HostPooling Pool and Spa Services and Supplies

HostPooling Pool and Spa Services and Supplies

Electric Water

A.O. Smith Voltex® Hybrid Electric Water Heaters (Heat Pump)

The Voltex hybrid water heater mates a heat pump water heater with an electric storage water heater. Heat pump water heaters are very efficient. They operate much like your refrigerator or air conditioner. They pull heat out of the air and instead of transferring it to back to the air as your air conditioner does, it uses it to heat water.

Pulling latent heat out of the ambient air is much more energy efficient than just generating the heat with electricity. By limiting the electric heating elements to back up heating when the heat pump can't meet demand, and letting the heat pump do most of the work, you get a very energy efficient water heater. Any tank standby losses are small compared to the energy savings from latent heat recovery.

Heat pumps are not perfect. A heat pump has a harder time pulling heat out of the air as the temperature decreases. By the time the ambient air temperature reaches 40 to 45 degrees heat pumps are no longer efficient. The lower the ambient temperature the longer it takes the pump to heat the water too.

The Voltex units wrap the storage tank with a long copper pipe under the insulation to transfer the heat from the heat pump to the water instead of using an internal heat exchanger. Since heat pumps need a lot of air to obtain the needed heat, you should not use them in small rooms like closets or utility rooms unless the room is well vented.

Voltex hybrid heat pump water heaters have several modes of operation that are selectable from the control panel.

Efficiency Mode
The most energy-efficient setting uses only the heat pump for heating the water. The electric heating elements will not operate in this mode.

Hybrid Mode
This mode uses the heat pump for efficiency, but will use the element for quick recovery following increased hot water usage. It's more efficient that electric only but not as efficient as heat pump only operation.

Conventional Electric Mode
In conventional mode, the heater works like a conventional electric water heater. In this mode you won't save any energy over a conventional storage water heater.

Vacation Mode
Vacation mode keeps the tank temperature at 60°F (15.6°C) during vacation or extended absence to reduce energy costs and to provide freeze protection for the water heater.

A.O. Smith has two models, a 60 gallon model and an 80 gallon model. The 60 gallon model when in Efficiency mode has an energy factor of 2.4 and a first hour recovery rating of 51 gallons.

In Hybrid mode it has an EF of 2.33 and a first hour recovery of 68 gallons.

In Electric mode the EF is .88 and the recovery is 66 gallons.

As with the other models discussed the Voltex is Eligible for the 30% Federal tax credit.

 

Hybrid heat pump water heaters are completely compatible with hot water circulating systems and hot water demand systems.  By incorporating a hot water demand system into your homes hot water plumbing you will save water as well as energy. It will make your homes plumbing truly green.

About the Author

Water Heating and Circulating Systems Small Bathroom Designs

 

Water Heating and Going Green Spas, Steam Baths, Body-Sprays 

 

Water heaters etc.: Bathroom sinks

Installing a timer on electric water heater make sense if it's new and energy efficient?

I got a new energy efficient electric tank water heater about 1 year ago. Is there any benefit at all in installing a timer so it doesn't consume any energy during certain hours? Utility company energy auditor recommended it, but a lot of people say there's no benefit.

Only if you're gone for long periods.
No matter how good the insulation, there is some constant loss of heat.
If you're gone long enough that the energy for 're-heat' is less than the loss
over the time you're gone, then there's a 'pay-off'.
Do be aware that there's some time lag when it reheats again.

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Bodum Bistro 51-Oz Electric Water Kettle - White $59.99 This electric water kettle features a kettle design that keeps boiling water enclosed for safety and is lightweight for simple handling.

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Free Shipping. Electric Water Smoker $149 With 1500-watts of cooking and smoking power the Electric Water Smoker is just what every cookout needs. 351 square inches of cooking space provide plenty of room for cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. The built in temperature gauge lets you know when the grill is hot enough. Wooden handles don't get hot, so you can easily take the lid off while cooking. Stands on sturdy heavy duty reinforced steel legs. Comes with a procelainized 5 1/2 quart water pan. This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Product usually arrives in 8-15 business days, depending on destination, including order processing and shipping. APO/FPO shipping unavailable

Cuckoo Electronics 1L Electric Water Kettle - White $29.99 This 1L capacity electric water kettle features a quick-boil option for fast boiling. The kettle detaches from the stainless-steel heating plate for easy pouring.

Should You Use A Tankless Electric Water Heater?

When looking into a tankless hot water heater for your house, two options are available: electric and gas. What does an electric tankless heater offer as far as benefits go?

Electric tankless water heaters cost less than their gas brethren. Electric water heaters for the whole house start at $500 and move up into the $1000+ range. Compare that to tankless gas water heaters which cost at least $1,000 minimum and go up into the several thousand dollar range. So which should you choose?

Answering that question really depends on a few different factors. Each households hot water needs really what need to be evaluated. While companies that make electrical hot water heaters say their performance is in-line with gas heaters, gas manufacturers have their own arguments for going that route. A local dealer can do cost comparisons for you to see if gas or electricity will work out best for you.

There are several selling points for an electric tankless water heater, including the aforementioned lower starting price tag. A savings of $500 or more over a gas or propane tankless heater is what most customers consider at the start. Another advantage is the smaller installation cost. Since electrical tankless water heaters are in the area of one-third the size of a gas heater, there is certainly more flexibility in where you can install the unit.

There are not the usual venting issues with an electric water heater, so they can be placed under sinks, in crawlspaces, or even in a closet where a full-sized water heater would never fit. Another option is placing the unit where your existing water heater was.

When contemplating a whole-house tankless electrical water heater, you may have an extra expense to upgrade an electrical panel wherever the heater is installed. This is because these units use high power, like your dryer. So something like a 200 AMP, 208 to 240 volt service outlet is usually required for higher power units. If you live in a warm area like Arizona, you may be able to use a lower rated tankless water heater, which uses a 100 or 125 AMP electrical outlet.

What will save monthly on your energy bill with an electric water heater? While you will usually save over your traditional water heater, generally you won't save as much as having a gas or propane tankless water heater. On the other hand, natural gas and propane rates continue to increase, narrowing the gap in energy costs between electric and gas tankless heaters.

What about the question of water use? Does a tankless electric keep up with its gas counterpart? Usually they do. Full sized electrical water heaters can produce three to eight gallons each minute of hot water. Why the large variance? It all is dependant on the incoming water. For example, the incoming temperature of water in Florida is much different than the water temperature in Montana during December. In cold parts of the country it is going to more in the range of three gallons a minute.

Gas and propane tankless hot water heaters are another option to consider, so be sure to do your research before buying.

About the Author

Aaron Wilson is a plumber with 10 years experience helping people with tankless electric water heaters.

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Electric Water