Is a Heat Pump Water Heater Right for Me?

If you are considering a new water heater, you have probably read about the importance of finding an appliance that balances your energy consumption with your need for hot water on demand. Efficiency may be the top benefit in your home. In this case, a heat pump water heater may be the right choice for you.

What is a Heat Pump?

When you think about the process of heating or cooling, you might imagine the actual heating or cooling of air or water. Furnaces and traditional water heaters heat air or water through a heat exchanger. Heat pumps work quite differently. Instead of heating air, a heat pump transfers heated air from one place to another. If you put your hand next to your refrigerator’s vent and find that the air is warm, you get the idea of how pulling heat from one place and moving it can keep an area warmer or cooler. Heat pumps are ideal for HVAC in places with milder winters and summers.

How Does a Heat Pump Heat Water?

A heat pump can heat water much as it heats air. The only difference is the location and the connections. In order for a heat pump to heat water, it needs to be located in a spot where the ambient temperature is never below 40 degrees. Heat pumps can actually be attached to standard water heaters in some cases, with professional installation from a Sacramento plumber. The heat pump draws air in, removes the heat from the air and expels the heat into the tank of water to heat it. One of the most popular heat pump water heaters uses geothermal energy to provide heat during the winter.

Are Heat Pump Water Heaters Efficient?

As with most appliances, the efficiency of a heat pump water heater depends on the type, use and maintenance of the appliance. However, heat pump water heaters can be very efficient and effective. Heat pump action is different from active heating because it is shifting heat from one area to another, instead of actually generating heat. This allows the heat pump to run exclusively on electricity, unlike many furnaces and water heaters. Electricity is usually the most efficient form of energy, when compared to natural gas or oil.

Does a Heat Pump Water Heater Provide Enough Hot Water?

Depending on the model of heat pump water heater, you may have a lot of flexibility in expanding your use of hot water in the home. The efficient setting has the heat pump only transplanting heat. Some heat pump water heaters can also use electricity to generate heat, as well. That would offer supreme usability, so that you can save energy when your load is low, but still get plenty of hot water whenever you need it.
You have more options in water heaters than you might think. With this information and advice from Ace Heating and Cooling, you can determine if the efficiency of a heat pump water heater would benefit your home.