I have a 50 gallon Rheem hybrid water heater and it's awesome. I installed it right next to my air handler inside my garage. I plumbed the condensation output from the water heater in to the same condensation line from my air handler and everything has been working flawlessly for over two years now. I've been super happy with my hybrid water heater.
I have the same electric heat pump model. Never runs out of hot water, set at 140°. Works great. Only thing is makes the laundry room an ice box. Well worth the price. I paid $1300 while on sale and rebates. Cost $1500 local, but I bought in another state and brought it home, benefits of being a truck driver
I’ve got a tall, sealed crawlspace and an 80 gallon heat pump water heater. It dehumidifies my crawlspace at the same time it heats my water. I love it!
Have had the A. O. Smith 80gal heat pump for 8+ years. We are in Midwest, and barely get 2 showers before it runs out,especially in winter. When we called for (authorized) service, they said there were so many problems with this design, they were discontinued. Surprised to see they are still around, and such a glowing review. I would not recommend in this climate.
Interesting, I have a 40gal tank, live in AZ. In the summer I can't really tell when the hot water heater runs out, as it just keeps going. The 'cold water' is really just luke warm
Make sure you have shower heads that are limited to 2 gallons or so minute . If you have some old ones that let several gallons a minute through then that can cause a problem. Also crank heat up to 135 or so and put in a mixing valve set at 120. That will give your tank more heat capacity
I bought this water heater ruclips.net/user/postUgkx8G49mV71sAzUl9shXyLW-r3XgHH9EVh1 for use in my bus conversion. I installed it under my kitchen sink and it is fed by a high efficiency on-demand LP water heater. It is both a backup hot water source as well as a water saving device since we have hot water on demand rather than having to wait for the gas on demand water heater to finish its ignition cycle. I decided on this water heater due to the fact that it only draws 1300watts when it's ON instead of the 1500 watts that most Water heaters this size draw. In an RV a couple hundred watts can be a big deal. With very low standby losses, I don't have to worry about excessive power consumption. When propane is not available for our gas water heater, in conjunction with our low flow shower head there is enough hot water available to shower, albeit we won't be taking "hotel showers." Also very happy with the recovery rate of this water heater. Granted, it is quite small, but it does exactly what we need it to do.
you forgot three important items - 1, how long do these last, 2 - what periodic maintenance (other than flush) is required and 3 how do you replace the sacrificial anode?????
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
You mentioned draining the tank for sediment removal but you didn’t mention how hard/easy it is to replace the anode. I notice some of the newer tanks don’t make them easily accessible. If I’m going to pay a premium price for a signature unit, I don’t want to have to hire a plumber to replace the anode so I can get the longest use out of it.
@@TylerDickey1 did the state give you any money back? or did you pay less in taxes? If the former then your neighbors did provide it as gov't has nothing they don't take first.
The gas water heater also needs a condensate line, most of the fan based units do. The cooler exhaust introduces water in the system before it reaches the outside. So too the high efficiency combustion furnaces, reducing their reliability.
Great video. My gas water heater was installed 34 years ago this month. When it needs to be replaced I probably will not find that quality again. By the way I have never drained the tank or replaced the anode rod.
Are you on a well? Have a 23 year old electric and wondering if lack of chlorine was the reason. Has been drained a few times, not recently. Never changed the anode.
Janice Anmary. You are correct. You Will NOT find the same quality available. Especially if you were to look at Lowe's, HD, or any other big box stores. I've been a Plumber all my working life. 36 years now. I took home a used, 50 gal' standard gas water heater that I changed out because the homeowner thought it was too old and would need replacing soon. That was eight years ago. Still working just fine. Since then I have even collected two "spares". Just in case. I could easily buy a brand new one if needed. But, Why?
Janice Anmary , my 40 gallon, gas A.O. Smith was installed in 1993. It's showing signs that it's beginning to fail but 26 years is pretty amazing. I too have been researching and it sounds like A.O. Smith is no longer that reliable. Btw, it was never drained or had the anode rod replaced.
I could write Volumes of experience based opinion on water heaters. A few basic truths will have to do. If it ain't leaking. It can be fixed and work again. A water heater from a plbg supply place is well worth the expense. Big box stores buy sub standard product on the cheap and insure them to cover loss. Sure! They're warranteed. Just bring it back to the store for a pro-rated replacement. If you can get yours out, and to the store early Sat morning. You can have the new one installed by bath time Sat night. Right? A metal vent gas/lp is the most RELIABLE system. Simple is better!!! If you want fuel efficiency. Go buy a Prius. Hot water is something an intelligent person won't skimp on. I waste more money on car insurance that I haven't used in forty years, than I spent on water heaters that I use EVERY DAY for that same forty yrs. Let that sink in
I got the Lowes AO 50 gal heat pump version for around $850. Saves about $25-30 per month over my original electric. Keep my garage nice and cool in the summer times also.
@Matt Risinger Considering how critical hot water is for a house, I think these units seem a little too complicated. More complexity means more things to go wrong or fail. A simple gas unit without the exhaust motor is solidly reliable, even when the power goes out. My power went out for 12 hours a couple weeks ago during a big snow storm. I was so glad I at least had water and it was hot.
Ah...the intensity of 1st world problems. So this makes as much sense as driving a tractor trailer as a commuter vehicle because once every couple of years i need to haul some freight. May I suggest making constant use products like water heater as efficient as practical and having a back up system that can be used the few hours/days a decade that the typical home is out of power.
@@steve32627 My main point is the the water heater, being such a simple device never breaks.......EVER! These things have many components of possible failure. There's a good chance over their 10 to 15 year lifetime that something will break. Not likely on the simple gas unit. Plus gas is cheap. Not really saving much here. Remember back in 2007 when people thought natural gas was going to go up? That never happened. I pay the same price for nat gas as I was paying in 1998!
Actually my point is that our North American answer to almost anything is throw more energy at the problem no matter what options are available. We run 50-60% efficient gas units because "they never break" (I would argue that point, btw...they have pilots, thermocouples, gas valves, pressure regulating diaphragms, sediment traps/screens, tank electrolysis, ect). So the answer we unwittingly give is "I want to put my extra 30% load on all the existing infrastructure just so I'm never inconvenienced" take that times the hundreds of water heaters in a typical metropolitan square mile and eventually we have a utility level problem. A compressor driven refrigeration appliance is boringly mature technology. My last refrigerator was over 20 years old when replaced. It was replaced for capacity reasons not functionality. Someday we'll learn that society needs us to think beyond the "me" box.
@@saulgoodman2018 the next time your tank needs replacing please consider something more efficient than a standing pilot, natural draft unit. For those random days without power, water can always be heated on a stovetop. A few days inconvience verses a decade + of responsible conservation of resources.
@@saulgoodman2018 when comparing electric to gas, it is quite possible that a gas unit is more efficient than a basic resistance electric. It really depends on the source fuel for the electricity. The flip side is within the catagory of gas, there's your typical 50-60% units up to 90%+ condensing units. As one of the top energy intensive appliances in a typical household, any improvement from the basic builder grade resistance electric or standing pilot/natural draft gas machine is an all around win.
preach you are correct Lowes and Home depot have the worst websites for too many reason to list here and Menards always has the products I am looking for on their site but their stores and miles and miles and miles away from me it totally sucks
Have enjoyed your hot water heater episodes. I would like to see you do a comparison between an industrial heater vs a residential heater. I own a quite large but older Condo that has a boiler room for all the units. In that boiler room there is a hot water heater and storage tank that provides water for 8 units in the building. Several years ago, a residential heater was installed in the room. We have not experienced issues with residential heater but some have said we should have an industrial heater. Would love to hear your impressions.
You forgot to mention that the Heat Pump model is a Hybrid and it does have 2 resistance elements in it just like the regular electric model that can be used for quicker recovery when needed! So if you were a household with only a couple of people living there on a normal basis you could run it in Eco mode and only use the Heat Pump, but if you had guests drop by for a weekend and you all needed to take showers back to back you could put it in Hybrid mode and utilize the resistance elements to give you far quicker recovery and quicker hot water output. Yes that would use more electricity and cost more, but that option is there if needed.
You could run the house exhaust air past the electric water heater for some extra heat recovery. Even after passing a heat recovery ventilator the air would still be warmer than air from outside or in a cold garage.
My local Lowes has a rebate running on the 80 gallon AO Smith electric unit, a whopping $50. I'll pass. I've been very happy with a 60 gallon Whirlpool with the timer on it. Turns on for first thing of the AM use, then again after dinner for evening showers. I'm under $350 a year to run the heater.
Gunga Dinn the return in investment with hybrid water heaters is phenomenal. We install Rheem hybrids and their energy guide says 118 a year to operate, combine that with the ten year warranty on parts and it’s a pretty clear choice when it comes to savings. Added benefit is if you have a heater in the garage the Heat pump will help cool/dehumidify the space. Same with basements.
If you don't have a floor drain handy for the heat pump model you can use a "Little Giant" pump and catch pan and pump it overhead to a sink or outdoors. That's how we did our condensate from our air handler. Right into our utility sink. Quiet, efficient, works great.
To take BTUH out of a basement or other dwelling unit into your Water Tank requires you take make BTUH with your heating system. So you could be using your Electric House Heating system to make hot water in lieu of an electric heating element in a conventional water heater. Like a heat pump used to heat a home, theses will not work if your air temperature is to low. So keep in mind how this works. Ideally if install this in a Northern Climate you have gas heat. So your 95% efficient furnace keeps the room with the water heater warm. In my area turning off your natural gas meter saves you about $30+ per month. So only having gas for (4) months saves you $240 per year ( 8 months X $30 each month ). Of course this means your kitchen and clothes dryer are also electric.
I would like to see the top one from Homedepot and Lows electric, IE AC Smith, or Rem I think is Homedepot, which brand is better. Both stores ar great for us non pro people.
In the south the heat pump unit would be great in the summer in a conditioned space since the output is cool, dry air. Less load on the AC unit, a win-win. When the temperature cools down though its still kicking out cool air, more than in the summer since the input water temperature drops. If its in a conditioned space your furnace has to re-heat the air the water heater is cooling. If its in a non-conditioned space the ambient air will be much cooler which lowers the efficiency of the heat pump.
It adds some cost, but also adds capacity, if you put a mixing valve on the hot water output, and then turn the heater up to its max temperature (150°F/65.5°C for the RUUD Hybrid). Having a 65 gallon tank full of 150°F/65.5°C water is the equivalent to having a 90 gallon tank of 120°F/49°C water if mixed with 40°F/4.5°C cold water. The mixing valve takes the dangerously hot 150°F/65.5°C water and mixes it with cold water, then outputs it at a safe temperature(adjustable). I set my mixing valve to output 125 deg F. We have been using the water heater in heat pump only mode in a 2 bathroom home with 2 adults and 2 teenage children, yet we have only ran out of hot water after 2 long back to back showers. And then the water heater recovered within a couple of hours. It recovers even faster in hybrid mode, using both the heat pump and the resistance heating elements. It even has different modes in order to balance economy with recovery time. It is installed in our laundry room, and I really like that it helps cool the house in the summer, and then dehumidifies it during the wet winters (northern California; hot dry summer, wet cold winter). Definitely add an expansion tank. I like to use mixing valves with optional check valves, and only put the check valve on the cold side. That way no siphoning, but hot side can use the expansion tank on the cold side for both expansion/contraction, and water hammer.
Many manufacturers offer lower quality units to the big box stores for the consumer. I don't know if this is the case with the AO Smith, but I know Rheem and some others do this. This is probably why that gas unit had a nylon drain valve. If you source from a plumbing supply house or directly from the manufacturer you can get the same model with better parts for basically the same price. An unfortunate part of manufacturer deals that hurts the average consumer.
Being in Florida I'd love to put one of those units in my garage. I'd certainly have to set up a condensate pump to get rid of the water. My garage has no floor drain.
up north we have huge problems with hybrid tanks getting peoples bacements cold. and thats the last thing you want during the winter time lol. and both hybrid and high eff tanks both have lots of parts and in my city, hot water tank parts are hit or miss. im a standard eff fan. less parts less chance that they need to be fixed. one call, thats all your savings
We are thinking about replacing our two 65 gallon resistive heaters with 2 55 gallon standard resistive heaters. There is some moisture in the insulation surrounding our tanks... We're in an environment were we only run air conditioning maybe 20 days a year, and the heat 130 days a year. We are also thinking about a hybrid pump, but height is a problem.
@@yamspaine two 65 gal is a lot. the 55 0r 45 would be a better choice (unless you have a 8+ people). get simple. not fancy. most electric hw tanks will last there lives without any trouble. and that is something to know.
@@TheSPAZZANATER We think we are going that way... I think we could even do just 1 55 gallon. The problem is that the owner has a spa tub that he fills and drains. It has its own heaters... If we could do a 55 gallon and a 40 gallon or similar we might be able to save a bit of space in that area.
@@yamspaine ya that would do it. when i install some of these tanks for people that use a lot of water or have very cold water, we set the first tank lower then the second tank that way the first tank will pre heat the water and the second tank will bring it up to temp. saves money that way. never had any problems with that set up.
Really don't think that I would ever purchase an 80gal water heater for my 2000 sq ft house with two occupants. I actually just bought the AO Smith 40 gal gas model. The only thing I was really impressed by is the extended warranty, which gives you five more years of replacement with labor. The Bradford White Defender it replaced was only eight years old. The tank split. P.O.S.
I love the Hybrid hot water heaters !!! cant wait to try one out one day ! Building a new house and did not know about them till to late. Thank for Sharing Matt ! Enjoy shopping at Lowes too !
We bought a new house 13 years ago that came with a power vent gas water heater. The power vent sounded like a jet airplane taking off. After a lot of lost sleep, we got rid of it after 6 months and switched to a gas on-demand water heater. We're very happy with that solution .
Incorrect Matt. I have a hybrid electric. The hybrid features both the heat pump and a coil, hence the word hybrid. It can recover quickly if you set it for high demand. It will use both features to heat the water. That will still be more cost efficient than coils alone, but less cost efficient than heat pump alone. I have had my 50 gallon GE hybrid feeding water for 2 housing units for 3 adults and 4 teenagers for the past 3 years with no problem except when I act like the grinch and switch it to heat pump only . thats when my family crys about how cheap I am and they go switch it back to high demand, especially in the winter. At Lowe's in CT. You get a $400 rebate at the point of sale on hybrid units. Sorry Matt, not all the info here is complete.
Yep, most Heat Pump styles have a Hybrid mode. My GE Geospring does and it makes hot water just as fast as a gas unit.. First gen. model and it's still going strong. Great videos Matt..👍👍
@@TimbuckCabins ALL hybrid water heaters have electric elements and a heat pump on top-- you have to have a backup source of heat with all heat pumps because the coefficient of performance (COP) gets worse and worse the colder it gets so the back up elements are a necessity.
Andrew Ludwig Since I've never seen ALL of the heat pump style water heaters in the world I held back from saying ALL. You are a wealth of knowledge...
Another good thing about electric is if it gets submerged in water due to a flood it will still work ... I had a gas unit at first got submerged in 7ft of water in my basement and I could no longer safely operate it after being dried back out I switched to electric cause I got a good deal on it it's currently been in 4 floods and only thing I have to do if it floods is cut the power to it before then electro coils get wet ...then clean and dry them after a flood and it's good to go if I forget to turn off power it shorts out and I replace the heating element which is pretty in expensive
That fancier unit is probably better for warm climates since it's removing heat from the home. In the winter in most climates in the US, that means more energy costs to heat the home/space.
actually not that much, remember that the freezing point is still many degrees above absolute 0 so you can extract heat out of air that is well below 0 degrees fahrenheit or celcius.
I have had that exact Hybrid A.O. Smith water heater for 2 years now and it is running great. It is Hybrid, which means that if you exceed the call for hot water before the heat pump recovers, it switches to its standard 4500 Watt heating elements. It supplies my family of 9 unlimited hot water but we lose some of our savings if we all use hot water in a short timeframe. I even replaced the anode in it which was hard to get to the screws in the back but only took me about an hour. Great product!
So the one on the left is really only energy efficient in warmer climates or during the summer time. Because if it takes the heat energy out of the ambient air, which you paid for in heating fuel to heat, then it's essentially using your heating fuel to heat the water with extra steps. Would be nice if you could connect it to your heating system, so that if the heating system is active it turns off the heat pump feature, as that is then more inefficient than simply heating it with electric only.
Two questions that come to mind on the Electric water heater. How often would it have to be clean (the fan portion) if there is a lot of wood cutting done in the same area, such as a garage? How loud is the exhaust fan/heat pump for the Electric unit? I'm sure there are more questions, but these were the first two that come to mind or can be important based on location. I'm sure other questions like pump maintenance/servicing are all answered in the manual.
So in order for these heat pump systems to work they take the heat out of the ambient air. If one lives in a cold climate with a basement (where the water heater more than likely lives) you'll be heating the basement so the water heater can take the heat out of the air to heat the water? Hows that even out?
MARK V you are exactly right! It will lower the temperature of the room it's in. This would work great if your water heater is installed in an attached garage in Florida, but up north in a basement......no.
I’m in the north. I run a water heater and a dehumidifier in my basement during the summer. A hybrid heater would be perfect during that time of the year when I am cooling and dehumidifying. It wouldn’t work well for me in the winter. I wish they made a gas unit with heat pump capabilities. That would fit my needs.
How cold are you keeping your basement? In MIchigan I've never been in a basement that got all that cold. Usually maybe 5 degrees or less cooler than the rest of the house
@@ELIRAXPRT The point is that you are expending energy to heat your basement up north. The water heater then indirectly uses that energy to heat the water. You actually get worse efficiency than a normal resistance heater in this scenario due to the energy consumption of the heat pump. Say you pump 50k BTU of heat into your basement. The water heater uses say 25k BTUs of that to heat the water, you now have to pump 25k BTU MORE into your basement to maintain the same temperature, and you're now powering the compressor on the hot water heater as well as saving no extra power.
Both of these are higher, but the electric heat pump model is $2700 now! It almost seems as if they've raised the price so they can benefit from the rebates.
Also for the heat pump water heaters you dpnt necessarily need a floor drain, a automatic sump pump can take it to where you need it. And in cold climates sticking out the wall will not work. It will freeze. Tried it with my RO system.
"I have always bought Reems"...not trolling you here, but sounds like you bought a LOT of 'Reems' (Rheem)...like, how many and how frequently? If your buying a new 'Reem" every 5-7 years (just guessing here), that ain't what I would describe as a quality product.
In winter the HP units add load to central heat so not worth in cold climate. You pay oil (or electric resistive) for heat then the HP sucks that heat into water ends up paying the energy twice.
Great video. This really helped as I begin my search. I did notice this video is now 4 years old. Are there any differences or improvements on the hybrid model? Do they perform better now than 4 years ago? Thank you!
I have a 50 gallon Rheem Performance Platinum Hybrid water heater that uses the heat pump technology. Water heater installed in September 2018. I absolutely love this water heater. I have 5 people in my house and if we all take a quick shower the last person can still have a little warm water left when they begin their shower but they better hurry it may get cold soon. Haha. The water heater has a setting that you can enable that will allow the heating elements to operate at the same time as the heat pump which allows for faster water heating than the heat pump alone. We live in KY and the water heater is extremely efficient. Costing about $7/month to operate in the warmer months and about $15/month in the cooler months. Love this water heater.
AO Smith also has a line of tankless by name of "State Water Heaters" out of Tennessee. I know you are a fan of tankless when appropriate, so wonder what is your opinion of the "State" tankless products. These State water heaters are now available through local Costco Warehouse stores at a big discount, but only for the water heater. Installation is by your own plumber. What do you know or think about the State tankless products?
I know building science is your thing so you spend a lot of time on energy efficiency and durability of the envelope but it would be nice to see some videos on interior finishes and floorplan design. Perhaps a kitchen tour, paint types, or some trim carpentry video's
The heat pump version can be run as a hybrid, no? Isn't that what those two black plastic plates are for on the front of the unit? Aren't those elements?
So after all of your high praise on Lowes website I went there to check out hybrid water heaters. Link broken. I navigate from the home page- Plumbing/Water Heaters (by category) / Electric... Link says, "Whoops! This link or address no longer works, so let's try something else" My thought: lets try another company with a website that works... very frustrating.
Mike K there is only 1 brand where the refrigerant circuit DOES NOT GO INTO THE WATER CIRCUIT, but bu a shrink fit circuit AROUND THE TANK STEILBRON ELECTRIC it’s from GERMANY We used a similar brand system,,where the refrigerant circuit , was around the tanks,,worked excellently,,consider this a circuit failure where water gets in the refrigerant circuit with 1400lbs of gas
At the beginning of the video there was a disclosure in the bottom left corner that said; This is a paid ADVERTISEMENT, or something to that effect. Smart on Lowe’s part using Matt. Unfortunately for Matt his credibility as a objective evaluator takes a hit
Hay Matt , I live down in San Antonio . I really like your show . I'm a master Woodwright 30 years experience . Now disabled from a really bad auto wreck . I live in a used mobile Home . Do you think you could do me a favor . Do a few on mobile homes.
I agree. It's like 1:30 in the morning and I just had to crawl under the house, to cut off my water. It's winter, and there's like 4 inches of snow on the ground. It was a sight to see I'm sure.
Pretty sure the AO Smith hybrid water heater is, indeed, a hybrid, and if run in hybrid mode it will call upon a conventional heating element to recover the temperature if the load is high. Also pretty sure you could run it in "efficiency" mode which means "heat pump only," in which case the temp recovery problem would be as described.
This is basically an Air conditioner in reverse. Oh the joy of dealing with another AC unit and how expensive it will be to fix, just like any house or car unit.
I have an AO Smith 50 gallon gas (running propane) power vent hot water tank and we've never run out of hot water even with back to back showers and baths. My only complaint is how loud the fan is.
I called City of Austin Power to get more information on their rebates and they told me that only homes that are 10 years or older will qualify for the rebate, not new construction.
So I am in the pursuit of getting rid of gas out of my house, I bought all electric appliances and love all of them. Last thing is water heater and heat. These two require a newly designed house. This isn't exactly a cookie cutter idea, and an on the shelf item. But I'm curious on the other ways to heat water. Can you get more efficient then these systems. Say for instance trying a geothermal system in to heat water, I know solar thermal is quite efficient but seems to complex. It would be cool to see videos on the not so common systems.
Yea I'm not saying just for hot water and not for house heat. I'm wondering how both of those would work together. I actually uavent seen a system that uses the geothermal to heat water as well.
If you have a geothermal system to heat and cool your home you can also use that same system to literally get free hot water if your geothermal unit is equipped with a HWG (hot water generator). This generator pipes directly from your geothermal unit into your hot water heater.
I just commented on another water heater video you listed and now see this one. Oddly, I just purchased and installed an AO Smith 40 gal Signature Gas Water Heater here (From Lowes) in 2017. It has a conventional flue outlet and standing pilot. AO Smith is one of those old names in water heaters like Rheem. As to whether or not they are still the AO Smith from years ago is a good question. I believe Energy labels go back to the late 1970s when the "Energy" era got started with appliances. Scale (Mineral Content) in water heaters is going to accumulate whether you drain them 5 times a years or not at all and some of that depends on the quality of the water (Hardness). And to quote a comment on the web: Mineral content in water sticks to everything water touches. Heating the water makes it even more sticky I imagine. Calgon (CALcium GONe) was developed to fight these problems...
One item you did not mention, which could not be demonstrated in video w/non-operating HPWH, is what level db's does this produce in operation? I'd also be curious what sort of CFM of air they need. Our residence has detached garage and no basement thus those placement options are not tenable. I can place in laundry area which is off rear entry, behind kitchen but 20' from living/entertaining area. For reference, the laundry machines are modern front loaders which are reasonably quiet but we do not run them when we are entertaining in living room. The alternative is to place in utility room off kitchen where hydronic system boiler and ERV system is located which is 36sq ft but is non-vented and reasonably sound proof.
Would it be beneficial to have a buffer tank for the electric model, like a standard water tank to preheat the water, just to help with the recovery? Thanks if you can help
Well depends on the electric situation if you’re guess you’re good to go because you’re good to go with the gas gas or support anything but electric not so much you Gotta make sure that your electric power support that electric water heater
I switched to heat pump water heater back in june. huge drop in electric. watch matts other videos and look at the rheem (one i got) being able to duct it is a huge plus!
My new home has a pair of 50 gallon State electric water heaters that are piped in series. The EnergyGuide sticker shows $555/year. That's each. By comparison, the 50-gallon version of this heat pump model shows $114/year. That's $882/year in savings. I could replace both of my current heaters with a pair of the heat pump models and they would pay for themselves in under 3 years.
@@Bob.W. It must be because he can get by with less than the 125 gallons I have. I have an 80 that I turn on only when we have a house full of guests or during the colder part of winter. The rest of the time it just acts as a tempering tank for the 45 which runs year round. You don't get any say about what anybody else needs or wants.
There are vids and reviews online showing how the Smith gas heater comes on and sounds like a freight train. Even after two service visits it's still howling
If you have time, Matt, do you have a presentation of tankless hot water heaters? Mine is over 10 years old (Phx, AZ) and a tank unit would need to be outdoors in a new build closet.
Dumb question. You mentioned the nearly % 30 loss energy in the gas model and then remarked on the low exhaust temps at the flue. Where then are the losses occurring? My old style unit exhausts high flue gas temps.
A condensing gas water heater can get up to 96% efficiency, because they extract so much energy from the burned gas that the water vapor produced condenses back to liquid water. These units have a secondary heat exchanger. However, the one he discussed is not a condensing unit, so it doesn't have as high of an efficiency. It's still a lot better than the old-style kind (like you have) that needs metal flues and masonry chimneys because of the high flue gas temperature. The losses come from the limitations of how long and how intimately the hot gases can be in contact with the heat exchanger (and thermodynamics, of course). The 70% efficiency models do a better job than the 50% efficiency models, but they aren't perfect. You have to go to the condensing style water heaters to do even better. That is also why the more efficient units need a fan to force the air up the flue--the lower the temperature of the exhaust, the less draft there is.
I live in the south now. And for some reason they put these water heaters in the attic. What brand of 50 gallon electric would you trust if you had to replace one. I think I have a state 50 gallon electric water heater there now. Coming up on 12 years but no problems. Just want to replace it and I’m not sure I would buy anything from Lowes or Home Depot because the fittings look cheap and plastic.
6:10 I wish you would do more information about colder climates. I know, I know, you are in Texas and that is where your expert advice works best. I want your expert advice like this for cold climates. ;-)
I have found heat pump water heaters to recover faster in units that have a high demand mode using both the electric element and the heat-pump much faster than gas.
From what I've seen changing an anode on the heat pump model is a real pain. I think professional plumbers must love all the money they make from maintaining them.
I have a 50 gallon Rheem hybrid water heater and it's awesome. I installed it right next to my air handler inside my garage. I plumbed the condensation output from the water heater in to the same condensation line from my air handler and everything has been working flawlessly for over two years now. I've been super happy with my hybrid water heater.
Does your unit make a lot of noise ? Aparently AO smith heat pump models have a large blower making a lot of noise .. i am kinda concerned about that
I have the same electric heat pump model. Never runs out of hot water, set at 140°. Works great. Only thing is makes the laundry room an ice box. Well worth the price. I paid $1300 while on sale and rebates. Cost $1500 local, but I bought in another state and brought it home, benefits of being a truck driver
I’ve got a tall, sealed crawlspace and an 80 gallon heat pump water heater. It dehumidifies my crawlspace at the same time it heats my water. I love it!
Have had the A. O. Smith 80gal heat pump for 8+ years. We are in Midwest, and barely get 2 showers before it runs out,especially in winter. When we called for (authorized) service, they said there were so many problems with this design, they were discontinued. Surprised to see they are still around, and such a glowing review. I would not recommend in this climate.
Interesting, I have a 40gal tank, live in AZ. In the summer I can't really tell when the hot water heater runs out, as it just keeps going. The 'cold water' is really just luke warm
Make sure you have shower heads that are limited to 2 gallons or so minute . If you have some old ones that let several gallons a minute through then that can cause a problem. Also crank heat up to 135 or so and put in a mixing valve set at 120. That will give your tank more heat capacity
If you hate it so much why did you keep it for 8+ years??
@@nixaeagle141 is a pretty big investment to just kick it to the curb.
I bought this water heater ruclips.net/user/postUgkx8G49mV71sAzUl9shXyLW-r3XgHH9EVh1 for use in my bus conversion. I installed it under my kitchen sink and it is fed by a high efficiency on-demand LP water heater. It is both a backup hot water source as well as a water saving device since we have hot water on demand rather than having to wait for the gas on demand water heater to finish its ignition cycle. I decided on this water heater due to the fact that it only draws 1300watts when it's ON instead of the 1500 watts that most Water heaters this size draw. In an RV a couple hundred watts can be a big deal. With very low standby losses, I don't have to worry about excessive power consumption. When propane is not available for our gas water heater, in conjunction with our low flow shower head there is enough hot water available to shower, albeit we won't be taking "hotel showers." Also very happy with the recovery rate of this water heater. Granted, it is quite small, but it does exactly what we need it to do.
you forgot three important items - 1, how long do these last, 2 - what periodic maintenance (other than flush) is required and 3 how do you replace the sacrificial anode?????
Manual?
UNSCREW THE TOP COVER THERE SHOULD A ANODE COVER THERE
UNCAP IT WITH A SOCKET WITH LONG EXTENSION
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
You mentioned draining the tank for sediment removal but you didn’t mention how hard/easy it is to replace the anode. I notice some of the newer tanks don’t make them easily accessible. If I’m going to pay a premium price for a signature unit, I don’t want to have to hire a plumber to replace the anode so I can get the longest use out of it.
Jim Lanigan most replacement anodes are SEGMENTED , so you won’t need the headroom,,NOBODY HAS.
I bought two GE geo spring heat pump water heaters. They were about $900 each, and the state of Oregon gave me 100% of my cost back.
It's nice that you were able to pick your neighbors pockets for $1800, I guess.
Which explains why the Left Coast is so screwed up.
@@bguen1234 that's not how tax incentives/credits work but okay.
@@TylerDickey1 did the state give you any money back? or did you pay less in taxes? If the former then your neighbors did provide it as gov't has nothing they don't take first.
The gas water heater also needs a condensate line, most of the fan based units do. The cooler exhaust introduces water in the system before it reaches the outside. So too the high efficiency combustion furnaces, reducing their reliability.
Great video. My gas water heater was installed 34 years ago this month. When it needs to be replaced I probably will not find that quality again. By the way I have never drained the tank or replaced the anode rod.
WOW we are on our 3rd one in that time period who was yours made by
Are you on a well? Have a 23 year old electric and wondering if lack of chlorine was the reason. Has been drained a few times, not recently. Never changed the anode.
Janice Anmary. You are correct. You Will NOT find the same quality available. Especially if you were to look at Lowe's, HD, or any other big box stores. I've been a Plumber all my working life. 36 years now. I took home a used, 50 gal' standard gas water heater that I changed out because the homeowner thought it was too old and would need replacing soon. That was eight years ago. Still working just fine. Since then I have even collected two "spares". Just in case. I could easily buy a brand new one if needed. But, Why?
Janice Anmary , my 40 gallon, gas A.O. Smith was installed in 1993. It's showing signs that it's beginning to fail but 26 years is pretty amazing. I too have been researching and it sounds like A.O. Smith is no longer that reliable. Btw, it was never drained or had the anode rod replaced.
I could write Volumes of experience based opinion on water heaters. A few basic truths will have to do.
If it ain't leaking. It can be fixed and work again. A water heater from a plbg supply place is well worth the expense. Big box stores buy sub standard product on the cheap and insure them to cover loss. Sure! They're warranteed. Just bring it back to the store for a pro-rated replacement. If you can get yours out, and to the store early Sat morning. You can have the new one installed by bath time Sat night. Right?
A metal vent gas/lp is the most RELIABLE system. Simple is better!!!
If you want fuel efficiency. Go buy a Prius. Hot water is something an intelligent person won't skimp on.
I waste more money on car insurance that I haven't used in forty years, than I spent on water heaters that I use EVERY DAY for that same forty yrs. Let that sink in
i got the 40 gal gas burner. works fantastic!
I got the Lowes AO 50 gal heat pump version for around $850. Saves about $25-30 per month over my original electric. Keep my garage nice and cool in the summer times also.
Best water heater in Matt's opinion... Well that depends on who's cutting him the check that day.
He did at least qualify the claim by stating “best available at Lowes”.
@Cody, That part! 💯😎
Well his sanden mini split is $$$$$$$
I was in Lowes last week - the AO smith 80 gallon heat pump is now priced at $2900. Yikes!
@Matt Risinger Considering how critical hot water is for a house, I think these units seem a little too complicated. More complexity means more things to go wrong or fail. A simple gas unit without the exhaust motor is solidly reliable, even when the power goes out. My power went out for 12 hours a couple weeks ago during a big snow storm. I was so glad I at least had water and it was hot.
Ah...the intensity of 1st world problems. So this makes as much sense as driving a tractor trailer as a commuter vehicle because once every couple of years i need to haul some freight. May I suggest making constant use products like water heater as efficient as practical and having a back up system that can be used the few hours/days a decade that the typical home is out of power.
@@steve32627 My main point is the the water heater, being such a simple device never breaks.......EVER! These things have many components of possible failure. There's a good chance over their 10 to 15 year lifetime that something will break. Not likely on the simple gas unit. Plus gas is cheap. Not really saving much here. Remember back in 2007 when people thought natural gas was going to go up? That never happened. I pay the same price for nat gas as I was paying in 1998!
Actually my point is that our North American answer to almost anything is throw more energy at the problem no matter what options are available. We run 50-60% efficient gas units because "they never break" (I would argue that point, btw...they have pilots, thermocouples, gas valves, pressure regulating diaphragms, sediment traps/screens, tank electrolysis, ect). So the answer we unwittingly give is "I want to put my extra 30% load on all the existing infrastructure just so I'm never inconvenienced" take that times the hundreds of water heaters in a typical metropolitan square mile and eventually we have a utility level problem. A compressor driven refrigeration appliance is boringly mature technology. My last refrigerator was over 20 years old when replaced. It was replaced for capacity reasons not functionality. Someday we'll learn that society needs us to think beyond the "me" box.
@@saulgoodman2018 the next time your tank needs replacing please consider something more efficient than a standing pilot, natural draft unit. For those random days without power, water can always be heated on a stovetop. A few days inconvience verses a decade + of responsible conservation of resources.
@@saulgoodman2018 when comparing electric to gas, it is quite possible that a gas unit is more efficient than a basic resistance electric. It really depends on the source fuel for the electricity. The flip side is within the catagory of gas, there's your typical 50-60% units up to 90%+ condensing units. As one of the top energy intensive appliances in a typical household, any improvement from the basic builder grade resistance electric or standing pilot/natural draft gas machine is an all around win.
You lost me when you said Lowe's has a really good website.
preach you are correct Lowes and Home depot have the worst websites for too many reason to list here and Menards always has the products I am looking for on their site but their stores and miles and miles and miles away from me it totally sucks
@@doublebulbing BUT...Menard's def gets my vote for worst website of the three. I consider their site to be absolutely useless.
Lowe’s website blows.
Are you kidding? I go to Lowes website when I'm feeling down on life
Have enjoyed your hot water heater episodes. I would like to see you do a comparison between an industrial heater vs a residential heater. I own a quite large but older Condo that has a boiler room for all the units. In that boiler room there is a hot water heater and storage tank that provides water for 8 units in the building. Several years ago, a residential heater was installed in the room. We have not experienced issues with residential heater but some have said we should have an industrial heater. Would love to hear your impressions.
You forgot to mention that the Heat Pump model is a Hybrid and it does have 2 resistance elements in it just like the regular electric model that can be used for quicker recovery when needed! So if you were a household with only a couple of people living there on a normal basis you could run it in Eco mode and only use the Heat Pump, but if you had guests drop by for a weekend and you all needed to take showers back to back you could put it in Hybrid mode and utilize the resistance elements to give you far quicker recovery and quicker hot water output. Yes that would use more electricity and cost more, but that option is there if needed.
Tank Water Heater is very conveniently , I truly recommend !!!
You could run the house exhaust air past the electric water heater for some extra heat recovery. Even after passing a heat recovery ventilator the air would still be warmer than air from outside or in a cold garage.
My local Lowes has a rebate running on the 80 gallon AO Smith electric unit, a whopping $50. I'll pass.
I've been very happy with a 60 gallon Whirlpool with the timer on it. Turns on for first thing of the AM use, then again after dinner for evening showers. I'm under $350 a year to run the heater.
Gunga Dinn the return in investment with hybrid water heaters is phenomenal. We install Rheem hybrids and their energy guide says 118 a year to operate, combine that with the ten year warranty on parts and it’s a pretty clear choice when it comes to savings. Added benefit is if you have a heater in the garage the Heat pump will help cool/dehumidify the space. Same with basements.
I believe they bought wp
If you don't have a floor drain handy for the heat pump model you can use a "Little Giant" pump and catch pan and pump it overhead to a sink or outdoors. That's how we did our condensate from our air handler. Right into our utility sink. Quiet, efficient, works great.
To take BTUH out of a basement or other dwelling unit into your Water Tank requires you take make BTUH with your heating system. So you could be using your Electric House Heating system to make hot water in lieu of an electric heating element in a conventional water heater.
Like a heat pump used to heat a home, theses will not work if your air temperature is to low.
So keep in mind how this works.
Ideally if install this in a Northern Climate you have gas heat. So your 95% efficient furnace keeps the room with the water heater warm. In my area turning off your natural gas meter saves you about $30+ per month. So only having gas for (4) months saves you $240 per year ( 8 months X $30 each month ). Of course this means your kitchen and clothes dryer are also electric.
just installed a 50 gallon A.O. Smith hybrid unit...1,900.00 bucks now....but a 2,000 dollar tax rebate made it free ..so far I'm impressed
Per “this old house” , said changing the anode rod every 3 years will extend the life of the heater for around 30 years. 3-24-2021
I would like to see the top one from Homedepot and Lows electric, IE AC Smith, or Rem I think is Homedepot, which brand is better. Both stores ar great for us non pro people.
In the south the heat pump unit would be great in the summer in a conditioned space since the output is cool, dry air. Less load on the AC unit, a win-win.
When the temperature cools down though its still kicking out cool air, more than in the summer since the input water temperature drops. If its in a conditioned space your furnace has to re-heat the air the water heater is cooling. If its in a non-conditioned space the ambient air will be much cooler which lowers the efficiency of the heat pump.
It adds some cost, but also adds capacity, if you put a mixing valve on the hot water output, and then turn the heater up to its max temperature (150°F/65.5°C for the RUUD Hybrid). Having a 65 gallon tank full of 150°F/65.5°C water is the equivalent to having a 90 gallon tank of 120°F/49°C water if mixed with 40°F/4.5°C cold water. The mixing valve takes the dangerously hot 150°F/65.5°C water and mixes it with cold water, then outputs it at a safe temperature(adjustable). I set my mixing valve to output 125 deg F. We have been using the water heater in heat pump only mode in a 2 bathroom home with 2 adults and 2 teenage children, yet we have only ran out of hot water after 2 long back to back showers. And then the water heater recovered within a couple of hours. It recovers even faster in hybrid mode, using both the heat pump and the resistance heating elements. It even has different modes in order to balance economy with recovery time. It is installed in our laundry room, and I really like that it helps cool the house in the summer, and then dehumidifies it during the wet winters (northern California; hot dry summer, wet cold winter). Definitely add an expansion tank. I like to use mixing valves with optional check valves, and only put the check valve on the cold side. That way no siphoning, but hot side can use the expansion tank on the cold side for both expansion/contraction, and water hammer.
Many manufacturers offer lower quality units to the big box stores for the consumer. I don't know if this is the case with the AO Smith, but I know Rheem and some others do this. This is probably why that gas unit had a nylon drain valve. If you source from a plumbing supply house or directly from the manufacturer you can get the same model with better parts for basically the same price. An unfortunate part of manufacturer deals that hurts the average consumer.
yep that is how the sell welders also crap parts in the big box ones and good parts in the welding store sold ones
that why i push my customer get the water heater from me instead of big box stores. better warranty support and higher grade product
Being in Florida I'd love to put one of those units in my garage. I'd certainly have to set up a condensate pump to get rid of the water. My garage has no floor drain.
up north we have huge problems with hybrid tanks getting peoples bacements cold. and thats the last thing you want during the winter time lol.
and both hybrid and high eff tanks both have lots of parts and in my city, hot water tank parts are hit or miss.
im a standard eff fan. less parts less chance that they need to be fixed. one call, thats all your savings
Preach brother
We are thinking about replacing our two 65 gallon resistive heaters with 2 55 gallon standard resistive heaters. There is some moisture in the insulation surrounding our tanks... We're in an environment were we only run air conditioning maybe 20 days a year, and the heat 130 days a year. We are also thinking about a hybrid pump, but height is a problem.
@@yamspaine two 65 gal is a lot. the 55 0r 45 would be a better choice (unless you have a 8+ people). get simple. not fancy. most electric hw tanks will last there lives without any trouble. and that is something to know.
@@TheSPAZZANATER We think we are going that way... I think we could even do just 1 55 gallon. The problem is that the owner has a spa tub that he fills and drains. It has its own heaters... If we could do a 55 gallon and a 40 gallon or similar we might be able to save a bit of space in that area.
@@yamspaine ya that would do it. when i install some of these tanks for people that use a lot of water or have very cold water, we set the first tank lower then the second tank that way the first tank will pre heat the water and the second tank will bring it up to temp. saves money that way. never had any problems with that set up.
Really don't think that I would ever purchase an 80gal water heater for my 2000 sq ft house with two occupants.
I actually just bought the AO Smith 40 gal gas model. The only thing I was really impressed by is the extended warranty, which gives you five more years of replacement with labor.
The Bradford White Defender it replaced was only eight years old. The tank split. P.O.S.
I love the Hybrid hot water heaters !!! cant wait to try one out one day ! Building a new house and did not know about them till to late. Thank for Sharing Matt ! Enjoy shopping at Lowes too !
We bought a new house 13 years ago that came with a power vent gas water heater. The power vent sounded like a jet airplane taking off. After a lot of lost sleep, we got rid of it after 6 months and switched to a gas on-demand water heater. We're very happy with that solution
.
Incorrect Matt. I have a hybrid electric. The hybrid features both the heat pump and a coil, hence the word hybrid. It can recover quickly if you set it for high demand. It will use both features to heat the water. That will still be more cost efficient than coils alone, but less cost efficient than heat pump alone. I have had my 50 gallon GE hybrid feeding water for 2 housing units for 3 adults and 4 teenagers for the past 3 years with no problem except when I act like the grinch and switch it to heat pump only . thats when my family crys about how cheap I am and they go switch it back to high demand, especially in the winter. At Lowe's in CT. You get a $400 rebate at the point of sale on hybrid units. Sorry Matt, not all the info here is complete.
Yep, most Heat Pump styles have a Hybrid mode. My GE Geospring does and it makes hot water just as fast as a gas unit.. First gen. model and it's still going strong. Great videos Matt..👍👍
@@TimbuckCabins ALL hybrid water heaters have electric elements and a heat pump on top-- you have to have a backup source of heat with all heat pumps because the coefficient of performance (COP) gets worse and worse the colder it gets so the back up elements are a necessity.
Andrew Ludwig Since I've never seen ALL of the heat pump style water heaters in the world I held back from saying ALL. You are a wealth of knowledge...
Consistently helping man thanks
Another good thing about electric is if it gets submerged in water due to a flood it will still work ... I had a gas unit at first got submerged in 7ft of water in my basement and I could no longer safely operate it after being dried back out I switched to electric cause I got a good deal on it it's currently been in 4 floods and only thing I have to do if it floods is cut the power to it before then electro coils get wet ...then clean and dry them after a flood and it's good to go if I forget to turn off power it shorts out and I replace the heating element which is pretty in expensive
That fancier unit is probably better for warm climates since it's removing heat from the home. In the winter in most climates in the US, that means more energy costs to heat the home/space.
actually not that much,
remember that the freezing point is still many degrees above absolute 0
so you can extract heat out of air that is well below 0 degrees fahrenheit or celcius.
Wowzers! Mr Big time sponsored by Lowe’s! Congratulations
Thanks! Sure goes a long way towards making two videos a week having some sponsorship.
I have had that exact Hybrid A.O. Smith water heater for 2 years now and it is running great. It is Hybrid, which means that if you exceed the call for hot water before the heat pump recovers, it switches to its standard 4500 Watt heating elements. It supplies my family of 9 unlimited hot water but we lose some of our savings if we all use hot water in a short timeframe. I even replaced the anode in it which was hard to get to the screws in the back but only took me about an hour. Great product!
your better off with a basic electric unit the heat pump requires someone to repair it with specialized training and equipment
So the one on the left is really only energy efficient in warmer climates or during the summer time. Because if it takes the heat energy out of the ambient air, which you paid for in heating fuel to heat, then it's essentially using your heating fuel to heat the water with extra steps. Would be nice if you could connect it to your heating system, so that if the heating system is active it turns off the heat pump feature, as that is then more inefficient than simply heating it with electric only.
Two questions that come to mind on the Electric water heater. How often would it have to be clean (the fan portion) if there is a lot of wood cutting done in the same area, such as a garage? How loud is the exhaust fan/heat pump for the Electric unit?
I'm sure there are more questions, but these were the first two that come to mind or can be important based on location. I'm sure other questions like pump maintenance/servicing are all answered in the manual.
So in order for these heat pump systems to work they take the heat out of the ambient air.
If one lives in a cold climate with a basement (where the water heater more than likely lives) you'll be heating the basement so the water heater can take the heat out of the air to heat the water?
Hows that even out?
MARK V you are exactly right! It will lower the temperature of the room it's in. This would work great if your water heater is installed in an attached garage in Florida, but up north in a basement......no.
I’m in the north. I run a water heater and a dehumidifier in my basement during the summer. A hybrid heater would be perfect during that time of the year when I am cooling and dehumidifying. It wouldn’t work well for me in the winter. I wish they made a gas unit with heat pump capabilities. That would fit my needs.
yeah that i why I did not get one. cold climate, whats the efficiency when you have efficiency loss in heating and then again in heat pumping?
How cold are you keeping your basement? In MIchigan I've never been in a basement that got all that cold. Usually maybe 5 degrees or less cooler than the rest of the house
@@ELIRAXPRT The point is that you are expending energy to heat your basement up north. The water heater then indirectly uses that energy to heat the water. You actually get worse efficiency than a normal resistance heater in this scenario due to the energy consumption of the heat pump.
Say you pump 50k BTU of heat into your basement. The water heater uses say 25k BTUs of that to heat the water, you now have to pump 25k BTU MORE into your basement to maintain the same temperature, and you're now powering the compressor on the hot water heater as well as saving no extra power.
Both of these are higher, but the electric heat pump model is $2700 now! It almost seems as if they've raised the price so they can benefit from the rebates.
Also for the heat pump water heaters you dpnt necessarily need a floor drain, a automatic sump pump can take it to where you need it. And in cold climates sticking out the wall will not work. It will freeze. Tried it with my RO system.
Or let the cat drink it.
Never ran across AO Smith. I have always bought Reems. Never a single problem with them.
"I have always bought Reems"...not trolling you here, but sounds like you bought a LOT of 'Reems' (Rheem)...like, how many and how frequently? If your buying a new 'Reem" every 5-7 years (just guessing here), that ain't what I would describe as a quality product.
Appreciate the informative videos Matt! Keep it up 👍🏻
In winter the HP units add load to central heat so not worth in cold climate. You pay oil (or electric resistive) for heat then the HP sucks that heat into water ends up paying the energy twice.
I am planning to replace mine. It’s in the garage and worried from fan noise !! How loud is the electric vent fan ???
Great video. This really helped as I begin my search. I did notice this video is now 4 years old. Are there any differences or improvements on the hybrid model? Do they perform better now than 4 years ago? Thank you!
The heat pump unit also has electric coils as backup where if the heat pump can’t keep up the electric coils kick in
I have a 50 gallon Rheem Performance Platinum Hybrid water heater that uses the heat pump technology. Water heater installed in September 2018. I absolutely love this water heater. I have 5 people in my house and if we all take a quick shower the last person can still have a little warm water left when they begin their shower but they better hurry it may get cold soon. Haha. The water heater has a setting that you can enable that will allow the heating elements to operate at the same time as the heat pump which allows for faster water heating than the heat pump alone. We live in KY and the water heater is extremely efficient. Costing about $7/month to operate in the warmer months and about $15/month in the cooler months. Love this water heater.
the supply house which usually go sale a.o smith too, but they are prolite model commercial grade. got brass drain valve and two layer glass coating.
AO Smith also has a line of tankless by name of "State Water Heaters" out of Tennessee. I know you are a fan of tankless when appropriate, so wonder what is your opinion of the "State" tankless products. These State water heaters are now available through local Costco Warehouse stores at a big discount, but only for the water heater. Installation is by your own plumber. What do you know or think about the State tankless products?
I’ll take the gas one in 40-60gal
I know building science is your thing so you spend a lot of time on energy efficiency and durability of the envelope but it would be nice to see some videos on interior finishes and floorplan design. Perhaps a kitchen tour, paint types, or some trim carpentry video's
The heat pump version can be run as a hybrid, no? Isn't that what those two black plastic plates are for on the front of the unit? Aren't those elements?
So after all of your high praise on Lowes website I went there to check out hybrid water heaters. Link broken. I navigate from the home page- Plumbing/Water Heaters (by category) / Electric... Link says, "Whoops!
This link or address no longer works, so let's try something else"
My thought: lets try another company with a website that works... very frustrating.
Mike K there is only 1 brand where the refrigerant circuit DOES NOT GO INTO THE WATER CIRCUIT, but bu a shrink fit circuit AROUND THE TANK STEILBRON ELECTRIC it’s from GERMANY
We used a similar brand system,,where the refrigerant circuit , was around the tanks,,worked excellently,,consider this a circuit failure where water gets in the refrigerant circuit with 1400lbs of gas
At the beginning of the video there was a disclosure in the bottom left corner that said;
This is a paid ADVERTISEMENT, or something to that effect. Smart on Lowe’s part using Matt. Unfortunately for Matt his credibility as a objective evaluator takes a hit
Hay Matt , I live down in San Antonio . I really like your show . I'm a master Woodwright 30 years experience . Now disabled from a really bad auto wreck . I live in a used mobile Home . Do you think you could do me a favor . Do a few on mobile homes.
I agree. It's like 1:30 in the morning and I just had to crawl under the house, to cut off my water. It's winter, and there's like 4 inches of snow on the ground. It was a sight to see I'm sure.
Pretty sure the AO Smith hybrid water heater is, indeed, a hybrid, and if run in hybrid mode it will call upon a conventional heating element to recover the temperature if the load is high. Also pretty sure you could run it in "efficiency" mode which means "heat pump only," in which case the temp recovery problem would be as described.
This is basically an Air conditioner in reverse. Oh the joy of dealing with another AC unit and how expensive it will be to fix, just like any house or car unit.
Mr. Risinger and his everlasting love of hot water heaters haha...Merry Christmas everyone!
I have an AO Smith 50 gallon gas (running propane) power vent hot water tank and we've never run out of hot water even with back to back showers and baths. My only complaint is how loud the fan is.
I called City of Austin Power to get more information on their rebates and they told me that only homes that are 10 years or older will qualify for the rebate, not new construction.
Dude....don't forget the attic! Living in Texas you know that! Interesting how you totally omitted the attic. 🤔
It is 100% A Rheem by HOME DEPOT!! Way way better than the AO Smith.
As always I'm a big fan of natural gas water heaters I think both are top of the line but I'm sticking with the gas water heater. Thanks
So I am in the pursuit of getting rid of gas out of my house, I bought all electric appliances and love all of them. Last thing is water heater and heat. These two require a newly designed house. This isn't exactly a cookie cutter idea, and an on the shelf item. But I'm curious on the other ways to heat water. Can you get more efficient then these systems. Say for instance trying a geothermal system in to heat water, I know solar thermal is quite efficient but seems to complex. It would be cool to see videos on the not so common systems.
Townsend Jason I had never heard of ‘GEOTHERMAL ‘just for domestic w/h, usually if for either cooling,,or heat pump , for comfort.
Yea I'm not saying just for hot water and not for house heat. I'm wondering how both of those would work together. I actually uavent seen a system that uses the geothermal to heat water as well.
If you have a geothermal system to heat and cool your home you can also use that same system to literally get free hot water if your geothermal unit is equipped with a HWG (hot water generator). This generator pipes directly from your geothermal unit into your hot water heater.
That's a good price for a 75000 gallon water heater lol
you mean 75 gallon :)
@@Newzchspy matt goofed up around 9 minutes and said 75,000 gallons
@@james6794 yup I noticed that. and smiled. no one is perfect..
Pretty impressive to get all that in a little tank
@@AnythingOutdoorswithSteve he also goofed up with the weight
I just commented on another water heater video you listed and now see this one. Oddly, I just purchased and installed an AO Smith 40 gal Signature Gas Water Heater here (From Lowes) in 2017. It has a conventional flue outlet and standing pilot. AO Smith is one of those old names in water heaters like Rheem. As to whether or not they are still the AO Smith from years ago is a good question. I believe Energy labels go back to the late 1970s when the "Energy" era got started with appliances. Scale (Mineral Content) in water heaters is going to accumulate whether you drain them 5 times a years or not at all and some of that depends on the quality of the water (Hardness). And to quote a comment on the web: Mineral content in water sticks to everything water touches. Heating the water makes it even more sticky I imagine. Calgon (CALcium GONe) was developed to fight these problems...
You might want to consider doing an episode on water conservation or ways to limit water usage for high drought areas.
It’s called taking a navy shower.
Lowe’s used to sell Whirlpool water heaters and they got lousy reviews. I’m not surprised that they finally switched to selling A. O. Smith.
One item you did not mention, which could not be demonstrated in video w/non-operating HPWH, is what level db's does this produce in operation? I'd also be curious what sort of CFM of air they need. Our residence has detached garage and no basement thus those placement options are not tenable. I can place in laundry area which is off rear entry, behind kitchen but 20' from living/entertaining area. For reference, the laundry machines are modern front loaders which are reasonably quiet but we do not run them when we are entertaining in living room. The alternative is to place in utility room off kitchen where hydronic system boiler and ERV system is located which is 36sq ft but is non-vented and reasonably sound proof.
wheres the link to the video about sediment inside the heaters?
Would it be beneficial to have a buffer tank for the electric model, like a standard water tank to preheat the water, just to help with the recovery? Thanks if you can help
No it would not as it would still cost you heat the water being preheated in the extra water heater!
Well depends on the electric situation if you’re guess you’re good to go because you’re good to go with the gas gas or support anything but electric not so much you Gotta make sure that your electric power support that electric water heater
Thank you. Good info...needing to replace an electric water heater.
Just did a heat pump 65gal water heater install back in October - was super easy, and have already noticed a drop in electric bill.
Perfect...thanks
I switched to heat pump water heater back in june. huge drop in electric. watch matts other videos and look at the rheem (one i got) being able to duct it is a huge plus!
Just what I needed, thanks!
Definitely Brandon.
@@buildshow how about a video on your sanden mini split ? And the cost
Matt do you have any comparisons on Liquid Propane water heaters?
My new home has a pair of 50 gallon State electric water heaters that are piped in series. The EnergyGuide sticker shows $555/year. That's each. By comparison, the 50-gallon version of this heat pump model shows $114/year. That's $882/year in savings. I could replace both of my current heaters with a pair of the heat pump models and they would pay for themselves in under 3 years.
Iain, why do you need 100 gallons of hw?
@@Bob.W. It must be because he can get by with less than the 125 gallons I have. I have an 80 that I turn on only when we have a house full of guests or during the colder part of winter. The rest of the time it just acts as a tempering tank for the 45 which runs year round.
You don't get any say about what anybody else needs or wants.
@@Sylvan_dB i wasn't having a say. There was no criticism, implied or direct. You just assumed there was.
Thanks for mentioning the airflow at the end. My water heater is in a closet.
Need to make a hybrid version. Use a heat pump to Recover the excess heat from the flute gasses.
Just finished installing a unit 10 minutes ago - I viewed your earlier vid on water heaters as a guide . . . didn't buy from Lowe's though :(
AO smith just had one of the biggest recalls in the industry something like 160k+ units.Go American standard if you want your money’s worth
There are vids and reviews online showing how the Smith gas heater comes on and sounds like a freight train. Even after two service visits it's still howling
It be nice if talk about tank life and detail warranty
Check your utility companies for rebates too 👏🏽
If you have time, Matt, do you have a presentation of tankless hot water heaters? Mine is over 10 years old (Phx, AZ) and a tank unit would need to be outdoors in a new build closet.
Dumb question. You mentioned the nearly % 30 loss energy in the gas model and then remarked on the low exhaust temps at the flue. Where then are the losses occurring? My old style unit exhausts high flue gas temps.
A condensing gas water heater can get up to 96% efficiency, because they extract so much energy from the burned gas that the water vapor produced condenses back to liquid water. These units have a secondary heat exchanger. However, the one he discussed is not a condensing unit, so it doesn't have as high of an efficiency. It's still a lot better than the old-style kind (like you have) that needs metal flues and masonry chimneys because of the high flue gas temperature. The losses come from the limitations of how long and how intimately the hot gases can be in contact with the heat exchanger (and thermodynamics, of course). The 70% efficiency models do a better job than the 50% efficiency models, but they aren't perfect. You have to go to the condensing style water heaters to do even better. That is also why the more efficient units need a fan to force the air up the flue--the lower the temperature of the exhaust, the less draft there is.
We can vent it PVC bc it’s so efficient, the fan is one of the many things that make it efficient…
I live in the south now. And for some reason they put these water heaters in the attic. What brand of 50 gallon electric would you trust if you had to replace one. I think I have a state 50 gallon electric water heater there now. Coming up on 12 years but no problems. Just want to replace it and I’m not sure I would buy anything from Lowes or Home Depot because the fittings look cheap and plastic.
6:10 I wish you would do more information about colder climates.
I know, I know, you are in Texas and that is where your expert advice works best. I want your expert advice like this for cold climates. ;-)
I agree and I know hes got a ton of northern viewers... you can see it in his comments lol
I have found heat pump water heaters to recover faster in units that have a high demand mode using both the electric element and the heat-pump much faster than gas.
that ac electric unit seems a good option for hot weathers were you need the aditional cooling it provides!
Love Lowe's, that's where I get all my appliances. My gas water heater is awesome and vents out with the high efficiency furnace too!
right now my hot water heater is about 6 feet from my furnace. would the heat pump one have a negative effect on my furnace?
Thanks I need one I had hope to get one the same size
The average person is not looking for a $2,000 water heater . Come back down to the $400-$600 range.
From what I've seen changing an anode on the heat pump model is a real pain. I think professional plumbers must love all the money they make from maintaining them.
Best water heater is the Whirlpool tall model with 12-year warranty and digital controls.
I hate that computerized crap when that computer module It cost around 180 dollars to replace