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315ltr Tank, 250ltr Tank, 400ltr TankKmearsHunter Region, NSW
Apricus install the hot water system then you never hear from them until you ring and ask about your warranty..
Then they tell you you’ve voided your warranty by not getting the valves checked at 5 years. Where’s the after sales service? If they know your hot water tank will blow, why don’t they make that part of their service? There is no service or care factor. Won’t be purchasing from these people again. Oh and the emails don’t through, the warranty form they never receive, they don’t answer any phone calls until you press 1 for accounts!
Purchased in December 2021 for $3,500.00.
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TRIED IT BUT GOING BACK TO DUX
Lived in same house for 30 years - Dux Hot Water System lasted 21 years! Apricus System lasted 9 years! Warranty 10 years but not honoured. You judge for yourself. We're going back to Dux.
Purchased in February 2021 for $4,500.00.
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PhilSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 4 reviews
- 315ltr Tank
- Verified purchase
Conceptually good but quality of product is so poor and warranty not backed up
I have had this system for nine years now. When it works it is good. The evacuated tubes seem very effective even in colder months. However the build quality is very poor and accordingly it does not work a lot of the time. It failed in the first few days after installation. Since then I have had three pumps, 2 controllers, tubes sliding out of their fittings and now the cylinder is leaking. When I have tried to claim under warranty they come up with all sort of conditions to avoid repairing it.
Purchased in June 2021 for $5,200.00.
2 comments
Seriously what sort of answer is this. I hope other purchasers can see from this that every attempt will be made by this firm to blame someone else. Power surges, electrical storms, switching the pow... Read more
er off. The power is always on to this unit, I have had no other problems with electrical equipment in the house but yet I have had to replace pumps multiple times, solar controllers, fittings and now it looks like the cylinder. Clearly this was not built to an acceptable level of quality.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
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HeidiHunter Region, NSW
Would not recommend to purchase
For a family of four, this tank has been nothing but trouble, limited warranty and the amount of items that has gone wrong is not acceptable from a 4 year old item. I totally agree with all the bad reviews and the customer service line is not much better, they are rude and I dont believe that it is true solar if the booster needs to be continuously on. Unfortunately you need a qualified plumber to fix anything that is out of warranty period, and they are few and far between and charge like wounded bulls. I would expect a new item to not have had so much go wrong with it it the first 4 years, quite a considerable amount of repairs within the 1st year (thank god that was covered under warranty). Good Luck is all I can say.
Purchased in August 2021.
1 comment
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Thank you for your review. As the components are electrical and plumbing, they require a qualified trades person in order to meet Australian Standard code requirements. Unfortunately trade costs are... Read more
outside our control and codes not adhered too during installation are not covered by warranty . In order to combat Legionella bacteria, it is outlined within the Australian Standard to boost. If a component faults and is within the warranty period passed on by manufacturers, it shall be addressed accordingly. Please lodge your request online at www.apricus.com.au/contact/support-request.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
JimMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 250ltr Tank
- Verified purchase
A waste of time and money !!
I bought a 250lt / 22 tube unit, all were installed by an Apricus recommended Licensed Plumber with the installation inspected by the Apricus supervising plumber within the first 12 months. I have had nothing but trouble with these units and recently submitted a warranty claim as the manifold has developed a leak (4 years old). Now I'm informed my warranty is void because both plumbers who inspected the units had not insulated the connection to the manifold. Apricus is a complete waste of time and money.
Purchased in September 2021 at Reece for $3,460.00.
2 comments
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Thank you for your review Jim. It is outlined within the Apricus installation manual that insulation is required all the way to the manifold casing. This is required especially in frost prone areas.
Thank you for your response, The installation was completed by an approved Apricus Plumber, then inspected by the State Manager accompanied by the Apricus Plumbing representative of the time. At no ... Read more
point did anyone point out additional insulation was required or any other fault with the installation. The manifold did not fail at the external connections, the manifold failed internally in the middle of the insulated manifold as explained and pictured. The units purchased are rated frost tolerant (-15Deg C as per specs) and the failure had occurred when there was no frost.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
No hot water in four years
Has only worked for a short time after tubes wete replaced.
System does not work in cold weather regardless of of sunshine.
Booster does not work.
It has never been hot enough to wash up.
There was a bad lot of tubes around the time of purchase.
Almost nothing is under warranty I really wish I had read these reviews before I bought this piece of junk.
Company I purchased from were going out of business and wouldn't return my calls.
I am interested in class action
Also fair trading
Purchased in November 2021 for $4,000.00.
1 comment
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Placement of the Apricus Solar Hot Water collector has great effect on the outcome of solar gain. Guidelines are outlined within the installation manual for best position and height. While we are aw... Read more
are of a faulty batch of manufactured heat pipes, we endeavour to replace these, as and when advised.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Fantastic, but only for technical people
I had an Apricus 315 litre Hot Water System installed in a new house build in 2015. Finally, four years later it is actually working and I am very happy with it. Having said that, I’ve just spent an additional $2000 and had three separate plumbers out to fix it and actually make it work. I’ve reached the conclusion that whilst the Apricus evacuated tube systems are remarkably effective when they are working, there are too many components that can fail with no real way of knowing when/if they have failed.
Allow me to explain. The Apricus syste...Read more
m works by using sensors to detect when the roof heater is hotter than the tank and then circulating water up to the roof if the roof is hot enough. Sounds simple, but in the case of my electrically boosted system, it means that faults can occur in any of: The tank/booster 3 temperature sensors Circulating pump Pump Controller Glass tubes Heat PipesPurchased in February 2021.
1 comment
Apricus Product SupportApricus
As per any warranty, Apricus have a Parts and Labour, and a Parts Only cover as specified by the age of the equipment being covered. We are pleased you think the Apricus Solar Hot Water system is ve... Read more
ry good. This can occur with correct installation as per code requirements and guidelines, and ensuring your controller and pump have active power. Unfortunately sensor cables on the roof are prone to birds and can be damaged, indicated by the controller as outlined in the manual. These can be found online at www.apricus.com.au.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
LesGippsland, VIC
Problem solved
Hi I hereby fully reciprocate the last review I posted on this site in regards to my 40 tube apricus solar hot water system. I’d have to say I thought it was a total heap of crap up on my roof it’s taken nearly four years to get it sorted until the plumber showed up and told me there was a faulty batch of copper tubes inside the glass ones, since replacing those under warranty the thing is smoking free hot water no gas at all and it’s autumn loving it it’s full steam ahead from here on in go apricus
Purchased in January 2021 for $6,000.00.
1 comment
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Thank you Les. We are pleased you are experiencing optimal solar gain with your Apricus Solar Hot Water unit. Ensure your controller and pump have active power to provide frost protection.
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Brendan K.Greater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
10 months free hot water per year
2 to 4 people. Reheats 310 litres quickly with the 30 tubes. I do have tank water so the little grundfos circulation pump has always been flawless.
Bought in 2009, I asked the installer pjt plumbing to raise the angle of the tubes to 60 degrees for maximum winter production. Electric back up fitted.
Love it
Purchased in October 2021 at Pjt plumbing for $5,000.00.
1 comment
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Perfect - we are extremely pleased you receive optimal solar output from your Apricus Solar Hot Water collector as it was designed.
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KarloKerang
Bad choice
Had a unit for less than 2 years and controller has already gone. Looked them up and they say upto 15 year warranty. Be warned this is a hav! Now im up for $500 for a new controller. I dont believe its ever worked properly looking at my gas bill. At times in business we have to except th hat our products are not upto std and then we fix and everyone wins. These guys are out of touch with warranty and would not recommend to anybody.
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It's been a PerfectSystem
I have had this system for about 8 or 9 years and have never had any problems with it ! The anode has now deteriorated and I am replacing it and cleaning out the tank and hope to get a few more years use out of it!! Love it!!! When it is time to get a new hot water tank I will definitely get the same!
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BenTamworth
- 315ltr Tank
- Verified purchase
Damn - wish I had reviews about hopeless warranty - same here!
3.5yr old installation in Tamworth - faulty connectors burnt out and not covered by Apricus warranty. Local Apricus service plumbers (Laser Plumbing Tamworth) failed to return 3 calls and didn't follow up - so I went with an independent plumber and sparky who were able to remedy the situation after 2weeks. Very disappointing after sales service. Apricus should coordinate repairs!
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Apricus is great
Had this system for 5 years now and had only 1 problem (seems like the sensor at the bottom of the tank gets stuck on a high temp occasionally). I have the data logger as well so I can see how it is performing. I live in Sydney and can turn off the electric boost from Sept to April To get free hot water 8 months of the year.
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Complete disaster
$8,000 in electricity bills, lukewarm or cold water, irrespective of fine weather. System was barely used but racked up this bill when previously annual bills were only $700. Had a manual booster so no automatic boosting but still a disaster. Had to disconnect it or risk losing the house. A financial disaster from a brand new system.
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My collector panel is a dud
This is about a 22 tube collector panel, installed about three years ago. The unit is in a new house that has been vacant all of that time Apricus installed new tubes two months ago but it didn't make any difference. The manual says that when the collector exceeds the temperature of the water in the tank by 10 degrees centigrade, the recirculating pump starts and displaces the hot water in the collector, allowing cold water to enter. The pump never runs because the temperature difference is always much lower than 10 degrees, the collecto...Read more
r doesn't 'collect'. Next door is an identical unit, both face in the same direction and it s always 20 to 30 degrees centigrade hotter than the dud. Could the scaling you are referring to be the cause, how can I inspect it and what is the remedy, chemical cleaning. Does anyone have other suggestions as to the cause of failure?Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
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Col BBrisbane
Good unit - good service - a few issues fixed immediately
I purchased an Apricus 30 tube system in Oct 2015 after a lot of research and have been very happy with it so far (nearly 3 years). I live near Brisbane and it provides hot water most of the year with a little boosting over winter (directly north facing). I had a cracked tube (probably from the original installation) which was replaced under warranty after 13 mths. The glass "inspection value" near the pump developed a leak after about 12 mths and put a lot of water through the house (it is in the laundry and we were out at the time). This was...Read more
quickly replaced under warranty by a new solid brass version (apparently there was a bad batch of the brass/glass ones - only criticism would be that Apricus knew of this issue when I called and could have been proactive in replacing them with a recall - would have saved a lot of carpet drying !). A few months ago I noticed another cracked tube (possibly hail damage?) - the original supplier no longer did Apricus so I rang Apricus directly - got a call from the State Mgr almost immediately and he personally delivered a replacement tube plus a spare one free of charge ! I have an electronic logger on the unit and can see the operation in real time plus chart temperatures and pump operation and it is working as expected. There is quite a lot of criticism regarding Apricus's service support on this site but I've found it to be excellent - perhaps just the location and staff involved?Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Waste of money
Get an apricus if you want cold showers. Waste of money. I’m actually furious. Years of ridiculousness and issues. Anyone interested in a class action??? Nearly everything has broken and I don’t know how many Luke warm and cold showers I’ve had to endure. Ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous.
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LemonPenrith
Warranty awareness
Buyer beware Once the system controller, Sensor, or pump, which carry only 12 months warranty after that period if any above fail and burst the manifold warranty is invalid on the manifold repairs are at your expense even though it states manifold has a 10 warranty. Buyer beware of this product
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- 315ltr Tank
- Verified purchase
Poor product, poor Warranty, appalling Customer Service.
I had an Apricus Solar Hot Water system installed 6 years ago and it recently developed a leak in the hot water tank. Water was leaking from the Sensor 2 outlet and there was considerable corrosion (rust) around both Sensor openings.
The installer of the system was no longer trading, so I contacted Apricus directly. It was agreed during my first phone conversation that the tank would be replaced under Warranty. That sounded very promising, however, I would not recommend Apricus Solar Hot Water Systems, nor would I use any of their products aga...Read more
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LouisePerth, WA
- 2 reviews
- 2 likes
Don’t buy.ever!!!
It’s been unsatisfactory since buying it in August 2015. After 3 months of boosting the system in summer Apricus finally believed me and replaced 7 tubes that had corroded. Ever since then we’ve been boosting our system more than our old solar hart Today 2.5 yrs later the heating element went. Great. Stay away from this system!!! Doesn’t save you anything. It cost us 3x more than a solar hart.
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Questions & Answers
orange10asked
After freeing some calcification from the tempering value in order to restore pressure - which was successfully completed - water now runs from the over flow (PRTV) pipe. To save water and power, I have turned off the inlet tap and electricity to the tank - meaning there is no hot water. What can I do to return the system to proper operation, please? Thanks.
2 answers
Apricus Product SupportApricus
It is normal for the ECV, or if one isn’t installed, the PTRV,to dribble water each day as the water heats up and expands. The volume water can be anywhere from a few cups to as much as 10L depending on the system pressure and temperature rise. (for 50L heated, 1L can dribble). Solar hot water system may relief more pressure as the temperature can get much hotter than an electric boosted tank. Restore to normal operation by reversing your turn off actions.
Thank you for the reply, but as I wrote, "water runs from the...pipe", so much so that there is not enough pressure building in the tank to allow forceful water from house HW taps. I had a punt and replaced the PTRV. That has worked.
Before inserting the new valve I pulled up the handle and noticed that a mechanism within the valve was shifted. Doing the same to the old valve produced no effect.
I can only assume that the old PTRV had failed, and was in a continued "open" position which allowed water to constantly run out of the tank when the inlet tap was 'on' which created pressure within the tank.
I am not a plumber, so if my thought process if wrong, please respond so I can have my thinking straightened in case this incident repeats in the future. Thank you once again. Stay safe.
John B.asked
I am in need of someone who can come and check out our Apricus elevated tube system two years old. Scotts Head NSW 2447. The system isn’t working that well. It need someone to eye ball it.
4 answers
I struggled with this throughout the time I had this system. It was always difficult to find someone willing to service it. Even the people Apricus recommended wouldn’t get back to you.
I wish you luck with it.
Thanks Phil. Not the answer I was looking for though. Cheers.
Apricus Product SupportApricus
Hi John, you can log a request online at https://apricus.com.au/request-a-service/ and we will respond to you, or contact us directly on 1300 277428. We are more than happy to assist.
Schmidtgasked
I am having trouble contacting Apricus in North America (I have used the U.S. and China email addresses as per U.S. website with no luck). Could you tell me who supplies Apricus products in Alberta, Canada?
1 answer
Apricus Product SupportApricus
You can contact them directly through their website
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Apricus Product SupportApricus
Thank you for your review. Unfortunately electronic devices are subject to power surges, electrical storms, and conditions outside of our control. The Apricus Solar Hot Water system works when the c... Read more
ontroller and pump have active power only. Without these, you have no solar flow and are reliant on boost only. Manufacturers pass on their warranty of which we adhere. If the product is a fault, falls within the warranty period, and meets warranty requirements outlined within the policy and owners manuals, it will be replaced accordingly. Unfortunately, any product that has expired, is no longer warranted.