Heat Pump Water Heaters
By Steven O'Donnell Senior Trainer for AHIT
Heat pump or Hybrid water heaters have actually been on the market for a couple of years now. They have lately gotten rather favored with the Energy Efficiency masses. The heat pump technology is not brand-new (first unit produced during the late 1850's), simply just the application. I have seen advertisements from a few companies proclaiming savings in the 50-62 % range. The energy factor (EF) for a heat pump unit is 2.0 compared to a standard element type EF of 0.9
Just what they have actually done is attach a small heat pump unit atop an electric water heater. They still have electric elements installed. They are able to run in 3 modes, Energy Saver (heat pump only), High Demand (heat pump and elements), and Elements only.
Anytime inspecting such units, they will need to be placed in spots with a minimum of 700 - 1,000 ft3 of air space around them. They furthermore need to be placed within areas with an ambient temp of 40 - 120° F to get best function. The side convenience of these units is that they cool the area around them, therefore placing them in a hot garage or even an attic will help cool down that spot. Very much like a typical air conditioning unit they have a filter which has to be cleaned along with a condensate drain line which must be routed to an ideal area. I expect that Heat Pump water heaters are going to take the place of typical units within the not too distant future and will be what most home inspectors find in the course of inspections.
About the Author
James Chisholm is a professional home inspector. The firm, Sacramento Home Inspection Inc, conducts professional home inspections for home buyers, homesellers, owners, builders, mortgage lenders, and construction companies. Visit us for relevant information and more pointers to optimize the value of your residence. Simply click here security home inspections to book your residential property inspection or give us a calll at 916-374-7308. For more material on home inspections, also have a glance at home inspection dallas
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