Technical Information

The basic positioning and sizes of the plumbing and electrical connections on a Sidek Duratherm cylinder mimic the positions of the major competitors such as Rheem, Rinnai and Hardie Dux. The electrics, element and thermostat etc, are Australian industry standard components and are readily available across Australia, and are sourced from same suppliers as the competitors. During installation the vast majority of installers would perceive no differences between the products. This has been developed to overcome any potential resistance from installers who may be uncomfortable with major changes in configuration and connection methods. The product has been developed specifically to meet the needs of the Australian market and installer.

The PEX bonded internal cylinder has been in operation for 17 years with first cylinders produced in 1997.  The internal cylinders are produced in South Africa and are subject to a huge range of water quality variances. Approximately 4000 units per month are produced and to date close to half a million units have been manufactured and PEX has proven its superiority over the old methods of corrosion prevention whilst remaining totally maintenance free. This has effectively given the technology a 17 year trial period before being introduced into Australia. In South Africa the cylinders have a full ten year warranty and are the only vessel approved as a replacement by insurance companies, as the hot water service is covered by household insurance in South Africa. The internal cylinder is encased, insulated, and completed under a quality system in Australia to ensure the product complies to Australian requirements.  The cylinder has undergone rigorous testing in Australia to meet the Australian standards, including such tests such water quality testing to AS4020 and pulsation, where the cylinder is subjected to a minimum 250,000 pulsations from 150kPa to 1000kPa at 35 pulses a minute, simulating an approximate 50 year life span for fatigue due to pressure fluctuations as per AS/NZS2712 and AS/NZS4692.

Hot water vessels lose the majority of their heat through the top anode access hole. The PEX bonded cylinder does not need this access hole as there is no anode.  PEX is an excellent insulator. The no anode design and the PEX layer inside of the cylinder significantly improves heat retention. This means that all the energy from solar or electric inputs remain in the heated water for considerably longer rather than losing the heat  to the atmosphere, giving the cylinder unmatched heat loss characteristics.