The honest version, without the sales pitch: all four types can be the right answer - it depends on your home, your household and your bills. Here's how we'd choose.
How many people at home?
Do you have gas?
Roof sun for solar?
What matters most?
Our honest pick
Answer the four questions and we'll tell you which system we'd put in our own house in your situation - and why.
Compare them all
The four contenders, honestly.
Gas - storage or continuous flow
Homes with natural gas and steady daily use, or anyone who hates cold showers mid-winter.
Why people choose it
- Continuous flow never runs out of hot water
- Cheaper to run than electric storage
- Compact wall-mounted units free up space
- Fast recovery on storage models
Worth knowing
- Needs a gas connection (or bottles)
- Continuous flow needs decent water pressure
Brands we install: Rinnai, Rheem, Bosch, Thermann
Sizing
How big does it need to be?
Two numbers that get mixed up. The teal figure is how much hot water you actually use in a day - that is what decides your running cost. The tank has to be bigger than that, because it has to cover everyone showering in the same hour and then have time to reheat. Work out what yours costs to run.
1-2 people
60-100L a day
125-160L storage
16-20 L/min continuous flow
3-4 people
140-180L a day
250-315L storage
20-26 L/min continuous flow
5+ people
220L+ a day
315-400L storage
26-32 L/min continuous flow
A guide only - bathrooms, usage patterns and tariffs shift the answer. We size it properly before you spend a dollar.
Still not sure? That's literally our job.
Tell us your household size and what's there now - we'll give you honest numbers on repair vs replace and system vs system.