We have Put in Warmth Pump Water Heaters 4 Instances – This is What To Know About This Recreation-Altering Know-how

Warmth pump water heaters are environment friendly, money-saving, decarbonizing machines. They use a fraction of the vitality of the old-school applied sciences they substitute with none compromise in efficiency. They provide decrease utility payments, diminished carbon emissions, and dehumidification! The phrase is now out, and gross sales are taking off with new rebates, mandates, and tax credit anticipated to drive gross sales by means of the roof by the tip of the last decade. We figured it was a very good time to share our expertise putting in 4 of them in 4 completely different areas. 

What’s a Warmth Pump Water Heater?

Warmth pumps transfer warmth fairly than create it. They pull warmth out of the close by air and use it to heat water. This makes them tremendous environment friendly — as much as three to 5 instances extra so — than gasoline or electrical resistant water heaters. They seem like a typical water heater, with a bit extra top as a result of the warmth pump sits on prime of the water tank.

How a warmth pump water heater features. Supply: energystar.gov

Most warmth pump water heaters run on 240 volts, which is identical energy that goes to the bigger outlet for many dryers. In case your present water heater is gasoline, chances are you’ll not have electrical energy working to it. So while you’re able to make the transition, you’ll have to run a 240-volt electrical line, except you get a brand new 120-volt plug-in mannequin (examine our fourth set up under for extra on this feature). In case your present water heater is electrical, it can have 240-volts of electrical energy, possible making for a straightforward swap out. 

Why We Love Them

Value. Whereas photo voltaic panels and electrical automobiles get quite a lot of love, the warmth pump water heater is maybe essentially the most reasonably priced climate-saving know-how of the last decade. Whereas we’re additionally tremendous customers of photo voltaic panels and electrical vehicles, putting in photo voltaic prices an common of $20,000 and the typical new electrical automobile prices $53,469. Warmth pump water heaters value round $1600 for the equipment plus $1000-$3000 for the set up, relying on the gasoline kind of your present water heater. This is a bit more than gasoline or electrical water heaters, however many utilities supply rebates that convey them to cost parity, and there may be now a 30% tax credit score from the Inflation Discount Act. If you happen to’re debating about methods to prioritize your decarbonization investments, think about {that a} warmth pump water heater is the vitality saving equal of seven photo voltaic panels & prices ⅙ the worth. As a result of they use electrical energy so effectively, they value little or no to function. We’re speaking between $100-$150 per 12 months for a median household of 4, which saves $550 over an electrical resistance water heater and $200 over a gasoline water heater. Which means your new warmth pump water heater pays for its increased upfront value in simply a few years, after which get monetary savings every year.

Effectivity. Water heating accounts for a big share of vitality use in buildings — 17% in single household and as much as 32% in multi-family houses. Warmth pump water heaters are three to 5 instances extra environment friendly than customary water heaters. 

Carbon. Not solely are warmth pump water heaters tremendous vitality environment friendly, however they run on electrical energy, which implies we will energy them with renewable sources, that are rising steadily and have surpassed coal within the US. Every warmth pump water heater that replaces a gasoline water heater will save round 1 ton of CO2 yearly. 

Carbon financial savings of a warmth pump water heater. Supply: Superior Water Heating Initiative.

Phrase about all these advantages is out. In accordance with New Buildings Institute, whereas warmth pump water heaters presently account for less than 1.6% of recent water heater gross sales, they grew 26% in 2022 and are anticipated to extend to half of all water heater gross sales by 2030.

Our Expertise Putting in 4 Warmth Pump Water Heaters

Not solely are we repeat photo voltaic prospects, however we’re the proud homeowners of FOUR warmth pump water heaters. If any people studying this have beat our document, we’d like to know and embrace you in a future put up! Since 2017 we’ve put in warmth pump water heaters in our predominant home, accent dwelling unit, and each side of a family-owned duplex in Cleveland. Two of the water heaters are in inside closets and two are in basements. We largely solely changed water heaters that have been on the finish of their helpful life, and all of our installs changed gasoline water heaters, which is the tougher alternative state of affairs.

We’re large followers of constructing a decarbonization plan and executing it over time. For water heaters, this implies you don’t have to alter out your water heater subsequent week, however make a plan to grasp your property’s set up necessities and determine a most popular contractor so that you’re prepared to change when the time is true. Warmth pump water heaters save a lot on utility payments that proactively changing an inefficient, however nonetheless practical, water heater is worth it.

First Set up

Our love affair with warmth pump water heaters started in late 2017. Our residence’s 20-year previous gasoline water heater was nearing its finish, and Joe had learn in regards to the technological advance of warmth pumps for water heating. At the moment, they have been nonetheless comparatively new and research left us with quite a lot of questions. We don’t have a basement or storage, that are the best locations to put in them as a result of they make some noise and exhaust cool air, so we needed to get artistic. Our warmth pump water heater is positioned in a coat closet in the midst of our dwelling area, and with the intention to pinkuce its potential area cooling affect, we opted to duct it to the attic, the place it might exhaust to a non-livable area and in addition draw from the most well liked air in our home. You don’t should observe our lead right here, as there are many choices for finding a warmth pump water heater in a conditioned area with out having to duct it. We couldn’t discover any native installers on the time, however Joe watched sufficient YouTube movies to really feel snug offering directions to a trusted handyman. Regardless that it was a gasoline conversion, there was an present 240 volt electrical line, which made issues simpler. For the final six years, this 50 gallon unit has constantly supplied loads of scorching water for 3 showers and 6 individuals (our household of 4 plus an addition on Airbnb).

Our authentic warmth pump water heater packed into the coat closet of our home. Ducting is an choice for inside closet installs, however usually not needed. 

Second Set up

The gasoline water heater in our Accent Dwelling Unit was a lesson in stranded property — one thing we invested in, however didn’t get the complete life out of as a result of we opted to exchange a nonetheless practical equipment with a clear vitality different. We purchased an environment friendly gasoline water heater in 2012, once we transformed our storage to a dwelling area, and opted to exchange it with warmth pump know-how simply seven years later so we might take away all fossil fuels from our property! This 50 gallon water heater can also be positioned in a closet, and we used the identical attic ducting approach. This mighty water heater not solely offers all the new showers our tenant might ever need, but in addition runs the radiant ground heating system which heats the unit. (We perceive that warmth pump water heaters don’t but constantly work nice with hydronic heating techniques, so unsure we’d advocate it.)

Third Set up

A couple of years in the past we determined to repair up a duplex in Cleveland, Ohio, that has been in our household for 75 years. Along with some severe aesthetic and sustainability enhancements, we’re within the technique of decarbonizing the home by transitioning all techniques to electrical. This included changing an virtually 30-year previous basement water heater with our favourite warmth pump selection. Along with costing us solely $100 per 12 months in vitality payments (in comparison with about $300 for the earlier gasoline water heater), it offers us with free dehumidification (about 2-4 quarts of water per day), which is a significant plus on this damp, Midwestern basement. We’re not the one ones who loves this. One other article mentions an Ohio house owner who was in a position to flip off two dehumidifiers and save lots of of {dollars} a 12 months with a warmth pump water heater. 

We get 4 quarts a day of dehumidification from our warmth pump water heater.

This set up was comparatively simple with a plumber who eliminated the previous gasoline water heater, added a brand new 240-volt electrical line for energy, and ran a condensate tube to the basement ground drain. The water heater is positioned in a basement that maintains about 60 levels all winter, and we’ve constantly operated it in warmth pump solely mode, which avoids the less-efficient electrical resistance backups. We’ve by no means obtained a grievance from our household or Airbnb visitors who keep within the property.

240 volt warmth pump water heater on the south aspect of our Cleveland duplex.

Fourth Set up

This previous summer time, we added a fourth warmth pump water heater to our assortment and have become one of many first houses within the nation to put in a 120-volt plug-in mannequin. We changed one other 30-year-old gasoline water heater, within the basement, with a just-barely-on-the-market choice that allowed us to keep away from working a brand new 240-volt line from our small circuit breaker. The know-how is so new that we needed to place a customized order with Dwelling Depot and persuade a neighborhood plumber to do the set up. Due to the simplicity of the 120 volt choice, it took simply 2.5 hours for the plumber, who had not beforehand heard of a warmth pump water heater, to finish the work. We all know from monitoring the Rheem app that it’s performing nice. Our subsequent put up will probably be a deep dive on our expertise with this thrilling new mannequin.

120 volt warmth pump water heater within the north aspect of Cleveland duplex.

Hug Your Water Heater, it’s Serving to to Save the Planet

Exploiting our children’ cuteness within the title of decarbonization. This picture might have been featured on our 2022 vacation card.

Apparently we’re not the one ones who love warmth pump water heaters. Joe’s first article on the subject was essentially the most learn CleanTechnica article for every week in 2020. In 2022, two of our water heater articles have been within the prime 20 most learn articles of the 12 months. The success we’ve discovered putting in these water heaters has adopted a predictable and rewarding sample: once we’ve gone out on a limb and experimented with a brand new know-how (which these have been again in 2017) or life-style selection, for the sake of our altering local weather, it has at all times paid off in spades. And when the solar is shining, and our photo voltaic panels are amassing photons to make electrical energy, it’s significantly satisfying to take a bathe or run the dishwasher, figuring out that each one the vitality to warmth the water comes from the solar.

And there’s yet one more factor. You’ve most likely heard of tree-huggers, however what about water heater huggers? On twenty fifth, Joe helps to prepare the now second annual Warmth Pump Water Heater Day. Together with lots of of organizations, be part of us to have fun (and hug) the cylindrical local weather saving equipment that’s serving to guarantee a livable future.

This text is a part of a sequence referred to as Decarbonize Your Life. With modest steps and a middle-class revenue, our household has dramatically diminished emissions and is sequestering what stays by means of a small reforestation mission. Our life is healthier for it. If we will do it, you may too.