Point-of-Use Hot Water for Kitchens, Ensuites and Granny Flats
The hot water system is at one end of the house. The tap you use most is at the other. Here is the fix, and where it stops working.
A point of use hot water system is a small water heater installed right at, or under, the tap it serves, so hot water arrives in a few seconds instead of after a long wait for it to travel from the main system. For a kitchen sink, a basin or a far ensuite, a compact single phase electric unit like the Stiebel Eltron DHCE does the job well. For a granny flat with a shower, a single phase point of use unit is usually too small in winter, and you need 3 phase or gas.
Want your exact size? Our instant hot water sizing calculator works out the kW or litres a minute you need in winter, checks single or 3-phase power, then shows the units that fit.
What a point of use hot water system actually fixes
A point of use hot water system fixes the wait for hot water and the water you waste during that wait. Every metre of pipe between the main system and the tap holds water that has gone cold since the last use. You run that water down the drain before the hot arrives.
The numbers are not small. A 15 metre run of 20mm pipe holds around 4 litres. Turn the kitchen tap on ten times a day and that is 40 litres a day of cold water you paid to heat yesterday, and paid again to throw away today. Plus the minute you stand there with your hand under the tap.
Put a heater under the sink and the pipe run drops to under a metre. Hot water in a few seconds. That is the whole point.
The units that do the job
The Stiebel Eltron DHCE range is the standard point of use electric heater for basins, kitchen sinks and small ensuites, and the HOT 2.6 N is the under sink option for near boiling water. All four run on ordinary single phase power.
| Unit | Type | Power draw | Max outlet temp | Size (H x W x D) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHCE 6/50 | Instantaneous, single phase | 7.1 kW, 30 A | 50°C | 360 x 200 x 110 mm | $849 |
| DHCE 8/50 | Instantaneous, single phase | 9.5 kW, 40 A | 50°C | 360 x 200 x 110 mm | $915 |
| DHCE 8/60 | Instantaneous, single phase | 9.5 kW, 40 A | 60°C | 360 x 200 x 110 mm | $915 |
| HOT 2.6 N | 2.6 L under sink boiling unit | 1.6 kW, 7.3 A | 95°C | 450 x 200 x 145 mm | $878 |
Prices current as of October 2026. Specs from the Stiebel Eltron product data. All units WaterMark approved.
The DHCE units hold 0.45 litres. They are true instantaneous heaters: nothing stored, nothing kept hot overnight. They switch on at 1.5 litres a minute and off when you close the tap.
Kitchen sinks
For a kitchen sink, a DHCE 8/60 under the sink is the pick, because it reaches 60°C for washing up and draws no more power than the 50°C version. At 9.5 kW you get roughly 4 litres a minute at 50°C in a Sydney winter. That fills a sink a bit slower than a big central system. It does not leave you waiting for hot water, and that is the trade most people happily take.
If what you actually want is tea water without the kettle, that is a different job. The HOT 2.6 N keeps 2.6 litres at up to 95°C under the sink and feeds its own childproof push and turn tap. Standby use is 0.2 kWh a day, which works out to about $24 a year at 33 cents per kWh. It is not a replacement for normal hot water at the sink. It sits beside it.
Plenty of renovated kitchens end up with both: a DHCE under the sink for washing up and a HOT 2.6 N for the boiling tap. Two units, two circuits, no kettle and no wait.
Ensuites and far bathrooms
A far ensuite basin is the easiest point of use job there is, and a DHCE 6/50 handles it comfortably. A basin runs at 4 to 6 litres a minute and nobody washes their hands at 45°C for long. The 7.1 kW unit on a 30 amp circuit is plenty.
The ensuite shower is where it gets honest. A standard shower at 9 litres a minute and 40°C in winter needs about 15 kW in Brisbane, 17 kW in Sydney, 19 kW in Melbourne and 21 kW in Canberra. The biggest single phase unit is 9.5 kW. In a Sydney winter that gives you about 5 litres a minute at shower temperature. With a 5 litre a minute shower head in a warm city, it is usable. In Melbourne in July, it is a trickle.
So for an ensuite shower on its own heater, plan on 3 phase. A DHB-E 18 LCD at 19.4 kW covers one shower in most cities. The DEL 18 Plus does the same with more control. Both need a 3 phase supply at the house. No 3 phase, no 3 phase heater, and no electrician can talk their way around that. We cover the power side properly in single phase vs 3 phase instant hot water.
Granny flats
A granny flat hot water system has to run a shower, a kitchen and a basin, so a single phase point of use unit is usually not enough on its own. Treat the granny flat as a small house, not a big basin.
The options, in the order we usually suggest them:
- Gas available at the flat: a Midea M20 continuous flow at $749 runs one shower and the kitchen with room to spare. Cheapest unit in the table that actually keeps up in winter.
- 3 phase available: a DEL 18 Plus or DHB-E 18 LCD on the wall of the bathroom. No flue, no gas line, nothing stored.
- Single phase only, warm climate, one occupant: a DHCE 8/50 with a 5 litre a minute shower head can work in Brisbane or further north. Go in with your eyes open. In Sydney it is marginal. South of that, do not.
Check the power supply before anything else. A granny flat is often fed by a sub main from the house, and a 40 amp hot water circuit on top of an oven, a split system and a kettle can be more than that sub main carries. Your electrician will tell you in five minutes whether it fits.
One more thing granny flat builders hit at the back of a sloping block: the waste may sit below the sewer connection. That is not a hot water problem, but if it is yours, a sewer pump station is what moves it.
What point of use costs to run
A point of use electric heater costs less to run than a central system for the same tap, because it heats only the water you use and loses none of it in the pipe. A basin used for 3 minutes a day at 7.1 kW uses about 0.35 kWh, which is roughly 12 cents a day at 33 cents per kWh. Under $45 a year.
The bigger saving is what the main system stops doing. A long pipe run that gets drained cold ten times a day is ten loads of heat thrown away. Take that tap off the main system and the loss goes with it. The full running cost maths for electric instant units is in what an electric instant hot water system costs to run.
Installation basics
A point of use electric heater needs a dedicated circuit sized to the unit, installed by a licensed electrician, and the water side connected by a licensed plumber. A DHCE 6/50 draws 30 amps and a DHCE 8 draws 40 amps on single phase. That is not a power point job. It is a new circuit from the switchboard.
The DHCE does not need a safe tray or drain, which makes under sink and in cabinet installs much easier, though your plumber will check local requirements. Bathroom outlets in Australian homes are generally limited to 50°C for personal hygiene, which is why the 50°C models exist. The 60°C DHCE 8/60 belongs at the kitchen or laundry, not the shower. The HOT 2.6 N plugs into a standard 10 amp outlet under the sink.
Frequently asked questions
What is a point of use hot water system?
A point of use hot water system is a small water heater installed at or under the tap it supplies, so hot water arrives in seconds instead of travelling from a distant main system. In Australia these are usually compact single phase electric instantaneous units such as the Stiebel Eltron DHCE range, used for kitchen sinks, basins and far ensuites.
Can you get instant hot water under the sink in Australia?
You can get instant hot water under the sink in Australia with a compact electric instantaneous heater like the Stiebel Eltron DHCE 8/60, which delivers up to 60°C and fits under most kitchen sinks. For near boiling water at the sink, an under sink boiling unit like the Stiebel Eltron HOT 2.6 N supplies water up to 95°C through its own tap.
What is the best hot water system for a granny flat?
The best hot water system for a granny flat is usually a gas continuous flow unit like the Midea M20 if gas is available, or a 3 phase electric instantaneous unit of about 18 to 19.4 kW if the flat has 3 phase power. A single phase 9.5 kW unit only gives about 5 litres a minute of shower water in a Sydney winter, so it suits warm climates and light use only.
Can a single phase instant hot water system run a shower?
A single phase instant hot water system can run a shower only at a low flow, because the largest single phase units are 9.5 kW and give about 5 litres a minute at 40°C in a Sydney winter. That works with a low flow shower head in warm climates, but in Melbourne, Canberra and other cold areas a shower needs 3 phase electric or gas.
Do point of use water heaters need a dedicated circuit?
Point of use instantaneous water heaters need a dedicated circuit installed by a licensed electrician, because units like the Stiebel Eltron DHCE draw 30 to 40 amps on single phase. The exception is a small under sink boiling unit like the HOT 2.6 N, which draws 7.3 amps and plugs into a standard 10 amp outlet.
Not sure which one fits?
Tell us which tap, which city, and whether you have single or 3 phase power, and we will tell you which unit fits or whether point of use is the wrong answer for that spot. If you are weighing it against a tank for the whole house, read instant hot water vs storage tank first.
Ask us which point of use unit suits your tap →
Shop under sink water heaters →
Or browse the full Stiebel Eltron range and every instant hot water system we stock.
This guide is general information for Australian households and is not a substitute for advice on your specific home and site. Flow rates and running costs are worked estimates based on typical mains water temperatures and an assumed electricity price. Electric instantaneous water heaters must be installed by a licensed electrician and plumber, on a dedicated circuit sized to the unit. 3-phase units need a 3-phase power supply, and any supply upgrade must be arranged through a licensed electrician and your network provider. Gas continuous flow units must be installed by a licensed gas fitter. Confirm final sizing with us or your installer before you buy.