Quote:
Originally Posted by Servicetech
Pricing link for heat pump water heater not working, wasn't able to get a cost basis. Similiar product was running $1,500 @ Lowes when they used to stock it. NG water heaters run about $400. You need to save $900 in energy costs just to break even.
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I just used the link from my post, and it did work. However, I wasn't able to get pricing info as I thought. The unit is a commercial water heater, built for very heavy use. That's probably why the COP curve was published, for use by engineers designing a whole commercial installation. I'll call on Monday and get a price.
But back to your post... I think I understand now.
When you say, "No way a heat pump water heater will ever pay for itself when compared to gas", your horizon only extends only as far as Oklahoma, even though this forum is read by people throughout all of North America, and also Europe, and we have had some very resourceful, informed and intelligent readers in Australia, and New Zealand, and even a few rare readers in South America.
Also, your idea of break-even is that the payback
must be in the first year of use. I have never known anyone to consider that if a break-even period that is beyond the first year, it isn't worth considering.
If you were to do a real break-even analysis, you would be able to calculate the length of time it would take for one alternative to break even as compared to another... for any area, for any gas price and any electricity cost.
Using the
Oklahoma Method, CFL lighting does not break even... Ditto LED lighting, Ditto insulation of any kind, Ditto any recognized energy saving method, except maybe bubble-wrap window insulation.
I think this kind of thinking is extremely limiting, but it certainly does explain a lot.
-AC