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Solar hot water on the Sunshine Coast

Solar hot water uses collector panels on your roof to heat water with the sun, and a booster takes over on cloudy days. We install new solar hot water systems on Sunshine Coast homes, and repair and service the ones already up on the roof.

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Is solar hot water worth it here?

South East Queensland gets a lot of sun, so solar hot water can take a big bite out of the power you spend heating water. You pay more at the start than for an electric or gas system. The saving comes back to you on your power bills, year after year.

It makes the most sense when your roof faces north or close to it, has no big trees or buildings shading it, and your household uses a fair amount of hot water.

When solar isn't the right choice

  • Your roof is shadedfor a good part of the day, or faces south.
  • Your roof is already covered in solar panelsA heat pump or an electric tank on a timer can run on that power instead, and it leaves the roof space for electricity.
  • You don't use much hot waterOne or two people may take a long time to earn back the higher price.
  • The roof can't easily take a tankA tank on the roof is heavy when full. A split system, with the tank on the ground, gets around that but costs more.

Installing and repairing solar hot water

Two kinds of solar system

Roof-mounted tank. The tank sits on the roof just above the collector panels. Hot water rises into the tank on its own, with no pump.

Split system. The panels go on the roof and the tank stays on the ground. A small pump and a controller move water up to the panels when the sun is on them. It keeps the weight off the roof and the tank out of sight.

Boosters for cloudy days

Every solar system has a booster so you're not left with cold water after a run of grey days. Most use an electric element in the tank, which can be set to heat on off-peak power or on a timer. Some use a gas booster instead.

On the Coast, a gas booster usually runs on LPG.

Solar hot water repairs

The common faults are a fitting or valve dripping onto the roof or down a wall, and a split-system pump that has stopped, so the panels get hot and the tank doesn't. A controller can show an error, a failed booster leaves the water warm only on sunny days, and the foam lagging on the roof pipes breaks down in the sun and lets the heat out.

Most of these are repairs, not a new system. If the tank itself is leaking, it's time to replace it, and we'll talk through whether solar is still the right choice or something else would suit you better now.

Solar hot water servicing

A solar service usually starts on the roof, with the panels checked for shade and dirt and the connections for leaks. Then the booster, the relief and tempering valves and the pipe lagging get checked, plus the pump and controller on a split system.

How a solar hot water job works

  1. Ring or send the quote form

    Tell us if you want a new system or have one playing up, and which way your roof faces if you know.

  2. We look at the roof

    Which way it faces, what shades it, how easy it is to work on, and where the tank can go.

  3. Price and booking

    You get the price for a system that suits your roof, and once you're happy with it, we book the install.

  4. Install day

    Panels and tank fitted, pipes run and lagged, booster connected, then filled and checked for leaks.

  5. We walk you through it

    Before we pack up, we show you how the booster and controller work, how to tell it's heating properly, and what the manufacturer's warranty covers.

What solar hot water costs

Solar is one of the dearer systems to put in, and one of the cheapest to run. The things that change the price:

  • the size of the tank and how many collector panels it needs
  • roof-mounted tank or split system
  • how high and steep the roof is, and whether it needs extra safety gear to work on
  • how far the pipes run between the panels and the tank
  • an electric or gas booster
  • taking down an old roof-mounted system

Rebates. Solar hot water has had rebates in Queensland before. Check the Queensland Government website for anything open when you buy.

What customers say about us

5.0

from 119 Google reviews

Read all our Google reviews

Chris and his apprentice did a great job of installing our new hot water system. They were time efficient, did a clean and tidy job, took away the old tank, and were very happy with the hot water system they installed for us. Highly recommended

Dave D.Hot water · August 2026
  • Our hot water tank burst (21 years old) and needed replaced promptly. Chris did an excellent job with installing the new hot water tank. Communication great from start to finish. Quick turnaround on the quote and installed within a couple of days. Highly recommend. Thanks again Chris.

    David C.Hot water · June 2026

  • We had the gas for our kitchen moved so that it can use the larger bottles further away we use for the hot water. Job was completed on time and on budget exactly as promised. Work is very neat, no shortcuts, everything is joined at corners with specific corner pieces rather than just bending by hand. Really solid job including the connection to the larger pipe, will be recommending.

    Ross D.Gas · October 2025

  • Chris completed our new hot water install. Top bloke and did a great job. Will definitely get him back for any future jobs and will happily recommend to anyone.

    Brent W.Hot water · August 2025

Suburbs we do solar hot water in

We get up on roofs in all of these suburbs for solar installs and repairs. Ring us if yours isn't listed.

Common questions

Ask us about solar hot water

Let us know if it's a new system or a repair you need, and roughly which way your roof faces. Send the quote form or ring 0413 291 781, Monday to Friday.