New heat Pumps water heaters

Until recently, heat pumps were merely air space heating and cooling appliances. Now there are also heat humps that provide hot water for domestic uses.

Heat Humps Water Heaters Efficiency

Heat pump water heaters are electric appliances, which could make them uncompetitive. But heat pump water heaters are efficient... very efficient. They are on average three times more efficient than common electric water heaters, which makes them competitive with gas and other water heaters.

Note: see Heat pumps COP (Coefficient Of Perfomance), SEER and HSPF.

New Efficient Heat Pump Water Heaters

Big manufacturers like GE, Rheem, American, A. O. Smith, Ruud, Reliance or Stiebel Eltron are now offering high efficient heat pump water heaters, and Energy Star is rating them as qualifed water heaters.

These water heaters are stand-alone systems, designed for common bathroom and kitchen hot water uses, competing with other new water heaters like the condensing gas units.

Basically, these stand-alone heat pump water heaters work like refrigerators in reverse, and that poses some requirements.

Prices

The prices of these heat pump water heaters vary a lot, but most qualified units are being sold around $1,500-$2,000 (more $300 to $700 to install).

Requirements and installation

Electric heat pump water heaters require climates or locations offering temperatures between 40º and 90ºF (4º-32ºC) all year-round. They also require adequate air space (at least 1,000 cubic feet: 28 cubic meters) around the water heater. Installation should obey to these rules, to get a better efficiency and to avoud the cooling of the space they are in. If possible, install the unit in a furnace room or other space with excess heat. It’s a good option.

Ground heat Pumps

Ground heat pumps can also be used to heat domestic water (besides air conditioning), demanding in this case a small, auxiliary heat exchanger (called a desuperheater, which uses superheated gases from the heat pump's compressor).

The system is particularly efficient in hot and moderate weather conditions, when the desuperheater can use the excess heat produced by the heat pump to heat the water.

Warranty

Warranties vary considerably: they may range from 1 to 7 years.

Costs

New efficient heat pump water heaters offer much lower operating costs than other electric water heaters (typically a third) and are in direct competition with high-efficient water heaters like the gas condensing models.