Rheem AmbiPower 280e 280L Heat Pump Hot Water System
Model 551E280 · Straight swaps from a similar-sized electric tank, with a big name behind it
What are you replacing?
Fully installed in VIC · rebates already off
No obligation · We reply within one business hour
The maths
Where $2,102 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
16 certificates
Depends on the unit you're replacing
Running costs
About $1,252 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 5.2, this unit only needs about 865 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
$1,252
Saved per year vs electric
$682
Saved per year vs gas
1.5 yrs
Payback after rebates
3.3 t
CO₂ avoided per year
Over 10 years
$12,521
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
- 551E280
- Series
- Rheem AmbiPower® 280e
- Storage capacity
- 280 L
- Boost capacity by electric heating unit
- 236 L
- Suits household
- Up to 6 people
- COP (AS/NZS 5125 at 19°C)
- 5.2
- Rated heat pump power input @ 240 V
- 690 W
- Average heating capacity
- 2.9 kW at 19°C air
- Recovery rate @ 45°C rise
- 56 L/hr at 19°C air
- Sound level
- 48 dB(A) LA90 at 1 m
- Ambient operating range
- -6°C to 43°C
- Refrigerant
- R290 (propane) · 340 g max charge
- Dimensions (H × W × D)
- 1832 × 696 × 725 mm
- Weight cartoned / full
- 135 / 402 kg
- Element options
- 2.4 kW hardwired (15 A) or 1.5 kW Plug & Lead (10 A)
- Ingress protection
- IP24
- TPR valve / ECV setting
- 1000 kPa / 850 kPa
- Warranty
- 10 yrs cylinder · 5 yrs whole-of-product where VIC rebates apply
- System type
- Integrated (all-in-one) air-source heat pump water heater — outdoor install
- Refrigerant
- ULTRA LOW GWP R290 (propane) — GWP 0.02
- Heating technology
- Wrap-around microchannel condenser — refrigerant never touches your drinking water
- Cylinder
- Rheem Ultranamel® vitreous enamel coating with sacrificial anode (Mg. standard, Al. 'Blue' option)
- Controller
- LED touch screen with useable hot water bar display
- Connectivity
- EcoNet™ Wi-Fi app on the Wi-Fi models (551E280R5NT / R3PT)
- Water connections
- Rp 3/4 inlet and outlet
- Maximum mains pressure
- 680 kPa with an expansion control valve · 800 kPa without
- Standards
- AS 3498 WMKA00153 · AS/NZS 2712 SMK0757 · ISO 9001
- Built
- Manufactured in Australia
- Tank capacity
- 280 L
- Suits household
- Up to 6 people
Rheem · AmbiPower® 280e
Made here, and no longer the slow one
The 551E280 is a 280 L all-in-one built in Australia, running ULTRA LOW GWP R290 (340 g, GWP 0.02) through a wrap-around microchannel condenser. It posts a COP of 5.2 at 19°C ambient to AS/NZS 5125 and keeps working down to -6°C, so a Melbourne winter is no drama. Forget the old R134a Ambiheat — this is a different unit.
Running it — touch screen & EcoNet™
- ECO Mode
- The everyday setting. The heat pump does all the heating whenever the air is between -6°C and 43°C, and the element stays out of it.
- Set point 60–65°C
- Adjustable on the touch screen from 60°C to 65°C, or up to 70°C through the EcoNet app if you want a bit more in reserve.
- One Shot Boost (app)
- Drops the tank to 65°C then drives it to 70°C in one hit, then hands back to your previous mode. Handy when the house is full.
- Holiday Mode (app)
- Parks the tank while you're away and brings it back up for the day you land home.
- Timer
- One timed run per 24 hours. Park it over the middle of the day and it'll soak up your rooftop solar instead of buying grid power.
- Freeze protection
- Built-in protection for cold snaps, even with the display panel switched off.
Warranty
- All componentsParts and labour, free of charge
- 1 yr
- Sealed refrigeration systemYears 2–3 parts and labour, single-family dwelling
- 3 yrs
- Cylinder — parts and labourYears 2–3 in a single-family dwelling
- 3 yrs
- Cylinder — replacementYears 4–10 cylinder free of charge, labour at owner's cost
- 10 yrs
- Whole-of-product (VIC rebate)Inclusive of labour where Solar Homes or VEECs applied
- 5 yrs
- • The 5-year whole-of-product warranty kicks in when a Solar Victoria hot water rebate was received (installs from 1 July 2023) or VEECs were created (installs from 1 February 2025) — which covers just about every job we do in VIC.
- • Keep your install quote showing the VEEC count and dollar value, plus proof of purchase — Rheem asks for it on a claim.
- • Harsh water: the warranty may not apply where total dissolved solids exceed 2500 mg/L, the Saturation Index is above +0.8 (scaling) or below -1.0 (corrosive). Ask us about the Blue anode option.
- • Non-domestic installs (shops, blocks of units) are covered on shorter terms, so tell us up front.
- • Warranty claims go through Rheem on 131 031 — we lodge them for you on anything we've installed.
COP of 5.2 on R290
Tested to AS/NZS 5125 at 19°C air across the whole heat-up. GWP of 0.02 — about as clean as refrigerant gets.
Wrap-around microchannel
The condenser wraps the cylinder instead of sitting in the water, so you get faster, more even heating and no refrigerant near the drinking water.
Made in Australia
Built here for our conditions, with a coated steel outer shell and a side fan that keeps the rain out of the works.
10-year cylinder warranty
Ultranamel® coating and a sacrificial anode behind it. There's a 'Blue' aluminium anode option for harsh water areas.
Runs to -6°C
Suits a Melbourne winter. The element only steps in when it's outside range or the pump has been battling between -6°C and 7°C for 200 minutes.
10 A plug or 15 A hardwired
The Plug & Lead model runs off a standard 10 A power point with a 1.5 kW element — most swaps need no switchboard work.
How it performs as the air temperature moves
| Air temp | Humidity | Heating | Recovery @ 45°C rise | COP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6°C | 87% | 2.1 kW | 40 L/hr | 3.8 |
| 19°C | 66% | 2.9 kW | 56 L/hr | 5.2 |
| 33°C | 39% | 3.6 kW | 69 L/hr | 6.6 |
| 34°C | 57% | 3.7 kW | 71 L/hr | 6.7 |
Figures for 551E280G5. Back-up element recovery at 240 V: 2.4 kW — 69/52/41 L/hr at a 30/40/50°C rise · 1.5 kW — 44/33/26 L/hr at a 30/40/50°C rise.
Which one goes in
| Variant | Product code | Element | Circuit | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwired | 551E280G5 | 2400 W | 15 A | — |
| Plug & Lead | 551E280R3P | 1500 W | 10 A | — |
| Wi-Fi Hardwired | 551E280R5NT | 2400 W | 15 A | EcoNet™ |
| Wi-Fi Plug & Lead | 551E280R3PT | 1500 W | 10 A | EcoNet™ |
Each variant also comes with a Blue aluminium anode option (add /B or /BL) for harsh water areas — we'll tell you if your suburb needs it.
Getting it in
- LocationOutdoor install only, in a well-ventilated spot
- Clearance — left hand side350 mm for best performance, 600 mm for service access
- Clearance — right hand side600 mm for performance and service access
- Footprint696 mm W × 725 mm D × 1832 mm H
- Filled weight402 kg full — the base has to be flat, solid and level
- DrainageCondensate drain plus a TPR and ECV run to a safe drain point
- Electrical15 A circuit (hardwired, 2.4 kW element) or a 10 A power point (Plug & Lead, 1.5 kW element)
- Valves1000 kPa TPR valve · 850 kPa expansion control valve
- RefrigerantR290 is flammable — flame-free zone around the unit, licensed tradies only
Keeping it sweet
- Every six months (DIY)
- Ease the TPR valve lever for around 10 seconds and check it discharges cleanly, then clear leaves, cobwebs and lint off the air inlet and outlet.
- Every five years (licensed tradie)
- Anode check and replacement, new TPR valve, tank flush, evaporator and fan clean and a condensate drain clear. Book it in and the cylinder cover stays sweet.
Straight talk
Our honest take on Rheem
- COP of 5.2 at 19°C on ULTRA LOW GWP R290 (340 g, GWP 0.02)
- 10-year cylinder warranty with Ultranamel® coating, plus 5 years whole-of-product where VIC rebates apply
- Wrap-around microchannel condenser — faster, even heating and no refrigerant near the drinking water
- Made in Australia, and every plumber in the state knows the brand
- 48 dB(A) at 1 m — mind the bedroom window
- Big footprint at 696 × 725 mm, and it wants 350–600 mm clear each side
- Outdoor install only
- One size only — 280 L
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 $1,918 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
$1,918