For many homeowners, “out of sight, out of mind” is the popular perspective when it comes to the water heater, but that might not be the best perspective.
Your water heater could be the most inefficient appliance in your home, accounting for up to 18 percent of your electric bill.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Hybrid water heaters could be the energy efficient water heater option you’ve been needing.
So what is a hybrid hot water heater and how does it work? Understanding how it works can help you determine if it’s a good fit for your home.
What is a Hybrid Water Heater?
A hybrid water heater is a hot water heater that can heat water in two ways. Hybrid hot water heaters combine all the things that work about standard hot water heaters, while adding in the benefit of an energy-efficient pump.
What is a hybrid electric water heater?
There are different types of hybrid hot water heaters, but usually, hybrid water heaters use electricity to move heat rather than generating their own heat like standard electric water heaters.
Their hybrid aspect comes in during periods of high hot water use in a home, when hybrid hot water heaters can switch to standard electric resistance heating automatically.
Heat pump water heaters, another name for hybrid water heaters, can use up to 63 percent less energy than traditional water heaters thanks to their combination of traditional water heating and tankless heating.
How do Hybrid Water Heaters Work?
Hybrid hot water heaters essentially work like a refrigerator but in reverse order. They use the heat from outside air and draw it into the evaporator coils. While a refrigerator expels hot air to cool the contents inside, a hybrid hot water heater pumps air in, heating the water.
The air is drawn to the evaporator coils, where refrigerant allows the coils to absorb heat and thereby heat the water, all before passing the water through pipes to showers, faucets, and other appliances.
A hybrid hot water heater doesn’t run all the time, which helps it sustain its efficiency. During periods of high hot water demand, the hot water tank fills to help increase the amount of hot water being supplied to different areas in the home.
What are Benefits of a Hybrid Water Heater?
What is a hybrid hot water heater’s impact on your home? Here are some benefits to consider:
1. Increased Efficiency = Lower Electric Bills
Hybrid hot water heaters use 60 percent less energy than traditional water heaters, saving homeowners big time on energy bills.
By compressing heat from outside air and electric motors only used when hot water demand is high, hybrid hot water heaters can save homeowners on electricity and lower their energy bills.
2. Heating Efficiency
The fact that hybrid hot water heaters use outside air to heat the water brings up a question about winter temperatures: do colder temperatures increase heating costs for a hybrid water heater? The answer is “no.”
No matter the surrounding temperatures, a hybrid hot water heater maintains low energy consumption and hot water efficiency.
3. Low-Cost Hot Water at High Demands
If you live in a home with several residents, are used to having guests, or simply enjoy taking long showers, you’ve likely experienced a lack of hot water at some point or another. Hybrid hot water heaters do a much better job of handling the hot water demands of a large family or luxurious showers, at a fraction of the cost.
4. Affordability
Hybrid hot water heaters are available for a much more affordable cost than many standard hot water heaters.
The amount a homeowner can save by installing a hot water heater, not only in installation price but in maintenance as well, can make the upgrade worthwhile. Keeping hybrid water heaters healthy isn’t as expensive as many standard hot water heaters.
How are They Installed?
For a hybrid hot water heater to be properly installed, all the power and water valves will need to be shut off and then the old water heater will need to be removed and disposed of appropriately.
After determining the correct size hybrid water heater needed for the home, it will need to be set in place and then the fittings will need to be connected.
After this, the water supply will need to be hooked up, the condensation drain line installed, the tank filled, and the power returned.
It’s important that your hybrid water heater be installed in an area of your home that will stay between 40°F and 90°F.
Looking to Upgrade Your Water Heater?
To fully understand what a hybrid electric water heater can do for your home requires a conversation about your specific needs. The experts at John C. Flood will be happy to help you.
For assistance in installing your hybrid hot water heater, maintaining it, or for any other plumbing requests, our licensed technicians will gladly provide you high quality service.
We’re even offering $150 off any water heater installation, so contact our team today! Call 703-214-5611 for Same Day Service today!
