Water Input Temp to Water Heater

   / Water Input Temp to Water Heater #21  
We put in a heat pump water heater a few years back. Installed in our basement next to our boiler.
Summer time it keeps the basement cold and dry, 55-60*F, very pleasant to hang out in on those muggy summer days.
Winter time with the furnace running the heat pump uses the furnace warmth as energy and the basement stays comfortably warm.
The water heater has 5 different "modes" from total heat pump to total electric element. Other than when we have a houseful of guests, it stays on heat pump mode.
And we always have plenty of hot H2O.

That is what I could expect to happen.
My problem is that my basement does not have excess heat in the winter,
I use coal to maintain most of the heat in the house so the boiler is just maintaining and making hot water in the boiler mate,
my standby backup electric heater has run some nights to maintain the basement heat at 55 F.
 
   / Water Input Temp to Water Heater #22  
Was reading earlier posts that claimed showers were huge water wasters.
Not so, it is the opposite.
Next time showering, plug the drain and when finished notice the accumulated water in your tub.
You will be surprised.

We are all on septics in my area and experts advised showers and low flush loos and that was back in the '60's.
Consequently our septic systems have outlasted norms.
Heck my septic was first pumped after 20 years of usage and was as in as good shape as a 2/4 year old full time usage.
 
   / Water Input Temp to Water Heater #23  
Was reading earlier posts that claimed showers were huge water wasters. .. Not so, it is the opposite.
Next time showering, plug the drain and when finished notice the accumulated water in your tub. You will be surprised....

Not 'waste, just use, and we'd have to assume that everyone uses the same shower-head, spends the same time in the shower, and has the same numbers of residents using it. I add that because:

I did that 'test' trying to explain to my Son why he didn't need a 4gpm shower-head just because he had city-water flow and 'nuf pressure to play waterfall. My shower at home is 10 min with shave and I turn the 2gpm head down quite a bit except to rinse. Melody ran the shower WFO and tooks 20-25 min showers here. She wouldn't let me plug the drain, but in mine the water wasn't near ankle deep. I'm not a guy who could justify the in$tallation with just me showering and usually just once/day.

Michael was ok to do the test at his place. >4" of water in the tub when I showered there for an 8 min 'test'. (and I disdain those one-handle valves and 6" dia 38-hole pseudo-sunflower shower-heads.) Mike pulled the plug on his test when water was well above where I marked my 'fill' and he was 'not done yet." He was in there for 12 min total & didn't care how much less H2O I used at home. Wifey likes their setup and he says she's in there for twice as long. (They're DINKS and don't care about the bills.)

Anyway, I made my point about o'all water use and NRG use for the WH, but Mike's an engineer and like me just pays the freight.
 
   / Water Input Temp to Water Heater
  • Thread Starter
#24  
We put in a heat pump water heater a few years back. Installed in our basement next to our boiler.
Summer time it keeps the basement cold and dry, 55-60*F, very pleasant to hang out in on those muggy summer days.
Winter time with the furnace running the heat pump uses the furnace warmth as energy and the basement stays comfortably warm.
The water heater has 5 different "modes" from total heat pump to total electric element. Other than when we have a houseful of guests, it stays on heat pump mode.
And we always have plenty of hot H2O.

We like our Rheem heat pump water heater.
 

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