Often yes when the cylinder is failing and the site suits a heat pump. Not always. Electric and gas paths differ. We will not invent a “from $X” install price or a fixed running-cost percentage on this page. On a site assessment we match the tank, power, placement, and any STC discount to your house.
If you want product detail and brands, use our heat pump hot water Hobart service page. If you want the money story after the state loan closed, read Heat pump hot water in Tasmania after the Energy Saver Loan closed. This page is the replace-or-not decision.
Signs it’s time to decide
Most households land here for one of a few reasons:
- The tank is leaking, or you can smell or see corrosion around the base
- The element keeps failing, or recovery is slow and the household is short on hot water
- The cylinder is old (often 10–15+ years) and a plumber has already quoted a like-for-like tank
- Bills have crept up and the resistance tank runs hard morning and night
- You already have solar (or you are planning it) and hot water still eats evening imports
A failed cylinder is a forced decision. A tired but working one is a chance to choose properly before you are in an emergency.
Heat pump vs another cylinder
A heat pump hot water system moves heat from the air into the tank. It still uses electricity. It uses less of it than a straight resistance element for the same tank of water — when the unit is the right size, placed well, and not fighting a dead-air corner in a Hobart winter.
Another electric cylinder is simpler on paper: same footprint, familiar plumbing, often the fastest emergency swap. You keep the same style of running cost.
A gas storage or continuous-flow path is a different energy source and a different set of site rules. Mainland gas phase-out stories are not Tasmanian law. What matters here is your gas connection, flue or outdoor unit rules, and whether you want to stay on gas or move the load onto electricity (and, if you have panels, into the solar day).
We install heat pump hot water including Stiebel Eltron options. Brand and tank size belong on the quote after we see the house — not as a catalogue war on this page. Details: heat pump hot water Hobart.
We will not invent a “save X% on hot water” figure. Occupancy, tank size, tariff, and solar timing change the result.
Electric cylinder path vs gas path
Replacing an electric storage cylinder
Typical on-site work:
- Isolate and drain the old tank; remove it safely
- Check the circuit and switchboard. Some homes need a circuit tidy-up or upgrade before a heat pump lands
- Place the outdoor unit or integrated unit where it can breathe, drain condensate, and stay within noise rules for neighbours
- Reconnect cold and hot, commission, and set controls (including a timer or solar-preferring mode if you have panels)
The electrical story is part of the job. That is why an in-house electrical and solar crew helps — board work is not someone else’s surprise invoice after the plumber leaves.
Replacing gas hot water
Gas to heat pump is a bigger change of direction:
- Cap or remove the gas appliance to gasfitter standards
- Provide a suitable electrical circuit for the heat pump
- Find outdoor space and airflow that work in cool weather
- Decide whether you are happy ending gas for hot water, or whether continuous-flow gas still fits the house better
Do not let a salesperson lean on Victorian or other mainland gas rules to force a Hobart sale. Ask for the Tasmanian instrument. There usually is not one that matches that pitch. Our after-loan post covers this clearly: after the Energy Saver Loan.
When a heat pump is the wrong call
Be honest with the site:
- No workable outdoor placement, or body-corporate / noise limits that kill the location
- You need hot water restored today and lead times or access make a heat pump swap unrealistic — a temporary like-for-like tank can be the right emergency move
- Very low occupancy where the capital case is weak even with STCs
- A unit that would sit in a frost pocket or sealed alcove with no airflow
- Undersized tank for the household (a heat pump does not fix “too small”)
Wrong call does not mean “never.” It means fix placement, timing, or tank size — or stick with a cylinder until the site is ready.
Money in Tasmania in 2026
Tasmania’s Energy Saver Loan Scheme closed on 1 September 2025. New applications are not being taken. There is no Tasmanian state cash rebate specifically for heat pump hot water that we can point to as open today. Check ReCFIT for anything new; do not assume the old loan rules still apply.
Federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) under the SRES may still reduce the upfront price of an eligible heat pump water heater. The dollar amount depends on the model, zone, and live certificate value on the quote date. We calculate that on the proposal. We do not publish stale “$300–$700 off” bands on the website.
Ordinary finance, savings, or a redraw are how most households fund the gap after STCs. Full money narrative: Heat pump hot water after the Energy Saver Loan.
Pairing with solar (short)
If you already have panels — or you are planning them — running the heat pump in the solar window turns surplus daytime generation into stored hot water. That is real self-consumption. It does not create energy. On cloudy weeks you will still import some hot-water load. That is normal in Tasmania.
A familiar pattern: export at noon, then import hard from 6 pm when showers stack up. Moving hot water into daylight stops that load competing with dinner. More on the mix: Use, store or export.
You do not have to wait for solar if the cylinder has already failed. We can still plan control so the heat pump prefers daytime once panels land.
How we replace one
This is a hot-water swap, not a solar-battery job.
- Talk — what failed, electric or gas, household size, solar or not, noise and access limits
- Onsite assessment — tank location, plumbing, electrical capacity, outdoor placement, neighbours, STC eligibility
- Quote — hardware, labour, and any certificate discount separated so you see the real cash outlay
- Install — our in-house trade team removes the old unit, fits the heat pump, commissions, and hands over controls
- Aftercare — workmanship backed by our 10-year workmanship warranty; call us if something is off
Request an assessment: contact or (03) 6108 1328 · Derwent Park, Hobart.
FAQs
Can a heat pump replace gas storage?
Often yes, when the site can take the electrical load and outdoor unit. Gasfitter and electrician work both matter. Continuous-flow gas can still be the better fit for some homes — we say so when it is.
How long does install take?
Many residential swaps are a scheduled day once parts and access are locked. Complex board upgrades, difficult access, or gas disconnection add time. We give a clear window on the quote, not a brochure promise.
Will it work in a Hobart winter?
It can, with the right product, placement, and expectations. Frost and poor airflow hurt any heat pump. Site assessment beats brochure COP figures. More cold-climate notes sit on the after-loan post.
Who this is for
Hobart and Greater Hobart homeowners whose electric or gas cylinder is failing or due — and who want a straight replace-or-not answer before they buy another tank.
Who this is not for
Anyone hunting a website “from” price, a guaranteed running-cost percentage, or an unaccredited DIY swap.
Next step
Book a site assessment. Bring photos of the cylinder and switchboard if you can. We will tell you when a heat pump is the smarter replacement — and when another cylinder is the honest call.
Contact: (03) 6108 1328 · admin@expertelectricaltas.com.au · 1/99 Lampton Ave, Derwent Park TAS 7009
Related: Heat pump hot water Hobart · After the Energy Saver Loan · Use, store or export
