How does a heat pump water heater work?

A heat pump water heater operates like your home heat pump air conditioner, but instead of heating and cooling air, the E-Tech water heater heats (and in special situations, cools) water. A heap pump water heater is more efficient than the air conditioner because it makes use of virtually 100% of the heat absorbed, consumed and generated by the electrical consumption of the system. Nothing goes to waste with the heat pump water heater. The integral refrigeration system also captures the heat generated by the compressor motor and the refrigeration compression cycle, and adds that to the sensible and latent heat extracted from the surrounding air.

Standard water heaters heat water by converting a fuel source (typically electricity or natural gas) into heat, which is then transferred into the water. This requires the purchase of all of the energy it takes to heat the water. Since no standard water heater is 100% efficient, you actually need to pay for more energy than the water heating requires to make up for the inefficiency.

E-Tech heat pump water heaters work by transferring heat, not creating heat. Heat pumps move energy from someplace it's not needed (in this case, the surrounding air) into the water. The total energy required to heat the water does not change, but you only need to purchase the energy which is needed to move the heat - typically only 20 - 50% of the total energy - saving you up to 80% of energy costs.

Water is circulated through the unit, heated and returned back into the tank of a conventional electric water heater.

E-Tech residential water heaters are the perfect addition to many homes.

They provide three important benefits:

1. They reduce energy costs
2. They cool and dehumidify the surrounding air
3. They are environmentally friendly.

Hot Water Costs $$$:

The typical residential water heater is second only to the heating and air conditioning system in home energy use. E-Tech high efficiency heat pump water heaters can save 50-80% of your hot water energy cost. Homeowners with high utility costs and high hot water use will save the most, and your geographic area and local energy costs play an important role in how much you can save.

Most experts expect energy prices to continue to rise. As energy costs go up, the amount of money you save will continue to increase, making today's investment in high efficiency water heating a wise financial decision.

It gets better…Free Air-Conditioning!

Cool, Dehumidified Air

When the heat pump removes energy from the surrounding air, - what happens to the air? It gets colder! The by-product of a heat pump is cool - dehumidified air. This "free" air conditioning is a natural by-product of heat pump operation. This cool air can be used to offset other space cooling loads, reducing air conditioning costs.

Homeowners who install the water heater in their basement are often delightfully surprised at their "new" cool, dry basement. Garage installations have been referred to as "garage coolers". Sometimes the E-Tech water heater can replace a dehumidifier and provide all the needed dehumidification without extra cost. Other times, homeowners vent the cool air to other parts of the home. Wherever the E-Tech water heater is located, the area will get the benefits of cool, dry, dehumidified air.

Environmentally Responsible - "Green" technology

E-Tech high efficiency water heaters are environmentally friendly in several ways;

• They reduce the purchased energy demand for hot water production by 50-80 % by using energy already available in the room.
• They can replace fossil fuel water heaters, eliminating their greenhouse gas emissions.
• They use environmentally friendly, non-ozone depleting refrigerants.

E-Tech high efficiency water heaters can be an important component in new green building designs.

What models are available for my home?

There are two E-Tech high efficiency water heaters designed for home use, the R106k and the R060. They are add-on products to a new or existing electric water heater - and use the water heater tank for storage.