HPWH Comparison – Which one to choose?
woodguy00
| Posted in General Questions on
Has anyone compared the heat pump water heaters brands for noise, reliability, life, construction quality, etc. I’m looking at 50 gal models from the big 3 manufacturers – A.O. Smith (State & American also), Rheem (Richmond) and Bradford White available locally. I’m aware of the noise issues with 2021 and earlier Rheems but I believe that has been improved. I’m seeing very little difference in price but is there any sort of consensus over which are best. Not finding help from Consumer Reports who say the models are very similar.
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Replies
Last time I looked Rheem was claiming a higher COP than its competitors.
Walta
Stiebel Eltron (https://www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com/products/accelera-heat-pump-water-heaters) - "Accelera E" models - are worth considering. Going with an 80-gallon tank to minimize any need to fall back on resistance heat might be a wise choice depending on your usage patterns.
We have a Rheem 80 gallon at home and an AO Smith 80 gallon at our vacation home. Both are great so you won’t go wrong with either. But I agree the Rheem is slightly more efficient.
I'm curious to see when the LG unit is going to be available for sale. If nothing else, it looks really nice for a water heater.