The Best Hybrid Water Heater Reviews (Heat Pump)

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All water heaters, irrespective of how efficient they are, eventually outlive their shelf-life. So in essence, once your water heater degrades at the end of its life expectancy, you have the challenge of picking a substitute. Fortunately for you, hybrid water heater reviews focus your awareness on what’s arguably the best hybrid pump water heaters on the market in 2021. With any kind of the best hybrid water heater as your go-to replacement when your former unit dies, you can be certain that you’re going to make an informed selection.

Top 3 Hybrid Water Heaters in 2021

Best Hybrid Water Heaters/Heat Pump Water Heaters Reviewed

Stiebel Eltron 220e Accelera

Stiebel Eltron 220e Accelera is the best heat pump water heater that is designed for maximum efficiency, as well as comfort. This model has a capacity of 58 gallons. However, there’s also the option of 80 gallons if you have a bigger household.

This is a highly efficient heat pump water heater that can help you reduce your hot water costs by as much as 80%. To achieve maximum efficiency, the heat pump water heater uses a few features. First of all, it’s the design of the tank with a high level of insulation that prevents heat loss.

Secondly, the design has the cold water staying at the bottom of the tank and a specially engineered backup element at the top of the tank. Both of these features add to the lower energy usage. Moreover, this hybrid water heater is equipped with a highly efficient rolling piston compressor motor.

For quiet operation, the heater is built with sound dampening insulation and a heavy duty quiet fan. On top of that, this water heater is also designed for hygienic performance. It features an aluminum condenser that wraps around the tank, which does not come into contact with the potable water. And it also includes a glass lined tank design.

Besides heating water, the surrounding air dehumidifies and cools. The benefit of a hybrid pump water heater is that ejected cooled air can potentially be used for cooling the home and to decrease overall energy consumption.

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A.O. Smith FPTU-80 Vortex

If you’re looking for a large capacity hybrid water heater, we recommend checking out the A.O. Smith PFTU-80 Vortex. This model is a good hybrid electric water heater, employing both heat pumps and electric heating elements to enhance recovery after usage. According to manufacturer’s reviews, this combination draws savings for consumers as it reduces water heating costs up to 73%.

Reliance hybrid water heater comes with a reliable digital display to offer customized temperature selection and choice of operating modes. Moreover, it allows you to inspect the operating status.

This hybrid water heater has four operating modes to produce more hot water or to protect from freezing or prevent unwelcome energy loss. They include efficient, hybrid, electric, and vacation modes. The first three modes you can select depending on the environmental conditions and your level of demand for hot water.

As for the vacation mode, it’s perfect for those times when you’re away for extended periods of time. It provides both freeze protection for the unit and helps to reduce operating costs.

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Electrolux EE66WP35PS Heat Pump Water Heater

Finally, a water heater that’s eco-friendly. The Electrolux EE66WP30PS Energy Star Electric heat pump water heater consumes 70 % less energy than conventional electric water tanks. This water heater meets the Northern Climate Tier 2 Certification and surpasses present Energy Star standards by delivering the most reliable and efficient water heating in its division.

However, this hybrid water heater is not only efficient. It’s also durable. Both the exterior and interior of the tank are made of premium stainless steel. This design provides long term durability.

As for its capacity, it can hold 66 gallons. It provides a consistent hot water supply, ensuring that you don’t have to deal with the problem of running out of hot water.

When operating this hybrid water heater, you can choose between three operating modes. They are auto, econ, heater. This offers versatility since you can choose the perfect option for your particular application.

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What Is a Hybrid Water Heater?

To comprehend the principles of a hybrid pump water heater, envision a refrigerator functioning in reverse. A refrigerator eliminates heat from its confined housing and ejects heat into the air, while a hybrid water heater seizes heat from ambient air and heats up the water in the tank.

Top hybrid water heaters have an integrated evaporator fan and compressor that draws ambient heat from the air to heat the cool liquid refrigerant. This process triggers the compression of liquid to gas, to increase the temperature of the gaseous refrigerant.

This hot gaseous refrigerant transports heat via transfer coils towards the bottom of the storage tank, whilst distributing heat to the water inside. This causes a transformation phase to occur by changing the refrigerant from the hot gas to a warm liquid. The warm liquid refrigerant then travels through expansion valves to cool, and the system repeats itself.

Hybrid water heaters are arguably more economical than mainstream electric water heaters; however, the start-up cost is higher, and you may experience problems causing further difficulties during their use. Considering that a good hybrid electric heater has a fan, care should be taken during installation to prevent blockages within intake or outflow regions. Additionally, a hybrid water heater has water filters that need to be washed regularly, otherwise, the unit may cease to work, if at all.

Summary:

• Absorbs ambient heat from surrounding air using an integrated evaporator fan and compressor to heat up and transform the cool liquid refrigerant into gas.
• Hot gaseous refrigerant transports heat via transfer coils to the bottom of the storage tank in order to transfer heat in liquid form through the expansion valves to heat the water inside.
• Heat pump water heaters are more economical than mainstream electric water heaters.
• Start-up costs are higher than electric resistance heaters.
• The water filter and integrated fan should be taken care of and washed regularly to maintain optimum operations.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid/Heat Pump Water Heaters

So, what are the pros and cons of purchasing a hybrid or/heat pump water heater compared to traditional water heaters? With any new application technology, most hybrid water heaters reduce the cost of hot production as they are 2.5 times more energy efficient, in conjunction with lowering carbon emissions and providing greater per-annum savings in fair weather climates.

Therefore, the following key points outline the benefits and drawbacks of hybrid water heaters. Most people have installed standard water heaters in our homes. For these reasons, these reviews provide a multifaceted overview as to whether these water heaters are right for your home.

Pros:

• Cools the surrounding mechanical space in the summer, causing the area next to the water heater to feel more comfortable.
• Uses excess waste heat from the central furnace throughout the winter months.
• Can save $330 per annum for a family of four, contingent on water usage and electricity rates.
• Hybrid water heaters are arguably more economical than electric resistance water heaters and pay for themselves over 2-3 years or so.
• Consumers save 60% on expenditures compared to regular electric water heaters, whereas only 10%-20% will be saved in the winter months.
• Rather than burning hydrocarbons, or use brute force with electrical resistance heaters, a hybrid water heater utilizes technology identical to refrigerators, by drawing heat from ambient air and deposited into your hot water.

Cons:

• The cost to run a heat pump water heater is twofold compared to electric resistance water heaters.
• The compressor makes a noticeable noise. Insulating the mechanical space can diminish the sound, but decreases hot air volume for the hybrid water heater to exploit.
• The heating system works arduously in the winter months since it produces more cold air whilst functioning.
• Additional space is required for air flow (1,000 cubic feet) and for the condensation drain or pump.
• Slow recovery time can be an issue when the demand for hot water is high.
• A hybrid water heater saves significant energy per annum, but the net performance drops in during the winter months because a hybrid water heater cools the surrounding mechanical space. During the summer the air conditioning doubles; however, during exceptionally cold winters, the temperature can drop by 47 degrees F, which is not helpful.
• Hybrid water heaters have a fairly slow recovery rate.
• The key issue is that hybrid water heaters have very noisy built-in fans and compressors, so basements need to have decent acoustic isolation in the surrounding mechanical water heater space. For example, wall insulation, plus retrofit ceiling and flooring.

Hybrid Water Heater Installation Requirements

Are you swapping the old water heater and replacing it with a good hybrid water heater? Smart move. Preceding installation, you should check the following guidelines to ensure that the hybrid water heater works in your home.

• A hybrid water heater should ideally be installed in large dry storage spaces with high ceilings, comprising of garages, attics, or closets. Prior to installation, the mechanical space should have louvered doors to pull air from different regions. It’s also desirable to have a condensate drain; however, the drain line can either be run outside or a pump can be added.
• Moreover, the hybrid water heater should be positioned within a large secluded area protected from freezing temperatures. Wherever the heater is placed, you need to consider that any rooms next to the hybrid water heater will be cooler after the removal of surrounding hot air.
• Shut off the water and power supply, drain off the leftover water, and disconnect electronic connections, and label all the wires. Afterward, place the drain pan (two inches larger than the base of the water heater), and set the new water heater on top of the drain pan beneath the water supply lines, before proceeding to the next step.
• To insert your new-fangled hybrid water heater, solder the fittings onto the water pipes within the new system. Sound advice is to utilize thread sealant for both the hot and cold unions, especially if you’re recycling old fittings and water pipes. Afterward, attach your water heater to the shut-off valves on both the hot and cold water supply lines.
• With the condensate drain, ensure the drain line upholds a downward slope for appropriate drainage via gravity to avoid clogging. Also, be careful to direct the drain lines away from live electrical components.
• In order to fill the tank, firstly ensure the drain valve is closed, and then open the shut-off valves connected to the cold-water supply line. Gradually open hot water faucets so air is expelled through the water heater and piping. Now reconnect the existing electrical cables as labeled earlier by following the manufacturer’s directions, and turn the power back on using the codes on the control panel.
• Finally, adjust the water and high temperature settings as desired through the control panel, where the average water heater is set to 135 degrees Fahrenheit; however, choosing lower temperatures ensures you can save money.

Steps:

1. Drain and detach the outmoded water heater.
2. Fix a panel onto the basement wall, then attach the hybrid water heater to the panel.
3. Connect the water heater exhaust vent to the outdated vent pipe.
4. Fasten a fresh-air line onto the top of the water heater.
5. Attach the hot and cold water system to the water supply line, and attach a contemporary gas line onto the side of the heater.
6. Connect a temperature and pressure release valve with a clearance pipe.
7. Attach a condensate drain line with a limestone neutralizer to siphon underneath the heater.
8. For bigger households, install a recirculation pump to guarantee hot water is obtainable at far away plumbing fixtures.
9. Turn off the heater and fine-tune the water temperature to approximately 120-degrees F.

Buying Guide for Choosing the Best Hybrid Water Heater

When you consider the pros and cons of a good hybrid water heater, you have come to the right place. Based on the reviews, you need to consider where the unit will be installed in your household, the convenience of the model type, and the best energy factor for money saving efficiency. Therefore, finding a new hybrid water heater is a key concern that ought not to be taken lightly.

Promises a life span of consistent hot water

One major factor when shopping for the best unit is durability, which meets the demand for life-long service. Even if gallons of water pass through the heater every day, the tank should ideally retain a full tank, provide your household with consistent hot water, and maintain its exquisite sleek appearance.

Minimizes Reserve Heat Losses

The best hybrid water heaters feature energy efficient designs to prevent the consumption of large amounts of energy. Ideally, the unit should combine thermal energy efficiency and built-in insulation to minimize heat loss when the hot water is not in use. Owing to these features, you can obtain hot water whenever you like without paying hefty electricity bills.

Offers a Good Temperature Range

During the installation of your hybrid water heater, you have the freedom to decide how the water heater is to be used. The adjustable thermostat allows the temperature range to be changed based on your liking.

High Recovery Rate

Hybrid water heaters advantageously have high recovery rates, indicating multiple people can have hot showers in fast succession without waiting for the water to reheat itself like conventional heaters.

Tank Size

Many hybrid heat pumps take the time to heat the water. Therefore, it is paramount to keep a large tank of hot ready for a sudden surge in demand. The majority of hybrid water heaters can store between 50 to 80 gallons.

if you are a regular childless couple with no peak hot water hour, then a 50-gallon tank should suffice. However, if your family has at least two or/three teenage children having morning showers, then the water will run out pretty quickly.

In these cases, the best advice is to buy an 80-gallon tank. The size and type of use is an important factor whilst shopping for the appliance because it gives an estimation of the amount of electrical power that the water heater will consume per annum.

Fuel Type

The attractiveness of hybrid water heaters is they can be gas-fired by natural gas or propane or by electrical power, whilst other high-quality models use surrounding air as their fuel type. As a result, you can utilize the default water-heater fuel type accessible in your household during the installation of these hybrid designs. Overall, the selection of another fuel usually indicates additional installation costs.

Energy Factor

The energy factor for hybrid water heaters is the ratio of heat output to energy input passing into the water pump device. Hybrid water heaters comprise of energy factors that are more efficient than the majority of water heaters. The calculation of the energy factor is founded on unbiased regulating standards cultivated by the Department of Energy. This is fantastic as there is no leeway to confuse customers with unclear data. and delivers a dependable tool to compare different water heater designs.

First Hour Rating

The DoE is explicit data concerning hybrid water heaters. It expresses how many gallons of hot water are produced in the water heater over one hour. This information is also dependent on the tank size, the power of the electric resistance heater, and the heat pump.

This is referred to as the First Hour Rating, which is measured at the inlet of water temperature set at 40°F when the unit’s thermostat is set to 135°F. At this point, water is pulled at 3 gallons per minute until the temperature falls below 135°F. The first hour rating is the total volume of hot water used by the new unit in the first hour.

First hour rating is extremely useful to estimate if the water heater is able to maintain your household’s peak hour hot water requirements. Whilst shopping for a new hybrid water heater, ensure you check the DoE page for Sizing a New Water Heater.

Bottom Line

Choosing the best hybrid water heater is a confounding task. Selections are based on predilections of whether your household has a large mechanical space, the number of operating modes each unit contains, the type and tank size, the number of people living at your home, and the start-up costs compared to traditional electric resistance heaters.

Conditional on the manufacturer’s blueprint, the choice of hybrid water heaters may depend on the energy factor, and the First Hour Rating to compare different designs, and to judge if the new appliance is able to maintain your household’s peak hour hot water needs.

The choice of the top rated hybrid water heaters is also swayed by the recovery rate based on the number of people in the household having showers, and the fuel type (i.e. propane or natural gas). Such features affect the choice of hybrid water heaters because additional installation costs increase start-up costs.

To wrap up, after reading these hybrid water heater reviews, users can choose the best option that aligns with their personal needs.