Rheem Electric Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters- Manuals

3 The heat pumps in these hybrid water heaters can heat water at high efficiencies, but the heat pumps have heating capacities lower than those of traditional electric resistance elements. Typical 4.5-kW electric resistance elements, for example, can reliably heat over 20 gallons of water per hour. ...

5 The average, measured COP was more than twice the EF of typical electric resistance water heaters; this basically means that – on average – water heating costs were half what they would have been with ERWHs. The wide range in COPs shows that performance of HPWH’s can vary tremendously. The key fac...

6 3.3.3 Inadequate Space To operate efficiently, a HPWH must be able to extract sufficient energy from the surrounding air, and the energy available in the air is a function of: • Temperature of the air • Volume of air available – i.e. the size of the space. HPWHs should be installed in rooms with a...

7 In the Northeast, placing HPWHs within conditioned space will require the heating systems to consume more energy. Even when installed in basements – which may not be fully “conditioned” –HPWHs may require the space heating systems to generate more heat overall. These interactions are certainly som...

8 Because HPWHs extract energy from their surrounding environment, enough air volume and adequate clearances must be provided to allow for proper operation of the unit. Improperly placed HPWHs are significantly less efficient than properly installed units (see Section 3.3.3). Required air volume of ...

10 4.3 Noise Standard electric tanks are virtually silent; HPWHs do make noise. Manufacturers list sound pressure levels of 58-65 decibels (dBa), similar to many window air conditioners or dehumidifiers. For reference, a refrigerator may generate around 50 dBa, and a vacuum cleaner may generate 70-8...

11 Table 6. Guidelines for FHR ratings (gallons) for “typical” homes. 1 2 3 4 5 1 - 1.5 43 60 60 - - 2 - 2.5 - 60 70 72 90 3 - 3.5 - - 72 82 90 http://www.cons umerenergycenter.org/home/appliances /waterheaters .html#s mart Numbe r of Be drooms N u m b er o f B at h room s 6 HPWH Installation Instal...

12 If a gravity drain is not possible, a condensate pump must be installed to ensure that water is properly removed. For better reliability, many contractors recommend 240-volt condensate pumps. If a condensate pump is run from a GFI-protected, 120V circuit, a tripped GFI can cause water to collect ...

13 Figure 7. Water heater with heat traps. Insulation of hot water lines is also recommended. 6.5 Tempering Valves and Set Point Temperature With any water heater that generates relatively high water temperatures, a tempering valve should be installed to minimize the risk of burns or scalding (see T...

14 Figure 8. Heat pump water heater with a tempering valve. Low tank set point temperatures can both minimize the risk of scalding and improve HPWH efficiency (see Section 3.3.4). However, low tank temperatures can also result in the growth of the bacterium legionella, which can cause lung infection...

15 Figure 9. A filter in a HPWH that had not been cleaned in several months. A finger mark on the left of the filter shows where dirt was rubbed away. 7.2 Inspect Condensate Drains The fact that HPWHs generate condensate differentiates them from many other heater types. To someone not familiar with ...

16 References Amarnath, K. R.; Trueblood, C. (2010); “Heat Pump Water Heaters: Laboratory and Field Evaluation of New Residential Products.” Proc. Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (1); American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; pp. 12-23. A.O. Smith (2010); “Voltex TM Hybrid Ele...