Heat pump water heater installation guidelines

Installation guidelines

Heat pump water heater guidelines

The way we heat water affects our health, our finances, and some of the basic comforts of home. If your water heater is old and performance is decreasing, planning for replacement before it fails could save time, money and inconvenience.

These guidelines will help you decide if a heat pump water heater is best for you and key information for selection and installation. Please note that Peninsula Clean Energy offers heat pump water heater rebates.

Benefits

Why should you consider a heat pump water heater?

Gas has been the main alternative to electric resistance water heaters. However, heat pumps are quickly becoming the preferred alternative. They are safer, more energy efficient, and have lower operating costs and lower carbon emissions.

Reduce risks of poisoning and fire

When switching from gas to a heat pump, you remove flammable gas from your home that poses a risk of housefire, and of carbon monoxide poisoning. You also eliminate nitrogen oxide emissions and reduce the risk of fire. Water heater equipment malfunctions cause 10 percent of all home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Lower water heating costs

Generally, in the U.S., switching from a gas water heater to a heat pump water heater reduces water heating cost. In communities with higher-than–average electricity costs–including parts of California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Alaska–the added efficiency and added cost might balance each other out; keeping water heating cost about the same.

Carbon-free power brings carbon-free heating

In some communities, homes have access to 100 percent carbon-free electricity. More communities are moving toward zero-emission power. When you switch from gas to a heat pump water heater, you help the entire community reduce carbon emissions.