Quote:
Originally Posted by Harvin
I have a Hybrid in my Wisconsin home for over a year and its fantastic, it's a Rheem Prestige series. It can operate in various modes using the conventional heater elements or heat pump only or a combination of both. I run it in heat pump only and never run out of hot water plus it consumes much less electricity than a conventional water heater. There is the added benefit that the heat pump exhausts cool dry air, so it has a small effect of air conditioning and dehumidifier. The downside is they are expensive but there was a nice federal government incentive that paid for 30% of the water heater & installation cost.
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The only problem installing one here in the Villages is it has to be installed in the garage where the air is not 100% clean. The hybrid heater has a heat exchanger similar to our evaporator coil in our HVAC heat pumps. Although there is a cleanable filter, dust and dirt does get through and clogs up the coil assembly. This assembly can be cleaned but it's a lot of maintenance. Just FYI. Look at some youttube videos on the topic before buying something like this.