If you don't need the extra capacity keeping the tank that high could cost more. Although you may be able to keep it in heat pump only mode with the higher temp settings. Heat pumps are most efficient making water in the 100-120F degree range when you start trying to heat water up to 140F the coefficient of performance goes down for the heat pump.
My Geospring
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If you don't need the extra capacity keeping the tank that high could cost more. Although you may be able to keep it in heat pump only mode with the higher temp settings. Heat pumps are most efficient making water in the 100-120F degree range when you start trying to heat water up to 140F the coefficient of performance goes down for the heat pump.
This is true but we both needed the capacity, and the offset of not using the 4,500 heaters makes up for it. Also I want it to run more in the summer to take advantage of the dehumidification.
No. While the lower inlet water temp will require more energy and time to heat, the efficiency will be higher. OF course, the lower air temp will probably trump that.
Depending on the size of your basement it may not stay 55 that would be my concern. The efficiency curves do not drop off much until your below 40F which is when these units shut off the heat pump.
That's good to know, I thought that it would be linear. I'm only a few miles from dbcooper's location, and even last Winter, my basement temperature stayed above 55. The most I've seen my basement drop due to the Geospring was 2F, and that seems to be rare now that I've switched to hybrid, so those times of heavy hot water use don't result in prolonged HP operation.
TE
August usage from my Efergy unit with my geospring in heat pump only mode. I also included the first week of Sept. Just my wife and I so our water usage is low. Also, keep in mind here in CT electric rates are some of the highest in the nation.
Even at the full retail cost ($1K) of these they are definetly worth it. I used the local utility and federal rebate to get ours for less than $200.
Even at the full retail cost ($1K) of these they are definetly worth it. I used the local utility and federal rebate to get ours for less than $200.
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08specB
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I have read the first 2-3 pages of this thread and am currently impressed and interested in this unit.
My current situation -
I have a Peerless boiler with a tankless coil which is going bad. The boiler is 10 years old and I will NOT be replacing the coil because I have NO clue when it will go bad again. I was strongly leaning towards a electric hot water heater until I was pointed to this thread by maple1 so thank you.
We just purchased a pellet stove and had it installed last week so I want to use less oil. We used to run our upstairs zone and between just the two of us we used about 3 tanks of oil per year. We have a baby on the way in less than 3 weeks so we need to fix our hot water situation sooner than later. Ideally I would like to put this unit in my furnace room which is located in the finished part of our raised ranch. Since I am in CT I read about Brian26's purchase and its looking more like I will be going with one of these units. I understand now that in CT Lowes just takes $400 off the price and per their website they are $799. Are their any additional rebates on top of that price currently in CT?
EDIT: after calling Energize CT they if I purchase this unit between Sept 18th and Oct 15th I can get an additional $200 at Lowes on top of the $400 making the total cost of the unit before tax $600
My current situation -
I have a Peerless boiler with a tankless coil which is going bad. The boiler is 10 years old and I will NOT be replacing the coil because I have NO clue when it will go bad again. I was strongly leaning towards a electric hot water heater until I was pointed to this thread by maple1 so thank you.
We just purchased a pellet stove and had it installed last week so I want to use less oil. We used to run our upstairs zone and between just the two of us we used about 3 tanks of oil per year. We have a baby on the way in less than 3 weeks so we need to fix our hot water situation sooner than later. Ideally I would like to put this unit in my furnace room which is located in the finished part of our raised ranch. Since I am in CT I read about Brian26's purchase and its looking more like I will be going with one of these units. I understand now that in CT Lowes just takes $400 off the price and per their website they are $799. Are their any additional rebates on top of that price currently in CT?
EDIT: after calling Energize CT they if I purchase this unit between Sept 18th and Oct 15th I can get an additional $200 at Lowes on top of the $400 making the total cost of the unit before tax $600
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08specB
Member
After looking into this unit online it appears they get alot of terrible reviews. Specifically reviews regarding error codes and GE tech's charging to have these units fixed. The reviews on the Lowe's website are great but not so much on Amazon and online. Does anyone on here have issues with these units after having them installed/working for years?
I have had mine over a year with no problems. Most of the bad reviews are of older ones that had Chinese made heat pumps. The current ones are made in USA.
The reviews are odd. IIRC, no one on here has reported a problem with the Geospring, and there are many folks who have been running them for a long time. Maybe its those Koch bros paying sock-puppets. 
I guess my feeling is figure out the return on investment. If you are out $600 for the unit, versus $200 for a cheapo conventional, how long does it take you to make back the $400 difference?? At CT rates with a family, I would expect a year or two. Get the extended warranty, and take a chance it will last at least the (short) payback time. If it does fail totally in a still disappointing amount of time, e.g. 5 years, oh well get a new HPWH then...they'll have the kinks worked out, and you will still be ahead $$-wise.
FYI, I am at 2.5 years on a different brand of HPWH, zero problems, made 100% in China, and $1000/yr in net oil/kWh savings relative to my old tankless coil.
Also...the usual question at this point is whether you know you can shut down the boiler all summer, so save on the standby oil usage. IF yes, you will save a bundle (on AC too). If no, then the economics are all different.
I guess my feeling is figure out the return on investment. If you are out $600 for the unit, versus $200 for a cheapo conventional, how long does it take you to make back the $400 difference?? At CT rates with a family, I would expect a year or two. Get the extended warranty, and take a chance it will last at least the (short) payback time. If it does fail totally in a still disappointing amount of time, e.g. 5 years, oh well get a new HPWH then...they'll have the kinks worked out, and you will still be ahead $$-wise.
FYI, I am at 2.5 years on a different brand of HPWH, zero problems, made 100% in China, and $1000/yr in net oil/kWh savings relative to my old tankless coil.
Also...the usual question at this point is whether you know you can shut down the boiler all summer, so save on the standby oil usage. IF yes, you will save a bundle (on AC too). If no, then the economics are all different.
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The first version of the heater did have issues and unfortunately neither lowes nor the reviewers clarify which generation they are reviewing.
The unit comes with a 10 year warranty in parts and 1 year on labor. Lowes will sell you a labor extension to 10 years for $99.99, a no brainer in my opinion. Also, look into getting a lowes 10% off and if you have a cash back card, use that. At the time my discover card was offering 5% back and that almost nullified my tax. They are 999 in my area with a $400 utility credit. The 10% off coupon basically got me the warranty. I'm very pleased with the unit and have had no issues so far.
Edit, as for GE charging for repairs, this can be the case if you don't follow the clearance requirements for the unit. The heat pump must be accessible for service, otherwise they might charge you to unhook and move the unit before they start work. You need a 7 inch clearance around the unit and I believe at least as much on top of it.
The unit comes with a 10 year warranty in parts and 1 year on labor. Lowes will sell you a labor extension to 10 years for $99.99, a no brainer in my opinion. Also, look into getting a lowes 10% off and if you have a cash back card, use that. At the time my discover card was offering 5% back and that almost nullified my tax. They are 999 in my area with a $400 utility credit. The 10% off coupon basically got me the warranty. I'm very pleased with the unit and have had no issues so far.
Edit, as for GE charging for repairs, this can be the case if you don't follow the clearance requirements for the unit. The heat pump must be accessible for service, otherwise they might charge you to unhook and move the unit before they start work. You need a 7 inch clearance around the unit and I believe at least as much on top of it.
Hmm, now this thread has me thinking about the Geosprings. Mainly because my current water heater was here when we moved in, and lists the national average cost of electricity at 4.7c/kwh. At 12c/kwh, it says its annual cost is $7xx :-0 It looks like I can get it for $800, before $300ish in rebates, and $600 in state income tax credits.
It would be going in a small-ish closet in our conditioned space, to which I'd have to add some vents. We're already looking at getting a humidifier for the winter months, since the wood stove dries everything out pretty well. Otherwise the heat it uses would me nice in the summer, and come from the wood stove in the winter.
I think it would work pretty well?
It would be going in a small-ish closet in our conditioned space, to which I'd have to add some vents. We're already looking at getting a humidifier for the winter months, since the wood stove dries everything out pretty well. Otherwise the heat it uses would me nice in the summer, and come from the wood stove in the winter.
I think it would work pretty well?
It won't work well in a closet, at least not with passive venting as you've proposed. It needs access to a greater volume of air to extract heat from.
Also, venting the closet well would allow the noise of the Geospring to enter your living space. While not terribly noisy I suspect you'd find it a bother.
Also, venting the closet well would allow the noise of the Geospring to enter your living space. While not terribly noisy I suspect you'd find it a bother.
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I would never consider the Geospring for a living space, just based on the noise. As loud as a mid range dishwasher, but running much more often. Maybe if you had a nice big laundry room off to the side of the house, but not anywhere near where you'd want to sit, read, talk or watch TV.
TE
TE
It's that loud? The closet sits off my office, which has a a computer and a mini-fridge running already. Although if it's paid for and saves me a few hundred a year, I can put up with quite a bit of noise. 
The install manual I looked through recommended two vents of at least 240"^2 each. And upon closer reading, the $300 rebate only applies if it's installed in a non-heated area. Hmm....
Thanks for the feedback!
The install manual I looked through recommended two vents of at least 240"^2 each. And upon closer reading, the $300 rebate only applies if it's installed in a non-heated area. Hmm....
Thanks for the feedback!
It's hard to compare noise, but much more than a fridge or PC, maybe a little less than a clothes dryer, I believe someone previously said about as loud as a dehumidifier, but it's louder than my dehumidifier. Makes sense about the rebate because you lose all efficiency if you have to re-heat the living space air.
TE
TE
Mine make slightly less noise than my dehumidifier. Don't forget it also requires a condensate drain which could be harder to accomplish in a closet.
08specB
Member
After reading the comments above I may look into getting unit afterall and DEF get the extended warranty from Lowe's. I do have a 10% off coupon that my brother sent me so that may be a good thing to use with the purchase. For $100 extra for piece of mine yes it is a no brainer to get the warranty from Lowe's IMO.
I will though be putting this unit in my furnace room which is a little larger than a closet. I will be putting a vented door on which I hope is enough for this unit and if it is not I will have an outside air vent installed. I have alot of other home issues that I am working on right now like a new roof, kitchen ceiling repair from water damage oh and a baby on the way in less than 2 weeks. If I do get this unit I will try to get it before the $200 rebate goes away in Mid October but I have to first find out from my HVAC guy how much he will charge me to install this thing and bypass the tankless coil.
I will though be putting this unit in my furnace room which is a little larger than a closet. I will be putting a vented door on which I hope is enough for this unit and if it is not I will have an outside air vent installed. I have alot of other home issues that I am working on right now like a new roof, kitchen ceiling repair from water damage oh and a baby on the way in less than 2 weeks. If I do get this unit I will try to get it before the $200 rebate goes away in Mid October but I have to first find out from my HVAC guy how much he will charge me to install this thing and bypass the tankless coil.
Two month update. September meter reading was a solid 150-200 kWh less than a typical non-a/c month. Running in hybrid mode the entire time, no more running short of hot water, despite three members of the house loving long showers, and all the laundry associated with active kids. The new water conditioning system was installed too, so the softer, neutralized water should be a lot less harsh on the heater, so it had better last longer than the last two old-fashioned resistance heaters.
On a general note, buying the Geospring has allowed me to reach an interim goal of below 10,000kWh/year. While that's still a relatively large consumption even for 4 people, it's more than a 20% reduction over the past few years, and was achieved without sacrificing any device performance or comfort. Realistically now, apart from an imminent high efficiency washer, there's not much more we can do without insisting on shorter showers, changing a/c setpoints, or otherwise sacrificing. I wish we could dry some clothes outside, but the downside of a house surrounded by trees is a huge volume of dirt, dust and pollen in the air at all times of the year.
TE
On a general note, buying the Geospring has allowed me to reach an interim goal of below 10,000kWh/year. While that's still a relatively large consumption even for 4 people, it's more than a 20% reduction over the past few years, and was achieved without sacrificing any device performance or comfort. Realistically now, apart from an imminent high efficiency washer, there's not much more we can do without insisting on shorter showers, changing a/c setpoints, or otherwise sacrificing. I wish we could dry some clothes outside, but the downside of a house surrounded by trees is a huge volume of dirt, dust and pollen in the air at all times of the year.
TE
That's great to hear. We just put up a clothesline on a pulley system. Not as convenient as taking one step over to the dryer but we are using it consistently.
I had my check within 6 weeks of my install, and I was randomly selected for an in home inspection.
It certainly works as good as its supposed to, possibly better, I just hope it works for as long as its supposed to.
TE
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