How Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Changing the Game

​Heat pump hot water heaters

How Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Changing the Game

How Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Changing the Game 1828 1616 Chinook

Today, preserving our planet and being responsible inhabitants is more important than ever; also important is saving money. ​Heat pump hot water heaters can make this lifestyle a reality.

​Heat pump hot water heaters work in basically the same manner a refrigerator works only in reverse obviously; cooling vs heating. Basically, it moves heat from the air into the water tank for heating the water. It stands to reason, that these types of systems work best in warmer climates.

What are the savings when using ​heat pump hot water heaters?

These ​heat pump hot water heaters can cut the amount of electricity needed to heat your water by more than half! Producing hot water is second only to space heating in terms of energy consumption.

Testing the heat pump hot water heaters was difficult, as a standard laboratory test could not accommodate for the variances in climates. NRDC partnered with Ecotope to model and analyze the performance of three types of water heaters:

  • Convention Hot Water Heaters
  • “Hybrid” Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters-These use the heat pump mode the majority of the time, but are equipped with a back-up resistive heating element for times when either air temperature conditions are compromised or demand on the system is too high.
  • Pure Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters-These use a larger capacity heat pump, thus they do not require the resistive element.

COP (coefficient of performance) score were assigned to each based on performance. The score is determined by the amount of energy delivered as hot water divided by the amount of electrical energy used by the water heater. A score of COP2 means a unit is twice as efficient and uses half of the energy of a COP1 unit.

Check out more detailed results here.

Aren’t they more expensive?

It is true that a heat pump hot water heater is more expensive to buy and install, but check out utility and tax rebates that might be available to help offset some of the cost. The big savings however or the ROI comes over the typical 13-year lifespan of a water heater. Savings can be up to 60% lower depending on electricity rates and coefficient of performance.

The results speak for themselves, save the planet and save money. Give Chinook a call today and see if a heat pump hot water heater is the solution for you.