Anyon ehere have one and can you share your likes/dislikes! Thanks, Greg
Heat pump water heater?
- Thread starter luxflairguy
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I don't have one, but considered it several years ago. My plumber discouraged me from getting it because I wanted the water heater in the garage. It would be fine in summer, but my garage tends to be cold in winter. He said it would make it even colder.
A heat pump water heater, essentially air conditions the space it’s in. Fine for the southwest, but don’t know about areas where it gets quite cold in the fall and summer months.
Gas water heaters are nice when the power goes out since there’s hot water not matter what.
Gas water heaters are nice when the power goes out since there’s hot water not matter what.
I've had one at a second home for 12 years. It's in an unfinished basement, where I like it very much. It functions as a dehumidifier in summer, when that space tends to be very damp. I no longer need to run a dehumidifier there, adding to the savings. Yes, it does cool the space, but in my installation that doesn't matter.
Mine can be operated in 4 different modes, from heat pump only to resistance only (as a conventional electric heater). If cooling the space is not desired it can operate exactly as a regular electric water heater.
When I bought mine, there were federal tax credits and electric company rebates which made it nearly free- by far the least expensive option. I think some of those may still be offered.
Mine can be operated in 4 different modes, from heat pump only to resistance only (as a conventional electric heater). If cooling the space is not desired it can operate exactly as a regular electric water heater.
When I bought mine, there were federal tax credits and electric company rebates which made it nearly free- by far the least expensive option. I think some of those may still be offered.
As far as I understand, all US water heaters with a heat pump also have a resistive heating element of similar or slightly lower wattage to the regular water heater.
They certainly are more complex - more complicated control plus essentially a pretty high power dehumidifier on top.
But they do have learned a lot and thus their construction and operation has improved immensely.
Many run the conventional heater for example if their is a high demand to keep more hot water ready.
Many also shift from heat pump to resistive heat for heating beyond 120F fron what I understand.
Many also offer options where the system can dynamically switch - for example run on heat pump during low demand times and switch over for higher demand times.
Or run on very low temps for most of the time, but boost up for higher temps for example on laundry day. Or as a hygiene program, some boost water temps above 150F periodically so you can run below 120F safely for the most time.
But one should keep in mind:
If it is in a HVACed space, all it does it use ambient air.
Then it only really uses excess heat during periods of no heating or air conditioning, lowering savings.
Further, if you heat with gas already, any monetary savings would be none anyway (at least for a few years).
So, optimally, it lives in a frost free outside space.
If you have an electric water heater and gas heat for what ever reason, you'd still save some as you'd indirectly use the gas heat in the winter months.
If it's an all electric home, your savings would be smaller in total, but still a bit.
So if you have an electric water heater AND can get a rebate through some way, ot would probably still make financial sense.
Just check around for offers and warrantys.
They certainly are more complex - more complicated control plus essentially a pretty high power dehumidifier on top.
But they do have learned a lot and thus their construction and operation has improved immensely.
Many run the conventional heater for example if their is a high demand to keep more hot water ready.
Many also shift from heat pump to resistive heat for heating beyond 120F fron what I understand.
Many also offer options where the system can dynamically switch - for example run on heat pump during low demand times and switch over for higher demand times.
Or run on very low temps for most of the time, but boost up for higher temps for example on laundry day. Or as a hygiene program, some boost water temps above 150F periodically so you can run below 120F safely for the most time.
But one should keep in mind:
If it is in a HVACed space, all it does it use ambient air.
Then it only really uses excess heat during periods of no heating or air conditioning, lowering savings.
Further, if you heat with gas already, any monetary savings would be none anyway (at least for a few years).
So, optimally, it lives in a frost free outside space.
If you have an electric water heater and gas heat for what ever reason, you'd still save some as you'd indirectly use the gas heat in the winter months.
If it's an all electric home, your savings would be smaller in total, but still a bit.
So if you have an electric water heater AND can get a rebate through some way, ot would probably still make financial sense.
Just check around for offers and warrantys.
Residential heat pump, water heater heaters
I have some experience with these. I bought one as a Christmas gift for my former partner 10 years ago, he lives in a large all electric house that's heated with a heat pump. The water heater sits in a condition basement. It's been a total success it makes the basement dryer in the Summer. It doesn't extract any moisture in the winter when the humidity is below 50% so it doesn't make it dry in the winter.
It's a 50 gallon ream unit. It seems to heat water as fast as the old electric water heater. Did he had a very large three head showerhead and when the two of us got in the shower, we would usually use about 50 gallons of water if we were doing more than showering lol.
It seemed to heat water a lot faster than the electric unit. It replaced after analyzing the electric bills after 2 1/2 years it looked like it was saving about $22 a month for a house such as one person was living in basically
There was a $750 rebate from the electric company. It was also a federal tax credit item so the cost of installing it was actually as cheap as a new regular water heater. It will certainly likely last longer than a gas water heater or probably even a plain electric water heater because it doesn't stress the Tank like a gas water heater does with a flame under it.
They do make heat pump only water heaters that do not have backup heat in the US. They're mostly used in warmer climates. They also make 120 V models to for people replacing gas that don't have access to a 240 V line
A heat pump water heater is probably the biggest single easy energy improvement you can do to most homes. I find plumbers are pretty ignorant of the advantages of things like this. They're not the ones to ask usually about new technology.
Here at my primary residence, I installed a second 50 gallon gas water heater about four years ago, it was only two years old and given to me, but I'm very sorry I didn't buy a heat pump water heater, which would've contributed to the overall cooling of the house. The second water heater just heats the sub metered water that you use for the outdoor shower and kitchen I didn't realize that I could've just gotten a 120 V unit without backup heat which would've been perfect for this application. Certainly if anything happens to the gas one I will change it out. I may change it out anyway when I get around to it and just give the gas water heater to somebody that can use it.
I intend to put a heat pump water heater in the house up in the mountains, which is all electric, it'll be perfect up there because I run a dehumidifier every evening for a couple hours as it's in a basement that's slightly damp.
John
I have some experience with these. I bought one as a Christmas gift for my former partner 10 years ago, he lives in a large all electric house that's heated with a heat pump. The water heater sits in a condition basement. It's been a total success it makes the basement dryer in the Summer. It doesn't extract any moisture in the winter when the humidity is below 50% so it doesn't make it dry in the winter.
It's a 50 gallon ream unit. It seems to heat water as fast as the old electric water heater. Did he had a very large three head showerhead and when the two of us got in the shower, we would usually use about 50 gallons of water if we were doing more than showering lol.
It seemed to heat water a lot faster than the electric unit. It replaced after analyzing the electric bills after 2 1/2 years it looked like it was saving about $22 a month for a house such as one person was living in basically
There was a $750 rebate from the electric company. It was also a federal tax credit item so the cost of installing it was actually as cheap as a new regular water heater. It will certainly likely last longer than a gas water heater or probably even a plain electric water heater because it doesn't stress the Tank like a gas water heater does with a flame under it.
They do make heat pump only water heaters that do not have backup heat in the US. They're mostly used in warmer climates. They also make 120 V models to for people replacing gas that don't have access to a 240 V line
A heat pump water heater is probably the biggest single easy energy improvement you can do to most homes. I find plumbers are pretty ignorant of the advantages of things like this. They're not the ones to ask usually about new technology.
Here at my primary residence, I installed a second 50 gallon gas water heater about four years ago, it was only two years old and given to me, but I'm very sorry I didn't buy a heat pump water heater, which would've contributed to the overall cooling of the house. The second water heater just heats the sub metered water that you use for the outdoor shower and kitchen I didn't realize that I could've just gotten a 120 V unit without backup heat which would've been perfect for this application. Certainly if anything happens to the gas one I will change it out. I may change it out anyway when I get around to it and just give the gas water heater to somebody that can use it.
I intend to put a heat pump water heater in the house up in the mountains, which is all electric, it'll be perfect up there because I run a dehumidifier every evening for a couple hours as it's in a basement that's slightly damp.
John
I remember about forty years ago TVA had a display at the home show with a HPWH unit that connected to your traditional water heater through the drain port and heated water that way. I don't know how good they were nor how many they sold. I might still have a brochure in my trunk in the closet.
RJ has a water heater heat-recovery loop on his geothermal HVAC. He turns his water heater off in cooling and heating season when the HVAC runs enough to provide all the needed hot water.
I want to get a heat pump water heater for the washer studio that's in-construction for the benefit of the ambient cooling/dehumidification. Although, the machines in there likely won't be run very often so it seems excessive to keep the water heater on 24/7.
