We sell four main types of water heaters:
1. Heat pump water heater
2. Condensing tankless water heater
3. Condensing tank
4. Hybrid gas water heater
Heat pump water heaters extract heat from air and exchange it to the water through a copper heat exchanger. A heat pump water heater will cool the space it’s in by a few degrees and pull moisture as well, so the best space for these water heaters is a garage. Heat pumps are the same size as most standard 50 gallon water heaters and require a 240 volt circuit system that will integrate seamlessly with photovoltaic panels and solar hot water.
Tankless water heaters use natural gas, propane or electricity to efficiently heat water by passing it through a heat exchanger and absorbing the heat. They integrate well with solar hot water systems and because of the high efficiency of these units, condensation occurs when the flue gases cool. This condensate is slightly acidic and should be drained outdoors. Tankless electric heaters are best suited to point of use applications because they’re a large electric draw for a short amount of time.
A tank style condensing water heater uses natural gas or propane. While they resemble a normal water heater, they have a secondary heat exchanger and are power vented.
A hybrid gas water heater is tankless with a small 2-5 gallon buffer tank. The buffer makes the water heater cycle less often and prevents the “cold water sandwich" that is common with tankless water heaters, which is caused by turning the water off and back on during washing or bathing.