Is HPWH reliability still an issue?
charles3
| Posted in Mechanicals on
I’m seeing a lot of negative feedback on the reliability of heat-pump water heaters. Are they much more prone to problems than straight resistance heaters? If you had to choose a 50-gallon domestic model, what would you choose?
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Charles,
My advice is summarized in this article: Domestic Hot Water: No Perfect Solution.
Some brands of heat-pump water heater have had reliability problems, so it always makes sense to ask about warranties when buying a water heater.
Fans of heat-pump water heaters point out that the compressor on a HPWH isn't very different from the one on your refrigerator -- and that refrigerators are fairly reliable. But you should make your own decision.
Electric-resistance water heaters are quite reliable, but eventually they either leak (because most such water heaters are make of enameled steel, which eventually rusts) or clog up (because no one ever follows recommended maintenance procedures that include draining the water on the bottom of the tank on an annual basis). Nothing lasts forever. (Marathon water heaters come close, though.)
Martin, thanks for your reply. You wrote, "Some brands of heat-pump water heater have had reliability problems..." Which brands have had problems? And which have not?
Charles,
When GE first started selling the GeoSpring heat-pump water heaters, they were manufactured in China. These units (reportedly) weren't very dependable. Then GE moved its manufacturing to the U.S., and reliability (reportedly) improved. Now GE has announced that they are shutting down production entirely, so this doesn't matter much.
Stiebel Eltron units have a good record for reliability.