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Heat Pump Water Heater install – Nashville installer needed

Asher98 | Posted in General Questions on

anyone in the Nashville TN area and had a heat pump water heater installed?

Struggling to find an installer to remove my old gas water heater and install the new Rheem heat pump one that I already took delivery of. 

A 30 amp 240 V breaker will need to be installed and electric run to the garage location.  

I dont believe my service will require update based on load calcs (Additionally, nearly all houses in my year 2000 neighborhood have a gas pack hvac plus a 2nd AC unit   Mine never had the 2nd AC unit installed).   Im also planning to get the all in one washer/heat pump drier   Currently have separate washer and electric dryer  

saw tva is offering an $800 rebate if you use their approved installers but havent had much luck getting responses.

https://energyright.com/residential/rebates/water-heating/

for clarity :
water heater is not returnable
I have electrical estimates
I need an actual qualified person to actually install the water heater.  If no one here in Nash knows of a plumber who will install a brand new in box Rheem hpwh thats fine – no need to comment on stuff not asking about.   

 

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Replies

  1. freyr_design | | #1

    Sounds like you first need an electrician.

    1. Asher98 | | #5

      Already have several electrician quotes. That was easy. Again looking for name of who can install the actual heat pump water heater that ive already bought and cant be returned.

      1. freyr_design | | #7

        If the electric is run you can just install it, it’s like 3 screw on connections… or as Walta mentioned basically any handyman could do it

  2. walta100 | | #2

    Seems to me the 120V HPWH unit was designed for your application and would likely avoid any rewiring.

    https://www.rheem.com/water-heating/articles/rheem-proterra-plug-in-heat-pump-water-heaters-designed-for-easy-gas-unit-replacement-2/

    In the same way that you do not take raw hamburger patties to Mc Donalds and ask them to cook your patties. Asking a contractor to install the HPWH you are providing just simply is a non-starter.

    Seems like you will not get a rebate with unit, is it returnable?

    Walta

    1. Asher98 | | #3

      No. I dont want the 120V plug in one. Check the specs. Nope.

      Well at this rate I cant even get any responses from the tva list so i dont even care about the rebate so much as just literally finding someone who knows how to install hpwh.

      The electric is easy - already have estimates for it.

      If no one in Nash has installed one fine. Just thought maybe someone here would have by now.

      No
      Its not returnable. I really wanted to get rid of the gas one. What a headache.

    2. Asher98 | | #4

      Find it hard to believe there are no plumbers who do this. I mean does everyone buy all plumbing supplies and equipment and fixtures directly from their plumber? Makes 0 sense to me. Who knew this would be such a fiasco.
      Im not asking a plumber to manufacturer a water heater from raw materials. So no its not like raw hamburger. .

  3. walta100 | | #6

    If you are no longer interested in the rebate and will have an electrician install the new circuit almost any handyman can connect the plumbing.

    If you supplying the water heater is not a big problem, why do you think no one will return your calls?

    Let’s say a contractor installed your water heater and it was defective out of the box. Would you pay him and watch him drive away? Would you pay him extra to diagnose the fault? If the unit is unrepairable will you pay 3 times the agreed amount to remove and replace the heater?

    Yes, contractors do mark up the price of equipment they supply to cover the situations I described because these things do happen sometimes and no body works for free.

    To my ear it sounds like you brought a bag of groceries to the restaurant.

    Walta

  4. ericpanderson | | #8

    I had one installed in 2019, Rheem 50 gal. To get my rebate I just had to pull proper permits and have final inspection. My plumber had no problem doing the install as we had to do quite a bit to bring the install up to code (no pan, no drain, illegal fitting type, not surge tank, etc). He also installed a leak detection sensor attached to an automatic shut-off valve. I have contractors I have worked with for years, but getting a plumber to install a homeowner purchased equipment seems easy (at least it is in Central Texas).

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