FAQ

Heating heat pumps work very efficiently—as long as the flow temperature is low, for example up to around 35°C (e.g. for underfloor heating).

However, domestic hot water heating requires higher temperatures of 55–60 °C, which significantly reduces the efficiency of the heating heat pump. The COP (Coefficient of Performance) often drops to around 2.2 or even lower—well below the level of specialised units.

A domestic hot water heat pump is designed specifically for this temperature range and offers clear advantages:

• Higher efficiency for hot water production (COP 4.2 to 5.4), making it twice as efficient
• Low starting current, ideal for using PV power
• No unnecessary summer operation of the large heating heat pump—saves energy and is quieter
• Less wear on the heating heat pump, extending its service life
• Dehumidifies the basement as a practical side benefit

The benefits of separating heating and domestic hot water production are therefore clear.

In most cases, the hot water production of an oil or gas heating system can be easily decoupled. The advantage of this measure is that it can save a huge amount of energy compared to oil, gas and wood. This means the central heating really only needs to run during the winter months.

No 400-volt connection is required as with conventional boilers. 230 volts is fully sufficient for the Oekoboiler. In addition, the units are exempt from all lockout periods. Even so, the Oekoboiler can benefit from off-peak electricity at night thanks to a sophisticated program.

Depending on the situation, installation takes between 5 and 8 hours. After that, the Oekoboiler is ready to use on site.

The thermal conductivity of stainless steel is about half that of enamelled steel. That’s why stainless steel is also a good insulating material. The stainless-steel tank has a double-wall design, which not only increases safety but also provides an additional insulating effect. This means the Oekoboiler loses less heat through the casing. This already optimises time during the heating phase and reduces losses many times over. Of course, the stainless-steel tank is also additionally fitted with an insulation layer on the outside (like all boilers). Enamelled steel boilers can also rust under certain circumstances, because the enamel layer can come loose over time. Eco-friendly, hygienic and sustainable! Stainless steel is a very environmentally friendly material. It is endlessly recyclable and remains neutral to the environment and in contact with water. There is no leaching of elements that could change the composition of the water. Stainless steel has good corrosion resistance. This provides good protection against legionella and reduces the risk of limescale deposits in the tanks.

We assume a net air volume of around 20 m3 so that the Oekoboiler can be operated indoors without air ducting. Of course, thanks to the wide range in our product line, there is almost always a solution for installing a unit in virtually any location. In addition, with smart air ducting, the unit can benefit in winter from the waste heat generated by the heating system. And in the summer months, it can help cool the building envelope. In very tight spaces, both the intake and exhaust air can be ducted from/to outside.

Of course, the Oekoboiler has a service flange, which allows the unit to be descaled regularly like conventional boilers. However, because domestic hot water is produced gently via the heat pump, far less limescale builds up compared to a conventional electric boiler.

The unit automatically runs a complete legionella cycle every 14 days. During this process, the hot water is heated to 65°C. This ensures reliable protection against legionella. In the remaining time, the unit can operate at lower temperatures and therefore with lower energy consumption.

Thanks to the “plug and play” mode, an official commissioning by your seller or installer is unnecessary. The unit is delivered pre-set in Auto mode with a target temperature of 55°C. After professional installation, it simply needs to be switched on. If fine-tuning is still required after the initial phase, it can be done very easily using the supplied instructions and the unit’s simple menu navigation. Or our customer service can make the desired setting changes directly with you over the phone.

Models 13 and 14 have direct WiFi control integrated into the Oekoboiler units, which can be managed worldwide by the user via a dedicated app. This means Oekoboiler meets today’s trend and the development of the Internet of Things, connecting all household appliances.

This is installed in models 03 / 04 / 04D / 13 / 14. The auxiliary heater is primarily used to provide immediate, fast reheating of domestic hot water when hot water consumption is excessive. The ceramic sleeve in the mentioned models ensures the heating element is almost maintenance-free and will also have almost three times the service life of a standard heating element.

No. A solar-thermal heated boiler requires a conventional electric heating element to heat domestic hot water when not enough heat can be harvested from the sun—which is mostly the case in winter. In addition, it needs a circulation pump for heat exchange, which consumes extra energy. The circulation pump circulates the medium from the panels through the boiler’s heat exchanger coil, heating the domestic hot water in the boiler. In summer, the sun’s heat is usually more than sufficient—actually far too much energy—to heat domestic hot water. But at night, the circulation pump still continues to run to cool the panels on the roof so the solar-thermal system doesn’t overheat. This means there is energy consumption for generating heat for the boiler even in the summer months. Efficiency is around 50–60%, and the investment is also three times higher than buying a heat pump water heater, which has a high average efficiency all year round. Finally, significantly more embodied energy is invested to produce/manufacture and install a solar-thermal domestic hot water support system.