Consider upgrading to a heat pump water heater
I’m always looking for ways to improve my home and make it more comfortable and efficient. It was built in the ’80s, and although the builder did a good job, I’ve undertaken many projects. Most of them have been minor; fixing attic insulation issues, air sealing and replacing weatherstripping are just a few projects that I’ve tackled. Although these projects have helped us keep our utility bills lower than average, they’ve been incremental changes that don’t make a significant difference.
Don’t get me wrong, if you have major issues with insulation or air sealing, they can have an immediate noticeable effect, but since our home wasn’t bad to begin with, the impact wasn’t huge. Well, a couple of years ago, I turned my attention to a project that led to large and immediate savings.
Our water heater was a standard electric resistance tank. It was still operational, but due to its age and the new alternative, I decided to pull the trigger and upgrade to a heat pump water heater (HPWH, also called hybrid electric water heaters). My experience has been great!
I noticed an immediate drop in our monthly utility bills and hit an all-time low bill for our home soon after. Although my experience was positive, I would recommend a HPWH for many, but not all, applications.
A HPWH is essentially a combination of a window air conditioner and a standard electric water heater. A window AC is a small unit that removes heat from a room and moves it outside. If you put those same components on top of a water heater, but instead of rejecting the heat to the outdoors, you use that heat to heat up water, you have a HPWH. Consider the following when determining if a HPWH is right for you:
Savings. According to EnergyStar.gov, compared to a standard electric resistant water heater, a HPWH can save a family of four an estimated $550 a year on their energy bills with an expected average lifetime savings of more than $5,600.
Cost. HPWHs have a higher upfront cost, though there is talk of federal incentives being available soon.
Noise. HPWHs make noise, about the same as a dishwasher. The noise can be noticeable if your water heater is right off a living space, so I would avoid it in these situations.
Space. Since HPWHs take heat from the surrounding air, they don’t do well in small, enclosed spaces. You can add venting to these spaces in some applications.
Installing a HPWH in my home has led to our lowest bills yet, and for us, it has been a great addition to our home. I’d recommend looking into it for your home.