Learn about Heat Pump Water Heater

Heat pump water heaters draw heat from the ambient air in your house to heat water for domestics uses such as showering and dishwashing. A refrigerant fluid absorbs the extracted heat and undergoes compression to increase its temperature. The heated fluid then transfers its heat to water in a storage tank.

Heat pump water heaters look similar to conventional storage-tank water heaters. Still, they typically have an additional compartment that houses the heat pump components.</p><p>Look for the Energy Star label. Water heater performance is rated by an energy factor (EF). A minimum EF of 2 is required for tank less than 55 gallons, and an EF of 2.2 is required for tanks over 55 gallons. The higher the EF, the better and some heat pump water heaters can have an EF of up to 3.5.

Heat pump water heater can have much higher efficacies than conventional storage or tankless water heaters, reducing the energy required for water heating. In the summer months, they also help to cool and dehumidify a house, but in the winter months, they draw energy from the indoor air which increases the space heating load.

The first working heat pump was invented by an Austrian, Peter von Rittinger, in 1855, to evaporate water from salt brine to make salt.