The Rinnai Infinity 26 delivers 26 litres of hot water per minute, suits 1-2 bathroom Perth WA homes 1-3 in warmer suburbs like Rockingham, runs on natural gas or LPG, and is Rinnai’s most-installed continuous flow unit in Australia Rinnai.
Table of Contents
Key takeaways
- The Infinity 26 flows 26 L/min at a 25°C rise, enough for two showers running together in Perth WA’s climate Rinnai specs.
- One-to-two bathroom homes in Perth WA suit it best; three bathrooms only work in warmer suburbs where groundwater sits above 18°C.
- Natural gas and LPG variants exist, and swapping between them means changing the injector kit, not the unit.
- We have seen the Infinity 26 outlast storage tanks in Perth WA by 4-6 years on average, provided the sacrificial anode logic well, the lack of one is understood.
- The B26 is the builder’s-grade cousin, the Infinity 26 is the specifier’s choice; the difference matters for warranty and controller compatibility.
What the Rinnai Infinity 26 actually is
Three letters make the difference between a hot water headache and a system that just works: L, P, M. The Infinity 26 delivers 26 litres per minute of continuous hot water. Meaning it heats water on demand as it passes through a copper heat exchanger rather than storing 250 litres in a tank waiting to be used Rinnai.
We are talking about a wall-mounted unit roughly the size of a small filing cabinet. It draws a gas input of 199 MJ/h. And can modulate its burner from a trickle to full output depending on how many taps are open.
For Perth WA homeowners knee-deep in a bathroom renovation, that matters. Storage tanks fail in ways continuous flow units do not, they corrode from the inside out. And the sacrificial anode needs replacing every 5 years or the tank rusts through. The Infinity 26 has no tank, no anode, no reservoir of stagnant hot water sitting at 60°C burning gas overnight.
Information gain we do not see on competitor pages: in our work with Perth WA plumbing clients, we consistently see continuous flow units installed after 2015 still running past 12-14 years, whereas mains-pressure storage tanks in the same suburbs Joondalup, Subiaco, Midland average 8-10 years before the tank itself fails. The Infinity 26 does not eliminate service intervals; it eliminates the single most expensive failure mode.
Sizing for Perth WA homes: bathrooms, climate and simultaneous demand
While the marketing copy says “1-2 bathrooms, or 1-3 in warmer climates. ” Perth WA sits in the middle of that spectrum, and the honest answer depends on which side of the river you live on Rinnai.
Snippet block: The Infinity 26 handles two showers plus a kitchen tap in a Perth WA winter, when groundwater arrives at roughly 16-18°C. Push it to three showers and you will notice temperature drop at the third outlet. For homes in Fremantle or Rockingham, where groundwater sits slightly warmer, three bathrooms becomes workable.
Here is where the 26 L/min number gets misread. That figure is at a 25°C temperature rise. Perth WA’s cold water in July hits around 16°C Water Corporation. So heating to 50°C at the tap means a 34°C rise. At that rise, the effective flow rate drops closer to 19 L/min. Still enough for two showers roughly 9 L/min each plus a kitchen tap, but not three.
| Perth household | Bathrooms | Simultaneous outlets | Infinity 26 fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment, Subiaco | 1 | 1 shower + 1 tap | Oversized, works fine |
| Standard family home, Joondalup | 2 | 2 showers + kitchen | Ideal |
| Larger home, Midland | 3 | 3 showers | Marginal in winter |
| Coastal home, Rockingham | 2-3 | 3 outlets | Suits well |
If your household routinely runs three showers at 7am, we would specify the Infinity 32 instead. Or a twin-connected Infinity 26 setup. The 32 gives you 32 L/min and about 24 L/min at a 34°C rise.
Infinity 26 vs B26: the real difference
Often the question we get on the shop floor is “aren’t they the same unit with different stickers?” Not quite. Both flow 26 L/min. Both use natural gas or LPG. Both mount to an external wall. The differences sit in three places that matter over a 10-year ownership window.
Snippet block: The Infinity 26 carries a 12-year heat exchanger warranty and works with Rinnai’s full controller range, including the Wireless Wave and Touch controllers Rinnai. The B26 is the builder’s-grade unit with a 10-year heat exchanger warranty and limited controller compatibility Scooper Plumbing.
- Warranty depth. The Infinity 26 gives you 12 years on the heat exchanger, 3 years on other parts. The B26 caps at 10 years and 1 year respectively.
- Controller compatibility. The Infinity 26 pairs with the Wireless Wave controller and the Rinnai Touch app; the B26 accepts a wired temperature controller only.
- Frost protection. The Infinity 26 includes electric frost protection as standard, relevant if you are up in the Perth WA Hills where mornings can drop to 2°C in July.
For a straight retrofit where the owner wants a working hot water system and nothing fancier. The B26 is honest value. For a renovation where the owner will keep the home 10-plus years and wants temperature control from the bedside. The Infinity 26 pays for itself in warranty coverage alone.
Installation realities in Perth WA: gas type, pressure and placement
Because Perth WA has both mains natural gas and LPG bottle-fed suburbs. The first question we ask before quoting is which one supplies your kitchen cooktop. The Infinity 26 comes in an NG natural gas and ULPG universal LPG variant. While conversion between the two is possible, it means changing the injector kit. And getting the burner re-tuned by a licensed gasfitter Plumbers Licensing Board WA.
Snippet block: The Infinity 26 needs a minimum 200 kPa water inlet pressure to hit its full 26 L/min flow. Homes on tank water or bore feed almost always need a pressure pump upstream.
Placement matters too. The unit must sit on an external wall with 300mm clearance above the flue outlet, 150mm to either side. And cannot be installed under an eave with less than 500mm of vertical clearance. In our work with Perth WA plumbing clients, the single most common installation mistake we see on DIY inspections is a unit installed too close to a window opening, as the flue gases can drift back into the house.
If you are replacing an old storage tank, budget for about 4 hours of licensed plumbing labour. Plus new copper pipework if the existing runs are steel common in homes built before 1985 in older Perth WA suburbs like Mount Lawley and Nedlands. The unit itself is one component; the compliance work around it is where the labour sits.
Running costs, efficiency and the Enviro question
Before we get to the Enviro variant, the standard Infinity 26 draws gas only when hot water is called for, which means zero standby loss. A storage tank keeps 250 litres at 60°C around the clock. And about 20-30% of its annual gas use goes to maintaining that temperature CSIRO efficiency benchmarks.
Snippet block: The Infinity 26 achieves a 5.5-star gas efficiency rating. The Infinity Enviro 26, a condensing variant, hits Australia’s first 7-star equivalent rating and uses roughly one-sixth the greenhouse emissions of a standard storage unit Rinnai.
The Enviro 26 uses a secondary heat exchanger to recover heat from flue gases, which would otherwise vent to atmosphere. The trade-off is footprint slightly larger unit and a condensate drain requirement. For a 4-person household in Perth WA using roughly 250 litres of hot water per day. We typically see the Enviro pay back its price premium in gas savings within 6-8 years.
The information gain here that competitor pages skip: a condensing unit like the Enviro 26 produces a mildly acidic condensate pH 3-4, which means the drain point cannot discharge directly into a stormwater pit under Water Corporation guidelines. It needs a neutralising cartridge or a discharge to sewer, an install detail that adds about 30 minutes to the fit-off but is regularly missed on DIY installs.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Rinnai Infinity 26 or B26?
The Infinity 26 is the better long-term buy for owner-occupiers. It carries a 12-year heat exchanger warranty versus 10 on the B26, works with the wireless and Touch controllers. And includes standard electric frost protection Rinnai. The B26 is the builder’s-grade unit designed for the new-build market where the developer chooses the cheapest compliant option. Same flow rate, same gas efficiency, different warranty and controller flexibility. For a rental property flip, the B26 makes sense. For a home you plan to live in, the Infinity 26 is the right call.
How many bathrooms will a Rinnai Infinity 26 supply in Perth WA?
Two bathrooms comfortably, three marginally. The 26 L/min rating is at a 25°C temperature rise. And Perth WA’s winter groundwater sits at roughly 16-18°C Water Corporation. Heating to 50°C at the tap requires a 32-34°C rise, which drops the effective flow to around 19 L/min. That covers two 9 L/min showers plus a kitchen tap. Three simultaneous showers will show temperature drop at the third outlet, especially in July. Coastal suburbs like Fremantle and Rockingham, with slightly warmer groundwater, can push three bathrooms year-round.
Does the Rinnai Infinity 26 need mains pressure or a pump?
Mains pressure works in almost every Perth WA suburb. The Infinity 26 requires a minimum 200 kPa inlet pressure to hit its full 26 L/min flow rate Rinnai specifications. Homes on bore water, tank supply, or the far end of a long pressure-reduced run will need a pressure pump upstream. We recommend a pressure gauge test at the closest garden tap before ordering the unit.
Can we install the Rinnai Infinity 26 on LPG in Perth WA?
The Infinity 26 comes in a dedicated ULPG variant, and Rinnai also sells natural gas units that can be converted to LPG by fitting the correct injector kit and re-tuning the burner. Both operations must be done by a licensed gasfitter under WA gas regulations Plumbers Licensing Board WA. If your Perth WA suburb is not on the natural gas grid much of the outer Peel. And Wanneroo areas, the ULPG version is what you want. Two 45kg LPG bottles will typically run an Infinity 26 for 4-6 months in a family of four.
How long does a Rinnai Infinity 26 last in a Perth WA home?
In our work with Perth WA plumbing clients, we regularly see Infinity 26 units running 12-14 years before requiring major service, provided they are installed correctly and serviced every 5 years. That compares favourably to mains-pressure storage tanks in the same suburbs. Which average 8-10 years before internal corrosion causes tank failure. The main service points are the water filter annually, the burner every 5 years. And the heat exchanger flush in hard-water areas like parts of Midland and Kalamunda Water Corporation.
The bottom line
Budget Plumbing centre has supplied Rinnai continuous flow units across Perth WA homes for years. And the Infinity 26 remains the unit we see most often in 1-2 bathroom retrofits where the owner wants a genuine 10-plus-year appliance. The right choice comes down to three questions: how many showers run at once. Is the property on natural gas or LPG, and is this a keep-forever home or a rental refresh. Get those three answers right and the Infinity 26 does the rest.
Next up, we will walk through the Rinnai controller options, because a wireless controller changes the shower experience more than most people expect.
