Note: Solar Choice is not associated with SPT heat pumps or any heat pump brand and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product over another.
At a Glance: SPT Heat Pumps Score 2.75 out of 5
Based on our Solar Choice Heat Pump Scorecard
$ Price
Efficiency:
- For the SPT Dark Knight heat pump, the coefficient of performance (COP) is disclosed on their brochure as 5.14 to 5.21. This is based on testing conditions of 19ºC and heating water from 14ºC to 55ºC. We estimate COP ranges based on a 20°C ambient water temperature, an inlet water temp of 15°C and target output temperature of 60°C. Thus this scores 3 out of 5 points for efficiency.
Warranty Offer
- SPT’s warranty offer extends from 7 years for the tank, 5 years for heat pump and down to 2 years for other parts and labour. The concern is around the short coverage for labour which may mean customers incur significant costs for repairs. We score this 2 points.
Customer Reviews
- As a new company only set up in 2023, there are not a lot of customer reviews available for the SPT heat pumps. From our research there seemed to be less than 10 genuine customer reviews on 3rd party platforms – although overall their score is 4.9. We give this an interim score of 3 points and will endeavour to update this as we collect and verify customer reviews through this review page.
Functionality
- The Dark Knight model compares pretty well when it comes to included functionality. The heat pump can be controlled via the LCD and the Tuya App, the heat pump uses environmentally friendly R290 refrigerant and SPT provide an option to include a back-up heating element. This scores 3 points for functionality
Who are SPT? Company Overview
Smart Power Tech Pty Ltd (SPT) were founded in July 2023 and are a supplier of heat pump hot water systems and air conditioning units. The company is run by Kaz Mahdevi who is also the CEO of Astra Green Solutions. Astra Green Solutions are known to be a high volume, lower-cost installer of hot water heat pumps in Victoria and have mixed feedback from customers.
As a relative newcomer to the HVAC supplier space, SPT have gained traction relatively quickly with a cost-effective solution. Their Heat Pump products on the market are named the Dark Knight and the Black Knight.
SPT have offices in Prestons, NSW and Cranbourne West, VIC, and according to linkedin have a team of around 10-15 staff.
SPT Heat Pump Models and Options
SPT have two current heat pumps available in Australia (Dark Knight and Black Knight) and have indicated that a newer model called Rose is coming soon.
Dark Knight Review
The Dark Knight is SPT’s latest heat pump to be offered to the Australian market. It is an all-in-one solution with the heat pump located above the tank and comes in a 265L or a 315L model.
The 315L option is one of the largest all-in-one heat pumps that is available on the Australian market with most brands only offering tanks under 300L. The Dark Knight has upgraded the refrigerant to R290 (propane) from their previous.
The heat pumps come with an option to include a 2000W traditional heating element, which is a good idea for back up and to have the option to rapidly heat water if needed.
The heat pump has a built in LCD screen with configuration buttons and can also be operated via the Tuya app. The heat pump can be operated on a timer, but unfortunately there is no option to set 2 cycles per day. A typical set up for a heat pump would be to run the main heating cycle during the day (to take advantage of solar power) and then add a smaller top up cycle in the early morning to ensure there is enough hot water for morning showers after the previous evening hot water use.
The heat pump is rated at 47 decibels which is typical of lower cost heat pump solutions. In an ideal scenario the heat pump would not be installed near a window you keep open or an entertaining area.
With an input power for the heat pump rated at 890W the heat pump likely has enough power to operate well in colder climates such as Tasmania and Victoria.
Black Knight Review
The Black Knight is also an all-in-one solution and only comes with a 250L tank. The model also has the option to include a 1500W heating element which we would recommend for back up.
As their first offer to the market, the heat pump used R134A which has largely been phased on in Australia due to high impact on the environment with a Global Warming Potential of 1,430. The R134A refrigerant has been banned in Victoria as of July 2024.
SPT’s Black Knight was also less efficient and had a smaller capacity heat pump, meaning customers in colder climates may run into some issues with the heat pump needing to run for long hours to get back to the target temperature.
Otherwise the features are pretty similar to the new Dark Knight, with Tuya App and LCD controls, sound rating of 48 decibels and a magnesium anode.
How much do SPT Heat Pumps cost?
The SPT Dark Knight 315L version costs around $2,200 to $2,500 for the unit only. That excludes installation, freight and the federal STC rebate and any state-based rebates that might be available to you.
SPT’s Warranty Offer for Australian Customers
SPT offers the below warranty terms on their Dark Knight and Black Knight models:
| Water Tank | 7 Years |
| Heat Pump / Compressor | 5 Years |
| Other Parts | 2 Years |
| Labour | 2 Years |
We score this warranty 2 points out of 5 on our Solar Choice heat pump scorecard, mainly due to the short length of the labour included. This is a similar warranty offer to the heat pumps on the cheaper end of the market.
Solar Victoria Customers – Warranty Extension
If you are eligible for a Solar Victoria rebate, then SPT will increase the Other Parts and Labour warranty to 5-years to be compliant with the schemes requirements. Its a shame the rest of Australian consumers aren’t able to receive this extended warranty.
SPT have a local office in Sydney and Melbourne to provide technical support to customers. You can contact them on 1800 778 786 or email them at service@smartpowertech.com.au
The Pros and Cons of SPT Heat Pumps
Pros
- Large SPT Dark Knight 315L tank is one of the largest all-in-one solutions which is great for larger households
- Heat Pump can be controlled via an APP and LCD configuration
Cons
- SPT have only been around for a couple of years, so their heat pumps are largely untested as none have lived for the length of their warranty yet
- The inability to set the heat pump to run twice daily may impact the hot water reliability of customers, or require extra usage of the less efficient traditional heating element
- The short 2-year warranty coverage on labour means that customers will incur costs for any required repairs/replacements
Overall Verdict: Are SPT Heat Pumps a Good Option?
As a relatively fresh start up company, there is not enough proof of reliability for us to recommend SPT. The heat pumps are designed to suit the lower-cost market, so this is one to wait and see as more customer reviews and stories come out as the installed SPT systems in Australia start to age towards the end of their warrantied life.
Doing your research on heat pump hot water systems? We’ve written an end-to-end guide that covers everything you need to know when considering upgrading to a heat pump hot water system. Additionally if you’re wondering which are the best heat pumps in Australia, then we’ve ranked our favourites for you as well.
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