Richmond® 50 Gallon Electric Water Heater with Hybrid Heat Pump any good?

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brenndatomu

brenndatomu

Minister of Fire
Aug 21, 2013
8,704
NE Ohio
Thinking about replacing my 50 gallon electric WH with one of these units, been looking at these for a while now...mine is working fine, but is of an unknown age...probably at least 25 YO. I usually run em 'til they blow, but with the sale right now, they don't get any cheaper than this, I'm sure if I wait until mine dies that this will not be on sale, especially one this good.
I guess I could buy it and let it sit in the garage until needed, but then the warranty is ticking away too...decisions decisions...advice, input? Sale ends tonight.
An additional bonus would be possibly not needing to run the dehumidifier in the basement anymore...ugh...sometimes its tough being a tightwad ;lol
I think these units are made by Rheem...same as their HPWH...rebadged to sell at BB stores?
https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...671-c-8688.htm?tid=8956776417898725648&ipos=1
 
I wouldn’t replace a functional appliance because of that deal. When I click on your link it says 1156$ for a 50 gallon water heater.
 
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Well, went for it...not going to install it right away, too busy with other stuff to stop and replace something that doesn't really need replaced right now. Will burn a little warranty this way but oh well, it has 2 yr full, 10 yr parts, and for $70 extra, a full 12 years parts/labor including 1 free replacement if it can't be repaired.
 
This Old House recently did a heat pump water heater. Pretty neat!

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I know I'm a little late to reply.

Converting my electric hot water heater to a HPHW paid for itself after 1.5 years. That savings doesn't count the costs of not having to run a dehumidifier too. We save around $50 a month just in making hot water. We got ours a few years ago so I'm money ahead already. IMHO - I'd rip the old water heater out and out put the new one in as soon as you can.
 
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brenndatomu said:
Well, went for it...not going to install it right away, too busy with other stuff to stop and replace something that doesn't really need replaced right now. Will burn a little warranty this way but oh well, it has 2 yr full, 10 yr parts, and for $70 extra, a full 12 years parts/labor including 1 free replacement if it can't be repaired.
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As long as you already have it every month you wait is costing you $ . Id swap it out and drain and keep the old one for a backup or sell it.
 
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Seasoned Oak said:
As long as you already have it every month you wait is costing you $ . Id swap it out and drain and keep the old one for a backup or sell it.
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I'm just too busy with "summer" projects right now...gonna be a winter project...
 
maple1 said:
Ha - I've got unfinished winter projects around here, from like 15 winters ago.
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;lol Well I have a few "long term" projects that need finished too, (anybody need a 1996 GMC K3500 4x4 dump truck...some assembly required? ==c) but this one is in my way in the garage right now, so it will be installed as soon as I get the chance...
 
brenndatomu said:
;lol Well I have a few "long term" projects that need finished too, (anybody need a 1996 GMC K3500 4x4 dump truck...some assembly required? ==c) but this one is in my way in the garage right now, so it will be installed as soon as I get the chance...
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When I was looking at water heaters, I didn't hear anything good about them, same with tank less with hard water.
 
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Sodbuster said:
When I was looking at water heaters, I didn't hear anything good about them, same with tank less with hard water.
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You can get a pretty good review of them here. The good and the bad. Been all good for me so far. Once or twice i got an error message and had to switch it off and on to reset,but thats it. Not bad for 4 to 5 yrs iv had it. I have the 50 Gal. and when set on high demand it keeps up to 10 people in the house . (Normally just 4)The rest of the time set on heat pump only for 350% savings.
 
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sloeffle said:
Mine has paid for itself twice already in lower electric bills. If it died, I'd go get another one tomorrow.
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Id do the same. And id still go with the 50 ga as i never run out of HW.
 
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I know several friends who have gone with the hybrid water heaters and they love them. If I had a full basement I might have gone that route for the replacement water heater that I ordered recently, but with the heater in the utility room next to the oil boiler I opted to not purchase the hybrid due to the noise, size and concern that it would have some potential issues doing its hybrid "thing" next to the oil boiler.
 
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firefighterjake said:
I know several friends who have gone with the hybrid water heaters and they love them. If I had a full basement I might have gone that route for the replacement water heater that I ordered recently, but with the heater in the utility room next to the oil boiler I opted to not purchase the hybrid due to the noise, size and concern that it would have some potential issues doing its hybrid "thing" next to the oil boiler.
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Kind of sounds like that would be a good place for one?
 
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Not much noise, just a fan and compressor hum. Any warm area is a good fit. but operates efficiently Down to about 45. Is about 12 to 18 in taller than a standard WH.
 
All I know are from the reviews I've read, and I've researched them a lot. I throw out the 5 star ratings from people that have had them a week. I also throw out the one stars from people who give no reason, "they just suck" What good does that do anyone? It appears they had a bad run 3-4 years ago. The contoller or some other crucial part was defective, and the factory had to wait a couple weeks, while meanwhile, customers without hot water. Because of the wide swing in reviews, I decided to go with a standard gas power vent. What intrigued me with the hybrid model, is I wasn't tied to one location. Also because mines a standard unit, I can have a new one or a part replaced the same day.
 
Unless you are heating the room it is installed i n with free wood how much are you saving in the Winter (or the cold season in your area requiring home heating ) ?
 
billb3 said:
Unless you are heating the room it is installed i n with free wood how much are you saving in the Winter (or the cold season in your area requiring home heating ) ?
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Most furnace rooms are unheated in my experience. Usually basement rooms where the room is mostly heated from heat coming off your furnace or boiler. In those cases your never going to spend a cent reheating that area as there is usually no radiation or hot air vents servicing that area. My HPWH is a few feet from my boiler and the area is usually 80 plus degrees all heating season as the boiler has an insulating jacket but a lot of heat still escapes,plus a lot of hot copper water pipes coming off the boiler. The HP only temporarily takes 1 or 2 degrees from that area.
 
Hello
I got an Eco 24 and only heat the water when I turn on the faucet. Cheaper and better for under $500. :)
See Home Depot cheapo Price
(broken link removed)
 

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