Apricus 260L Heat Pump Hot Water System
Model APHP-R290-260 · Households up to 6 who want labour covered, not just parts
What are you replacing?
Fully installed in VIC · rebates already off
No obligation · We reply within one business hour
The maths
Where $1,702 of your price disappears
Three separate VIC incentives stack on this unit when you're replacing a electric storage. We lodge every form — you never chase paperwork or wait on a cheque.
How the rebates workInterest-free loan option too
15 certificates
Depends on the unit you're replacing
Running costs
About $1,227 a year back in your pocket
Based on a four-person Victorian household — roughly 4,500 kWh of water heating a year at 30c/kWh. At a COP of 4.13, this unit only needs about 1,090 kWh to do the same job. Run it on the timer through the middle of the day and most of that comes off your roof, not the grid.
Got rooftop solar?
Time the heat pump to soak up your daytime output
Every kWh you self-consume is worth 30c instead of the 3c feed-in you'd get for exporting it — that's the solar saving baked into the numbers below.
Your estimated hot water bill
down from $1,350 on an old electric tank
$1,227
Saved per year vs electric
$657
Saved per year vs gas
1.3 yrs
Payback after rebates
3.3 t
CO₂ avoided per year
Over 10 years
$12,268
Estimate only — your actual bill depends on tariff, climate zone, solar system size and how much hot water the household chews through.
Spec sheet
Every number, straight off the data plate
Manufacturer-published figures. Anything we can't verify is shown as a dash rather than guessed.
- Model number
- APHP-R290-260
- Tank model number
- TY-ND-00-072
- Series
- Apricus All-In-One R290
- Tank capacity
- 260 L
- Suits household
- up to 6 people
- COP
- 4.13 W/W at 20°C average ambient
- Heating capacity
- 2.6 kW
- Hot water production rate
- 65 L/hr
- Heat pump rated power / current
- 665 W · 3 A
- Electric element rated power / current
- 1800 W · 8 A
- Maximum input power / current
- 2800 W · 14 A
- Sound level
- 43 dB
- Refrigerant charge
- 400 g R290
- Dimensions
- 620 mm W × 600 mm D × 1800 mm H
- Net weight
- 118 kg
- STC value by zone
- 12 (Z1) · 12 (Z2) · 15 (Z3) · 15 (Z4) · 15 (Z5)
- Warranty
- 6 yrs parts and labour
- System type
- Monobloc air-source heat pump (all-in-one)
- Refrigerant
- R290 (propane, natural, near-zero GWP)
- Heating technology
- Dual heating — heat pump plus built-in electric element
- Power supply
- 220–240 V / 50 Hz single phase
- Max water temperature
- 70°C on element boost (60°C on heat pump)
- Ambient operating range
- -7°C to 43°C
- Water connections
- G3/4"
- Max allowable pressure
- 3.0 MPa
- PTR valve
- 850 kPa · 10 kW T&P valve
- Inlet valve required
- 500 kPa pressure limiting valve (PLV)
- Tempering valve
- Set to 50°C at the outlet
- Waterproof rating
- IPX4
- Standards
- AS 3498 (WM-40107) · AS/NZS 2712 (OMK40107)
- Controller
- Smart touch screen with Smart Life app (Wi-Fi)
- Tank capacity
- 260 L
- Suits household
- Up to 6 people
Apricus Australia · All-In-One
Six years parts and labour, and a COP of 4.13
The APHP-R290-260 is a monobloc all-in-one — 2.6 kW of heat pump sitting on a 260 L tank, running R290 natural refrigerant. It recovers about 65 L an hour, suits 6 people, and the built-in 1.8 kW element takes it to 70°C when you need a hit of extra capacity. Apricus back the whole system for 6 years parts and labour.
Four ways to run it
- AUTO
- Heat pump does the work and the element chips in only when it has to. Target range up to 60°C — the set-and-forget setting for most Melbourne homes.
- ECO
- Compressor only, no element, up to 60°C. Cheapest running mode and the one to sit on if you've got solar or a bit of patience.
- BOOST
- Heat pump plus element together, 60–70°C. Quick recovery when the house is full or someone's flogged the tank.
- ELE (element only)
- Element alone, 60–70°C. Backup mode for servicing or a cold snap — dearer to run, so it's not one to leave on.
Warranty
- Whole system — partsFrom date of installation
- 6 yrs
- Whole system — labourApricus bear full parts and labour cost for valid claims
- 6 yrs
- Heat pump (APHP-R290-260)Covered as one system with the tank
- 6 yrs
- Tank (TY-ND-00-072)Must be installed in Australia by a licensed tradesperson
- 6 yrs
- • Warranty starts at the install date — keep your invoice, or the clock starts from purchase (or 3 months after manufacture) instead.
- • The system has to be sized for your household. Units running more than 15 hours a day are treated as undersized and claims can be knocked back — we size it properly at quote stage.
- • Claims must be lodged within one month of you spotting the fault, and the unit needs its original serial and rating labels.
- • Repaired or replaced parts run out the balance of the original period; they don't restart the clock.
R290 natural refrigerant
Propane instead of synthetic gas — near-zero global warming potential and better heat transfer, which is where the 4.13 COP comes from.
Real-time power monitoring
The controller and the free Smart Life app track tank temperature and total power usage, so you can actually see what your hot water costs.
Built for your solar
Timer-controlled heat-up cycles let you park the run over the middle of the day and soak up rooftop PV instead of buying grid power.
Dual heating to 70°C
The incorporated 1.8 kW element takes the tank to 70°C on Boost, so there's plenty in reserve for a big household or a bath-heavy night.
6 years parts AND labour
Apricus cover the whole system for 6 years parts and labour from date of install — labour cover is still rare at this price.
Quiet at 43 dB
43 dB puts it among the quieter all-in-ones going, which matters when it's sitting near a bedroom wall on a suburban block.
Where it goes
- LocationOutdoors only — never install this unit inside
- Clearance above300 mm minimum under eaves or fixtures
- Clearance to sides600 mm right-hand side (facing the unit) and left-hand side
- Clearance off the wall50 mm minimum from the house wall
- Distance to bedroomsNot recommended within 2 m of a bedroom
- Distance to neighbours3 m minimum from a neighbour's window or door
- AirflowClear inlet and outlet, away from heavy leaf fall or boxed-in corners
- ComplianceAS/NZS 5601 requirements for flammable refrigerant apply
Keeping it sweet
- Every six months (DIY)
- Lift the PTR valve easing lever for about 10 seconds and check water discharges cleanly, repeat on the expansion control valve, then make sure the top grill and louvres are clear of leaves and debris.
- Every five years (licensed tradie)
- Replace the PTR valve and both anodes, flush the expansion control valve, clear the condensate gutter and drain line, clean the evaporator, louvres and fan, then drain and flush the tank. Do it every 3 years if your water runs over 600 mg/L TDS — Melbourne mains sits well under that.
Apricus require a 500 kPa pressure limiting valve on the inlet and a tempering valve set to 50°C. We fit both as standard on every VIC install.
Straight talk
Our honest take on Apricus
- 6 years parts AND labour on the whole system
- R290 natural refrigerant
- Quiet at 43 dB
- Real-time power monitoring via app
- One tank size only (260L)
- Outdoor install only
How it happens
From quote to hot water in about a week
Quick chat
Tell us what you're replacing and where it sits. Fixed price back the same day.
Rebate paperwork
We check eligibility and lodge Solar Victoria, STCs and VEECs for you.
Install day
Old unit removed, new one plumbed and wired. Usually done inside a day.
Aftercare
Warranty claims and servicing handled through us — one number to ring.
Owners
What Victorians say
"Swapped our old electric tank. The bill dropped straight away and the crew sorted every rebate form."
Sarah M. · Melbourne
"Reckoned it'd struggle in winter — it doesn't. Water's hot on frosty mornings and you can barely hear it."
James T. · Geelong
"Price was exactly what was quoted. No surprises, rebates applied upfront. Easy."
Priya K. · Ballarat
FAQs
Questions we get asked
Want this one at $1,557 installed?
Send us a couple of details and we'll confirm your rebate eligibility and lock the price in writing. No sales pressure, no obligation.
Fully installed · incl. rebates
$1,557