Doug & Joe’s Glorious Warmth Pump Water Heater Journey (AKA DIY Set up)

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Our good friend Doug lately purchased a warmth pump water heater and determined to avoid wasting a superb sum of money by putting in it himself. We gave him a hand with the set up and have been stunned at how comparatively simple it was. DIY warmth pump water heaters (HPWH) installations might make this recreation altering decarbonization expertise accessible for a lot of extra individuals.

Warmth pump water heaters are excessive impression, but nonetheless largely under-appreciated, local weather heroes. In yearly of operation, they save 1 ton of CO2 emissions in comparison with gasoline water heaters, and $400-$500 in vitality payments in comparison with electrical resistance ones. That is sufficient electrical energy financial savings to energy an electrical automobile! Better of all, the financial savings are baked in. Swap out your water heater and voila, abruptly you’re a local weather champion each time you’re taking a steamy bathe.

Whereas the warmth pump water heater market has been rising at a 15-20% clip since ENERGY STAR certification in 2009, as of 2022, solely 2% of all water heater gross sales have been warmth pumps. Low market penetration means discovering a plumber to put in one could be a problem. It additionally signifies that the plumbers who do set up them might increase their worth resulting from lack of competitors or perceived threat of an unfamiliar expertise. Set up costs are excessive in most markets within the US, with solely a few mature ones (Maine and the Northwest) the place set up prices are decrease and extra precisely mirror the true time and price.

Given this actuality, the DIY warmth pump water heater set up is a low price, viable different. DIY-ing your HPWH set up can save hundreds of {dollars} and take solely a few hours. In main HPWHs markets, just like the Northwest, as much as 53% of HPWHs are self-installed, which means a number of people are quietly doing this already. DIY makes HPWHs extra accessible by eliminating the effort of discovering a plumber and the at the moment excessive set up prices.

Be a part of Electrify Now for a free webinar in October exhibiting a stay DIY HPWH set up with a plumber who can reply any questions you may need. 

Doug Buys a Water Heater

Our household has proudly put in 4 HPWHs (one in our Portland home, one in an hooked up residence, and two in a Cleveland duplex). For all of them, we’ve used contractors as a result of we didn’t really feel comfy doing the plumbing. Nonetheless, we nonetheless needed to analysis and clarify the method in depth to all of the installers who have been unfamiliar with the expertise.

Enter our good friend and neighbor, Doug, with a 12-year-old water heater (discover the age of your water heater) who noticed an amazing deal on a warmth pump: $600 for supply to your door (take a look at the numerous rebates out there nationally). Slightly than await an emergency, Doug proactively determined to interchange his previous water heater.

He referred to as a pair installers and acquired a quote for $2500, which isn’t unhealthy in comparison with different stratospheric pricing we’ve seen across the nation. However Doug is semi-handy and figured he might set up himself and save a pair thousand {dollars}. He did a little analysis, borrowed a PEX expander instrument, and blocked off a Sunday to do the set up. Joe joined to chronicle the journey and lend a serving to hand.

Prep Work

Doug disconnecting, draining and eradicating his previous water heater. 

First Doug needed to study just a few issues about his present water heater. As a result of there was no burner or vent coming off it, he confirmed it was electrical resistance, like half of all water heaters nationally. These are simpler to interchange as a result of they don’t require a capped gasoline line or a brand new 240-volt electrical wire (although there at the moment are HPWHs that plug into a regular 120 volt outlet making for simple gasoline replacements).

Via slightly on-line analysis (Doug’s most popular website was Scorching Water Options), he made a listing of the supplies and instruments he would wish: 1. PEX pipe and connectors, 2. PEX slicing instrument, 3. Pad and drain pan for the HPWH, 4. Braided connectors for the water heater, 5. Tube for the condensate drain, 6. Condensate pump, 7. Foam pipe insulation, and eight. Pipe and water heater straps. He already had the required wrenches and he borrowed a PEX expander from a good friend. The fabric for the job got here to about $150.

On set up day, Doug turned off the electrical energy to his present water heater (on the electrical panel) and shut off the water to the home (utilizing a water shutoff deal with in his basement). He then drained the water heater (lesson discovered: plan for this to take a pair hours). Subsequent, he disconnected the pipes and electrical wires, and the previous, inefficient water heater was dragged to the curb to be picked up by a metallic recycler.

Putting in the New Decarbonizing Water Heater

Doug laid an insulation pad and drain pan so the water heater wouldn’t relaxation on the concrete flooring and threat rust from moisture. Doug and Joe then moved the brand new warmth pump water heater into place — a heavy activity greatest tackled by two individuals!

Subsequent got here the plumbing, essentially the most nerve-wracking half. Doug reduce the prevailing PEX pipe and used the PEX expander so as to add a connector (see center image beneath). This was the primary time we’d ever finished this, however we have been amazed at how simple PEX pipe was to make use of. After including the connector Doug inserted a brand new PEX pipe, a 90 diploma elbow, and one other piece of PEX that hooked up to the braided water heater connector. As novice plumbers, it wasn’t very troublesome and went surprisingly easily.

Doug set a drain pan, expanded the PEX pipe and added an elbow and different connectors. 

Second of fact: after working new pipes to each the cold and warm inlets, Doug turned the water again on and the water heater began to fill. There have been no leaks!

The ultimate steps have been attaching a condensate line and a pipe to the stress reduction valve (we reused the one from the previous water heater), and connecting {the electrical} wires. Doug turned on the circuit breaker on the panel, and inside a minute, his shiny new HPWH was buzzing away, fortunately making scorching water in warmth pump solely mode (essentially the most environment friendly mode of operation). Later, Doug added earthquake strapping, a small condensate pump, and insulated the pipes and braced them.

Doug related each water strains, {the electrical} wire then turned on his HPWH.

All in, he spent about 3 hours researching, 4 hours putting in, and a pair hours on the ending touches later that week. The absolutely put in water heater seems to be like this.

It’s now been working effectively for a number of months, and Doug even famous that the water is hotter than earlier than. Most importantly his dwelling’s electrical energy use has declined by 30%! He saves about 250 kWh a month, and $300 – $400 a yr.

This HPWH journey proved {that a} semi-handy particular person can set up a warmth pump water heater in 7-10 hours and probably save hundreds of {dollars} on set up prices. With slightly bit of data, analysis, and a good friend to assist, DIY installs can deliver game-changing warmth pump water heaters inside attain of the common house owner, serving to decarbonize our houses and lives.

Our younger apprentices helped with the set up.