Warranty and Disclaimer
We hate the whole idea of planned redundancy. The Kiwitub has been deliberately over-engineered (e.g. the gas hose is not the usual perishable plastic but Teflon inside a stainless steel mesh outer sheath, and the main burner is copper and cast brass). Properly used, we expect the Kiwitub to last for generations, but only time will tell.
The convection loop by which the system operates has no moving parts to go wrong, and the construction in brass, copper, stainless steel, aluminium, and very tough plastics should be extremely long-lasting. If you do manage to damage something, plastic and metal can be repaired; water hoses and small components can be replaced.
On taking delivery of Kiwitub, if any of the component parts are damaged or missing, contact us as soon as possible. There is a checklist of parts at the front of the manual.
Most Kiwitub components are warranted in New Zealand to the original owner against faulty materials or workmanship for five years after purchase. There are a few qualifications to this:
- The Italian gas tube burner is made of stainless steel that’s not up to 316 marine grade quality and may acquire surface rust along its top surface after sufficient use. This won’t affect its function and is not covered by the warranty. We recommend keeping it out of the rain, and ideally spraying it after each use with Inox, CRC or equivalent oil. At the time of writing (2023) there are Kiwitub gas burners which are still fine after 18 years. However there have been a few, usually very close to the sea, where the salt air has caused significant rust and corrosion. For this reason we cover the gas tube burner under warranty for only two years, to the original owner. If the burner tube ever does rust or corrode through inside the general five-year warranty period, we will replace it at cost, to the original owner.
- The tub walls are made from UV-stabilised medium density polyethylene. This is an amazing plastic which will resist weather and ultraviolet light for decades, bounce off rocks in a river like a plastic whitewater kayak, and still feel smooth and comfortable on your skin. However, the external surface can scratch if rolled over boulders, beaches, roads, etc. Scratches won't affect the strength or function of the tub or lid. There is a simple DIY repair for them described in the manual, using sandpaper and a hot air gun. We don’t cover impact cracks or fractures except on initial delivery as the tub is so strong that these cannot happen without extreme impact.
We make the tub and lid from top quality polyethylene plastic, but it's not like a billiard table or car body. Some settling and minor distortion of the walls, floor, and lid may occur with time and heat, or if the tub is left stored on its side for a long period (against the warnings in the manual). It’s not a lot but the surfaces may not be or stay perfectly flat and planar or cylindrical. The tub’s strength or function won’t be affected, and we don’t cover this under the warranty.
High heat directed onto the plastic can expand and distort it enough for small cracks to occur. We've had this happen on a very few tubs where very hot water was poured directly onto the floor, or where the lid was left off the empty tub, allowing direct overhead summer sun to hit the floor (against the warnings in the manual and elsewhere). The New Zealand sun can be fierce - when the tar melts on the road that's 85˚C radiant heat; it's not the air temperature. In a few extreme cases out of over 1,600 tubs, a few small cracks were formed in the floor. Cheeringly, repairs were complete and not expensive (less than $100), using plastic welding.
Although this has been rare, we've lightened the lid colour to bounce the infra-red heat in sunlight off better, thickened the floor, and include a light-coloured acrylic canvas full cover for the tub and lid. We don't cover any effects from sun heat or very hot water poured into the empty tub in the warranty as they are not manufacturing defects and are thoroughly warned against.
- The transparent water hoses are extremely tough but may become a bit brittle after enough exposure to the ultraviolet in direct sunlight. We include polar fleece wraps for them to protect against this. So we don't cover any hose leaks past the first year of ownership of the new Kiwitub. We also don’t cover softening / melting of the hoses as this cannot happen unless someone’s done something silly against instructions, e.g. lighting the burner when the water level is below the top hose inlet. Hoses can easily be replaced - just contact us. (Price for a replacement hose length is $15, in June 2023.)
- The closed-cell foam insulation jacket on the copper and brass main Kiwitub burner may melt back slightly if it’s too close to the flue outlet, and there may also be a lesser degree of softening where it touches the top surface of the burner. This won’t significantly affect the function and isn’t covered by the warranty. Insulation jackets can easily be replaced - just contact us. (Price for a burner insulation jacket with all three layers and the three straps with buckles is $65, in August 2022.)
- The heating, filling, and emptying times stated in the Kiwitub brochure, website, and manual are good indicators but may vary with the dryness and size of firewood used, your ability to build a good fire, regularity of feeding, damper setting, quality of LPG used when heating the tub on gas, weather, etc. The exact weights and details of style of the tub, lid, burner, etc. may also vary slightly from the stated ones.
- We accept no liability for any damage or injury or legal proceedings resulting from non-recommended, non-sensible, or unreasonable use of the Kiwitub system or its components, in New Zealand or overseas. The system is designed for outside use only with manual control under competent adult supervision. READ THE MANUAL for operating and safety instructions; further reminders are on the tub lid, the brass burner door, the gas tube burner and the outside wall of the tub itself.
- Compliance with any regulatory requirements pertaining to the use of the Kiwitub system or its components is the responsibility of the owner or operator and we accept no liability for any consequences arising.
- In general, if there are any problems, contact us as soon as possible. We operate on the New Zealand principle of “a fair go” - we’re reasonable if you are. The Kiwitub is designed to be extremely tough and long-lasting well past the stated five year warranty period, and hopefully into the next generation, and beyond.
