A Supreme Restoration

Lauren Black • December 11, 2021

Ben Thomas from Terranora, NSW had grown up with a Thermalux and when the chance presented itself to restore one from scratch, he took the challenge.

Thermalux Supreme Second Hand
supreme-restoration

As a child Ben remembers growing up with an Aga wood stove. His wife shared a similar upbringing having grown up on a property off-grid and her family using an Everhot stove with wetback (water jacket) to heat all their domestic hot water needs. 


Ben's parents had long since upgraded to a Thermalux Grand Cuisine and so when he saw a second-hand Thermalux Supreme advertised, and although they live on the north coast of NSW where their solar hot water produces plenty of heat and the climate isn’t all that cold, he thought it would make a great feature for their house. 


After contacting the owner and checking the condition, Ben discovered that the stove had come out of a house that was being demolished and it needed a lot of work. It had a lot of parts missing but it seemed solid, so he purchased it and started pulling it apart.


The Clean Up & Repaint


First he removed all the fire bricks and drilled out all the pop rivets to make it possible to wire wheel the lot. Next was sanding back the top and the aluminium handles. The family decided that a charcoal colour suited their style of home, so after the unit had been cleaned up with a prep wash, the top of the unit was taped up and the body was given five coats of Charcoal Stove Bright paint. A final four coats of Pot Belly Black paint on top finished the job. Even though this was a repaint from scratch, one of the benefits of using paint over enamel, for example, is that it will never chip and you can touch up whenever you like bringing your colour back to brand new for years and years. And, if you ever felt like a change of style you can simply repaint over the top with a different colour.


" It now looks as good as new, and we feel that the quality of this Australian Made product made it possible to restore it to such great condition."

A Bit of History and Some Spare Parts


Ben got in contact with our team at WISELIVING and sent through some photos of the unit as well as the serial number. We were able to confirm that his unit was 19 years old! Having manufactured the Thermalux Range of products for decades, we have had many families contact us over the years to say their stoves are still running brilliantly even 30 years from purchase. Ben ordered new fire bricks, hot plate, two chrome covers, seals, grates, heat exchanger and a 22 litre header tank from WISELIVING and assembled it all back together.


Ben engaged a plumber that he knew and was very interested in the restoration to help him run the pipe work after working out how to get it all connected up to our existing solar hot water tank. Now the family can enjoy beautiful radiant warmth, traditional home cooking and get their hot water for free throughout the winter months via wood and throughout the summer months via solar.


thermalux supreme restoration

Thank you to Ben and his family for sharing your Thermalux restoration project with us. We are so happy to see her saved from ending up in landfill to find a new home contributing to a sustainable future.



See More of Our Thermalux Range
Sophel hydronic boiler
May 10, 2023
Looking to stay warm during the colder months? Discover the top 3 ways to heat your home effectively and efficiently.
WISELIVING Hydronic Heat Pumps vs. Competitors
January 12, 2023
In finding the best hydronic heat pumps for your home , there are now several options to choose from. While all of them are designed to be energy efficient and to supply heating, cooling, and hot water to your home, they are not at all created equally. In this post, we have put together a comparison table between WISELIVING hydronic heat pumps and the competition, looking at the factors that make the best heating or cooling system units. Heat pumps factors to consider Output Capacity: This is the ability of the heating or cooling system to heat or cool a specific space, expressed in kilowatts (kW). With a bigger space, one would need a higher output capacity. In choosing the hydronic heat pump that best suits your home, factors to consider include heat loss, property age, and types of room. Typically, a 100-square-metre house needs 8kW for in-slab or 12kW for radiator heating. As the space of the house increases, so does the required output capacity. Physical Unit Weight: The physical size of the unit can be in height, width, depth, and weight. Along with the output capacity, choosing the correct size of the heat pump will help in keeping your home efficient and sustainable. Energy Efficiency Ratings: The higher the Energy Rating is, the more energy efficient the appliance is. This means utilising a lesser amount of energy to perform the same functions compared with other brands or units, with similar size and capacity. With heat pumps that have a higher Energy Efficiency rating, you are not only reducing your carbon footprint but doing it for less as well. Average Running Decibels: This measures the sound power level of the unit. The lower the decibel is, the less noise the unit produces. The average sound rating of modern outdoor heat pump units is around 60 decibels, which is comparable to a normal conversation between people. On the other hand, WISELIVING’s heat pump has a noise output of only around 47 decibels. Refrigerant: The medium used by heat pumps to absorb, transport, and release heat from the heat source to the heat sink out to your home’s interior and exterior. WISELIVING’s Hydronic Heat Pump uses R32 refrigerant, while the High Temperature Heat Pump uses R290. Both substances are environmentally friendly and have significantly lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) ratings compared to other refrigerants. Manufacturer’s Warranty: A quality guarantee from the manufacturer within a specific duration, which ensures support in case there is something wrong with the unit. R32 Hydronic Heat Pump WISELIVING’s R32 hydronic heat pump uses the combined technology of a DC Inverter, EVI, and the R32 refrigerant, which is one of the most environmentally friendly refrigerants available today. The R32 hydronic heat pump comes in a premium matte black ABS material case that is UV and corrosion-resistant, ideal for the constantly changing weather of Australia.
high temp heat pump
November 27, 2022
At what outside temperature can a heat pump still function? This is a common question among households, as we continuously experience extreme-level temperatures.
sustainable system ideal for house rebuild project
November 17, 2022
Find out how a Victorian couple haven’t used any electricity from the grid to provide heating, cooking or hot water since moving in!
air to air vs air to water heatpumps
November 17, 2022
People often use the terms heat pumps and hydronic heat pumps interchangeably. But are they really the same? And what is more suited for you? Use this post as a quick guide to get a better understanding of these two heating systems!
living off-grid with wiseliving products
October 30, 2022
Learn more on how to live a low-impact, high value way of life. If you would like to know more about sustainable living, check out the information on this blog on how to live off-grid and reduce your home’s energy consumption.
Live Sustainably With A Solar PV System And These WISELIVING Products
August 31, 2022
Choose the solar-based off-grid lifestyle and see what Wiseliving products you can use in your home.
Pairing A Hot Water Pump With A Solar PV System
August 24, 2022
Reduce energy costs and optimise your savings with your daily hot water consumption by pairing a hot water pump with a solar PV system. Learn more.
Why You Need To Install A Solar Hot Water System In Your Home
August 19, 2022
Learn how to lower your residential energy consumption and take advantage of a solar hot water system in your home. See the benefits and read more.
Wiseliving High Temperature Heat Pump
May 19, 2022
Wiseliving High Temperature Heat Pump is made perfect to withstand Australia's harsh weather conditions. Reap its benefits by getting to know it better.
Show More
Share by: