Time to get a new water heater. No, this isn’t as exciting as “time to get a new flat screen UHD television and pre-order the 50th anniversary 4K Blu-ray of 2001: A Space Odyssey.” (Seriously, who isn’t excited for that? Have you ever seen the film in a crystal clear large format? A-MAZ-ING.) However, getting a new water heater is one of the most important things you can do for your home since you use hot water every day and a good portion of your monthly utility bills goes toward powering the water heater.
Now that you’re thinking of getting a water heater, you may be considering a heat pump water heater rather than a conventional model. This technology may be new to you, so let’s look closer at some of the facts of heat pump water heaters to think about.
The potential savings
A heat pump water heater works similarly to the familiar tank water heater: water is stored in a tank and energy is applied to raise the temperature of the water to keep it ready for use. The difference is that where a standard water heater creates energy to heat the water through gas jets or electrical heating elements, a heat pump water heater uses refrigeration. How does that work? It’s a refrigeration system working in reverse. Instead of pumping heat out of space, it pumps heat into space. The heat isn’t created, it’s moved from the air outside the water heater and then released into the water.
This process of moving heat consumes less power than creating heat. In theory, you should spend less to power a heat pump water heater. According to the ENERGY STAR program, a large family can save $3,500 over the unit’s lifetime. The savings depend on what type of water heater you used before. Changing from an electric water heater to a heat pump water heater is usually a huge improvement. Going from natural gas to a heat pump might not be as significant a change.
A heat pump has special requirements
Not every home is right for a heat pump water heater installation, and this is why it’s crucial to work with professionals to ensure the new system is a good match. A heat pump water heater needs to be placed in an unoccupied space with sufficient room (around a thousand cubic feet of air, or a 12’ by 12’ space) for it to access the heat it needs. It cannot be placed in an area that grows extremely cold in winter such as an unheated garage. The ambient temperature should fall between 40° and 90°F around the year for the water heater to work efficiently.
Call water heater professionals
We’d love for you to experience the benefits of a heat pump water heater, but we also want you to have the right water heater to meet your needs. When you’re planning for a water heater installation in Gaithersburg, MD, contact our team and they can help you out. Tell them you’re interested in a heat pump unit, and they’ll see what can be done. No matter what type of unit you end up with, our professionals will see that it fits your budget, helps lower costs, and delivers the volume of hot water you need.
Install the best new water heater for your home with the Service Contractor of Choice: Mallick Plumbing & Heating.