The tech costs more than conventional options upfront, but federal tax credits, new 120V models and strong savings have made them more appealing than ever.
Replace your furnace with a heat pump long before you even think about upgrading your water heater.
Think of a HPWH as an air conditioner, that dumps heat into water instead of the outside air. Do you want your furnace and your air conditioner running in your home simultaneously? All winter long, that is what a HPWH will be doing. Because your furnace heats your house, and the HPWH gets it heat from your house, your furnace will be providing the heat for your water as well.
In summer, HPWHs make perfect sense. The HPWH will be working with your AC instead of against your furnace.
If you have a heat pump HVAC system, a HPWH is just a second stage heat pump. Your HVAC is still going to be providing the heat for your water as well as the house, but the heat pump HVAC can provide heat more efficiently than a gas water heater or resistive electric water heater. Since the HVAC heat pump is more efficient than a traditional water heater, it is reasonable to shift that water heating load onto your HVAC with a HPWH.
Make sure your HVAC heat pump installer knows you want to install a HPWH in the future. You’ll want to make sure your HVAC heat pump is sized a little larger than normal.
Replace your furnace with a heat pump long before you even think about upgrading your water heater.
Think of a HPWH as an air conditioner, that dumps heat into water instead of the outside air. Do you want your furnace and your air conditioner running in your home simultaneously? All winter long, that is what a HPWH will be doing. Because your furnace heats your house, and the HPWH gets it heat from your house, your furnace will be providing the heat for your water as well.
In summer, HPWHs make perfect sense. The HPWH will be working with your AC instead of against your furnace.
If you have a heat pump HVAC system, a HPWH is just a second stage heat pump. Your HVAC is still going to be providing the heat for your water as well as the house, but the heat pump HVAC can provide heat more efficiently than a gas water heater or resistive electric water heater. Since the HVAC heat pump is more efficient than a traditional water heater, it is reasonable to shift that water heating load onto your HVAC with a HPWH.
Make sure your HVAC heat pump installer knows you want to install a HPWH in the future. You’ll want to make sure your HVAC heat pump is sized a little larger than normal.