Rinnai Corporation, the leading makers of tankless gas water heaters in New Zealand, announces the discontinuation of their iHeat central heating products dues to “cost increases of key internal components.”
The Rinnai iHeat is a ducted heating system that uses hot water to warm and circulate air, providing fast central heating to the entire home. The system is designed to operate in conjunction with a Rinnai Infinity continuous flow water heater. It has been touted as a healthy central heating option as it maintains the air quality and reduces the likelihood of allergens entering the home. The iHeat system is defined by its discreet installation and high energy efficiency (up to 80 percent).
Despite its wide public reception and positive reviews, the Rinnai team has decided to stop its production as a result of their ongoing product rationalisation, citing the following reason:
“Cost increases of key internal components has made producing the iHeat uneconomical.”
iHeat products will remain on the market until the end of December this year, or until stocks have run out. Nevertheless, Rinnai reassures iHeat users that spare parts will remain available and all warranties for iHeat will be honoured over the long term.
An Alternative to iHeat
With the iHeat phased out, Rinnai offers an equally efficient and powerful central heating system: Brivis ducted heaters.
Brivis is the leading brand of gas ducted central heating solutions in New Zealand, and has only been recently owned as a subsidiary of the Rinnai Corporation. The brand supplies a complete range of highly efficient ducted gas central heating products specifically designed for the NZ conditions.
“The addition of Brivis to the Rinnai range means that a more complete heating range is now available,” said the Rinnai team. “In most instances where an iHeat has been specified, Rinnai can supply an equivalent Brivis central heating solution.”
Brivis heaters may not have some of the “smarts” found in the iHeat, but their performance is highly comparable. They are also extremely efficient, with the range offering 6-Star rated systems such as the StarPro 6.
Some of the noteworthy features of Brivis ducted heating systems include:
- Up to 16 fan speed settings that better match air volume and flow to your home
- Zero ChillTM soft fan that prevents cold drafts on start-up
- Automatic gas modulator that maintains the temperature level using a minimal amount of energy. You can set your home to a comfortable temperature and leave the system to keep it steadily heated at that level.
- Ability to create up to four distinct zones
- Ability to set the system to automatically turn on/off so you come home to a warm house or limit heating when not needed
- Simple and easy to use programmable controller with both manual and auto modes
- Compact, splittable and weatherproof units that ensure ease of installation.
More information on the Brivis range can be found at brivis.co.nz. To enquire about an installation, please contact our home heating specialists on 0800 4 CYLINDERS or 0800 429 546.
