Ecogenica Heat Pump Hot Water: Independent Review by Solar Choice

Note: Solar Choice is not associated with Ecogenica or any heat pump brand and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another.

At a Glance: Ecogenica Solar Choice Heat Pumps Score Card

$ Price: The wholesale cost of most of the Ecogenica heat pump range is under $2,500 making them one of the cheapest options on the market.

• Coefficient of Performance (COP): Ecogenica disclose a COP of ~5 at an ambient temperature of 20°C with an inlet water temp of 14°C and target temperature of 55°C. Target temperature in normal circumstances should be set to 60°C to control legionella. We still expect with a target temperature of 60°C that the COP would remain between 4.5 to 5, so we have scored this 4 points.
• Warranty Offer: Ecogenica have a 7 year warranty for the water tank and a 5 year warranty for their heat pumps. However the Servicing and Parts Only sections of the warranty are poorly defined and it is unclear if any labour and associated costs associated with any product failures would be covered. We score this 1 point.
• Customer Reviews: Solar Choice was unable to find any public reviews for Ecogenica’s heat pumps. There are a number of reviews for Eco Alliance’s Dynaheat series which were not applicable to Ecogenica’s heat pump. We have based the score on the reviews of parent company Eco Alliance who have an average of 3.86 based on 803 reviews.
• Functionality: Of the functionality that Solar Choice scores in our review system, the Ecogenica heat pumps use environmentally friendly refrigerant and a back-up heating element. The heat pumps don’t have wifi app, quiet operation under 45 decibels or a stainless steel tank option. This scores 2 points.

Please note that the Solar Choice score card reflect our opinions only. Customers are encouraged to due their own research.

Ecogenica / Eco Alliance Company Background

Ecogenica is an owned product of Eco Alliance Group. Eco Alliance Group were established in Melbourne in 2018 and are an importer and installer of heat pump hot water systems.

The Ecogenica range of heat pumps was launched by Eco Alliance in 2021 and is one of the cheapest heat pump systems available in Australia. The Ecogenica heat pumps are designed by Eco Alliance and manufactured in China under a third party manufacturing agreement

Eco Alliance have an office and warehouse located in Braeside, Melbourne and a local service team to assist with technical support and warranty claims.

The ACCC have issued a product recall notice for the Ecogenica EG-215F which was a split system sold between 5th May 2022 and 13th September 2023. The reason for the recall is the control panel is installed within the heat pump unit where the owner may come into contract with live electrical parts presenting a risk of serious injury or death.

Ecogenica Heat Pump Models

Ecogenica currently have 3 models available in Australia for residential customers. The newer ‘FR’ models that this review focuses on are a significant improvement on earlier models. They have split systems with 215 litre or 290 litre tanks or an all-in-one 260 litre option.

Ecogenica Split Systems (EG-215FR & EG-290FR)

Ecogenica’s split system heat pumps have a separate water tank and heat pump unit. Customers can choose between a 215 litre model which is suitable for 1-3 people or a 290 litre option which would suit 3-4 people using our assumption that each person uses 50 litres of hot water per day and tank capacity is sized to 1.5x expected daily usage.

Ecogenica’s specifications sheet suggests their 290 litre option can service 4-6 person households. This would likely require the heat pump to perform 2 heating cycles per day.

The Econgenica heat pumps use vitreous enamel storage tanks which are commonly used in hot water systems.

Ecogenica’s website states their heat pumps are rated at 47DB which puts them on the noisier side of options on the market. It would be best to install this system away from entertaining areas or open windows.

The heat pump can be managed through a built-in display on the unit. This includes functionality to configure the temperature and timer settings on the heat pump.

The 215 litre option has a 1.8 metre tall by 51cm wide water tank with a separate heat pump measuring 54cm by 78cm. The 260 litre option adds 4.5cm to the height of the tank and 6cm to the diameter.

Ecogenica All-in-one System (EG-260FR)

The Ecogenica all-in-one system positions the heat pump above the water tank providing the entire system in one tall cylinder. They only have one size available which is a 260 litre tank capacity. We advise this would comfortably suit up to 3 people assuming each person uses 50 litres of hot water a day and the tank is sized to 1.5x daily requirements. The Ecogenica brochure suggests it can cover 2-4 person households.

The result is the solution is around 30cm taller than the tank on the split system with no requirement for a separate heat pump unit.

Like the current split systems, Ecogenica have upgraded to R290 refrigerant which is less harmful to the planet than the previous models Eco Alliance had on the market.

Many of the performance characteristics between the split system and the all-in-one are similar, so customers are likely to choose based on appearance preference and selecting the optimal tank size for their situation.

How Much Does An Ecogenica Heat Pump Cost?

No information on the cost of the Ecogenica Heat Pumps is disclosed publicly, but these heat pumps are amongst the lowest priced options available on the market.

Solar Choice estimates the underlying cost of the Ecogenica EG-215FR model to be under $2,500 (excluding installation and rebates) based on offers available in the market.

Read about what rebates are available in your state in our Heat Pump Buyers Guide.

Ecogenica’s Warranty Offer for Australian Customers

Ecogenica’s warranty offer is located at the end of their owners manual and details the below warranty periods for the various components of their products

It is unclear from Ecogenica’s warranty document what parts are included in the ‘Parts Only’ limited warranty and what is covered under ‘Servicing’ as these terms are not defined or described further.

Under the Parts Only warranty all labour costs will be payable by the owner.

Notably the below statement in their warranty leaves a lot of discretion with Ecogenica to determine whether or not to honour a warranty claim, which poses a risk to customers:

Overall the length of warranty for the tank and heat pump are competitive with some of the mid-range options in the market. The main concern around this warranty is the likelihood of getting a warranty claim approved and what additional costs would fall back onto the consumer as a result of this process.

Check out Ecogenica’s full warranty information at the back of their owners manual here.

Pros and Cons of Ecogenica Heat Pumps

Pros

• One of the lowest cost options on the market
• Using R290 refrigerant which has low environmental impact
• Their newer FR models have good efficiency which is validated in independent testing completed by the Victorian Energy Upgrades program.

Cons

• Overall mixed review score, with many of the poor reviews for Eco Alliance relate to poor after-sales service and poor quality installation work
• Poorly defined warranty policy with scope for costs to potentially fall back onto consumers in the event of a product failure

So is the Ecogenica Heat Pump worth it?

As one of the lowest cost heat pump hot water solutions on the market, the Ecogenica models have attracted a lot of attention. The main downsides of the system come back to the warranty policy that’s offered and the negative reviews for Eco Alliance from past customers.

Despite receiving a lot of poor reviews from angry customers the overall review score for parent company Eco Alliance is still 3.85 suggesting there is a mix of good and bad experiences with their products.

Looking into heat pump hot water systems? Our comprehensive guide makes it easy, covering potential rebates, the real costs of hot water heat pumps, and the truth about ‘free’ upgrades. Learn about energy savings and understand the benefits and drawbacks with clear expert advice. For all you need to know before making a decision, check out our Heat Pump Hot Water System Buyers Guide.

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James Shand

Marketing Manager at Solar Choice

With half a decade experience in the solar energy industry, specialising in business strategy and marketing for solar companies. He has worked with top solar distributors in Canada and now collaborates with solar manufacturers and installers across Australia via Solar Choice, Australia's leading solar comparison platform. With degrees in business technology, science, and marketing, James combines in-depth market insights with technical knowledge, positioning him as a trusted authority in renewable energy.

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