The following guide will discuss current water heater technology and break down some key considerations so you can choose the type of water heater best suited to your needs. A tankless heater is small and hangs on the wall, freeing up floor space. But they work in very different ways, and each have their own pros and cons. Natural Gas Heaters are typically a few dollars cheaper to run per hour vs Propane Heaters. The extremely hot air that gas furnaces produce can cause your skin to dry out in the winter and can actually produce higher temperatures than you need, wasting energy. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Most swimming pools are heated one of two ways: with an electric heat pump or a gas heater. If a homeowner already has a gas water heater, he or she can expect to pay $400 to $550 for a plumber to remove the old unit and install the new one, no matter whether it’s a tank or tankless model. If the unit is running while the heat is running inside, then you have a heat pump. Gas is cheaper than electricity in most cases, which makes furnaces more cost-effective than electric heat pumps in areas that experience colder temperatures. “Typically, the higher the cost, the better the unit will run.” You will, however, spend more up front for a gas hot water heater, such as the AO Smith 50-Gallon Proline Gas Water Heater, than you’ll spend for a similar-size electric hot water heater, such as the AO Smith 50-Gallon Proline Electric Water Heater (both available from SupplyHouse). Compare costs, efficiency, installation, operating costs, and more for electric heat pumps vs gas heating to determine which hvac system is best for your home. Switching to gas from electric, though, can tack on an additional $1,500 to $2,300 in installation costs for running a new gas line and installing venting. Even though a hybrid heat pump is technically more energy efficient, gas is generally cheaper than electricity in the Phoenix area. They can also produce extremely hot heat, which means that the temperature in your home can quickly reach the setting on your thermostat. Because of its combustion, gas produces heat more quickly than an electric heating element. Whatever style of water heater you purchase and no matter whether you opt for gas or electric, you’ll get the longest useful life out of your water heater if you always follow the manufacturer’s annual service and maintenance schedule. This water heater operates by drawing heat from the air, making it best suited for use in warm climates. When the heat pump pulls the hot air from outside your home, it moves the air into an air handler that is on the inside unit of your home. This helps owners save money on bills, and also reduces carbon footprint. One of the biggest advantages of ductless heat pump installation is that ductless heat pumps can use electricity instead of gas. What you need are facts. While a water heater’s price tag is important, it shouldn’t be your only deciding factor. Some of the most popular ways to heat your pool would be to use a gas heater or an electric heat pump. Dual fuel systems blend the best features of a gas furnace together with a heat pump. Before you start shopping for a new water heater, however, you need to know which power source it will use: gas or electric. Electric Element on Heat Pump Heat pumps have one primary difficulty: they cannot operate well in cold temperatures. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires every new conventional water heater to have a bright yellow and black Energy Guide label that states the appliance’s energy factor as well as the following information: If you’re shopping online, you won’t be able to view the Energy Guide label, but reputable retailers like SupplyHouse.com offer all the technical details about the models they sell, so you’ll still have the information you need to make an informed choice. Since they do not use combustion to create heat, like gas furnaces do, they do not create any CO. Technically, gas furnaces produce more heat than heat pumps. The heat pump also dehumidifies the space where it is installed. A water heat pump will only use around $190 worth of energy per year, almost half of what a natural gas heater must use. As a result, the recovery rate and first-hour rating (FHR)—two numbers that help consumers determine if a unit will meet their household’s needs—tend to be higher for gas water heaters than they are for comparable electric models with the same manufacturer and tank size. It is not energy efficient as it has a COP between 0.80 and 0.85.Heat pump heaters produce an equal amount of 1kW of heat from 1kW of electricity. A storage tank and a back-up source of hot water -- either a gas or electric tank water heater -- to ensure a supply of hot water on cloudy and cold days They work one of two ways: Direct systems heat water in tubes inside the collector, then send the water to a storage tank for later use. Most of the reasons you would choose a heat pump vs. gas furnace come down to where you live. A dual fuel system includes both a heat pump and a gas furnace and will operate the heat pump during milder temperatures when the heat pump is more efficient, and as the outdoor temperature gets colder the system will automatically switch over to the gas furnace. On the flip side, it usually costs less to operate a gas water heater because, in many areas of the country, the cost of natural gas is lower than the cost of electricity. “In most cases, you are going to just go with whatever your home has been fitted with already,” says Daniel O’Brian, technical expert for online plumbing and HVAC retailer SupplyHouse.com. Nearly all houses have electricity, and many have access to both gas and electricity. As long as gas furnaces are installed correctly, regularly monitored and inspected, gas furnaces are safe. Installing a new heat pump water heater can cost about $4,000-$8,000. Each system has advantages/disadvantages depending on what you are looking to accomplish. 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