What Is a Hybrid Water Heater, and Is One Right for Your Home?
There are a few different types of water heaters to choose from as a homeowner, and some may be better suited to your home than others. In addition to traditional water heaters, there are also hybrid water heaters, which are also known as heat pump water heaters. This article will answer the question of what is a hybrid water heater and explain the process of how do hybrid water heaters work. We’ll also address the biggest heat pump water heaters pros and cons to help you make the best decision for your home.
What Is a Hybrid Water Heater?
Traditional water heaters utilize large tanks and rely upon the principle that heat rises to warm up water in the tank. With this water heater type, cool water travels down a tube to the heating element, causing hot water to rise to the tank’s top and move into the pipes when you turn on a water tap in the house. However, hybrid water heaters combine this tank-based process as well as utilizing a heat pump to move heat from one region of the tank to another. These models commonly referred to as hybrids because they combine the processes of both electrical water heaters and traditional water heaters.
How Do Hybrid Water Heaters Work?
Hybrid water heats work by moving hot air within the water tank with the help of a heat pump device. A fan commonly is used inside the heater to bring in nearby air, and then an evaporator coil with refrigerant absorbs the air’s heat. Heat is produced when the refrigerant travels through the compressor. When you need more hot water in your home, a hybrid water heater can switch to standard electrical heating, and many models come with settings for you to control how the water is heated.
Heat Pump Water Heaters Pros and Cons
When weighing heat pump water heaters pros and cons, you should know that the biggest pro of a hybrid model is efficiency. Hybrid water heaters typically come with settings that you can adjust to reduce your energy consumption and ultimately save money on your utility bills. Also, some models come with sleep modes and vacation timers so that you aren’t unnecessarily heating water when it’s not needed. Meanwhile, an automatic setting is usually ideal for daily use and provides energy efficient heating with sustained heating when you need it.
The biggest con of hybrid water heaters is likely the cost because these models tend to be pricier than traditional types. However, you may be able to offset these costs in the long run by saving money on your monthly bills. Whether the upfront investment is worth the long-term savings is dependent upon the size of your family and how much water you typically use. Another possible con is the lifespan of hybrid water heaters because tankless water heaters and standard storage hot water heaters tend to last up to five longer than newer hybrid models. However, this may improve as the technology advances in the years to come.
If you are needing to replace your home’s water heater in the near future, Central Plumbing Specialties can help. We offer a wide variety of plumbing and heating supplies, including water heaters, to suit your hot water needs and budget. For example, the product lines of our Bock Water Heaters include multiple gas water heater models, electric water heaters, oil water heaters, indirect water heaters, and even solar/geo-thermal water heaters. Contact us to learn more about water heater types and ask any questions you may have about our offerings.