Water Heaters

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.

Yes, we've installed many solar hot water systems in Humboldt county and our preferred system works with four to eight solar electric panels along with a microinverter that will run an electric water heater element. Advantages of this system include its simplicity and the fact that it will continue to produce hot water even during power outages.

The most common water heater is an atmospheric gas water heater, which is very inefficient because a large amount of heat goes right up the flue pipe. If you currently have this type of water heater, you can place your hand on the flue pipe and feel the heat (and essentially, your hard-earned money) slowly slipping away!

A garage is the most ideal place to put a heat pump water heater because it will make your garage colder by a few degrees as it's extracting heat and it will also dehumidify your garage. If you prefer to not cool the space where the tank is located, we can also install a venting kit.

Some of our water heaters qualify for a small tax credit and PG&E rebate, but these rebates are always changing, so ask us for current details! 

There are a couple of ways to produce hot water quickly. First, you can use a recirculation pump that will have a button on your sink that allows hot water from the water heater to recirculate to the fixture. The pump's sensor will shut off the pump when the water is hot. The second method involved installing a point-of-use tankless electric water heater.

Yes, it's possible for smaller homes with a smaller hot water demand, but a 200 amp main service panel is the minimum we would recommend. Tankless electric heaters are limited to about 3.8 gallons per minute, which is a low flow shower head and a sink running at the same time.