Brisbane's climate and a heat pump
Warm for most of the year
Since 1999 the Bureau's Brisbane station has averaged 74.8 days a year at 30°C or hotter, and its coldest month still averages a 10.6°C overnight low. Its lowest reading on record is 2.6°C.
Cooler pockets south and west
Archerfield Airport, on the south side, averages 2.4 days a year at 2°C or below. Out past Ipswich, Amberley averages 18.1 such days and 6.6 at freezing or below. If you're in a colder spot, ask how the model copes on those mornings.
Sub-tropical by the building code
The National Construction Code puts south-east Queensland in climate zone 2: warm, humid summers and mild winters. The Queensland Government's typical July maximum for Brisbane is 22.0°C.
Who can install one here
Queensland requires heat pump and solar water heaters to be fitted by a hot water installer with the QBCC's solar and heat pump endorsement. Look the installer up on the QBCC registers through myQBCC before you sign, and ask to see the endorsement.
Like any new or replacement system in Queensland, a heat pump needs a temperature control device, with the tank kept at 60°C or more.
Swapping from gas? Taking out the old gas heater and capping its supply is gas work, which needs a Queensland gas work licence. Your heat pump installer may hold one, or bring in a gas fitter. See gas to heat pump.
STCs, and what we found for Queensland
Small-scale technology certificates are federal, so they work the same in Brisbane as anywhere. An air source heat pump qualifies if it's under 425 L and the exact model is on the Clean Energy Regulator's register, and the install meets Queensland's installer licensing. Most owners assign the certificates to an agent for a discount or a delayed cash payment. Certificates are issued until the scheme ends in 2030.
We didn't find a current Queensland Government heat pump program, and the state's hot water page doesn't list one. Check that page before you buy in case something has opened. Details are on our Queensland rebates page.
Questions to ask a Brisbane heat pump installer
- Can I see your QBCC solar and heat pump endorsement?
- Is this exact model on the STC register, and is the discount on the quote?
- Where will the unit sit, and how close is it to bedrooms or the neighbours' windows?
- Where will the condensate drain to?
- How does it perform on the coldest mornings where I live?
- If I'm leaving gas, who removes the old unit and caps the line, and do they hold a gas work licence?
What we would do
With winters this mild, give most of your attention to placement and the installer. Pick a spot with airflow and some distance from bedrooms, check the installer's endorsement on the QBCC register, and get the STC discount itemised. If your current unit is gas and still working, no Queensland rule forces it out, so you can plan the switch rather than rush it.