Finally Installed GE Hybrid Heat Pump Need Advice

rberq wrote:OK, measurement begins today. I installed a meter at the inlet to my Superstore tank, so I can measure how much domestic hot water I use per month. I know from several years of records that I average 22 gallons of oil per month to make hot water. Also I just filled the oil tank a week ago, so beginning metering of water and beginning drawdown of the oil tank coincide. So in a few months I should have pretty accurate figures as to how many gallons of hot water a gallon of oil will make. Then it will be very easy to calculate the savings (or not) of switching to an electric water heater.

One year later. The meter shows about 1,000 gallons of hot water per month (below average because it's just two people). Oil usage dropped significantly from the 22 gallons per month when I reduced the boiler high-limit. Without burdening you with the calculations, the cold-start oil boiler with Superstor was running between 25 and 30 per cent efficient. That is, one gallon of oil = 140,000 BTU, but only 35,000 to 40,000 BTU delivered to the water. Even with our high electric rates, I estimate savings of $25 to $30 per month for an electric heater, which has now been installed and should pay for itself in less than two years.

Interesting findings.

Prior to installing my AA-130 boiler, I had an electric HWH to which I had a ground source heat pump open looped into for heating the DHW.

When installing the boiler I removed the 20 year old electric water heater and added a Amtrol Boilermate indirect water heater and also added valving and piping to allow the ground source heat pump to loop (closed-loop) into the indirect HWH when the boiler is off.

This heat pump was installed 16 years ago and although I haven't done any calculation, I expect it has paid for itself long ago. And it heats and cools the house when desired/required.

opps

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Heat pumps, in general, are great machines, if applied correctly. heat pump water heaters should over take resistance electric water as the most popular as energy prices increase. The proper environment to operate in is critical. A basement or crawlspace is an almost un limited source of free low grade heat perfect for a heat pump water heater. I install many of these, and people notice the reduction in electric bill every month.

I'm very happy with my GE Hybrid water heater and have barley seen an increase in electricity usage. We can take 3 showers back to back before we start running out.

Already did the calculations. It's two of us in the house with minimal HW usage. I estimate $60 per month for DHW. An electric water heater would run us about 40 a month. Savings of 20 per month.

I estimated about 850 to buy a water heater and get it installed. That includes the necessary electrical work and permits.

It would take me almost 4 years just to break even. Thats assuming I have a spare 850 bucks just laying around waiting to be spent which I don't.

I know it takes a while to break even but for me it was also making a statement that I will not pay the outrageous prices for oil if I don't have to. Funny thing is that this is an old thread and today my heat pump went out. Weird timing.

blrman07 wrote:Already did the calculations. It's two of us in the house with minimal HW usage. I estimate $60 per month for DHW. An electric water heater would run us about 40 a month. Savings of 20 per month.

I estimated about 850 to buy a water heater and get it installed. That includes the necessary electrical work and permits.

It would take me almost 4 years just to break even. Thats assuming I have a spare 850 bucks just laying around waiting to be spent which I don't.

A slight bit of a chnge, but instead of using a very expensive hybrid use a regular electric hot water heater.I paid for mine in one summer,I used to use a half tank of oil during the summer just for DHW and with the price of oil thats a very fast payback.

I was thinking of doing the same thing Dennis. We average about 1 gallon of fuel oil per day in the summer for just hot water, which at current prices is $114 per month. My last electric bill worked out to $0.10 per Kwh, so I'm sure it would cut the hot water bill substantially if I switched to electric. The only thing stopping me is my EFM...it costs about $30 less per month (to heat all of our hot water) compared to the oil boiler, and it also eliminates the need for a dehumidifier in the basement...which I'm guessing is $20 per month or so. With that factored in, the breakeven on an electric water heater is considerably longer...and if I have to replace $100 worth of flue pipe on the EFM every couple years, the math looks even worse. Maybe I should just save my pennies for a TT delivery of coal and keep the EFM burning.

Rob R. wrote:my EFM...it costs about $30 less per month (to heat all of our hot water) compared to the oil boiler, and it also eliminates the need for a dehumidifier in the basement...

So for you the hybrid water heater would be perfect, since its heat pump acts as a dehumidifier. If the dehumidifying was high enough capacity....

Well jeez, I hadn't thought of that.

I will have to do some research on those when the time comes. One thing I'm curious about...capacity & recovery. Our hot water demand is hardly slow and steady, it is more like a "shock load" morning and again at night.

I would like to switch my clothes dryer from electric to natural gas. Then at the same time, switch the natural gas water heater over to the Heat Pump electric type. I agree that the heat pumps ability to dehumidify the basement air as my primary reasoning. A damp and humid basement is an uncomfortable place and did substantial damage to my tools, and especially the unprotected Leisure Line.

I just purchased one of these and got a heck of a deal, was thinking of plumbing the old hwh into the stove but now think I'm going to wait and see what happens. good reading on others findings with theirs, thank you, love this site..,

EarthWindandFire wrote:I would like to switch my clothes dryer from electric to natural gas. Then at the same time, switch the natural gas water heater over to the Heat Pump electric type.

Wouldn't natural gas beat electricity in price, for heating water, even with the heat pump??? My cellar does not stay warm enough in winter to make a heat pump practical, at least I don't think so. Typically anywhere from 35 to 45 degrees.

35-45 degrees??! I bet you have a fine set of LL Bean slippers!