Hybrid heat pump water heaters sound almost too good to be true: they create hot water for your home by drawing heat right out of the air. They run on electricity, not oil or propane, they’re reliable and their only byproducts are cold air and water. While they don’t emit noxious fumes like old fossil-fuel-burning water heaters, it’s important to install a hybrid hot water heater correctly for maximum efficiency.
When installing a new hybrid heat pump hot water heater it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s directions and to have licensed and experienced contractors doing the work. But in general, the steps are:
- Select the location for the new heater (more on this below).
- Remove old hot water heater: Your old water heater will need to be drained and plumbing, electricity and/or fuel lines will need to be disconnected. This can be a dangerous process and only a licensed contractor should perform these steps.
- Place new hybrid hot water heater: A drain pan under your heater is insurance against water damage in case of a leak, and is required in some locations. Make sure your heater is level before proceeding.
- Connect the plumbing: If you’re lucky, your new hybrid heat pump hot water heater will fit right where your old one was and no additional plumbing work will be needed. More commonly, though, pipes will need to be reconfigured to reach the inflow and outflow lines and may need to be rerouted if you’re putting your new hybrid hot water heater in a different room. If pipes need to be soldered this needs to happen before they are connected to your heat pump hot water heater: applying heat to the tank fittings may damage internal components.
- Connect the drain line: Like an air conditioner, a hybrid heat pump hot water heater creates water through condensation. Attach one end of your drain pipe to the condensate port on the heater and the other to a floor drain (or through-wall fitting to have the condensate drain outside). The drain pipe must angle downhill from the port to the drain; if this isn’t possible a pump must be installed.
- Fill the tank: Running any hot water heater with an empty tank can cause damage, so fill the tank of your new appliance with water before reconnecting the power. Make sure to open faucets in your home to bleed air from the system during this process.
- Connect the power: When your tank is filled (and everything around it is thoroughly dry), it’s time to reconnect the power and put your new hybrid heat pump hot water heater to work.
Post time: Dec-31-2022
