[TrudyM]

Has anyone ever heard of these things. Mounts right on the hot water heater. Sounds smart as up north most hot water heaters are in the same space as the furnace which gives off alot of heat and down in the villages they are in the garage also very warm in the summer and heat pumps don't require much heat around them to work so should work in winter as well.

Saw it described and shown in picture #8 on the latest this old house post.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/arti...9877-8,00.html

[cybermuda]

see "Passive Hot Water Heat" under the DIY section

I am not sure how to post a link - can anyone help? Thanks

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by cybermuda

see "Passive Hot Water Heat" under the DIY section

I am not sure how to post a link - can anyone help? Thanks

Here's the link you're referring to, I believe:

"Passive" Hot water heat

It looks like it's a bit of a different route to go versus the hot water heat pump. But a good idea nonetheless!

(cyber - To post a link: I opened another window in my browser, opened TOTV, did a 'Search' for 'passive hot water heat', then clicked on the thread to open it up. Highlighted the entire URL (the whole http://talkofthevillages...... thing), then copied and pasted it into this post. I clipped off/deleted the ancillary stuff at the end of the link that referred only to what I was searching for <everything after the 't=31253'> - not necessary to do that, though. Hope that helps!)

Bill

[TrudyM]

[QUOTE=cybermuda;338549]see "Passive Hot Water Heat" under the DIY section

That also sounds neet but this was a manufactured unit that us not so handy folks could have installed right on a hot water heater to augment or replace most of the cost of the gas or electric heating of the water by a professional. It is suppose to be a scaled down version of a heat pump like you use to heat a house. I had solar hot water when I lived in California and loved it but this old house article said this cost something like $450 which is a far cry from the cost of solar.

I have to stop reading the articles that this old house emails me links to as I already have more projects than I can finish,

[cybermuda]

if you need a new water heater then there are combined units available, but I don't know of any add-on units

http://www.geappliances.com/heat-pum...r-features.htm

[TrudyM]

Originally Posted by cybermuda

if you need a new water heater then there are combined units available, but I don't know of any add-on units

http://www.geappliances.com/heat-pum...r-features.htm

I didn't know there were combined units thanks for the info.
I just saw the add on one in a copy of This OLD House link listed in original post it said it was $450 plus installation.
I did a quick search and the combo unit costs $1600 (more than a tankless but still maybe less than solar) and at 10 cents a killowat saves about $300 to $400 a year. The GE combo had really cool programable options including 90 day vacation feature.

I am a gaget nut can you tell.