Low-cost, low-carbon footprint hot water

User: mminnichel@aol.com

Vendor: Drive Green - Green Energy Consumers Alliance

Action: 3415 - Green Hot Water

In 2019, while we were updating our heating system, we also evaluated our electric hot water heater and considered the opportunity to replace it with a low-carbon footprint electric heat pump hot water heater. We decided on a 50-gallon model by Rheem, which had good ratings, was comparatively quiet, and featured wifi control capability. With 50-gallon capacity, the unit is able to keep up with the hot water demands of our 3 bedroom home. The heat pump draws heat from the basement air, and uses that ambient heat to heat the water in the tank, using energy equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent bulb. The air flowing out of the unit is cooler and drier, and the water heater requires an auxiliary water pump to remove the condensate water from the unit. The noise produced by the heater is similar to the noise of a running dehumidifier. The unit also has a conventional electric heating element for high-demand times when the heat pump would be unable to keep up with demand. There are various settings which can be used to control the unit; we use the "energy-saver" setting, which prioritizes the heat pump mode, and automatically switches to conventional heating when needed. One can also choose only heat pump, or only conventional heating element modes, for complete control over the heater energy source. The wifi control capability makes it easy to switch modes, increase or decrease water temperatures, and monitor energy usage and unit health while away from the unit or even while on vacation, using a standard smart phone. Although a heat pump water heater is a more expensive initial purchase, the monthly energy savings, combined with the MassSave rebate (ours was a $600 rebate) enables an estimated payback period of 2 years versus a pure electric water heater. And by using the clean electricity provided by Dynegy to Franklin residents, we are happy knowing that our domestic hot water heating footprint is minimized!

(We have had the unit for 3.5 years as of this writing. We are very happy with this unit's performance, have had no issues at all, and have definitely saved energy during that time.)