What is a Hybrid Water Heater? How Does it Work?

By now, you’re probably already familiar with traditional water heaters. You likely already have one in your home. But that’s not the only option you have to heat the water you use in your home. Finding the right water heater for your individual home needs is important, especially if you have a big family (or household members that like to take long showers or run the washing machine and dishwasher at the same time). This is where a hybrid water heater comes into play. 

What is a hybrid water heater?

A hybrid water heater, which you may also know as a heat pump water heater, combines the best parts of a traditional water heater with a tankless heater. It works by moving hot air to the water tank when needed instead of heating water on demand, like traditional water heaters do. Hybrid water heaters nowadays usually come with a multitude of options and settings. You can tailor those features to keep the cost of your monthly water bill down or change them to handle larger amounts of water. 

What types of features do hybrid water heaters come with?

Hybrid water heaters should be seen as an investment. They offer energy saving features that can save you enough money over time to justify the cost of the initial expense. According to the government Energy Star program, a hybrid water heater can save you between $1,320 and $5,560 in savings over the lifetime of the unit. A hybrid water heater doesn’t run 24/7 so it’s more efficient than a traditional water heater. This creates on-demand water heating. During times of increased hot water usage (such as when the dishwasher is running when someone is taking a shower), the tank will fill, preventing you from running out of water.

Is a hybrid water heater right for your home? 

The option to always have hot water ready and save on your bills is probably already appealing but there are some things to consider before you invest. 

The biggest downside to hybrid water heaters is that they require you to live in a warm or mild climate to operate at maximum efficiency. Because they draw heat from outside air (like a heat pump heating system), they don’t function as well in cold climates. This shouldn’t be an issue if you live in Ohio, where our winters are quite mild. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that hybrid water heaters are electric. If your home is plumbed for a gas heater, it will be more difficult to install a hybrid. Installers will likely have to retrofit the fittings, which will be an additional cost.

Ready to invest in a new hot water heater?

If you’ve been thinking about investing in a hybrid water heater for your home, give our team a call. We’ll answer any questions you have and can provide an estimate for you regarding how much a hybrid water heater will cost with installation included and how much you’ll end up saving each year.