Our current electric (!) water heater has been here since 2003. Seems to be working fine, but coming up on twenty three years, I think it's living on borrowed time, so we're looking at a replacement.

The electric / hybrid (heat pump) types seem to be a good deal. Do any of y'all have any experience with these?

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More information: We don't have gas here, it's an all electric house. The water heater is in the uninsulated garage, so the ambient temperature here in Florida rarely gets below 45°F in winter.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: V-Tail,

I was recently looking at those, since I have a mini-split heat pump for A/C and heating and think it's great.
Here in a colder climate, I don't think it would be good because it would be taking heat from the room and that heat would have to be replaced by the heating system.

Down there where it's warmer that would probably not be a problem.
I think it would be good down there. A heat pump uses a lot less electricity than standard resistance heating.

I looked at them maybe 10 years ago, they cost 3x a standard water heater, and I believe the payback was about 10 years. I opted for the standard water heater. I wasn’t willing to take the risk of the additional complexity of sticking an air conditioner on top of a water tank and the subsequent potential repair bills.

Edited to add:
My calculations were based on a family of 5.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

quote:

Hybrid Water Heater

Very Interesting, being in FL, is your water heater in the garage, if so it will have plenty of heat to easily exchange in the summer.

We went tankless since with have LP on the property, if we had NG I'd absolutely go tankless, however the longer lead time for hot water to reach the furthest faucet will increase without a water recirculation unit.

Don't know if it will ever break even but with power bills continuing to skyrocket, maybe it will help reduce the cost of heating water.

From Google:

Key Benefits

Energy Savings: Can cut water heating costs by 60-70% or more, often paying for itself in 2-5 years.

Cooling & Dehumidification: Expels cooler, drier air, acting as a small air conditioner in summer. (This would be good for the garage!)

Smart Features: Many models offer app control, leak detection, and self-diagnostics.

I put one in Florida.

I took a while to find someone I thought could put it in without screwing it up.

I has worked fine and cools the garage just a bit in the summer.

I have a Rheem and the app works pretty well.

I did it because the of the age of the old one.
I was shopping insurance and some companies would not insure me with an old water heater.

We installed one a couple years ago. Richmond brand (secondary brand of Rheem).
If you have to, installing ducting to supply it with hot/warm air and move the cool exhaust air where you need it, really helps it to be as efficient as possible.

To add to my post above, up here our power company is offering a $750 rebate on the heat pump water heaters.
That makes the cost only a little above a standard water heater.

If you have a rebate offer there it would make a difference.

I'm sick of over complicated appliances.
My regular old hot water heater (NG) lasted for years as did the one before that.
The only thing you needed to make hot water was NG.
When my latest hot water heater went out I could not get just a standard no frills heater, they were not available.
I was forced to buy a heater that required a outside powered vent, I also needed to replace some water pipe (galvanized) and run electric to the heater for the fan. This all added another $3000 to the bill.
Now If I don't have electric power I don't have hot water. I also have to sit upstairs from the heater and listen to the blower going on then off over and over again.
At least it does not have a APP.

I replaced mine a couple years ago so I have some time before I need my next one.

Maybe there is a plumber that can chime in to verify, but I was reading about how it is better to get a water heaters from a plumbing supply instead of the box stores. Supposedly the quality is better.

I know this is true of box store riding/zero turn mowers verses what the dealers sell (i.e. Home Depot John Deere verses JD dealer). The same is true of times like Jeld-Wen doors. I had their district manager tell me that the doors they make for Lowe’s are different quality. Basically they make them to fit a price point and they are not the same as the products outside the box stores.

Got one as well. Works fine; son and I put it in. No way I would have bought this one as they are outrageously expensive. Son manages the local Rheem plant and got this one for me as a research item.

Three years in and so far, so good.

RMD