I was talking the other day with my buddy who lives northern Wisconsin on the topic heat pump water heaters (HPWHs). You see, he is in the market for a water heater and was asking my advice on those particular units. Wanting to know more myself, I pulled up some info and the more in-depth Read more
water heating
I was talking the other day with my buddy who lives northern Wisconsin on the topic heat pump water heaters (HPWHs). You see, he is in the market for a water heater and was asking my advice on those particular units. Wanting to know more myself, I pulled up some info and the more in-depth I got, the more I wanted to know. Cold weather performance, special ducting, size of mechanical space, accessibility to air, cooling and conditioning of adjacent space are all very important topics of discussion.
But, wait a minute, I thought to myself, I can use some of my “superpowers” as an editor in the trades these past 20+ years to ask people who are more in the know about HPWH than me.
I recently reached out to few people I trust to give me honest assessments of these units.
Advantage Heat Pump Water Heaters
According to Eric Aune, Aune Plumbing, Heating & Drains, there has been a ton of marketing to the public, and even more incentives for installation. “Local utilities are offering rebates upwards of $2-3K in some places, and here in Minnesota, we aren’t seeing rebates that high but it’s clear why the rebates are offered—because its lowering and spreading the load on the grid over longer periods at lower consumption rates. The utilities are trying to stay in front of or (most likely) catch up to the growing demand and stress on the grids all across the country. HPWH’s are one piece to the puzzle.”
John Siegenthaler, P.E., Appropriate Designs, gives three bona fide advantages for HPWHs: One, they are excellent for capturing “surplus heat” (e.g., heat that’s present but not generated by another heat source for the purpose of warming the space). For example, solar heat gain to a garage, or heat generated by computer servers. Two, when properly applied, they can generate a given amount of DHW on about 1/3 the electrical input required by a standard “resistance type” electric water heater (tank or tankless). And three, some models are available that can operate on 120 VAC power, whereas all electric resistance water heaters require 240 VAC power.
But in Cold Climates?
But are these units considered more inefficient the more you climb the northern latitudes to colder climates? “Although heat pump water heaters are often placed in unconditioned spaces such as garages in southern locations, it would be a big mistake to do so in a cold northern climate where outside temperatures are below the minimum operating air temperature for the HPWH for weeks or months during winter,” says Siegenthaler. “The heating performance of any air source heat pump—ductless, central, air-to-water, HPWH, always decreases with decreasing air temperature—Putting any water heater in a cold space is not recommended. Standby heat loss would definitely increase.”
HPWHs have minimum air flow requirements, especially if placed in confined spaces, adds Siegenthaler. The I/O manual supplied with the unit should give all these requirements. “Some units allow ducting of outside air to the heat pump assembly on top of the tank, but I would only use this option in a relatively warm climate. Using ducted outside air also foregoes the cooling and dehumidifying benefit of the HPWH,” says Siegenthaler.
Living in Minnesota, Aune says, “HPWH’s capture/transfer the heat in the space surrounding them to the tank of water. When you talk about this here in Minnesota, it’s common for people to consider this inefficient since the we have to heat with a boiler or furnace, so aren’t we running our space heating system to provide heat for the water heater?
“The reality is the HPWH is able to capture and transfer a lot of energy without major negative effects on the conditioning and comfort of the space with a few considerations like ducting the less humid, colder air to the exterior of the house or even moving it with the furnace or exhaust fans,” says Aune.
According to Gary Klein, principal, Gary Klein and Associates, the majority of HPWHs sold today are hybrid HPWHs, and their efficiency is rated at 67.5 F and 50% relative humidity. “Very close to the temperature we keep the inside of conditioned buildings,” says Klein.
Klein suggests an interesting concept by managing the cold discharge air. “Install the HPWH in the basement near the space conditioning system. Use the return of that system to suck in the cold discharge air from the HPWH and distribute it throughout the house. Use a relay to link the fan to the HPWH. Let the thermostat decide if the air needs to be conditioned. Install a very large filter grille to bring air to the room where the HPWH is installed. (2-inch pleated filters).
“Need the ability to move at least 60 cfm per 100 watts of compressor, fan and control power. Warmer intake air increases the coefficient of performance (COP),” says Klein.
Siegenthaler points out that he did a column earlier this year that discussed a situation where a modern house used an air source heat pump for space heating, and combined it with a HPWH inside the house for DHW. Technically this puts the two heat pumps into a “cascade” relationship, says Siegenthaler.
“Think of the space heating heat pump as ‘feeding’ heat to the HPWH. It’s possible to show that the overall efficiency of this arrangement is lower than using a single air-to-water heat pump for both space heating and domestic hot water (DHW). I think that this is important because many builders, architects, energy planners, energy auditors, etc. don’t necessarily understand this concept. They assume that two heat pumps—one for space heating, and the other for DHW—are better than one.”
Siegenthaler stresses that the “ideal” scenario for a HPWH is to put it in a space where there’s “surplus heat.” “Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul,” says Siegenthaler.
There are plenty of such spaces, suggests Siegenthaler, especially in commercial buildings—manufacturing, heat from vending equipment or refrigeration equipment, cooking, laundry, computers, solar gain, attics that remain above 35ºF year-round, even mechanical rooms with lots of uninsulated piping, boilers, electrical transformers, greenhouses, cannabis grow houses, etc.
“Paraphrasing Patrick Henry, ‘Give me air, or give me death,'” says Klein.
Designed to use one-third the electricity of traditional residential electric water heaters, new product ensures dependable, efficient hot-water delivery. Noritz America, a leader in tankless water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers, recently previewed its new, ENERGY STAR-certified Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater for residential domestic hot water applications. Making its debut in Chicago at Read more
Designed to use one-third the electricity of traditional residential electric water heaters, new product ensures dependable, efficient hot-water delivery.
Noritz America, a leader in tankless water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers, recently previewed its new, ENERGY STAR-certified Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater for residential domestic hot water applications.
Making its debut in Chicago at the 2024 AHR Expo in January, this newest addition to the Noritz offering consumes up to one-third of the electricity required by a standard residential electric water heater with a resistive element, yet maintains the same level of hot-water delivery. The “hybrid” designation denotes the inclusion of dual 4.5-kilowatt electric elements positioned at the top and bottom of the tank to provide backup water heating or accelerate recovery times when necessary.
Set for an official launch on July 1, the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump unit efficiently transfers heat from air to water, resulting in substantial energy savings for consumers seeking to reduce their utility bills. The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump is eligible for government rebates of up to $3,000, the kind of incentive that has made heat pump installations so attractive for both contractors and homeowners.
Handling hot water temperatures ranging from 50°F to 160°F, the product will be available in four sizes, with the model numbers here indicating the gallon storage volumes: (NHP50, NHP65, NHP80, and NHP120). The 120-gallon model, still a rarity in today’s market, is available by special order. UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) ratings range up to 3.48, highlighting its energy efficiency when compared to similar products in the market.
“At Noritz, our dedication to providing our customers with diverse water heating solutions drives our innovation,” explains Jason Fleming, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Noritz America. “The introduction of the Hybrid Electric Heat Pump not only addresses recent market and regulatory shifts nationwide, but also offers a product designed to save energy, lower maintenance and operating expenses for customers, and streamline installations and servicing for contractors.”
Key Features
- Cement lining: The specially formulated cement lining of the unit’s storage tank is designed to prevent the corrosive effects of hot water. By negating the need for a sacrificial anode rod, the lining all but eliminates maintenance requirements and the necessity for regular checks. (Neglecting to replace the anode rod can lead to premature tank failure in a conventional electric water heater.)
- Five operating modes: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump offers users five different ways to operate the unit, depending upon user demand and current conditions: hybrid (standard), electric only, heat pump only, super (for high-demand situations), and vacation.
- First Hour Rating: The Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater’s first hour ratings are 58 gallons (NHP50), 70 gallons (NHP65), 86 gallons (NHP80), and 105 (NHP120).
- High-pressure rating: The unit has a pressure rating of 150 pounds per square inch (psi) WP and 300 psi TP. A temperature and pressure relief valve comes with the unit, pre-installed.
- Warranties: The cement-lined tank and all parts are covered by ten years of protection, plus a one-year warranty on reasonable labor.
- Approvals include AHRI, UL1995, CSA 22.2 No. 236, Low Lead.
For more information on the new Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater, visit: https://noritz.com/heatpump/
A Carlson-Holohan Industry Award of Excellence honoree, Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr travels across the country as a trainer for Caleffi North America, sharing his 40+ years’ of experience as a plumbing, radiant heat and renewable energy contractor, all while bringing his rubber-to-the-road experiences to life. Be honest, do what you say you will do. It’s that simple Read more
A Carlson-Holohan Industry Award of Excellence honoree, Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr travels across the country as a trainer for Caleffi North America, sharing his 40+ years’ of experience as a plumbing, radiant heat and renewable energy contractor, all while bringing his rubber-to-the-road experiences to life.
Be honest, do what you say you will do. It’s that simple, really.
If you bill your training as a technical event or class, make it that. Certainly, everyone of your attendees has an opinion, and that is a good thing. So at class end they get to decide if it checked the boxes they brought along to have filled. For example, a boiler piping presentation needs to have schematics of piping. I’d take it further and make the drawings as generic as possible.
Fortunately I work for a manufacturer that publishes a very generic, non-biased trade journal. This makes for some excellent content for the classes.
But also be realistic in your expectations; not everyone in the room will be at the same level, and have the exact same expectations. Promote the event as basic, intermediate or advanced to help clear up the content. A trainer should, poll the room right off to get a feel of the experience level of the class. Ask occasionally if the info is meeting the needs or expectations. A trainer needs to be prepared to shift gears
Keep additional PPTs ready to go on your desktop if you need to raise or lower the content level, or bounce around to assure everyone gets something from their time commitment.
Know also that generous giveaways and CEU offerings will get some attendees that are there for the “goods” more so then the content. It’s easy to spot folks like that. They spend a lot of time looking at their phone.
Someone is paying the trainer to get to the event and spend a few nights on the road. Expect the sponsor to have a product table, or some handouts that are brand specific. A few questions on a form or link to QR code to get feedback is helpful for trainers.
Timely topics help fill a room. Clever course names help people click on the training promos.
Like any trade, time on the job helps a trainer learn what works and what flops, so be prepared to change up your presentations or presentation style occasionally. A Toastmasters class can sharpen your presentation skills. Speak loud and clearly. Move around the room.
Watch big name, professionally-trained presenters. See how they move and observe the techniques they use to keep the room’s attention. Who is your favorite actor and why?
Got any tips or suggestions? Pass them along.
The past few years have been good for contracting businesses, barring component availability and skilled labor woes. For anyone in the trades, operating a plumbing and mechanical company profitably looks different today than it did 20 years ago, but there are still plenty of similarities. Joe Tull, 36, founded Straight Plumbing, LLC seven years ago Read more
The past few years have been good for contracting businesses, barring component availability and skilled labor woes. For anyone in the trades, operating a plumbing and mechanical company profitably looks different today than it did 20 years ago, but there are still plenty of similarities.
Joe Tull, 36, founded Straight Plumbing, LLC seven years ago, and feels as though he’s settled into a sweet spot. Right now, that includes running two trucks and focusing on Maryland’s Hartford County and northern Baltimore County. The company used to be bigger, but not necessarily better, according to Tull.
Roughly 30 percent of Straight Plumbing & Heating’s work is hydronic heat. The rest is residential and commercial plumbing service.
“I’ve always preferred quality over quantity,” he explained. “When I had more employees, I spent a lot of time going behind them and fixing their mistakes or shortcuts. Right now I have a fantastic apprentice, Robert Howard, who’s been with me four years. He’s always respected me and done things my way, which simply means not cutting corners. I’d hire 20 like him, if I could find them.”
Joe grew up working for his father’s plumbing company, but after a while, the two Tulls couldn’t see eye to eye. So Joe left and spent several years on the plumbing service crew for a large company before hanging out his own shingle in Jarrettsville, Md.
Specialization
“Specialization gives the people . . . the opportunity to go further in any direction of study than any other human has gone before.” – Ryan North
“Service is what I knew best, and what I could build a reputation on most rapidly,” said Tull. “Service work also provides the greatest opportunity to solve people’s problems. The new construction side of the business is more volatile. So I specialized in plumbing service, and as soon as I was up and running, I dug into hydronics to expand our offering.”
Joe Tull founded Straight Plumbing, LLC in 2016, after working for his family’s company and several other plumbing firms in the area.
Today, 30 percent of Straight P&H’s work is hydronic heat. The rest is plumbing service, both residential and commercial. Due to the rural nature of his territory and the presence of hard and harsh water, many of their service calls involve well pumps and water conditioning. A deep understanding of water quality has infinity improved Tull’s hydronic and plumbing work.
Forging relationships
“Technology does not run an enterprise, relationships do.” – Patricia Fripp
Tull learned early in his career that relationships are critical to the success of a business. In addition to learning from his father, he had mentors at supply houses, rep firms and within his social circle.
“I had a lot to learn when I first started installing boilers” said Tull. “Jim Bull, at Thomas Somerville became a mentor. He has a wide range of heating knowledge and was always generous with that information. He’d even stop at my jobs in the evening and set me straight if I was in a bind.”
Relationships are as important to Tull today as they were then, when he was still building his portfolio of experience.
“I try to be an information sponge and do my best to become an asset to the people who add value to my life,” said Tull. “Over the past three years, I’ve worked closely with the reps at ROI Marketing, specifically Dan Byrne, district manager, and Dave Raabe, sales manager. Those guys are never more than a phone call away.”
Byrne has known Tull for more than 20 years, but has only been his hydronic rep for about three years, after helping Straight P&H sort out some technical issues on a particularly challenging project. Tull installs their line of U.S. Boiler Company condensing and cast iron boilers, ComfortPro PEX, State water heaters and Webstone valves. Some of that equipment comes through Jordan Mitchell, at Northeastern Supply, while some is sourced at other supply houses throughout the area.
Straight Plumbing & Heating used to be a larger company, but Tull intentionally reduced it to two trucks for the sake of quality and consistently.
“Dave and Dan rock,” said Tull. “Their support, and the help I’ve received from the factory tech support at U.S. Boiler has been outstanding. I’ve used other boiler brands with less success and non-existent customer service.”
Byrne and Raabe visit Tull’s jobsites a dozen times or so each year, often on the front end, to provide sizing assistance, system concepts, etc.
“What I observed when I first met Joe was a young guy that wanted to install stuff properly,” said Raabe. “He’s very talented and his work is extremely professional, yet he’s humble and not afraid to ask for help.”
“I wish all our customers were like Joe,” added Byrne. “He takes real pride in his work.”
Referral marketing
“Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.”
– James Cash Penney
“I left my previous job because I saw customers being taken advantage of,” Tull said. “I don’t hard-sell anyone. I present their options along with fair pricing and let them decide what they prefer. I want customers for life. If I’m fair and I do the job to the best of my ability, my customers become my salesforce.”
Tull doesn’t just talk the talk. His 38 five-star reviews on Facebook are proof enough. One review states, “Joe came to my house and fixed me up. After I got estimates from other plumbers that were way too expensive, Joe fixed my old water treatment system without pushing me to buy a new one. He simply stated ‘Please think of me when you decide to upgrade.’ And you bet your butt I will.”
Create value
“You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” – Jim Rohn
Straight Plumbing and Heating creates value as well as anyone in the business. Homeowner Steve Shelley learned this when he first hired Tull to solve some minor plumbing issues. Years later, when it came time to replace the home’s oil-fired boiler, Joe was his first and only call.
“Joe is very responsive, knowledgeable and thorough,” said Shelley. “He doesn’t try to oversell, he’s happy to answer questions, and he’s never in a rush to get things done. I didn’t have to think twice about hiring him to convert our home from oil to propane, which we did mainly for the energy savings.”
The combi boiler system Tull installed heats the home through a hydronic air handler, while also providing more hot water than the homeowner had ever had in the past.
The home is heated by hot water fan coils, and the existing boiler used to provide DHW through a 40-gallon indirect tank. Shelley estimates that the unit burned 800 gallons of oil each year, or roughly $3,200.
Tull buried a large propane tank in the yard, replaced the existing unit with a 200 MBH Alta Combi boiler, and sidewall vented the new unit.
The retrofit took place in June last year, giving Shelley nearly a year to calculate the energy savings that Straight Plumbing and Heating had provided.
“We used 400 gallons of propane over the winter, and I’m sure we’ve consumed a little more through the fall and spring for hot water,” he Shelley. “With LP at $2.00 per gallon, we’re saving somewhere around $2,000 per year.”
Tull replaced an oil-fired boiler with a new Alta condensing combi boiler for an annual savings of $2,000.
Shelley also noted that the family used to run out of DHW quickly. Now they can shower as long as they want and run multiple taps.
“We have all the hot water we need,” Shelley explained. “We can’t smell oil in the basement anymore, and we don’t hear the boiler start up like we used to.”
“We have about a dozen Alta boilers in the field,” said Tull. “They work very well on LP. Most of the installations in Hartford County are on propane. The Alta is also easy to clean, and access is fantastic because the side panels are removable.”
There’s another reason that Tull installs the Alta. Much like other models in the U.S. Boiler Company lineup, the Alta is available at a variety of local supply houses, including Northeastern Supply, Thomas Somerville and R.E. Michel.
“When it’s cold and a customer needs heat, I can’t come up empty-handed on parts and product,” said Tull. “Having equipment that’s readily available is extremely important.”
Overcoming challenges
“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.” – Ray Davis.
Last heating season, Straight Plumbing and Heating installed 35 boilers. This year, only 20. He suspects the economy has something to do with that, but he’s certain there’s another reason.
According to Tull, many big HVAC companies are pushing homeowners toward inexpensive heat pumps. There are lots of “house flippers” in his territory, as well. Typically, flippers install the cheapest heat pump on the market.
Straight Plumbing & Heating has a dozen Alta boilers in the field, and he’s found them to be reliable and very easy to work.
“I’m not talking about high-efficiency, low-ambient temperature systems,” he said. “I mean the cheap, undersized unitary systems. I’ve had homeowners call me after buying a house with a new heat pump, asking if I can install ‘a real heating system.’ Once winter hits, they’re uncomfortable and their electric bill spikes because the units constantly run on emergency heat.”
It’s hard to sell a premium system against a budget option when the customer doesn’t know the difference before signing the contract.
“I know it will all come full circle,” said Tull. “You only make that mistake once. If I was trying to grow rapidly, I’d be concerned about it, but I’m happy with where the company is. It’ll grow gradually. We’ll continue solving harsh water problems and creating extremely comfortable heating systems. If we do that and remain transparent with our customers, the company will continue to do well.”
Rheem®, a leading global manufacturer of water heating and HVACR products, today announced that Chris Haynes, vice president of Global Procurement, has been named as a Supply & Demand Chain Executive “2023 Pros to Know” award recipient. The award recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage their supply chain Read more
Rheem®, a leading global manufacturer of water heating and HVACR products, today announced that Chris Haynes, vice president of Global Procurement, has been named as a Supply & Demand Chain Executive “2023 Pros to Know” award recipient. The award recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage their supply chain for competitive advantage.
As vice president of Global Procurement, Haynes oversees the global strategic sourcing across Rheem’s air and water divisions that include an array of products, such as tank-type and tankless water heaters, air conditioners, furnaces and HVAC systems for residential and commercial applications.
“I am honored to be chosen by my peers for the Pros to Know award and to be in the company of the other esteemed winners in my field,” said Haynes. “With the fast-paced world of supply chain becoming highly volatile in recent years, this is great recognition of Rheem’s unwavering commitment to deliver high-quality products for our customers. Today’s environment requires us to constantly reinvent what it means to be a supply chain professional and I’m incredibly proud to help lead Rheem’s global sustainability practices, which we have implemented rapidly on a large scale.”
Haynes has had an illustrious career with Rheem spanning more than a decade. He manages a global team with 60 direct and 125 indirect reports across 25 locations in 10 countries. Haynes also is passionate about mentoring staff and investing in talent to build strong teams across Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Facing global supply chain disruptions, post- COVID-19 recovery and inflation, Haynes always ensures Rheem can deliver outstanding results for its customers by spearheading and revolutionizing Rheem’s inbound supply chain process. Serving as a company leader on Rheem’s “A Greater Degree of Good” sustainability initiative, Haynes has worked with global suppliers and manufacturing facility leaders to reduce Rheem’s carbon footprint, utilize recycled materials and work toward achieving the zero waste to landfill goal.
“Chris is not only a ‘Pro to Know,’ he is one of Rheem’s supply chain heroes and sustainability champions,” said Rheem President Global Water, Rich Bendure. “Chris is customer-focused in everything he does and, as a leader, inspires his teams to put that into practice every day. Chris knows that exceeding our customers’ expectations, particularly in times of uncertainty, gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace, and solidifies Rheem’s long-term reputation as a manufacturer that delivers on our commitments. Congratulations, Chris, on this much-deserved award.”
Visit https://www.sdcexec.com/awards/pros-to-know to view the full list of “Supply & Demand Chain Executive 2023 - “Pros to Know” winners and visit rheem.com to learn more about Rheem’s latest news.