Electric Hot Water Heaters
- Thread starter RichZ
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Chuck52
Veteran Member
I've heard that only the gas on demands are worth getting, and I think the OP said he was all electric.
Chuck
SpringHollow
Elite Member
Electric on demand for all practical purposes are only good as small point of use units. So you could have one for the kitchen, one for each bathroom with possibly a separate one for the shower, one for the laundry, etc. The whole house electric ones seem to be prone to problems.
Ken
Ken
Yes, I'm the original poster, and we don't have gas, and don't want to get involved with a propane tank. We need to go with an electric hot water heater. I've also heard that on demand is not efficient in electric.
We are all electric as well, I looked into the electric on demand systems, you can find ones that work but you need a lot of amps (50-120) to get one that works well. I ended up replacing ours with a Marathon high efficency heater- I think it has a lifetime no leak (it's plastic). Our electric company gave us a $200 rebate and sold them directly. Easy one person install due to how light it is- been happy with it so far.
Marathon Water Heaters
Marathon Water Heaters
I have one of these GE hybrid electric heaters.Hot Water Heater, Heat Pump Water Heater, Water Heater Electric | GE Appliances
Its pretty quiet, it costs more upfront but you can get federal and power company rebates, making it cost the same as a regular electric water heater.
I got rid of propane at my house, and with the need for a backup generator sometimes, you can force this water heater to be in 'power save mode', which uses about 1000 watts (vs 4500) of power, so that you don't have to have a huge generator. Or just leave it in the mixed mode, it will use the low power mode unless there is a big demand for water.
Its pretty quiet, it costs more upfront but you can get federal and power company rebates, making it cost the same as a regular electric water heater.
I got rid of propane at my house, and with the need for a backup generator sometimes, you can force this water heater to be in 'power save mode', which uses about 1000 watts (vs 4500) of power, so that you don't have to have a huge generator. Or just leave it in the mixed mode, it will use the low power mode unless there is a big demand for water.
SpringHollow
Elite Member
OK, what am I missing on that GE hybrid? It is using the house as the source of warm air. So in the winter, your heating system is supplying the heat. Granted, in the summer, it is helping to cool your house. Where i live, heating is a bigger issue but further South it might make sense.
Ken
Ken
With the hybrid, it will cool the room that is located in. But if this is the garage/attic, that won't be a problem.
If your garage is slightly warm, it will still be able to extract heat from the air, just as your house heat pump does.
I have mine vented to the outside and draw air from the outside, I will alter that for the Summer to help with the A/C mode of my heat pump system. I haven't got around to modifying my utility room yet since I had the propane equipment taken out.
It will also take moisture out of the air, as its a mini-heat pump.
In my house for heat I use a heat pump, so I would still be saving money even if the water heater was in the house.
If your garage is slightly warm, it will still be able to extract heat from the air, just as your house heat pump does.
I have mine vented to the outside and draw air from the outside, I will alter that for the Summer to help with the A/C mode of my heat pump system. I haven't got around to modifying my utility room yet since I had the propane equipment taken out.
It will also take moisture out of the air, as its a mini-heat pump.
In my house for heat I use a heat pump, so I would still be saving money even if the water heater was in the house.
bp fick
Super Member
Just replaced the 20 year old, original propane heater at our place. It was past time. The high price of the new propane WH drove us to examine the electrics. The much lower price, even with slightly higher prices for electric over propane, made the break even point 8 years. It was a no brainer.
For around $280, brand new, GE electric. Lowe's I believe. No complaints, no regrets whatsoever. Love it. Yes, I also checked the thermostats to make sure the lower matched the upper. I set them down just a tweak from the factory presets.
For around $280, brand new, GE electric. Lowe's I believe. No complaints, no regrets whatsoever. Love it. Yes, I also checked the thermostats to make sure the lower matched the upper. I set them down just a tweak from the factory presets.
dave1949
Super Star Member
Insulating any type of tank (not on-demand) is important. You want to hang on to the money spent to heat the water is the way I think of it. If your heater is cycling when you haven't used much hot water, that's a sign of heat loss due to lack of insulation.
Dave.
Dave.
