Have folks had luck replacing their noisy Rheem HPWH water heaters?
I have a noisy Gen 5 Rheem 80 gal Proterra (manufactured Nov 2022) — about 70-72 dB at the tank… nowhere near the 49dB spec they once listed for the Gen 5 unit (https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/rheem-hybrid-water-heater-noise#comment-223065).
The issue 2-fold: very loud high pitched compressor whine + loud fan. It’s like a commercial walk-in refrigerator. The tech support folks have been great, and have determined I need a replacement. I’ll have to pay for permits, so it’s not a completely free process, and I’m wondering if folks have had any experience and luck with this process in actually reducing noise? What I’m reading online is that folks have had theirs replaced only to experience the same noise levels; I’m wondering if that’s doubly bad luck or if the Gen 5 really just is way too noisy.
I’ve read through the following thread, and it seems most folks did not have it fix their problem, though one Redditor notes their replacement dropped to 49 dB: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/rheem-hybrid-water-heater-noise. I’m hoping to collect some new data, as this thread is about 2.5 years old.
I’m also considering having it ducted a few feet to my crawlspace (in the PNW, Climate Zone 4 coastal). The PNNL case study I read on this seems promising for energy consumption in my climate, but the cost of ducting will not result in an ROI or savings, so I’m only considering it if it improves noise / quality of life… I stupidly put this thing in a closet in the mudroom behind my bedroom. Oiy! Ducting would also mean I can cover the closet door louvres with wood or mass-loaded vinyl, which may help, too.
EDIT/UPDATE
I tried to add this as a stand-alone new post, but I think the HTML web-link formatting caused it to be flagged and it’s not showing up. So here’s an update, some notes, and a few new questions for anyone wandering in late:
Questions up front:
1) Anyone have luck with DIY compressor blanket for their Rheem/Ruud proterra hybrid water heater? The one that came with mine (2024) is a joke.
2) Anyone have a picture of the “foam kit” Rheem makes (<Part #SP21173)?
3) What kind of foam [or other product] will absorb and/or stop the transfer of the ~ 60 hz compressor hum (whine)?
4) will wrapping the compressor + piping in mass loaded vinyl (MLV) like this cause damage to the compressor, wiring, copper lines [the wrap would transfer a lot of vibration to these lines], or connections of those copper lines?
5) Would draping sound-deadening MLV or rubber over the compressor as done here cause any damage to the unit?
Background & Compiled Info:
I’m on my 2nd warranty-replaced 80-gal Rhem ProTerra Platinum hybrid heat pump water heater. Customer service has been great, and I’ve learned a ton from previous GBA and Reddit threads (some links in the post-script for posterity). Noise levels went from ~ 70dB on original (mid 2022 mfg date [don’t exactly recall]), to ~68 dB on the first replacement (June 2022 mfg date), to ~ 69 dB (June 2024 mfg date) on the second replacement. (my installation is unvented) I’m now resigned to acknowledge that these sound levels must not be the outlier, rather the ~ 50 dB units I’ve seen a small number of fresh installs and replacements achieve must be the outlier… at least, that is my anecdotal-experience-based opinion. I feel I was sold a bill of goods and it wasn’t delivered, but do appreciate the willingness of Rheem to try to help me.
So, I’m putting replacement behind me. Still, this thing is in my living space inside a 33″ x 26″ x 83″ closet with a fully-louvered door and shares a wall with a bedroom, and so I can’t abide the sound. Instead, I’m moving forward with DIY sound proofing / absorbing.
I like what what @tgtech has done , and am working toward the following means of DIY noise abatement. I thought I’d share in case it can be a useful summary for other folks moving forward (note: I have not idea if/how any of this will affect device wear and tear or warranty):
• adding sound-deadening mass-loaded vinyl (MLV) to the closet walls
• adding acoustic sound-absorbing foam over the MLV on the walls
• redirecting noise from the inlet with a “hat” probably with some sound-absorbing foam (shown in this report from @tgtech).
• slightly redirecting outlet with cardboard shield (makes a surprising difference)
• requesting the ball-bearing fan with heavier, less-angled, smooth blades (Keli Motor – YJ82-19A-BT01) which seems to reduce fan noise considerably in unvented installations.
• adding MLV to the shroud/hood, lid, and compressor floor
• creating my own compressor blanket to supplement the silly one that came with my 2024 unit, if I can confirm how to do this without causing damage or extra wear-and-tear on the unit. Similar to what is done here, or here, or here
Works Cited:
1) https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/rheem-hybrid-water-heater-noise
2) https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/have-folks-had-luck-replacing-noisy-rheem-hpwh-water-heater
3) https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/t8dyle/rheem_proterra_heat_pump_water_heater_noise/
4) https://www.almanacnews.com/blogs/2022/05/22/what-to-do-if-you-get-a-noisy-rheemruud-heat-pump-water-heater/
5) https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/m0qmym/comment/gu9xxzp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
EDIT 2:
I called Rheem to give troubleshooting the high dB rating on this 3rd unit the ol’ college try before settling and going all-in on DIY noise isolation. They had me send a video under the “TST” compressor mode, which demonstrated the compressor whine and fan noise. Two technicians reviewed the noise and said it was typical. There ya have it. They did offer to send a “sound isolation kit” with gasket & foam, wouldn’t (couldn’t?) send me ducting adapters, and glossed over my request around the fan. I appreciate the “ound isolation kit and will install once I get it, but company policy now seems to be “Sorry it’s loud.” Which, to be honest, I get — especially for me after 2 replacements — but I’m still disappointed. They also had me take capacitor readings (~ 302V), which a) don’t try if you’re not familiar/experienced with the risks involved with measuring capacitor voltage (!) and b) they told me was within the range even though the minimum of the range is 310. Seems odd to the layman, but I figure they’d send me a capacitor if it were really likely to help just to get rid of me :).
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For the future, I wonder if hat folks think of SanCo2. Must be silent indoors right? Why can’t my Mitsubishi hyperheat give me both air and water! (I’m sure there’s a great reason for this, in actuality)
If ducting won't ruin the efficiency of the heater, that sounds like a good step to isolate the unit.
Vibration isolation, mass dampening and air-sealing are the 3 paths to reducing sound transmission.
You might put another layer or 2 of sheetrock (different thicknesses) between the closet and your room and see if you can get an air-seal on the door. Even small openings allow sound energy to escape into adjoining spaces.
Otherwise, you might invest in a db meter and send the replacement back if it won't operate at the advertised sound levels in a bench test (meaning not fully installed). At least that's only one permit if you wait to install one that works as claimed.
Thanks! Good points.
According to PNNL, it will affect efficiency, but not a crazy amount. Our crawlspace seems to hover between 55-60F during winter... though lower after I start exhausting HPHW air into it :). I also like the added benefit of potentially keeping my crawlspace dryer.
Venting it would allow me to fully air seal the heater closet -- which currently has a fully louvered door -- which I expect, as you suggest -- will add a great deal of benefit. We do have the double-thick drywall separating the closet and laundry room (into which the water heater closet's louvres door exhausts), and the fan hum does sometimes penetrate, but the compressor whine is what's killing us, and that seems to be coming down the hallway and under our bedroom door with the fresh air we rely on to keep our indoor air quality good.
Good call to test the noise from the replacement heater prior to installation. It's 240V (in the US), which I think would require wiring it in first? I'll see if the replacement folks are amenable. They may need to install it to get their $$$, even if they just end up uninstalling it.
Thanks again! Good thoughts.
Can you record a video of the noise you are experiencing and post it somewhere public for us to see/hear?
Let me see if I can figure out how/where to host it.
As an update, I got a new one under warranty, and it is ~ 2 dB quieter... so still 68dB+. Oiy.
Update: 2 warranty replacements (for which I’m very grateful). No change. This must just be the norm. I’ve pivoted to sound proofing / absorbing measures. Question on that incoming shortly :).
That's discouraging. It's bizarre that it's still an issue. I'll be curious to see what advances you come up with for managing the noise, but really wish there was simply a reliable and quiet alternative locally available other than a normal electric water heater.
Discouraging indeed.
Oddly, the post I made around questions & potential solutions has been hung up as "awaiting approval". I haven't encountered that before. I've added what I was trying to post as an Update to this post up top.
Is there a reason you are not ducting it? Even into the same space you would be able to add duct sound attenuator and the flex duct would help considerably. You could then replace that door with a solid core door and air seal as best as possible. Adding mass loaded vinyl does not seem like the answer to me, you are getting noise by air transfer because you have a louvre door. But luckily I don’t have a rheem so I don’t have any solutions for you. I just know from a sound proofing point of view air sealing is perhaps the most important aspect
Yeah, it's a great point. It's mostly due to the small size of the water heater closet, which is within spec per the manual clearances and airflow (w/louvered door), but tight enough to require a good deal of cleverness and time to do right. We'd have allowed more buffer clearance for ducting had we realized the rated 49 dB max was a fairy tale. I'm also not wild about spending $200+ on the adapters and added ducting materials, while we have mass loaded vinyl lying around from an old project and acoustic foam is relatively cheap in the quantities in which we'd need it.
That said, I'm ready to try to get clever with the ducting.
The mass loaded vinyl does seem to do a good deal against the compressor vibration transferring through the walls of machine -- cutting the sound by ~ 3 dB (~half) or so. That + air sealing and redirecting the sound to our crawlspace (where we'd vent from) should help a good bit.
So glad I have the Gen 4. It really is quiet as a mouse. It's in a closet in my garage sharing a wall with my master bedroom. I can't hear it at all. Even in the garage right next to it is a bare hum. How could a company like Rheem f this up so badly.
It’s kind of wild. I’m considering wrapping the compressor in mass loaded vinyl, but am concerned it could damage the thing. The compressor sound blanket that comes with it is a joke. My latest version is a 2024. Redirecting the exhaust with random Amazon cardboard boxes this am actually seems to have helped a good bit. There’s a super annoying high pitched screeeeeee from the compressor. Not crazy loud, but carries through the house. Does yours have this sound at all?
Is there difference in noise between the Proterra series vs performance platinum series ?
Good question. I don’t think so?