5 ms·

I replaced our older electric water heater with the 50 gallon version of this last month: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Platinum-50-Gal-10-Year-

by nkurz 7y ago

I replaced our older electric water heater with the 50 gallon version of this last month: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Platinum-50-Gal-10-Year-Hybrid-High-Efficiency-Electric-Tank-Water-Heater-XE50T10HD50U0/300620237 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Platinum-50-Ga.... The heater was about $1200, the rebate from the state of Vermont was about $800. I did the install myself with about $100 of parts. Positives: As far as I can tell so far, the savings in electric usage should pay back within 2-3 years. It has a 10 year warranty, which should keep it working for a while. If the compressor fails, there is an electric element as backup. The device itself seems solid and well built. Negatives: Even though it's in the basement, it's louder than I'd like --- about like an window air conditioner. Getting it down the narrow basement stairs (and getting the old heater out) was hard. Reheat is fairly slow if you keep it on the highest efficiency "heat pump only" setting. I've yet to get the phone app working to control it from upstairs. The basement is quite cool (especially in winter) so I'm worried it won't be maximally efficient. It produces a small amount of condensate water, which requires a drain of some sort. Overall, I'm hoping it will be a win. It produces enough hot water for our 2-person needs, and seems like it should be more efficient than what it replaced. If you are considering one, it's worth thinking about the cooling effect that it will have on the room that it is in. If you already run an air conditioner, this is a win. If you are heating, this is a loss. We heat with wood in the winter (which is inexpensive if you cut your own) and don't have any other summer air conditioner, so for us this aspect is fairly neutral.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
ortusdux 7y ago
This model can be ducted with standard 8" ducting. It is possible to have it draw warm air from outside or vent the cold air out of the house. You can get fancy and install baffles that you switch seasonally. A properly ducted system will be more efficient because you won't be putting artificial house heat into the water or heating the house more to offset the cooling.
- nkurz 7y ago
  I installed it thinking I'd install ducting if necessary. But as you might guess, in the winter in Vermont there aren't a lot of available sources of warm air other than the those you create through heating. And if I vent to the outside, the resulting depressurization will just cause the rest of the house to suck in even colder outside air. The basement itself derives enough ground heat to stay above freezing, but heat pump efficiency drops as you get close to freezing. Currently, I think I'll probably connect to an intake floor register from above, so it has better access to warmer air. I'll be trading off more firewood for less electric, which is probably a win. I'll probably also exhaust the cooler air back into the house level, on the theory that this will help a little in the summer. I'm guessing the downside will be increased noise. It's a quiet house to begin with (woodstove with no forced air) and I'm loath to make it noisier. Do you know if there is any benefit to going with the model specific ducting kit? Or can one just buy off the shelf?
  - ortusdux 7y ago
    Off the shelf should be fine. It's rated for 340' of ridgid pipe or 125' of flex. I've seen people zig-zag the ducts to help reduce the noise
AnthonyMouse 7y ago
> We heat with wood in the winter You should stop doing this. The impact on air quality is very bad and is disproportionately bad for the people nearest the source (i.e. you). https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/residential-wood-burning https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants... https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/wood-smoke-and-your-health https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/wood-smoke-and-your-health
- wldlyinaccurate 7y ago
  I'm not disagreeing that wood burners have a negative effect on air quality, but there are plenty of valid reasons to burn wood for heating. Not having access to a stable uninterrupted electricity supply is one reason. Cost is another reason. A good cast iron wood stove can be quite efficient and will continue to put out heat long after the wood has finished burning. Yes, we should all aim to pollute less. But we should not attach stigma to things that for many people is their only choice of heating, transport, etc.
  - AnthonyMouse 7y ago
    > Not having access to a stable uninterrupted electricity supply is one reason. Non-electric heating systems use relatively little electricity, to the point that a small inexpensive solar panel and battery would suffice. Some don't require any. Also, this criteria doesn't apply to the vast majority of locations which do have access to the power grid. > Cost is another reason. Cost is generally regarded as an invalid reason for pollution. Surely it costs less to dump industrial waste in the river as well. Also, how much money is your health worth to you? > A good cast iron wood stove can be quite efficient and will continue to put out heat long after the wood has finished burning. This kind of system is less efficient than modern heating systems designed for fuel efficiency, which run only when they're needed and only to the extent they're needed. Storing heat in metal rather than burning fuel as needed means burning more fuel at the start and less later, which means a greater temperature variation and more fuel required to maintain the same minimum temperature, which exacerbates the level of pollution being generated. > But we should not attach stigma to things that for many people is their only choice of heating, transport, etc. We should attach a stigma to things that have negative externalities, because they have negative externalities. If some people can't afford it then give them money instead of overlooking the harm they cause.
MisterTea 7y ago
> It has a 10 year warranty ... > I've yet to get the phone app working to control it from upstairs. I wonder what the phone app support will look like in 10 years...

by nkurz 7y ago

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

ortusdux 7y ago

This model can be ducted with standard 8" ducting. It is possible to have it draw warm air from outside or vent the cold air out of the house. You can get fancy and install baffles that you switch seasonally. A properly ducted system will be more efficient because you won't be putting artificial house heat into the water or heating the house more to offset the cooling.

nkurz 7y ago
I installed it thinking I'd install ducting if necessary. But as you might guess, in the winter in Vermont there aren't a lot of available sources of warm air other than the those you create through heating. And if I vent to the outside, the resulting depressurization will just cause the rest of the house to suck in even colder outside air. The basement itself derives enough ground heat to stay above freezing, but heat pump efficiency drops as you get close to freezing. Currently, I think I'll probably connect to an intake floor register from above, so it has better access to warmer air. I'll be trading off more firewood for less electric, which is probably a win. I'll probably also exhaust the cooler air back into the house level, on the theory that this will help a little in the summer. I'm guessing the downside will be increased noise. It's a quiet house to begin with (woodstove with no forced air) and I'm loath to make it noisier. Do you know if there is any benefit to going with the model specific ducting kit? Or can one just buy off the shelf?
- ortusdux 7y ago
  Off the shelf should be fine. It's rated for 340' of ridgid pipe or 125' of flex. I've seen people zig-zag the ducts to help reduce the noise

AnthonyMouse 7y ago

> We heat with wood in the winter You should stop doing this. The impact on air quality is very bad and is disproportionately bad for the people nearest the source (i.e. you). https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/residential-wood-burning https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants... https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/wood-smoke-and-your-health https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/wood-smoke-and-your-health

wldlyinaccurate 7y ago
I'm not disagreeing that wood burners have a negative effect on air quality, but there are plenty of valid reasons to burn wood for heating. Not having access to a stable uninterrupted electricity supply is one reason. Cost is another reason. A good cast iron wood stove can be quite efficient and will continue to put out heat long after the wood has finished burning. Yes, we should all aim to pollute less. But we should not attach stigma to things that for many people is their only choice of heating, transport, etc.
- AnthonyMouse 7y ago
  > Not having access to a stable uninterrupted electricity supply is one reason. Non-electric heating systems use relatively little electricity, to the point that a small inexpensive solar panel and battery would suffice. Some don't require any. Also, this criteria doesn't apply to the vast majority of locations which do have access to the power grid. > Cost is another reason. Cost is generally regarded as an invalid reason for pollution. Surely it costs less to dump industrial waste in the river as well. Also, how much money is your health worth to you? > A good cast iron wood stove can be quite efficient and will continue to put out heat long after the wood has finished burning. This kind of system is less efficient than modern heating systems designed for fuel efficiency, which run only when they're needed and only to the extent they're needed. Storing heat in metal rather than burning fuel as needed means burning more fuel at the start and less later, which means a greater temperature variation and more fuel required to maintain the same minimum temperature, which exacerbates the level of pollution being generated. > But we should not attach stigma to things that for many people is their only choice of heating, transport, etc. We should attach a stigma to things that have negative externalities, because they have negative externalities. If some people can't afford it then give them money instead of overlooking the harm they cause.

MisterTea 7y ago

> It has a 10 year warranty ... > I've yet to get the phone app working to control it from upstairs. I wonder what the phone app support will look like in 10 years...