We often recommend that our customers look into different options when it comes to a new water heater. The standard gas-powered or electric storage tank water heater isn’t the only choice anymore. Tankless water heaters offer advantages like unlimited hot water and high energy efficiency. And for homes that use electricity, going with a heat pump water heater is a money-saving alternative to the conventional electric water heater.
The Heat Pump Winter Dilemma
Heat pumps in general—not just water heater types, but the ones used for home comfort—come with a bit of a caveat that can worry people about whether they’ll work well enough for their needs. A heat pump operates through a process of heat transfer: it uses the circulation of refrigerant to move heat from one place to release it in another. In a heat pump water heater, the system leeches heat from the air around where the water heater is installed and moves it into the tank.
But since water heaters are usually installed in unheated parts of a house, such as a basement, where does the heat pump actually get heat when the temperature drops?
Although there is some scientific truth to this concern, in a practical application a heat pump water heater encounters no problems at operating during cold weather. There is always some heat in the air for the heat pump to access, no matter how cold it gets. Indoor comfort heat pumps can handle sub-freezing temperatures so a heat pump water heater will have no issue at all with a slightly cool basement or garage! The water heater will work all through the winter at the same energy efficiency you’re accustomed from it.
If you think that installing a heat pump water heater for your home in Silver Spring, MD or elsewhere in Montgomery County is a good idea, contact our water heater specialists and they’ll provide you with all the assistance you need.
Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice.