that the best place for this 7 year old heap of crap would be the tip and had a new RHEEM HWS installed and running in 1/2 day.

My advice is if you think you are doing the environment a favour by shelling out huge bucks for a STIEBEL then think again !! It will cost you dearly and will only last 7 years.

5 years of hassles – At least once a year we have to call a technician in to sort out our 2 x heat pumps. Unacceptable!!! We now once again have no hot water and we have 2 huge heat pumps. Ultra rubbish. I would like someone from Stiebel Eltron to come and fix or remove these heat pumps.

7 Year Failure – It appears that 7 Years is the limit of these units. Same problem in most of post's i have read, the Technician Stiebel Eltron advised me to use told me that it had a Gas Leak and was irreparable due to Incorrect installation and Suggested Replacing the unit. This advise cost me a Total of $467.50.

Faulty after 6 months now failed again – Unit failed after 6 months and now has failed again after 7 years .For this expensive item this is inexcusable ,I presume no warranty now applies. The Technician has said the gas has all leaked out and now I am without hot water in a family of four, who do I contact.

Frequent failures a disappointment – The product heats water as promised. But fails often... and I mean OFTEN. We've had it less than 6 years, and we're on our 5th failure. Total time without hot water is close to 3 months. Service... fair credit: OK they've been good... great in fact. But in truth, nobody wants good service. They want a reliable unit that didn't require… Read more

good service. We paid a very hefty premium for what we thought was the reliability of "German engineered" cylinder, and we very definitely did not get that. It's made in China folks. I *know* China is capable of producing high quality goods, but improved quality clearly wasn't the reason Stiebel shifted there... they were following the other path.

The helpful service keeps me going. But one day, it will have failed for the last time. The (new) local agent has assured me newer units were redesigned to be better. That doesn't help tonight. And without genuine firm evidence... the replacement cylinder won't be a Stiebel.

EcoSpring has a good name here... established, with units older than mine working without complaint. Clever people learn from history.

Fail just out of Warranty – Made the expensive move to a heat pump. Initially was happy, although the unit broke down at about the 18 month mark, warranty service just reset switch, without searching for tty h r reason. About 12 months after 5 year tank warranty ended, the unit failed completely (internal gas leak) Too expensive a purchase to only last 6 years.

Good water heater but exceptionally good service by the company – I replaced a worn out heat pump with the Steibel Eltron system. After a few months I reported to the vendor that it had a valve leaking and I initially thought I had bought a dud. But the vendor passed the issue directly to Stiebel Eltron who accepted full responsibility, contacted me directly and had it fixed in no time. It required two trips… Read more ·  1

by their nominated plumber but at no point did I feel that they would not fix it. An excellent water heater now it has the correct valves fitted. I have never had such good service from a manufacturer. There was no arguing - just plain good old fashioned follow up service. Thanks Stiebel Eltron, not only for the good water heater but especially for the excellent customer service and follow up. And I love it that it so much quieter than my previous heat pump that made a racket.

Six years and it's dead! – My unit seemed to run all night in winter and sometimes all day but at least it gave us hot water. The first problem was after 18 months when the PTR valve had to be replaced at a cost of about $200. I was present when it was replaced and I could see thick rust inside the socket where the valve screws. The 3/4" hole was almost blocked with rust… Read more

from the socket which was not coated with anything. We had a look inside the tank with a flexible camera and there was quite a few rusty areas there. It was obvious that the rust was contaminating the valve seat and causing early failure. I spoke to the people who sold me the unit and I was referred on to Stiebel Eltron head office. I was told by them that it was RMC part, not Stiebel and I should flush the tank because it must have dirt in it. When I mentioned the rust, he said the anode should protect it. To date it hasn't been protecting too well, and about every year I've had to replace the PTR valve and the rust inside the socket had returned each time. Whenever you exercise the valve, heaps of rust comes out with the water. Now the compressor and fan are running non-stop and it's not heating at all. My guess is the gas has leaked out somewhere, possibly through a rust hole. I haven't had anyone look at it yet but I guess it will be a waste of money anyhow. I think I'll just hurl it and it will be a lesson learnt!

Good performance but short life span for price – Cost $3500 and lasted only 5 months past 5 year warranty. At the time of purchase the sales person claimed there was a 10 year replacement warranty, when it failed after 5.5 years, I contacted local supplier who denied he had said that. The 5yr warranty was confirmed by SE after I contacted them. I would never have paid so much for a product with… Read more

a 5 yr warranty, considering normal hot water systems usually last much longer (we replaced a traditional unit that was 19 years old). After paying $200 to get it assessed by first a plumber and then a refrigeration technician I was told it was not worth repairing. The refrigeration technician contacted SE who offered to sell me another unit at a slightly lower cost than new. Is this their scheme? I feel that the product should have lasted longer for the price. I do feel a bit ripped off and very disappointed. It has also come at a time when we are unfortunately reduced to one income and cannot afford a new system. I am out to buy solar camping showers tomorrow.........

WWK300AH - South African experience – I did plenty of research too This is an expense piece of kit It does work well, back of garage, but would be noisy outside At 4 years compressor failure It's Mitsibushi part These are supposed to be bomb proof but no refrigerant This pump does not have low refrigerant cut out That's because it's a "cut down"& cut price pump Part easily available… Read more

but total bill with labour $Aus equivalent 456.00 Let's face it this pump/geyser would take 15 years to pay back, makes you feel good - but will I live that long ! In UK S-E provide extended warrantees - I think you need one with this pump

Never was fixed properly from installation – I was talked into a wwk330A in 2009 and had problems from day one. The first was leaks which the installer came back out and told me he fixed it only to be called back the next day because still leaking. Then the noise , it is loud and continuous (this noise has been constant and still is!!!!)but was told by Steibel that is all OK that's what… Read more

they do. It has never been really hot , told that's what the thermostat is set too. NOW I have luke warm water and no money to even get someone to look at it as it. I would not recommend this product and I am not looking forward to the cold showers or boiling the kettle.