| ITEM |
QUESTION |
ANSWER |
1 |
Will
the system work during bad weather? |
Quantum
has been designed to work all year round without boosting. Rain
wind and sun are major elements in making the unit run effectively. |
2 |
How much money will I save? (also see questions 31 & 32) |
Quantum
saves up to
75% of the electrical energy used, when compared with an
insertion element water heater. In other words the running cost
of a Quantum can be about a quarter that of an insertion element
water heater. |
3 |
Do the panels have to go on a north-facing roof? |
Our
Compact
Heat Pump model does not use panels at all. |
4 |
Do Quantum Heaters require a booster? |
No!
Quantum has the ability to deliver 600 to 1,300 litres of hot
water per day without boosting. With the evaporation temperature
of the refrigerant being well below 0°C
it will vaporize in all weather conditions. By compressing that
vapour Quantum will generate heat equivalent to a 3.6 kW booster
during its heating cycle. |
5 |
What is the tank made of? |
The
tank is a mild steel glass-lined tank similar to most hot water
tanks on the market. |
6 |
How long does the tank last? |
Quantum's
tank is protected with a sacrificial anode, which should be
changed every five years. Quantum eliminates the electrolytic
action between a copper element and a mild steel tank by the
removal of the booster. With a Quantum, the method of heating
the water also does away with any hot spots associated with
boosted units. The life of the tank should be approximately
12 to 15 years. |
7 |
What
is the warranty on the Quantum unit? |
There
is a 5-tear warranty on the water storage tank. 2 years on Refrigeration
and electrical circuits.. |
8 |
Will
I run out of hot water? |
Quantum
has the ability to deliver voluminous amounts of hot water.
However it must be remembered that it is a storage system, and,
if drained of hot water in a short period, it will need approximately
3 to 4 hours to recover. |
9 |
Does
my roof need strengthening for the panels? |
No!!
With our Compact
Heat Pump model no panels are even used. |
10 |
Does
the refrigerant need topping up occasionally? |
No!!
Quantum is a sealed unit like a refrigerator and has silver
soldered copper joints. This differs from, for instance, a car
air-conditioning system with its hose connections and vibrations. |
11 |
Does
it freeze in winter? |
No!!
Quantum has completely eliminated the problem of freezing that
has plagued conventional solar systems as no water filled panels
are involved - in fact no panels at all! |
12 |
Does
it over heat in summer? |
No!!
Quantum is thermostatically controlled to 60°C
and
cannot overheat. |
13 |
How
long does it take to heat from cold to hot? |
At
an ambient temperature of 20°C
Quantum will run 3 - 4 hours to raise the water to
60°C.
From this it can be seen that the Quantum unit will use 3 –
4 kWh of energy for 270 litres of hot water. |
14 |
How
does this compare with electric water heaters? |
Off-peak
water heaters will use 3.6 kW x 4 hours for 270 litres,
which works out to 14.4 kWh of energy for same amount of water. |
15 |
Are
Quantum models affected by hail? |
No the Compact
Heat Pump model, having no panels, is not effected at all. |
16 |
What is the payback period
for a Quantum? |
It
depends on what the comparison is being made with, i.e. the
type of heater,
type of tariff, and the amount of hot water used. An average
payback period for Quantum is about 3 – 5 years. |
17 |
Can
the hot water tank go outside? |
Yes!
The unit has been designed to operate outside. The outer casing
of the tank is zincalume based and ColorBond coated. |
18 |
How
far can the Evaporator be away from the tank on the Split Air
model? |
We
like the evaporator unit to be no more than 9 meters from the
tank. A refrigeration pipe work run of up to 9 meters will allow
the most efficient operation of the system as well as permitting
the proper return of lubrication oil back to the compressor. |
19 |
How
long will the unit last? |
Quantum
has been manufactured with great care and expertise. In fact
Quantum has been made as the old refrigerators were made. The
secret of good refrigeration practice is cleanliness and
all precautions have been made to ensure that during manufacture
and installation of a Quantum, good refrigeration practises
are upheld – this is of vital importance. Normal life
expectancy would be about 12 to 15 years. |
20 |
What
sizes of tank are there? |
There
are two sizes;
|
21 |
I
live near the water, what effect does salt spray have?. |
As
with anything made from metal severe salt atmospheres can be
detrimental. The evaporator has been specially treated to assist
in this however careful positioning of the unit to avoid salt
laden air as much as possible would be advisable. |
22 |
What effect does the unit have on the environment? |
Quantum, by it’s wise use of electricity, assists greatly in combating
the “greenhouse effect”, by using as little as one
quarter of the energy required to heat water when compared
to insertion element electric water heaters. |
23 |
Are
panels attached to the roof? |
No
our Compact
Heat Pump does not have any panels to be attached. |
24 |
Can
Quantum be used for other than domestic water hot water? |
Quantum
has been adapted to many applications other than just domestic
hot water supply. Other applications to date have been slab
heating, pool heating, spa heating and glasshouse heating. |
25 |
We
use most of our hot water in the evening; will the unit recover
by the morning? |
Yes!
Even on the coldest winter night Quantum will recover for early
morning use. |
26 |
Can
a Quantum be installed by anyone? |
Our
Compact
Heat Pump models are simple to install, requiring no more
expertise than for a normal electric water heater. |
27 |
I
have a flat roof. Can a Quantum be installed without framework? |
Yes!
as the Quantum Compact
Heat Pump has no panels, the type of roof does not matter. |
28 |
Where
is the unit made? |
Quantum
is an Australian invention, and has been further developed in
Australia for over 20 years. Quantum manufacturing takes place
at the Quantum factory in China. |
29 |
Are
replacement parts readily available? |
Yes!
All parts are available in Australia. |
30 |
What
if the tank goes, does it mean the whole unit needs to be replaced? |
The
compressor unit is built on a special chassis and fixed to the
top of the unit. This can be detached from the existing tank
and connected to a replacement tank if required. |
| 31
|
Why
is a Heat Pump more efficient than electric or gas water heating? |
Normal
heating methods use energy such as electricity or gas to directly
heat the water. This can never be greater than 100% (but more
likely 60% - 75%) efficient.
A heat pump only uses electrical energy to run the compressor,
not to heat the water. The heat energy actually comes from the
atmosphere . |
| 32
|
How
does taking its heat energy from the atmosphere make it more
efficient? |
By
using only a small amount of electrical energy to run the heat
pump it can transfer 3 times this value, in heat energy from
the atmosphere, into the water, giving an efficiency
rating above 300% e.g. 1kW of electrical energy into the heat
pump can transfer 3.6kW of heat energy into the water. |
| 33
|
Can
the Compact model be installed inside? |
The
Compact
Heat Pump is an air sourced heat pump and requires an airflow
of 280 litres per second during its heating cycle. This model
is normally installed externally to provide adequate airflow.
It may be possible to install in a large area such as a double
garage. If other means, such as ducting, is used to expel the
cold air being produced to another area then it could be installed
internally in a smaller room. |
| 34 |
What
power supply does the Quantum require? |
The
Quantum requires an individual 15 amp circuit breaker and power
supply. |
| 35 |
Can
a Quantum be operated on Off Peak power? |
Quantum
is a heat pump system and obtains its energy from the atmosphere.
To operate at peak performance some day time running is best.
Full Off Peak connection (where the heater can only run at night)
is therefore not recommended. Quantum does work on tariffs
such as Off Peak 2 (extended hours) provided at least 18 hours
of power is available per day. |
| 36
|
What
are the dimensions of the Quantum units? |
Both
units are 650mm. in diameter.
The
270 litre unit is 1925mm. tall, the 340 litre model 2230mm. |
| 37 |
What
is the Warranty on Quantum? |
The
Quantum water heater has a life expectancy similar to your refrigerator.
The main components of the tank and evaporator are warranted
for 7 years. Refrigeration compressor, pipe work and electrical
components have a 2 year warranty period from the time of installation. |
