The new GE Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater is a combination of a heat pump and an electric tank water heater. The electric elements in the tank merely serve as a backup for times when the demand for hot water is high.
A heat pump is a highly efficient, eco friendly device that can be used in both space heating and water heating. It heats water by extracting heat from the surrounding air and transferring the heat to water in a tank. It does not create heat but simply moves the heat from the air to the water. A heat pump can even operate effectively when the air temperature is as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
It works like a refrigerator or air conditioner in reverse. A fan pulls ambient air over evaporator coils, where the heat from the air is transferred to a refrigerant. The heated refrigerant is then pumped through a compressor. Compression of the refrigerant intensifies the heat, causing the refrigerant to vaporize. The superheated vapour then passes through copper condenser coils that wrap around the inside of the tank. As the hot vapour circulates through the coils its heat is transferred to the water.
The GE Hybrid water heater operates at a 200% efficiency level, which makes it more than twice as efficient as a standard electric tank water heater. In practical terms, it will cut your water heating bills by half.
This heat pump water heater is designed to be an easy replacement for your old electric water heater. It has the same diameter, but is a little higher because of the heat pump at the top. It also uses the same electrical and plumbing connections as your existing unit. Actually the heat pump itself uses very little electricity. Electricity is only used when the backup heating elements are activated.
The electronic controls are very sophisticated. With these controls you can precisely set the water temperature that you desire as well as control the heating mode of the heating elements.
There is a "vacation mode" that allows you to reduce the energy usage of the unit while you are gone, by turning off the heating elements. You can use the "high demand mode" to activate the heating elements when you need sufficient hot water for a large group of overnight guests. There is also a "lower energy mode" that reduces your energy costs by not utilizing the full heating capacity of the electric elements.
The GE Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater can even integrate with a smart grid. When fitted with a radio receiver it will receive signals from your local utility. These signals will tell the unit when periods of high electricity demand are in effect and will allow the unit to go into the "vacation mode" or the "lower energy mode".
| Price : $50.00 | Post Date : Oct 29, 2011 20:24:19
