Home Improvement Today?

Hybrid water heaters use heat pumps. Heat pumps draw heat from the outside air which results in a cooler garage. My home heater/AC unit is a heat pump. It uses the same system to both heat and cool the house. It's major disadvantage is it doesn't work well below 40 degrees (plus it's a bit noisy). The hybrid water heaters have a secondary heating element that takes over if the outside air is too cool. They also need some space to draw air from to work properly. My hot water heater is in a small closet so a hybrid wouldn't work as well. Their efficiency rating is about twice the rating of a standard water heater.

 

To get the most benefit, you should be somewhere where it is warmer most of the year. They're still good water heaters if you're using electric anyway but you won't save as much if you're in a colder area (below 40 degrees). That $30 dollar savings is probably if you live in an area that warm year-round. Also, if your water heater is indoors, it will cool the surrounding area as it draws heat in from the outside air. So in the summer, it will work like a small air conditioner. The downside is in the winter, it will still work like a small air conditioner. If you have to heat your house, the hybrid will compete with the heating system. It has an electric element that takes over if the air is too cold. So, they probably have a way to turn it off so it uses electric only but then it's about as efficient as a modern electric. Also, they're a bit noisier than a standard hot water heater because of the heat pump.

 

I live in WV, so we have pretty hot summers but decent to cold winters. My water heater is downstairs in the laundry room where it stays between 68-72. The hybrid water heaters do have modes they can go into, during high demand they will switch to all electric mode to compete with the demand. But during they day or low demand times the heat pump does most of the work. I agree that it will take a while to earn back my $1,300 price tag but once I do it should be saving me money. However, a standard 80 gallon heater is around $600 and i do believe they are more efficient nowadays.

 

As long as you're staying in your home for about 5 years, the hybrid will probably save you money over the standard heater. They're about twice as efficient as a standard heater when operating in heat pump mode. They're about the same efficiency when operating in electric mode.

How much you save will also depend on your electricity cost. Out here in San Diego, it would probably pay back sooner as our electricity cost is high.

My comment about different modes had more to do with heating your home. It would probably make more sense to have it in electric mode if your house heater is on. The hybrid will cool the air while your heater is trying to heat it back up. So while the hybrid may work more cheaply, the heater has to work harder and may offset the savings gained using hybrid mode. But it's possible that it wouldn't impact it that much. I think for an enclosure space I read that it needs about 100 sq feet of space to work best. Plus they're about a foot taller than a standard water heater (pump is on top).

 

Could someone point me to the ask a hvac guy thread. I could of sworn I saw it but can't find it.
Problem is this... Heater functions and produces heat, heat travels thru the vents to the kitchen, two rooms and one bathroom. Living room, master bedroom, master bathroom is always cold. I'll give more details if needed but for now where do I ask someone about this?

 

Don't need a special thread for that... Check for air flow to those rooms. If you've had one of those vent cleaner guys there, they could have blown out a connection under the house (or in the attic?), spilling your hot air out. Could also have a crushed vent pipe from crawling around in those service spaces, or a poorly insulated run. Last but certainly not least, the system was designed wrong, losing all the flow to the near vents, starving the far vents. These are things you can check without spending a dime, just get on your grubbies and go exploring!

 

Thanks alot for the suggestions.
I got up there and checked it out. Vents are connected, nothing is crushed. I had it on and stuck my hand in it (on top in attic) it flowed just fine. It seems like the air just doesn't get to where it has to go? It being designed wrong seems like a possibility. I'm guessing it would require to redo it all.

 

You got up there... (attic?) That usually means flexible runs draped over beams and obstacles, having kinks and sharp turns, and importantly, some or most runs of the same diameter. Even with smooth straight runs, distance equals resistance, meaning that flex lines are inherantly inefficient. It used to be that flex lines were used only in mobile homes, but have gained mainstream popularity due to the low cost of installation. What is commonly done is all lines start at the plenum, with some runs parallel much of the way, which is wrong. Runs should double up with larger diameters till they need to branch off with smaller diameters. Think bloodstream in your body.

A ribbon attached to a vent can give a good indication of air flow, to indicate which lines need attention. Remember also, decreasing flow to the strong lines can increase flow to the weaker lines. You may not wish to tackle the job yourself, but an understanding of what is needed will give you an advantage over contractors who would sell you more than you need.

 

it's not all that unusual for one room to be chiller than the others. How much colder is the MB?

 

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/

I just googled this so I don't know if it's of any value.

 

Yeah, so where is your damn review of the Veritas dust cyclone lid? Got my finger on the trigger here...

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=30282&cat=1,42401

 

I haven't used it yet , lol

Just buy one tightwad , it will be fine

 

With that attitude, you'd never make it as a Lee Valley customer service rep. In fact, I think you barely qualify as Canadian at all.

 

mange le merde

 

Beat it, El Mustachio.

 

says the guy with the French last name , like duh

 

Yes lol I got up in it. Not too much because I'm not that agile or small enough. I really think it was designed wrong, lines need to be redone. On the colder rooms you feel airflow coming from the vents but it's barely enough, just enough to say there is airflow although it does nothing.

Yea I would understand not all rooms being exactly the same temp. But that house is noticeably cold in some rooms. I didn't have anything to check temp but the house was set at 69 and the living room was at least as low as 60, I slept in the living room so I really felt the difference from checking other rooms. By the way this was my parents house in Vegas, I'm back in CO so I can't be of much help to them anymore.

 

Ha! You got out of there before they got snow? Pretty good, come down out of the attic and tell them they're gonna get colder!

We got below freezing here in Livermore now. Had hoped I wouldn't have to winterize the pool this year, but the chill is on!

 

I don't own a coffee table so trying to plan one out.

 

Yea I'll do that for sure

Lmao snow what snow, they got rain lol. Snow is what we got here in Colorado lol. I was in your side of town a couple months ago too.