The Rinnai range
Rinnai's hot water page lists gas continuous flow, electric continuous flow, electric heat pump, solar hot water and storage tanks. Named lines include Infinity for gas continuous flow, Efinity for electric continuous flow and Enviroflo heat pumps.
Rinnai Australia says it is a subsidiary of Rinnai Japan Corporation, and that it sources products locally and from Rinnai's factories around the world.
What the gas continuous flow warranty booklet asks for
- Authorised people, by the instructions. Components must be installed, commissioned, serviced, repaired and removed to the manufacturer's instructions and local regulations, by people authorised to do that work.
- A start date. Cover runs from the day installation was completed. If nobody knows that date, it starts 2 months after the date of manufacture.
- Paperwork. The service person can ask for proof of purchase or a copy of the certificate of compliance. The booklet notes installers must issue those certificates by law in every state and territory.
- Rinnai parts only. Components someone else supplied, like isolating valves, pipework or cables, aren't covered.
- Access. If the heater wasn't sited to the instructions, or is hard to reach safely, a service charge applies.
Choosing between Rinnai types
Gas continuous flow heats water as it passes through, with no storage tank. It needs a gas supply, and in Victoria a gas system that dies in an existing home after 1 March 2027 must be replaced with an efficient electric one. Check the current rules before you decide.
Electric continuous flow suits a home without gas, but ask whether your electrical supply can carry it.
Heat pumps, solar and storage tanks all keep water in a tank. Ask where it would go and how big it needs to be.
Ask the installer
- Will you register the warranty with the model, serial number, purchase date and your installer details?
- Will I get the certificate of compliance on the day?
- Is the unit placed so a service person can reach it safely without pulling anything apart?
- Which valves and fittings are you supplying, and who covers them if they fail?
What we would do
Treat the compliance certificate as part of the warranty. Rinnai can ask for it before any warranty work, so file it with your receipt. Look at where the unit will hang before it goes up, too: a heater that's awkward to reach can mean a service charge years later. Ask a plumber who specialises in hot water to plan the spot with you.