Reclaim Launches ECO R290 All-In-One — Installer's Take
— Northern Beaches Hot Water
Source: Reclaim Energy / JR Gas and Water
Reclaim has expanded beyond their flagship CO2 split system with a new all-in-one heat pump using R290 natural refrigerant. Here's what it is, who it suits, and where it fits alongside the CO2 range we install every week.
Reclaim Energy has added a new model to their Australian heat pump range — the ECO R290 All-In-One. We install Reclaim systems every week across the Northern Beaches as an authorised dealer, so we've had a close look at the new model and where it fits alongside the CO2 split systems we already know well.
Short version: the ECO R290 is a smart addition to the range. It doesn't replace the CO2 split system — it solves a different problem for a different type of home.
What's New — and What's the Same
The existing Reclaim CO2 range is a split system — the compressor mounts on an outside wall, and the stainless steel tank sits alongside or nearby. It's the workhorse of the range and what we install most often on the Northern Beaches.
The new ECO R290 is an integrated all-in-one unit. Tank and compressor are in a single cabinet — similar in form factor to the Emerald All-In-One or the Stiebel Eltron WWK 222/302. The key difference is the refrigerant: instead of CO2 (which Reclaim is known for), the ECO model uses R290 — another natural refrigerant, with a Global Warming Potential of just 3.
Why R290 and Not CO2 in the All-In-One?
CO2 systems operate at much higher pressures than R290 systems. That's fine — in fact, it's part of why CO2 is so effective — but it makes CO2 harder to package into a tight all-in-one form factor. R290 sits in a sweet spot for integrated units: natural refrigerant, excellent efficiency, and mechanically well-suited to being packaged with a tank in one cabinet.
Both CO2 and R290 are natural refrigerants. Both are immune to the synthetic refrigerant phase-downs that will affect R410A and R134a systems over the coming decade. So whichever Reclaim model you end up with, the refrigerant inside it is future-proof.
Who Should Choose the ECO R290 All-In-One?
- Homes with no room for a separate tank and compressor — apartments, tight side-of-house alcoves, or internal plant rooms.
- Straightforward electric storage replacements where the existing tank footprint is the simplest spot for the new unit.
- Smaller households where a 200L all-in-one is the right capacity.
- Installs where cost of installation matters more than maximum efficiency — all-in-ones are generally quicker to fit than split systems.
Who Should Still Choose the CO2 Split System?
- Families wanting higher water temperatures (the CO2 system reaches 65°C without a backup element — handy for larger households).
- Homes where the side of the house has room to wall-mount a compressor separately from the tank.
- Coastal properties where the 15-year stainless steel tank warranty matters.
- Households with rooftop solar where the CO2 Wi-Fi model's scheduling capability lets you time heating to your solar export window.
What This Means for Northern Beaches Homeowners
More choice is a good thing. For most of the homes we quote on, the CO2 split system is still our first recommendation — it's the system we've installed the most, it performs brilliantly in our mild coastal climate, and the 15-year stainless steel tank warranty is the longest in the industry. But for homes where a split system just doesn't fit the space, having a genuine all-in-one option from Reclaim means we can recommend a single brand across more installs rather than switching to Emerald, Stiebel or another manufacturer purely for form factor reasons.
We'll be installing the ECO R290 on suitable jobs as they come up, and we'll update our Reclaim brand page with real install photos once we've got a few under our belt on the Northern Beaches.
Not sure which Reclaim model suits your home? We offer free on-site assessments across the Northern Beaches. Call 0448 581 325 for a no-obligation chat.