Why Glen Waverley Homes Switch to Continuous Flow
Glen Waverley is packed with larger family homes — 4 and 5 bedroom houses where multiple people shower in the morning and the old 135L storage tank runs cold before everyone is done. The most common call we get from Glen Waverley is a family who has put up with cold showers for years and finally wants to fix it properly.
Continuous flow (also called instantaneous) hot water systems like the Rinnai Infinity range heat water on demand — there's no tank to run out of. The unit fires up when you open a hot tap and heats only what you're actually using. For a busy household, it's transformative: unlimited hot water, in a unit a fraction of the size of a storage tank.
What Makes Continuous Flow the Right Choice Here
No tank capacity to exhaust. Five showers back-to-back — still hot. Perfect for large Glen Waverley households.
The unit mounts compactly on an external wall. Frees up the garage or laundry space previously occupied by a storage cylinder.
No standing losses from keeping 160L of water hot overnight. Gas consumption drops substantially compared to a storage system.
Modern units allow precise temperature setting. No scalding, no cold-mixing required — consistent delivery to every outlet.
What a Continuous Flow Installation Involves
The job in the photo is a complete external wall installation — the unit is mounted to brick, gas supply and water connections made, flue terminated correctly, and the system commissioned and tested. This is the typical scope for a Glen Waverley installation where an existing storage tank is being replaced.
- Remove old unit: Disconnect and remove the existing storage or continuous flow system, including draining the tank where applicable
- Wall mount and flue: Bracket the unit to the wall, run the flue to the required termination point clear of openings
- Gas connection: Connect to the existing gas supply line — we confirm adequate pressure and flow rate for the unit's input requirements
- Water connections: Cold supply and hot outlet connected with isolation valves, pressure/temperature relief valve and drain correctly installed
- Commission and test: Unit started, temperature set to 50°C default, flow rate confirmed, all connections checked for leaks
All gas work in Victoria must be performed by a licensed gasfitter. We hold both plumbing and gasfitting licences — you get one tradesperson for the whole job, no split between plumber and gasfitter.
Continuous Flow vs Storage — A Straight Comparison
Storage hot water tanks are the default in most Melbourne homes, but they have real limitations for larger households. Continuous flow doesn't suit every situation though — here's the honest comparison:
- Flow rate matters: A continuous flow unit has a maximum litres-per-minute output. Running three simultaneous showers on a 16L/min unit will notice a temperature drop. We size the unit to the actual demand
- Gas supply must cope: Larger units (26L/min+) need adequate gas pressure and pipe sizing. We check this before recommending a model
- No hot water in a blackout: Same as most gas storage units — the electronic ignition won't fire without power (though some models have battery backup)
- Upfront cost vs running cost: Continuous flow units cost more to purchase and install than a basic storage tank, but running costs are lower for high-usage households
Ready to Upgrade in Glen Waverley?
We'll assess your household's hot water demand, recommend the right size unit, and install it for a fixed price with no surprises.