How Heat Pump Water Heaters Help You Save More Compared to Traditional Heaters

Ever looked at your utility bills and wondered what the hell drove them so high?

The straightforward answer lies in your traditional hot water system – it is both expensive and inefficient to use in the modern world. But don’t stress at all – you don’t have to live with such a system forever.

Many Australian homeowners have discovered and started using a modern, more efficient hot water solution, and you should consider joining them too. The solution is none other than the heat pump water heater.

It can work magic and will see you spending a longer time in the shower without worrying about high utility bills. Still have doubts? Here are the top five reasons why you should upgrade to a heat pump water heater:

Heat Pumps Reduce Electricity Usage and Related Costs

One of the most attractive features of heat pump hot water systems is improved energy efficiency, which can lead to huge cost savings for Australian households. It has been shown that heat pump water heaters deliver 3 to 4 times more heat energy than traditional electric resistance or gas water heaters. That means they will reduce your water heating costs by that ratio, so you’ll never need to rush your shower again to save energy.

The superior efficiency of heat pumps is due to their unique operating mechanism which only involves heat transfer instead of direct heat generation.

They use a refrigerant to capture ambient heat from the air and move it to the water storage tank, using far less electricity than traditional heating methods. The result is reduced electricity usage and lower energy bills for homeowners.

The low energy bills result in huge savings which can recoup the initial heat pump installation expense in the long run. In fact, Heat Pump World says the cost can be offset in about 4 years in a 3-to-4-person household!

Image: Efficiency in water heaters

Heat Pumps Reduce Carbon Footprint for a Cleaner Environment

The Australian Government, in its report, shows that traditional water heaters are not good for the environment. The report labels these water heaters as polluters that contribute up to 25% of typical household emissions.

In an attempt to conserve the environment, the Australian Government is setting strategies to encourage the use of renewable energy with a goal of zero emissions by 2030.

The government projects that the percentage of households using renewable energy will increase from the 35% mark in 2022 to more than 82% in 2030.

If you are loyal to your country, love your planet and want to live more sustainably, you have a duty to participate in making the government’s dream come true. The best way to help fulfill this vision is by installing a heat-pump water heater.

Unlike traditional systems, a heat pump is more sustainable and eco-friendly when it comes to heating your domestic water.

Normally, traditional water heaters are operated using fossil fuels like gas or oil, leaving a large carbon footprint.

In contrast, heat pumps don’t need any fossil fuel or electricity for heat generation. They only need very little electrical energy to transfer heat from renewable sources to the water. This process produces negligible gasses thus helping reduce carbon footprints by up to 70%.

That’s like taking a car off the road for nearly twelve months or planting 70 trees!

Heat Pumps Promise Consistent Heating

One thing every homeowner wants is a guarantee that the hot water solution they adopt will provide a continuous supply of hot water. After all, who would want to switch to an energy efficient and cheap option that doesn’t avail hot water reliably at any desired time?

If you are concerned about this, rest assured that heat pumps are the best when it comes to providing a continuous flow of hot water.

Unlike traditional sources that work only when there’s sufficient supply of fuel and electricity, the heat pump will work all the time because ambient heat is always accessible in surrounding air .

It doesn’t matter whether it is rainy or sunny, warm or cold – your heat pump will continue providing hot water at the same temperatures you’d get using traditional sources.

Another thing about heat pumps is that they have a storage tank so the hot water is always stored ready for usage unlike instant electric heaters that only heat water when needed – such a system cannot be relied on during blackouts.

According to industry experts, you only need to install the right size of heat pump to guarantee continuous hot water. Determine the number of people in your household and then look for units with sufficient volume to cater for everyone’s usage.

Assume 50 liters of hot water per person per day as Sustainability Victoria suggests, and then calculate the size of the storage tank you’d need. That way there will always be hot water in your home.

Heat Pumps Last Longer with Little Maintenance

Another good reason to choose a heat pump water heater over other water heating solutions is that heat pumps last longer and need less servicing.

According to Cyanergy, your heat pump water heater can provide hot water for 15-20 years with proper use and maintenance.

On the contrary, a traditional gas or electric hot water heater will only serve you for around 8-15 years even with proper maintenance. This is simply because heat parts have no exposure to direct combustion or resistive heating elements that accelerate wear and tear.

In terms of maintenance, you need to do very little with heat pumps. Annual tasks like cleaning the coils and draining the storage tank are enough to prevent build-up and corrosion, ensuring your heat pump lasts for many years.

For traditional water heaters you have a lot of things to deal with which may require frequent servicing. For instance, electrical hot water systems often suffer from broken heating elements, while gas systems may encounter issues with their burners. All these require frequent attention and can also be costly to service.

Heat Pumps Offer Installation Flexibility

The next advantage of heat pump water heaters is that they give you some degrees of freedom when installing them. It’s up to you to decide whether you want them installed indoors or outdoors.

Outdoor installation can help you save space while allowing the heat pump to access sufficient air for ambient heat extractions.

On the other hand, installing your heat pump indoors would allow you to make use of compact places like under the stairs, utility closets, etc. It would also mean your heat pump is protected from damage associated with outdoor weather vagaries while also freeing your outdoor space for other uses.

Besides the flexibility in installation, your heat pump unit also offers variable options for water storage. You can choose an integrated system where the heat pump and storage tank are combined into a single unit and save space and installation hassle.

Otherwise, you can have the split system, whereby it is connected to a separate storage tank for added flexibility in capacity and location. All these choices cater to a wide array of Australian homes and preferences; hence you will not be limited with a heat pump.

Conclusion

As you may have learnt from this article, a heat pump hot water system is the right choice for Australians who need a reliable, cost-effective and energy-efficient method of warming their domestic water.

You should therefore avoid traditional water heaters and replace them with a modern heat pump water heater. The result will be saving costs by a whooping 70%, reducing environmental impacts, enjoying government rebates and enjoying hot water consistently regardless of blackouts.

Get your heat pump now!