Heat pump H2O water heaters?? - Page 5

hamsterpower · 11-12-13, 07:53 AM

I've had an early GE HPWH for a couple years now. It claimed to have a very well insulated glass tank. (I'm thinking like a thermos) When I installed it, I could not feel any warmth on the outside of the tank. From another project I had a bunch of left over fiberglass batts. I built a small box around the tank and filled it with some of the fiberglass. Now if I stick my hand in against the tank it feels hot. I don't really care how much the extra insulation is helping because it was free salvage, but I know it is helping some.
By the way, it usually only runs once a day in the middle of the night with out and added controller.

Daox · 11-12-13, 08:10 AM

You didn't happen to measure power usage with a kill a watt before and after, did ya?

hamsterpower · 11-12-13, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox

You didn't happen to measure power usage with a kill a watt before and after, did ya?

No, 220 volt.

jeff5may · 11-12-13, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Servicetech

Making homebrew solutions with cheap/free parts certainly affects the break even period. Not to mention some of these projects are just plain cool... No way the project woudl have been effective if I would have paid the retail for the heater..

Sounds to me like the project was very effective. It may not have been as ECONOMICAL if you paid full retail. Ecological and economical are two VERY DESPERATELY different goals in most cases. The only difference is that money is durable and lasts forever, while the ecology is easily disrupted and pillaged. To make something that is cheap, durable, and that does not rape the environment is HIGHLY challenging (to put it lightly) in this realm. Good luck and godspeed with that one.

When you are designing and/or building your own system, what matters to you the most must be decided by YOU. Sweat equity and/or bartering can level the field from an economic viewpoint IF IT MAKES SENSE TO YOU. Or you can order one of these for this much $$$$ and have it at your door in a jiffy.

Lots of members' setups don't make economic sense when you look at them from afar. Heck, some of them don't make economic sense at all. That's why we need experts on the forum: to paint some reality into the dream. With a little guidance, a severely lacking design can be changed into a really slick end product.

AC_Hacker · 11-12-13, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff5may

... money is durable and lasts forever, while the ecology is easily disrupted and pillaged...

Gosh jeff5may, I didn't know you had it in you!

Quote:

...money is durable and lasts forever,
while the ecology is easily disrupted and pillaged

I'm hanging that one right on the wall.

Best,

-AC

jeff5may · 11-13-13, 08:21 PM

I wasn't trying to sound like a smart aleck, it's just that the "modern" way of thinking that everything somehow relates to a tangible cash value just disturbs me. Thoroughly.

workaholic · 11-14-13, 09:15 AM

Maybe slightly off topic. I bought the GE heat pump water heater form Lowes in the summer of 2012. A month ago it quit. We called the 800 number for repairs and after three weeks Lowes called us back and said they are going to refund our full purchase price. Sounds like GE is acknowledging major flaws in their product. I respect GE and Lowes for doing the right thing.

Daox · 11-14-13, 09:36 AM

What have you done for hot water in the past 3 weeks?

AC_Hacker · 11-14-13, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by workaholic

...I bought the GE heat pump water heater form Lowes in the summer of 2012... A month ago it quit... after three weeks Lowes called us back and said they are going to refund our full purchase price.

So not only are DIY heat pump water heaters much cheaper than the off-the-shelf units, but here we have another excellent reason to DIY your own heat pump water heater...

If you DIY, you know how it works, and if your creation goes south, you know how to fix it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by workaholic

Sounds like [after three weeks] GE is acknowledging major flaws in their product. I respect GE and Lowes for doing the right thing.

workaholic, you are a more patient man than I am... I think I'd be quite hot under the collar.

Full purchase price? You can get the full kit of equipment and a used donor A/C unit and a good used water heater for that price.

It all starts with learning how to braze copper tubing...

Best,

-AC

workaholic · 11-14-13, 01:19 PM

(What have you done for hot water in the past 3 weeks?)

The GE unit has a conventional electric backup. So i've been burning watts for the last 3 weeks.
As a side note when the refrigerant drained out' it and the lubricant went out through the cpvc drain pipes. Several elbows and 1 section of cpvc have become brittle and broke. I guess the oil degraded the plastic. Just one more thing to chase down and replace.

11-12-13, 08:10 AM	#42
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	You didn't happen to measure power usage with a kill a watt before and after, did ya? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-14-13, 09:15 AM	#47
workaholic Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: evansville, indiana Posts: 18 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Maybe slightly off topic. I bought the GE heat pump water heater form Lowes in the summer of 2012. A month ago it quit. We called the 800 number for repairs and after three weeks Lowes called us back and said they are going to refund our full purchase price. Sounds like GE is acknowledging major flaws in their product. I respect GE and Lowes for doing the right thing. __________________ If there are two ways to do a job always choose the hardest; it'll take twice as long but you will learn twice as much.

11-14-13, 09:36 AM	#48
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	What have you done for hot water in the past 3 weeks? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-14-13, 01:19 PM	#50
workaholic Lurking Renovator Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: evansville, indiana Posts: 18 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	(What have you done for hot water in the past 3 weeks?) The GE unit has a conventional electric backup. So i've been burning watts for the last 3 weeks. As a side note when the refrigerant drained out' it and the lubricant went out through the cpvc drain pipes. Several elbows and 1 section of cpvc have become brittle and broke. I guess the oil degraded the plastic. Just one more thing to chase down and replace. __________________ If there are two ways to do a job always choose the hardest; it'll take twice as long but you will learn twice as much.

11-12-13, 07:53 AM	#41
hamsterpower Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 142 Thanks: 0 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	I've had an early GE HPWH for a couple years now. It claimed to have a very well insulated glass tank. (I'm thinking like a thermos) When I installed it, I could not feel any warmth on the outside of the tank. From another project I had a bunch of left over fiberglass batts. I built a small box around the tank and filled it with some of the fiberglass. Now if I stick my hand in against the tank it feels hot. I don't really care how much the extra insulation is helping because it was free salvage, but I know it is helping some. By the way, it usually only runs once a day in the middle of the night with out and added controller.

11-13-13, 08:21 PM	#46
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	I wasn't trying to sound like a smart aleck, it's just that the "modern" way of thinking that everything somehow relates to a tangible cash value just disturbs me. Thoroughly.