| The new GE Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater is a | | | | efficiency level, which makes it more than twice |
| combination of a heat pump and an electric tank | | | | as efficient as a standard electric tank water |
| water heater. The electric elements in the tank | | | | heater. In practical terms, it will cut your water |
| merely serve as a backup for times when the | | | | heating bills by half. |
| demand for hot water is high. | | | | This heat pump water heater is designed to be an |
| A heat pump is a highly efficient, eco friendly | | | | easy replacement for your old electric water |
| device that can be used in both space heating and | | | | heater. It has the same diameter, but is a little |
| water heating. It heats water by extracting heat | | | | higher because of the heat pump at the top. It |
| from the surrounding air and transferring the heat | | | | also uses the same electrical and plumbing |
| to water in a tank. It does not create heat but | | | | connections as your existing unit. Actually the heat |
| simply moves the heat from the air to the water. | | | | pump itself uses very little electricity. Electricity is |
| A heat pump can even operate effectively when | | | | only used when the backup heating elements are |
| the air temperature is as low as 40 degrees | | | | activated. |
| Fahrenheit. | | | | The electronic controls are very sophisticated. |
| It works like a refrigerator or air conditioner in | | | | With these controls you can precisely set the |
| reverse. A fan pulls ambient air over evaporator | | | | water temperature that you desire as well as |
| coils, where the heat from the air is transferred | | | | control the heating mode of the heating elements. |
| to a refrigerant. The heated refrigerant is then | | | | There is a "vacation mode" that allows you to |
| pumped through a compressor. Compression of | | | | reduce the energy usage of the unit while you |
| the refrigerant intensifies the heat, causing the | | | | are gone, by turning off the heating elements. |
| refrigerant to vaporize. The superheated vapour | | | | You can use the "high demand mode" to activate |
| then passes through copper condenser coils that | | | | the heating elements when you need sufficient |
| wrap around the inside of the tank. As the hot | | | | hot water for a large group of overnight guests. |
| vapour circulates through the coils its heat is | | | | There is also a "lower energy mode" that reduces |
| transferred to the water. | | | | your energy costs by not utilizing the full heating |
| The GE Hybrid water heater operates at a 200% | | | | capacity of the electric elements. |